Arthur Machen, Thoughts?

[Fried Egg]

I thought there was a thread for this author around here somewhere but I can't seem to find it? If there is, I have no objection to this thread being merged.

I finally got around to reading "The Three Imposters and Other Stories (The Best Weird Tales of Arthur Machen, Vol. 1)"

Here is my mini-review:

I have long eagerly awaited reading something by Arthur Machen. Supposedly one of the grandfather's of Weird fiction, an important influence on H.P. Lovecraft, I was hoping for another author of the same caliber (and perhaps somewhat similar to) Algernon Blackwood. He turned out not to be quite quite as good and somewhat different in approach.

This is volume one of a three volume set and contains the novella "The Great God Pan", two short stories "The Inmost Light" and "The Shining Pyramid" and the novel "The Three Imposters". Edited and introduced by S.T. Joshi. Common themes include the corruption of innocence, scientific endeavour in areas of the supernatural and the mysteries and beauty of late 19th century London.

"The Great God Pan" is one of the stories Machen is famous for but I was somewhat underwhemled. Apparently deeply shocking and contraversial in it's time, there were angry reviews and morally outraged critics in the media, today it feels overly restrained and coy. In other words it hasn't dated too well, lacking the effectiveness they might once of had. The other two short stories are in the same vein; good but haven't dated too well.

Somewhat different though is the novel "The Three Imposters" (subtitled "The Transumation"). I don't know if I have ever read a story with such a complex narrative structure. Divided up into a series of episodes, it contains many complete stories within stories that are regaled by one of the three antagonists to either of the two protagonists in as part of their elaborate and convulated attempts to try to track down another character who is on the run. The narrative reached, at times, four levels deep. The two protagonists are wealthy individuals who were born into money and who have nothing more to do with their time than wandering the streets of London, reflecting upon and discussing esoteric matters, furiously smoking their pipes as they keep running into the three antagonists, in various guises, who proceed to relate dubious stories of the supernatural.

The prose is quite purple, noticibly more so than Blackwood (altough these tales were written at least ten years earlier) and (as I said) feel more dated. I do intend to go on and read the other two volumes in this series to see what else this author has to offer.

 

[GOLLUM]

HMM..interesting , I really haven't read a HUGE amount of Machen myself. I have books 2 and 3 in that series (still to properly peruse) and will source a copy of Book 1 at some stage; his collection House Of Souls being the one collection I have read that is entirely out of the box.

Machen is generally regarded as being perhaps only a single rung down from the top shelf authors like Lovecraft, Poe and Ligotti.

J.D. and other Horror aficionados will no doubt be able to add much more to this thread.

Cheers and good night...

 

[Lobolover]

I was simply blown away by Pan first time I read it , especialy the begining .

I wonder , how did you like The Novel of the Dark Valley ? No one ever mentions that ?

 

[blacknorth]

I've thoroughly enjoyed what I've read of Machen - not major scares or thrills of any kind and not meant to be: he's a sort of weird version of JB Priestley in my book.

 

[j d worthington]

First: " The Great God Pan" still deserves, I think, its reputation... but it does have some serious flaws; things which HPL noted as far back as 1927: "Melodrama is undeniably present, and coincidence is stretched to a length which appears absurd upon analysis" (from Supernatural Horror in Literature). Lovecraft, too, often noted Machen's reliance on the Christian (specifically Catholic, and even more specifically, that of the Middle Ages, idea of "sin" as the basis for his horrors... a failing which is sometimes causes problems for secularists. Along with that aspect is what I think you are referring to as the story's "coyness"... his playing around with this concept without becoming explicit about certain things.

Unfortunately, all this is quite true, and does damage the tale to some degree. This, I think, is what keeps this particular tale from being as strong as, say, his "The White People"; another tale which hints rather than states, but where that technique is used with much greater effect, as it builds an air of hidden, even nebulous, menace in the very earth itself.

However, I also agree with Lovecraft that the strength of "The Great God Pan" is in Machen's writing, which though lush, seldom truly lapses into the purple. It is rich and luxuriant, but in most cases carefully modulated to fit Machen's concepts. And of course there is the theme of so much of Machen's work; that other aspect of sin, which is (if you will) unnatural Nature, represented here through the concept of Pan (and its offspring, Helen Vaughan, who appears natural but is anything but).

