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Dagon
Ereditare un’antica villa e perdercisi. Andare via da tutto e dimenticare le ossessioni della società invadente, prosaica. Ma anche nelle fughe meglio progettate possono nascondersi pericoli insidiosi, e non si tratta soltanto della solitudine. Il protagonista di questo romanzo è tenuto in cattività da qualcosa che sfugge a ogni definizione, a una mostruosità della notte dei tempi; e la sua disintegrazione, raccontata con perfetta obiettività, è accompagnata dal ritmo di una formula che poche gole umane sono in grado di pronunciare: Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.
Copertina di Franco Brambilla
Copertina di Franco Brambilla
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
12 people are currently reading
752 people want to read
About the author
Fred Chappell
106 books120 followersFred Davis Chappell retired after 40 years as an English professor at University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was the Poet Laureate of North Carolina from 1997-2002. He attended Duke University.
His 1968 novel Dagon, which was named the Best Foreign Book of the Year by the Academie Française, is a recasting of a Cthulhu Mythos horror story as a psychologically realistic Southern Gothic.
His literary awards include the Prix de Meilleur des Livres Etrangers, the Bollingen Prize, and the T. S. Eliot Prize.
His 1968 novel Dagon, which was named the Best Foreign Book of the Year by the Academie Française, is a recasting of a Cthulhu Mythos horror story as a psychologically realistic Southern Gothic.
His literary awards include the Prix de Meilleur des Livres Etrangers, the Bollingen Prize, and the T. S. Eliot Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 19, 2023
Well, the premise of this book sounded very intriguing. A couple, Peter Leland and his wife Sheila, spend the summer on a remote farm house he inherited from him grandparents. Him working on a book about Dagon, an old deity of fertility, him murdering him wife... but soon it became very tedious, sticky like glue with too much inner reflection and a very boring plot. Glad it was so short, but no comparison to Lovecraft who could come up with something captivating even if very descriptive. This one was rather lame and tame. It's from 1968 and has a great cover. But I wasn't too convinced to be honest. Had expected more here.
December 6, 2023
Aye yi yi. This book. Where do I start?
Dagon. The cover proclaims it’s “a novel of blinding terror,” along with a picture of a bloody shackle. When we open the cover, we find a priest exposing his bare chest with a tattoo of a lizard creature covering his torso.
What a misleading cover that is!
First, this was supposed to be a southern gothic homage to Lovecraft and one of his first stories. Father Peter Leland inherits a farm and he moves out there with his wife with the intention of writing a book about the ancient god, Dagon. The prose starts off florid, to the point of being extremely tedious to follow. When Chappell finally settles down, stops trying to show off his chops and just writes, the flow is much better. The problem is the story is about as interesting as watching paint dry. Leland’s character degenerates into this mindless husk way too quickly, and simply comes off as a pathetic sad sack. At one point, he’s clutching a water pump handle and you’re wanting him to take a swing at his antagonist who’s been abusing him, but no. That would be an attempt to revive this long dead story. Dagon doesn’t show up until the last 4 pages, and you wouldn’t know it if you’d blinked. What a waste. This was 181 pages that felt like over 500 pages. If there was a cohesive plot to be found, it hid from me the whole time.
1 shot of corn whisky, which I wish was hemlock, out of 5
Dagon. The cover proclaims it’s “a novel of blinding terror,” along with a picture of a bloody shackle. When we open the cover, we find a priest exposing his bare chest with a tattoo of a lizard creature covering his torso.
What a misleading cover that is!
First, this was supposed to be a southern gothic homage to Lovecraft and one of his first stories. Father Peter Leland inherits a farm and he moves out there with his wife with the intention of writing a book about the ancient god, Dagon. The prose starts off florid, to the point of being extremely tedious to follow. When Chappell finally settles down, stops trying to show off his chops and just writes, the flow is much better. The problem is the story is about as interesting as watching paint dry. Leland’s character degenerates into this mindless husk way too quickly, and simply comes off as a pathetic sad sack. At one point, he’s clutching a water pump handle and you’re wanting him to take a swing at his antagonist who’s been abusing him, but no. That would be an attempt to revive this long dead story. Dagon doesn’t show up until the last 4 pages, and you wouldn’t know it if you’d blinked. What a waste. This was 181 pages that felt like over 500 pages. If there was a cohesive plot to be found, it hid from me the whole time.
