Gertrude Atherton?

[AE35Unit]

I came across a shelf of books for sale today,all part of the Tales of Mystery and The Supernatural,part of Wordsworth collection, and all for £1 each! I had to get at least one but could find no Lovecraft or other authors I'd heard of,but i came across this little collection by this unknown author(unknown to me anyway)
The book is called The Bell in the Fog and Other Stories and it sounds quite good. The title tale being like The Turn of the Screw and dedicated to Henry James.
Anyone else read her stories?

 

[j d worthington]

Gertrude Atherton is another who is known more for her other work than her supernatural tales. I would even hesitate to call those "horror" tales, as they are not so much concerned with horripilation as awakening a sense of awe, mystery, and the presence of the unreal -- more the sublime than horror, per se. But, given that caveat, what I've read of her weird tales have been very good. She is, like Henry James, much more "literature" than "horror" in the usual sense. A fine writer, and a protege of Ambrose Bierce.

Gertrude Atherton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Literary Gothic | Gertrude Atherton

 

[AE35Unit]

Horripillation,is that a new word JD?

 

[AE35Unit]

This is the cover of the book I bought today. Don't you just love that 1905 photo,hand coloured!
The Bell in the Fog: And Other Stories by Gertrude Atherton

 

[j d worthington]

Yes, I've got a copy of that collection; just haven't got around to reading it yet (though it is part of my current list).

Horripilation isn't a new word, though one doesn't hear (or see) it all that much these days. In this context, it indicates that she isn't concerned with "raising goose bumps" so much as capturing those fleeting, tenuous, and mysterious feelings of the fantastic, unreal, and eerie one has at odd moments, and giving them artistic expression.

As for the word itself, here's the OED on the subject:

Horripilation [ad. late L. horripil

ti

(Vulgate), n. of action f. horripil

re, f. stem of horr

re to bristle (see Horre n.) + pilus hair.] Erection of the hairs on the skin by contraction of the cutaneous muscles (caused by cold, fear, or other emotion, or nervous affection), producing the condition known as 'gooseflesh'; 'creeping of the flesh'.

It used to be a word encountered frequently in describing ghostly or horrific tales (yes, "horror" comes from the same root), but has become rather neglected now, sadly. I say "sadly" because it is a single word which addresses both the emotion and the condition created by that emotion, as well as having connotations of the cause of the emotion... all in a simple, five-syllable word....

 

[AE35Unit]

Hmmm i like the sound of that! The kind of horror story/movie I like is one that induces horripilation rather than repulsion. Sadly in Hollywood the trend is for the latter! Haven't seen a decent horror in years!

 

[j d worthington]

Yes, that is more or less the modern trend, at least from Hollywood. The Asian, Spanish, and European cinema in general seem to have a better grasp of evoking a genuine chill rather than either nausea or boredom, and the better Hollywood films in the genre seem to mostly be American remakes of some of these....

 

[GOLLUM]

I've got that one, having all of the Wordsworth horror & supernatural collection I'm interested in. We're lucky in Melbourne, they seem to stock and ship the entire collection b/w a couple of different bookstores. Still to read. I think I may have to make a couple of Wordsworth edns. my next 2 reads after finishing Mark Helprin's wonderful Winter's Tale.

Have to confess to never having heard of Horripilation, at least from memory, so thanks for the education J.D.

 

[AE35Unit]

Have to confess to never having heard of Horripilation, at least from memory, so thanks for the education J.D.

Yes its a lovely word isn't it!

 

[GOLLUM]

Yep, I'm going to try it out on some of my unsuspecting colleagues......better make sure I have an ice pack ready just in case.....

 

[Lobolover]

J.D- well yes, but it does sound like something rather painfull .

 

[j d worthington]

J.D- well yes, but it does sound like something rather painfull .

Have you never experienced "goose-flesh" or "goose bumps", Lobo? It isn't actually painful, but it does come with a slight shiver... and it can be induced by other emotions besides fear, as well. I've experienced such with a passage of music that deeply moved move, or a line in poetry which was exquisite and summed up a thing so precisely that it recalled my own experiences of said thing very vividly. Many things can elicit this response, and it simply means whatever it is, it's hitting you at a very intense, almost instinctual level....

 

[Lobolover]

Yes, but the word "Horripilation" does sound like something painfull . Depilation comes to mind

 

[j d worthington]

Yes, but the word "Horripilation" does sound like something painfull . Depilation comes to mind

Ah, I see. I mistook your meaning. And yes, I suppose it does at that....

 

[Lobolover]

And considering how hairy I am, it was realy Horripilating

 

[j d worthington]

And considering how hairy I am, it was realy Horripilating

Ouch!*cue grimace smilie*

Was that really necessary....?

 

[Lobolover]

The reference to the most videly practised form of female masochism or the revelation of my genetical inheritance from our Cromagnone fore-fathers ?

 

[j d worthington]

Errr... I think I'll just walk away from that one quietly....