I think, perhaps, this is one of those cases where you should go back to the tale in a year or two, and see if your impressions change.

Second: "The Inmost Light" and "The Shining Pyramid" are, to my mind, lesser tales, though nonetheless interesting, dealing as they do with certain concepts concerning the soul, ecstasy (another of Machen's major themes, as he uses it in its original sense) and the like, and can reach moments of considerable power... but do not quite retain that level as a whole.

Third: As for the episodic novel, The Three Impostors... I can't quite agree with you as to its overall quality. This, too, I think you'll find your opinion on changing over time. The main point in its favor upon first reading is that complexity you mention... but that complexity is tremendously artificial when examined, which thus becomes one of its greatest flaws upon rereading. It is here, too, that I think Machen made a mistake with his writing, becoming (again, as Lovecraft noted), rather "jaunty" in the Stevenson manner (the book is modeled, for instance, on RLS' The Suicide Club in The New Arabian Nights), something which often clashes with the sombreness of certain tales. Which is not to deny the power of those tales, or the lighter touch of some of the others; simply to note that the two are often in conflict, leaving the whole a rather uneven performance not only in quality but tone.

As mentioned above, though, some of Machen's most powerful work is included elsewhere: "The White People" being, perhaps, his greatest achievement in the realm of the weird, while "A Fragment of Life" is also a major achievement of a different type of fantasy -- quite subtle, understated, yet mounting to a truly notable approach to the numinous. "The Red Hand" is also one worth reading, and one which (along with "The Novel of the Black Seal") heavily influenced Robert E. Howard. I would also suggest reading Machen's autobiographical pieces: Far-Off Things, Things Near and Far, and The London Adventure, which contain some of his best prose and manage to convey a surprising sense of beauty and wonder hidden beneath the surface of the ordinary, while his Hieroglyphics: a Note Upon Ecstasy in Literature is a notable achievement not only as an aesthetic statement, but an often charming and provoking view of life... as well, of course, as setting forth the aesthetics which drove all his art. You might also enjoy his novel The Terror, though the writing there is somewhat more flat, to my mind.

Machen, of course, may simply not appeal to you as much (though this would not seem to be the case, given your response to The Three Impostors), given his Victorian reticences and convolutions; yet he really is one of the important figures in the field of the weird, having influenced a number of the major writers later on.

Lobo: It has been a while since I last read that one, but as I recall, there was some good atmosphere, yet the tale simply never made much of a connection with me....

 

[Lobolover]

I liked it imensely because of the atmosphere , but nobody ever mentions it , not even Machen enthusiats . And it's so much better then the fourth novel (whose name I can't remember) , which just stops before anything realy happens . And that's astoundishing when you consider a man gets caught up and killed in an iron maiden .

 

[Fried Egg]

j. d. worthington

Another thing that I really liked about "The Three Impostors" were the characters, Especially Dyson. He's just so hilarious in his manner (or the way Machen describes him).

Anyway, I look forward to reading the next volume in this series which includes "The White People" which I've heard so many good things said.

 

[j d worthington]

j. d. worthington

Another thing that I really liked about "The Three Impostors" were the characters, Especially Dyson. He's just so hilarious in his manner (or the way Machen describes him).

Anyway, I look forward to reading the next volume in this series which includes "The White People" which I've heard so many good things said.

One thing to be aware of is the rather elliptical approach of the latter tale. Almost nothing is directly stated about the nature of the weird phenomena; rather, everything is implied. Yet the necessary key is provided in a foreword which sets forth the concept which Machen is dealing with here. The following is, I think, the core of the matter:

"And what is sin?" said Congrave.

"I think I must reply to your question by another. What would your feelings be, seriously, if your cat or your dog began to talk to you, and to dispute with you in human accents? You would be overwhelmed with horror. I am sure of it. And if the roses in your garden sang a weird song, you would go mad. And suppose the stones in the road began to swell and grow before your eyes, and if the pebble that you noticed at night had shot out stony blossoms in the morning?

"Well, these examples may give you some notion of what sin really is."