1 shot of corn whisky, which I wish was hemlock, out of 5
February 24, 2021
SPOILER INSIDE!! SOMEWHERE THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS!! WARNING! WARNING! ATTENTION PLEASE SPOILER INSIDE!!
Dagon: 2☆Sinceramente no. Che sfiga ho quest'anno con i libri. Quando ho letto Cthullhu nella trama dietro ho capito che voleva appoggiarsi su Lovecraft. Anche Lovecraft l'unico che ho letto non mi è piaciuto. Ne ho un altro però quindi vedremo come va.
La prima parte era abbordabile. Non eccelso ma nemmeno brutto. Ma come ho iniziato la seconda parte è vorticosamente caduto in un baratro senza ritorno. Tipo da dire "ma che è sta roba!".
E poi dove diamine è Dagon? Appare, dopo le prime citazioni nella prima parte, a pagina 135. Peccato che il libro (solo Dagon) sia di 137 pagine. Che delusione. Non puoi nemmeno dare la colpa al traduttore di essersi inventato un titolo senza ne capo ne coda dato che è il titolo originale. 😑
Forse mi sono fatta delle aspettative sbagliate ma la seconda parte è comunque snervante. Mi aspettavo di più. Non posso credere che sia riconosciuto dall' Académie Française... 😑
PS: Nel frattempo ho imparato che esiste un Dagon anche di Lovecraft. Speriamo che un giorno, se lo leggerò, sarà più decente.
Il sentiero dei mille sospiri: 2☆ (Essendo un extra non verrà contato nel voto finale). Horror-Action? Action si ma horror?! Boh. Al terzo capitolo . E siamo al sesto capitolo. Ancora niente horror. La magia per me appartiene al fantasy. Non solo questo racconto non sta bene in un Urania Horror ma non sta bene nemmeno in un Urania normale. E per i miei gusti non è uno scifi solo perchè è scritto nel 1999 e ambientato dopo il 2007 o nel terzo secolo o quel che è.
Capitolo sette. Vampiro. Solo che sono fantasy i vampiri. Anche loro si. 🤔
Capitolo otto. L'autore li chiama cangianti ma direi che sono mutaforma. Lupi mannari, uomini bestia o donne pantera o nel caso Hulai Kitsune una volpe. Comunque sia per la terza volta conferma il fantasy. (Smettiamo di mettere il fantasy nello scifi o dichiararlo horror. Horror si intendono cose che fanno paura o se non ne hai che almeno ci provano. Qui la cosa è piatta come una tavola).
Ma fa talmente pena che nemmeno nel fantasy lo metto ma nello schifo.
Ora ditemi voi. L'autore chiama una malvagia vampira Kuroneko. Si trasforma in un gatto ma ha il pelo fulvo dato che ha i capelli rossi. Allora perchè cavolo si chiama Kuroneko dannazione! Kuroneko vuol dire gatto nero. Odio gli autori che pensano "tanto non se ne accorgono" solo che io si. So da molto prima di dedicarmi a giapponese che kuro significa nero e neko gatto.
E come amante delle volpi trovo inconcepibile che Hulai abbia una criniera. Viola poi.
Ho passato altre cose ma queste non le passo.
Andiamo avanti. Capitolo 11. La testa. O è un aracnide o è un insetto. Si da caso che gli aracnidi e gli insetti differiscano leggermente.
Sempre stesso capitolo. Un vampiro non può essere solo un vampiro. La tipa malvagia è un vampiro, un gatto e la sua testa mozzata diventa un ragnazzo schifoso. (La possente vampira muore in colpo per colpa dell'altro vampiro).
L'altro vampiro, Sir Christopher, è anche un lupo ... naturalmente mica poteva essere solo un vampiro. 🤦♀️
All'undicesimo capitolo finalmente appare (citato) il sentiero dei mille sospiri. Il problema è che sono solo tredici capitoli ...
