The White People and Other Weird Stories (Penguin Classics)

I attended last night's Penguin Classics signing by S. T. Joshi, and although they had gobs and gobs of the newly-published Deluxe Edition of THE CALL OF CTHULHU AND OTHER WEIRD STORIES, they had but ONE copy of the Machen. I had already ordered it here at Amazon, and thus I was happy to see some other fellow who really wanted it and bought that copy.S. T. said that Penguin were initially hesitant to publish the book, but they finally told him that if he could get Guillermo del Toro to write a Foreword, they'd publish it. It looks like they commissioned a new cover illustration of Pan, and that's odd since "The Great God Pan" does not appear in the book. The Contents are:"The Ecstasy of St. Arthur," Foreword by Guillermo del ToroIntroduction by S. T. JoshiSuggestions for Further ReadingA Note on the TextsThe Inmost LightNovel of the Black SealNovel of the White PowderThe Red HandThe White PeopleA Fragment of LifeThe BowmanThe Soldier's RestThe Great ReturnOut of the EarthThe TerrorExplanatory NotesSome people don't like Notes and Annotations. I love them and find that they enhance my enjoyment of an author. S. T. is so well read in the weird fiction field that he has a vast knowledge of things therein, and so his Notes are always illuminating. He begins each note with the writing/publication history of the tale, and the Notes then pertain to foreign words, historical aspects and the like.This is a good solid selection of Machen's amazing weird fiction. The strangeness that these tales evoke, the threat of lingering aspects of the past, the trespassing into arcane realms, is in a class all its own. Machen had a magnificent and unique imagination, and he wrote in a plain yet literary style that flows easily. I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy excellent weird fiction."Of living creators of cosmic fear raised to its most artistic pitch, few if any can hope to equal the versatile Arthur Machen, author of some dozen tales long and short, in which the elements of hidden horror and brooding fright attain an almost incomparable substance and realistic acuteness."--H. P. Lovecraft

I appreciated the thoughtful extras of a Lovecraft sticker and the Lovecraft Arts and Sciences flyer.

After reading Lovecraft's treatise Supernatural Horror in Literature, I decided to delve into the authors he discussed, including Algernon Blackwood, MR. James, and Arthur Machen. Machen's work was the first I chose to read, and let me say I was not disappointed. Although not every story in this collection is thrilling (A Fragment of Life was rather boring), I found myself loving the overall eerie and suggestive feel of his work. It is rich with atmosphere. Over each page coils a mist of something simultaneously primal, cosmic, and haunting. This is not horror, necessarily. Rather it conveys more subtle impressions than outright fear. It acts as a gentle brush of chill air on the skin, rather than an abrupt slap in the face. Very unique.

As expected

I don't know too much about Machen. I bought the book here on Amazon because the algorithm told me to and I was wanting a new read. I finished "The Inmost Light", and wasn't blow away. But today I started reading "The Black Seal". In it, I found an impressive description for a fantasy / sci-fi / thriller scenario. If you can imagine Brian Blessed's booming voice reading this, you'll swoon with me. My first pick was Christopher Lee, but alas...From "The Black Seal" by Arthur Machen:"This folk... ...dwells in remote and secret places, and celebrates foul mysteries on savage hills. Nothing have they in common with man save the face, and the customs of humanity are wholly strange to them; and they hate the sun. They hiss rather than speak; their voices are harsh, and not to be heard without fear. They boast of a certain stone, which they call Sixtystone; for they say that it displays sixty characters. And this stone has a secret unspeakable name; which is Ixaxar."

Arguably the greatest Welsh author of all time, Arthur Machen is one of the most legendary and influential writers of his time; although, his work can be hard to find these days where people tend to shy away from older literature. Penguin Classics always provide a great introduction to any author for new readers, as well as an excellent compilation for seasoned fans of Machen or other weird tales. Machen, a Welshman that hit the scene a few decades before Lovecraft, is one of the fathers of supernatural literature, fantastical tales, horror stories, and most of all: the so called "weird tale" which is an eclectic literary splicing of all three. This book is a must have for any fans of Lovecraft or the aforementioned genres. In addition to Arther Machen, some of his contemporaries and other similair authors that I highly recommend, all of which have a wonderful Penguin Classics edition of their tales as well, include Algernon Blackwood, Ambrose Bierce, Clark Ashton Smith, and Lord Dunsany.

The White People one of the most macabre stories I have ever read. Machen was a genius.

Being a H.P: Lovecraft fan for many years, I highly recommend this book to all HPL fans

Happy to have read some of Arthur Machens short works. They vary in quality but there are some great gems within this collection.

Llego en la fecha indicada en perfectas condiciones

Great book and perfect service!

...Arthur Machen.

Probably the most non racist title of a book in a hundred years.