Oh, and I forgot to mention one other piece which is well worth seeking out: his fictionalized, "spiritual autobiography", The Hill of Dreams. Machen was one of the great dreamers who lived, imaginatively and emotionally, on the borderland between the real and the numinous (just as, in a different way, did Algernon Blackwood), and while his own approach shows his devotion to the past and the mediaeval Church's conceptions of such matters, it makes for some quite absorbing thoughts on the nature of our own concepts of what are traditionally called the human spirit or soul....

 

[Connavar]

J.D I assume you would recommend "The Great God Pan" as good story to try,see if Machen is for me ?

I want to see what he is like and see if he is to my taste,worth collecting.

 

[j d worthington]

J.D I assume you would recommend "The Great God Pan" as good story to try,see if Machen is for me ?

I want to see what he is like and see if he is to my taste,worth collecting.

I think that, despite the flaws mentioned above... yes, that would be a good one to go with. However, if you can find a collection titled Tales of Horror and the Supernatural (which has gone through several editions and numerous printings, so may be available fairly cheaply), you will have several of his best works all in one place. Incidentally, there has been at least one edition of this particular selection which was published as a two-volume paperback set, as well as there being single-volume trade paperback and hardbound editions; so if you are going for a mass market paperback, make sure you are getting both volumes....

 

[w h pugmire esq]

Centipede Press, according to their catalog, plans on publishing a Machen omnibus in their Masters of the Weird Tale series, complete with some ASTONISHING original artwork by the lad who did the jacket art for Laird Barron's OOCULTATION.

From ye catalog:

Introduction by T. E. D. Klein
Full color artwork by Matthew Jaffee
900+ pages, bound in cloth

Our lead book for the Fall 2010 season, a new edition in the acclaimed Masters of the Weird Tale series. This book focuses on the weird fiction of Arthur Machen, and is introduced by T.E.D. Klein. Matthew Jaffe, a brilliant young artist, personally traveled to Machen's home country of Wales to glean his inspiration for these stunning portraits, many in full color. Jaffe also has created a considerable number of black & white works and devices to make this perhaps our most exquisite volume ever.

November 2010
Cloth in slipcase, $395

I have already started a wee fund-raising jar, for I must have this. Three pieces of art are reproduced in ye catalog, & they are magnificent.

 

[Fried Egg]

J.D I assume you would recommend "The Great God Pan" as good story to try,see if Machen is for me ?

I want to see what he is like and see if he is to my taste,worth collecting.

You've read "Hill of Dreams" if I remember correctly, haven't you?

 

[Connavar]

You've read "Hill of Dreams" if I remember correctly, haven't you?

Yeah i thought it was an actual story and not fictionalized, "spiritual autobiography". If thats the usual quality of Machen prose,writing,storytelling i will stay away from him.

Thats why im not sure and trying Great God Pan.

 

[Fried Egg]

Yeah i thought it was an actual story and not fictionalized, "spiritual autobiography". If thats the usual quality of Machen prose,writing,storytelling i will stay away from him.

Thats why im not sure and trying Great God Pan.

Well, "The Great God Pan" is quite short, about fifty pages, and you can get it published on it's own but, although I haven't read enough of his work to judge myself, Joshi stated (in the introduction of the collection I read) that it was not one of his best weird tales. Others however (such as J.D.) disagree so I guess it can't be a bad place to start.

Personally, I would say that "The Three Impostors" is a much better demonstration of Machen's skill as a writer although it is more effective as a mystery than as a "weird tale" although many of the stories related within the narrative are definitely in the "weird" catagory

 

[Connavar]

50 pages its pretty long i expect short stories,not novella lenght when in these kind of stories.

My best choice in library collection of Machen is Tales of Horror and the Supernatural, 1970 hardcover. J.D was right it has the best stories of his that im looking for. The newer collections isnt in the library.

There is a best of tales for Machen by Joshi in the library but its vol 3 with the lesser stories.