Un horror-action insuperato nel suo genere. La quarta di copertina dice così ma io dico police verso. 👎
Almeno possiamo dire che entrambe le storie facessero pena. Quello li accomuna.
Dagon: 2☆Sinceramente no. Che sfiga ho quest'anno con i libri. Quando ho letto Cthullhu nella trama dietro ho capito che voleva appoggiarsi su Lovecraft. Anche Lovecraft l'unico che ho letto non mi è piaciuto. Ne ho un altro però quindi vedremo come va.
La prima parte era abbordabile. Non eccelso ma nemmeno brutto. Ma come ho iniziato la seconda parte è vorticosamente caduto in un baratro senza ritorno. Tipo da dire "ma che è sta roba!".
E poi dove diamine è Dagon? Appare, dopo le prime citazioni nella prima parte, a pagina 135. Peccato che il libro (solo Dagon) sia di 137 pagine. Che delusione. Non puoi nemmeno dare la colpa al traduttore di essersi inventato un titolo senza ne capo ne coda dato che è il titolo originale. 😑
Forse mi sono fatta delle aspettative sbagliate ma la seconda parte è comunque snervante. Mi aspettavo di più. Non posso credere che sia riconosciuto dall' Académie Française... 😑
PS: Nel frattempo ho imparato che esiste un Dagon anche di Lovecraft. Speriamo che un giorno, se lo leggerò, sarà più decente.
Il sentiero dei mille sospiri: 2☆ (Essendo un extra non verrà contato nel voto finale). Horror-Action? Action si ma horror?! Boh. Al terzo capitolo . E siamo al sesto capitolo. Ancora niente horror. La magia per me appartiene al fantasy. Non solo questo racconto non sta bene in un Urania Horror ma non sta bene nemmeno in un Urania normale. E per i miei gusti non è uno scifi solo perchè è scritto nel 1999 e ambientato dopo il 2007 o nel terzo secolo o quel che è.
Capitolo sette. Vampiro. Solo che sono fantasy i vampiri. Anche loro si. 🤔
Capitolo otto. L'autore li chiama cangianti ma direi che sono mutaforma. Lupi mannari, uomini bestia o donne pantera o nel caso Hulai Kitsune una volpe. Comunque sia per la terza volta conferma il fantasy. (Smettiamo di mettere il fantasy nello scifi o dichiararlo horror. Horror si intendono cose che fanno paura o se non ne hai che almeno ci provano. Qui la cosa è piatta come una tavola).
Ma fa talmente pena che nemmeno nel fantasy lo metto ma nello schifo.
Ora ditemi voi. L'autore chiama una malvagia vampira Kuroneko. Si trasforma in un gatto ma ha il pelo fulvo dato che ha i capelli rossi. Allora perchè cavolo si chiama Kuroneko dannazione! Kuroneko vuol dire gatto nero. Odio gli autori che pensano "tanto non se ne accorgono" solo che io si. So da molto prima di dedicarmi a giapponese che kuro significa nero e neko gatto.
E come amante delle volpi trovo inconcepibile che Hulai abbia una criniera. Viola poi.
Ho passato altre cose ma queste non le passo.
Andiamo avanti. Capitolo 11. La testa. O è un aracnide o è un insetto. Si da caso che gli aracnidi e gli insetti differiscano leggermente.
Sempre stesso capitolo. Un vampiro non può essere solo un vampiro. La tipa malvagia è un vampiro, un gatto e la sua testa mozzata diventa un ragnazzo schifoso. (La possente vampira muore in colpo per colpa dell'altro vampiro).
L'altro vampiro, Sir Christopher, è anche un lupo ... naturalmente mica poteva essere solo un vampiro. 🤦♀️
All'undicesimo capitolo finalmente appare (citato) il sentiero dei mille sospiri. Il problema è che sono solo tredici capitoli ...
Un horror-action insuperato nel suo genere. La quarta di copertina dice così ma io dico police verso. 👎
Almeno possiamo dire che entrambe le storie facessero pena. Quello li accomuna.
July 17, 2014
You see phrases like "Mythos story played straight" and "Lovecraftian story cast as Southern Gothic" and both of those seem about right when describing Dagon, a book about a failure of a man who deals, though not really, with his imminent collapse and the weight of history on his shoulders while something vaguely Lovecraftian happens around him and to him. There are three joys to reading Dagon and one burden, so let us discuss them real quick.