 

[Fried Egg]

Hmmm...looking at "Tales of Horror and the Supernatural" on ISFDB, it lists the contents as follows:

• The Great God Pan • (1894) • novella by Arthur Machen
• The Great Return • (1915) • novelette by Arthur Machen
• The Inmost Light • (1894) • novelette by Arthur Machen
• The Shining Pyramid • (1895) • novelette by Arthur Machen
• The White People • (1904) • novelette by Arthur Machen
• Children of the Pool • (1936) • shortstory by Arthur Machen
• N • (1936) • novelette by Arthur Machen
• The Bowmen • (1914) • shortstory by Arthur Machen
• The Happy Children • (1920) • shortstory by Arthur Machen
• The Novel of the Black Seal • (1895) • novelette by Arthur Machen
• The Novel of the White Powder • (1895) • shortstory by Arthur Machen
• The Terror • (1916) • novel by Arthur Machen
• Out of the Earth • (1915) • shortfiction by Arthur Machen
• Introduction (Tales of Horror and the Supernatural) • essay by Roger Dobson

It is interesting because, while it doesn't contain "The Three Impostors", it does contain "The Novel of the Black Seal" and "The Novel of the White Powder" which were narratives within the main narrative of "The Three Impostors". Joshi did mention that these stories had sometimes been abstracted and published on their own.

 

[Connavar]

"The Three Impostors" i have no interest in because of the connection with Robert Louis Stevenson stories. A new fav writer im planning to collect.

I wont read all those stories since its a library book and im after 1 or 2 stories to try him. If he is to my taste there is new collections with the same stories. Library books around here are so damaged,barely readable.

 

[j d worthington]

Yeah i thought it was an actual story and not fictionalized, "spiritual autobiography". If thats the usual quality of Machen prose,writing,storytelling i will stay away from him.

Thats why im not sure and trying Great God Pan.

It is a fictional story, Connavar. A "spiritual autobiography" is usually a tale through which the writer conveys something of his or her own growth, maturation, or inner life through the protagonist of the tale... such as The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath being Lovecraft's spiritual autobiography, in many respects. The actual tale itself is entirely a fictional construct.

And I don't want my remark about the similarity to Stevenson to put anyone off trying The Three Impostors... many writers turned their hands toward "the Stevenson manner" in the wake of his success, both because of the impact he made publicly and because of admiration for what he'd done.... That said, Machen's little episodic novel is very much his own....

 

[Connavar]

It is a fictional story, Connavar. A "spiritual autobiography" is usually a tale through which the writer conveys something of his or her own growth, maturation, or inner life through the protagonist of the tale... such as The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath being Lovecraft's spiritual autobiography, in many respects. The actual tale itself is entirely a fictional construct.

And I don't want my remark about the similarity to Stevenson to put anyone off trying The Three Impostors... many writers turned their hands toward "the Stevenson manner" in the wake of his success, both because of the impact he made publicly and because of admiration for what he'd done.... That said, Machen's little episodic novel is very much his own....

The Hill of Dreams is early in his career and it isnt one of his better stories. I like to start with a story that is seen as among the best works. I have seen many stories mentioned by fans,critics among his best and not one mentioned Hill of Dreams. Since every library order from another city library still cost me money i dont like to gamble on anything than a highly rated story.


The Three Impostors sounds like its a better story to read if you are already a fan. I know its a his own story no matter what it is modelled after. I feel the other stories in that supernatural collection is a better option.

 

[j d worthington]

The Hill of Dreams is early in his career and it isnt one of his better stories. I like to start with a story that is seen as among the best works. I have seen many stories mentioned by fans,critics among his best and not one mentioned Hill of Dreams. Since every library order from another city library still cost me money i dont like to gamble on anything than a highly rated story.


The Three Impostors sounds like its a better story to read if you are already a fan. I know its a his own story no matter what it is modelled after. I feel the other stories in that supernatural collection is a better option.

On the latter -- on the whole, I'd agree with you. While some of the stories in The Three Impostors are among his best ("The Novel of the Black Seal" most especially), as a whole it is an uneven performance.

As far as The Hill of Dreams, though... well, that has actually been one of his books which has almost continuously been in print, and tends to be highly regarded by most critics as well as a fair number of writers (including Lovecraft and Dunsany, who wrote an introduction to an edition of that novel, reprinted in the Dover edition).

It isn't a weird or horror piece, but the central dream narrative is one of the most powerful pieces of fantastic writing out there....