First Joy: The book is written in a form that can be a tad florid at times, but is capable of leaps of brilliance. In the pacing and the phrasing and the sculpting of ideas. For instance, just one of the great quotes for this book is a line from Peter Leland (the failure) talking about Mina Morgan (the failure's foil) -
...ah, amazing. There are others, I'll leave you to find them.
Second Joy: This is one of the few books that deals directly with Lovecraft's Mythos, rather than a generally lovecraftian universe, while keeping its wits about it all times. Names like Cthulhu, and of course Dagon, drift up but are more like pepper flakes in the salt shaker. Much, much more of the Lovecraftian influence is subdued, with hints at fishy appearances and strange rites and whatnot [ostensibly referencing the Deep Ones], often not quite described clearly. It accomplishes this partially by having the good taste to be written before the extended Mythos of the post-Derlethian world had time to completely saturate the field, but also by partially taken the Mythos not as itself but as a tool to tell a story that may or may not have anything to do with it. For more on this, see...
Third Joy: This book is ultimately a book about the failed identity of the mid-twentieth century American. Weighed down by history, shaped by duty, bound by the notions of a Golden Past that may never have existed, Leland is a failure of a man only because he set about pre-requisites for himself. As his life crumbles into dust, we are unsure if he has collapsed because of otherworldly forces, or because of his worldly assumptions. And is Mina a temptress or something of a savior [no spoilers, mind]? However...
The Burden: If you were to take this book as a physical collection of words, from beginning to end, and then slice it down the middle, much of the last half would be in a state of lugubrious prattle. Things get darker before they get better except in this novel's case, you have to know truly what it is that Leland is and isn't before you can talk about what he is and isn't, and so it takes a moment of dwelling on the wallowing. Page after page of wallowing. It becomes a slog, even if it is an important one to the whole.
In the end, wish the book had been of three equal parts, and that the latter half would have been condensed to the latter third and it had more time to set up the struggle. It lost a star for that, maybe more of a half-star, but even as I was losing the grip on it, I was still appreciating the ride.
First Joy: The book is written in a form that can be a tad florid at times, but is capable of leaps of brilliance. In the pacing and the phrasing and the sculpting of ideas. For instance, just one of the great quotes for this book is a line from Peter Leland (the failure) talking about Mina Morgan (the failure's foil) -
And her face remembered was intractable entirely; it wouldn’t respond to any maneuver of his imagination, it offered no similes, as totally itself as the taste of garlic.
...ah, amazing. There are others, I'll leave you to find them.
Second Joy: This is one of the few books that deals directly with Lovecraft's Mythos, rather than a generally lovecraftian universe, while keeping its wits about it all times. Names like Cthulhu, and of course Dagon, drift up but are more like pepper flakes in the salt shaker. Much, much more of the Lovecraftian influence is subdued, with hints at fishy appearances and strange rites and whatnot [ostensibly referencing the Deep Ones], often not quite described clearly. It accomplishes this partially by having the good taste to be written before the extended Mythos of the post-Derlethian world had time to completely saturate the field, but also by partially taken the Mythos not as itself but as a tool to tell a story that may or may not have anything to do with it. For more on this, see...
Third Joy: This book is ultimately a book about the failed identity of the mid-twentieth century American. Weighed down by history, shaped by duty, bound by the notions of a Golden Past that may never have existed, Leland is a failure of a man only because he set about pre-requisites for himself. As his life crumbles into dust, we are unsure if he has collapsed because of otherworldly forces, or because of his worldly assumptions. And is Mina a temptress or something of a savior [no spoilers, mind]? However...
The Burden: If you were to take this book as a physical collection of words, from beginning to end, and then slice it down the middle, much of the last half would be in a state of lugubrious prattle. Things get darker before they get better except in this novel's case, you have to know truly what it is that Leland is and isn't before you can talk about what he is and isn't, and so it takes a moment of dwelling on the wallowing. Page after page of wallowing. It becomes a slog, even if it is an important one to the whole.
In the end, wish the book had been of three equal parts, and that the latter half would have been condensed to the latter third and it had more time to set up the struggle. It lost a star for that, maybe more of a half-star, but even as I was losing the grip on it, I was still appreciating the ride.
January 17, 2009
a retelling of a cult-classic lovecraft story - which, frankly, i generally dont care much for either the genre or the dork mythos surrounding horror fiction.
but this is a modern tale, and rooted in real, deep horror and explores issues of control, abuse and abandonment within possibilities of existence (real and imagined). scarier than the monsters of classic horror, the terror is internal. the connection, too, to the ancient dagon myth that people actually once believed in makes it a bit more connected than fantasies.
fred chappells prose is stunning, and the visual impact he creates in the place and atmospheres is amazing. its been years since i thought a fiction writer was this skilled.
there are some obvious issues with sexuality and misogyny in this story (the female characters, even the victimized women are kind of flat) - i have no idea how much of that is lovecraft, how much is chappell. but as i understand it, thats apart of the dork lovecraft crap, not a result of chappells poor writing.
im really looking forward to reading something else of his. this was a great, enveloping introduction to his work. and yes, definitely a "southern" writer. just dripping with it.
but this is a modern tale, and rooted in real, deep horror and explores issues of control, abuse and abandonment within possibilities of existence (real and imagined). scarier than the monsters of classic horror, the terror is internal. the connection, too, to the ancient dagon myth that people actually once believed in makes it a bit more connected than fantasies.
fred chappells prose is stunning, and the visual impact he creates in the place and atmospheres is amazing. its been years since i thought a fiction writer was this skilled.
there are some obvious issues with sexuality and misogyny in this story (the female characters, even the victimized women are kind of flat) - i have no idea how much of that is lovecraft, how much is chappell. but as i understand it, thats apart of the dork lovecraft crap, not a result of chappells poor writing.
im really looking forward to reading something else of his. this was a great, enveloping introduction to his work. and yes, definitely a "southern" writer. just dripping with it.
October 22, 2013
This book really put a chill in my spine, and still don't exactly understand why. I hadn't thought of Dagon in quite some time-I read it while still in high school and actually have letter from Frad Chappell wondering why I even bothered with it (my mom is a writer and is friends with Mr Chappell). I can still remember the strange feeling of being pulled into this young preacher's slow lurch towards madness. It's really a tale about a man facing fear, searching it out. What he finds is perplexing. I can't really say any more for to do so would ruin the punch line of the novel so to speak. But the real treat of this story is the way in which it is told. Fred Chappell does not waste a single solitary sentence. There is absolutely no filler, not a trim of fat on this book. It is sparse and weathered; a splintered cutting board with nary a smooth undulation. (Sorry, I've been reading too much Robert E. Howard). Amazing prose. Great book because of its vagueness-the words tell the story in such a matter of fact way, there's only just enough revealed to the reader. You feel like you're spying on someone else's dream, and trying desperately to make sense of it.
April 8, 2014
Oh my good god! What a tortuous read. So glad it was a short one. Not what i was expecting. I fell into this one, again unknowing that its based on a lovecraft story. It was a well crafted book and was able to keep my attention somewhat, but what Peter endured is beyond me. Why he lost the power struggle and submitted to awful things is not clear. For Dagon? I don't know, but this book is going back to where i found it. It was such a chore to read, I'm so glad to be done with it. I'd only recommend this to die hard fans of lovecraft. He is in a league of his own.
December 31, 2019
I'd never heard of this novel before reading Brian Evenson's invaluable list of the 10 scariest novels. I'm glad I followed his recommendation; this is a phenomenally weird and powerful vision, a completely successful fusion of the Lovecraftian and Southern Gothic traditions. It's a novel that sustains comparison with The Lime Twig, The Driver's Seat, Sanctuary, and Evenson's own best work.
December 31, 2020
huh? I didn't really get much of a lovecraft feel out of this, im not even sure if there are fishpeople in it or if they are just a really ugly family. and the priest suddenly thinks "ima kill my wife" i thought it'd have to do more with the house he inherited and his family history but nah. i don't even think theres a cult.. just a bunch of farmers or ppl watching a dude get tattooed. i just don't know... Damn and Dagon is one of my fav H.P. stories. Go watch the 2001 Dagon movie for a better take on the story
cover and inner panel look cool
maybe i just didn't understand the story at all. i just thought it'd do more with his family and the maddness his father fell into and why that family was on the land. and it went a different route that I thought was gonna happen.
cover and inner panel look cool
maybe i just didn't understand the story at all. i just thought it'd do more with his family and the maddness his father fell into and why that family was on the land. and it went a different route that I thought was gonna happen.
September 5, 2015
The first half of this book is great, becoming more and more atmospheric, moody, and tense as the main character (a more realistic version of the typical Lovecraft protagonist) investigates the mystery of his home. However, after that, the book radically shifts gears and becomes a journey into madness which, while it has some good and creepy bits, becomes primarily an exercise in psychological abuse and "gross-out" horror. Ultimately, I was unsatisfied with a book which has been so highly recommended by some.
October 30, 2020
This is a sort of southern gothic horror with a Lovecraft influence, with a Cthulhu theme. The most interesting thing about it is that it has two endings, apparently as Chappell himself couldn’t decide which one to use. It’s intriguing, certainly original, but has as many places in which it doesn’t work, as those in which it does.
July 19, 2016
A worthy psychological horror story in the tradition of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and H.P. Lovecraft's Dagon.
The physical, philosophical, psychological and religious themes are all creepily mingled. While at times the language is cumbersome, the style directly reflects the mood Chappell is going for, florid, oppressive and thick. I found myself slogging through it at times, like Lovecraft’s original main character tracking his way through the mud toward the monolith, but the trudge was haunting and evocative enough that it did keep drawing me back to it.
SPOILER alert: The final chapter of Peter's "resurrection" is an philosophical punch-line about which much could be said and adds a whole different level of creepy to the piece. Like it or hate it, it's a really interesting read.
The physical, philosophical, psychological and religious themes are all creepily mingled. While at times the language is cumbersome, the style directly reflects the mood Chappell is going for, florid, oppressive and thick. I found myself slogging through it at times, like Lovecraft’s original main character tracking his way through the mud toward the monolith, but the trudge was haunting and evocative enough that it did keep drawing me back to it.
SPOILER alert: The final chapter of Peter's "resurrection" is an philosophical punch-line about which much could be said and adds a whole different level of creepy to the piece. Like it or hate it, it's a really interesting read.
October 20, 2022
Chump inherits house
what a terrible hardship
welp, she'll have to go.
what a terrible hardship
welp, she'll have to go.
June 14, 2024
After murdering his wife in the bedroom of the haunted house he had just inherited from his father, Peter Leland finds himself bound to a strange ichthyoid woman and her sinister accomplice. Strung out on hallucinogenic liquor, he is thrust into a world of errant sanity and seemingly purposeless, alien cruelty. But Peter's suffering may not be as desultory as it seems. In his increasingly distanced moments of lucidity, Peter fears he may be being groomed to play a terrible part in the summoning of the mad Elder God Dagon…
I am surprised this novel isn’t talked about more. If you like this kind of book, chances are you will like this book. An early(ish) (1968) example of Cthulhu Mythos fiction approached with Southern Gothic sensibility. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it discussed. Why hasn’t one of the specialty presses - this one has Centipede written all over it - released a limited edition with all the toppings? At least once in the last sixty years? Very curious.
I just checked, and this novel is still in print in the form of a TPB from Bitingduck Press. The copy I own is the mass market paperback edition from 1987. The first edition hardcover was released by Harcourt, Brace in 1968 - it is quite expensive now.
I am surprised this novel isn’t talked about more. If you like this kind of book, chances are you will like this book. An early(ish) (1968) example of Cthulhu Mythos fiction approached with Southern Gothic sensibility. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it discussed. Why hasn’t one of the specialty presses - this one has Centipede written all over it - released a limited edition with all the toppings? At least once in the last sixty years? Very curious.
I just checked, and this novel is still in print in the form of a TPB from Bitingduck Press. The copy I own is the mass market paperback edition from 1987. The first edition hardcover was released by Harcourt, Brace in 1968 - it is quite expensive now.
February 24, 2018
Mai una rivisitazione del mito di Cthulhu è stata più controversa e innovativa di questa. Fred Chappell mette coraggiosamente da parte mostri ed "effetti speciali" per puntare unicamente sulla psicologia del protagonista Peter Leland, sul suo decadimento fisico e mentale e sulle atroci umiliazioni che è costretto a subire dai suoi aguzzini, dei quali nulla viene spiegato, ma proprio per questo motivo sono ancora più inquietanti e sfuggenti.
Tutta la storia è pervasa da un'atmosfera malsana e meschina, una patina polverosa di sudiciume che non abbandona mai il lettore. In contrasto c'è la prosa elegante e ricca di particolari descrittivi di Chappell che si presta alla perfezione alla narrazione.
In conclusione "Dagon" è un libro particolare non facile da digerire ma che consiglio proprio per la sua originalità e per la qualità della scrittura dell'autore.
Termina il volume un racconto lungo di Stefano Di Marino, una specie di storia d'azione in stile manga con malavitosi, mutanti e magie varie. Premesso che il folklore orientale mi è alieno e indigesto, questo racconto è totalmente incongruo con "Dagon". Urania lo ha usato come riempitivo? Boh...
Tutta la storia è pervasa da un'atmosfera malsana e meschina, una patina polverosa di sudiciume che non abbandona mai il lettore. In contrasto c'è la prosa elegante e ricca di particolari descrittivi di Chappell che si presta alla perfezione alla narrazione.
In conclusione "Dagon" è un libro particolare non facile da digerire ma che consiglio proprio per la sua originalità e per la qualità della scrittura dell'autore.
Termina il volume un racconto lungo di Stefano Di Marino, una specie di storia d'azione in stile manga con malavitosi, mutanti e magie varie. Premesso che il folklore orientale mi è alieno e indigesto, questo racconto è totalmente incongruo con "Dagon". Urania lo ha usato come riempitivo? Boh...
April 21, 2015
I was surprised to learn about the existence of a book like this; previously, I had only heard about Fred Chappell in connection with poetry. So, an adaptation of the Cthulu story to the 20th-century southern USA is a bit far removed from all that. In short, I'm glad I picked this book up and will look to read more by Mr. Chappell.
One of the alternately positive and negative qualities of HP Lovecraft, and this book that his work inspired, is horror created by vagueness and implication. You never quite get to see things head on--things just kind of rush up on you and then the story is over. This uncertainty can create a great kind of prickling, nervous feeling but it can also leave you feeling a bit let down. What, there wasn't more story to tell? Things couldn't be explained just a bit more? There couldn't be a bit more outlining of the nameless horror?
That being said, I think that Dagon is generally a success, and certainly a worthy entry among those influenced by Lovecraft. Poor, poor Peter. I thought the first section of the book, leading up to Sheila's murder, was quite creepy. The attic scene in particular. And then, suddenly, ol' Sheila gets the chop. Was it the house that made him? Mina? Bad blood? Did he inherit something that put him under the spell of that place? I think those questions, and the lack of answers, fall into the "creepy" category.
After the murder, it's not clear, and never explained, why Peter submits himself to such debasing treatment at Mina and Coke's hands. Why does he become an alcoholic and, eventually, basically a simpleton (although this isn't the case at the end)? What is the point of all his suffering? In fact, why does Peter have to die after he confronts Dagon? Why can't they just keep tattooing him? Is there some ultimate goal in Mina's mind, some larger conjuring that she is moving towards? The lack of information regarding questions like these, in the book's latter part, are a bit more frustrating (especially because the book is only 177 pages). Perhaps keeping things short does keep Chappell in line with Lovecraft's style like the vagueness does but, still, come on. Give me a bit more, man.
But, like with Lovecraft, this book has hooked me and I would read more if there were any.
One of the alternately positive and negative qualities of HP Lovecraft, and this book that his work inspired, is horror created by vagueness and implication. You never quite get to see things head on--things just kind of rush up on you and then the story is over. This uncertainty can create a great kind of prickling, nervous feeling but it can also leave you feeling a bit let down. What, there wasn't more story to tell? Things couldn't be explained just a bit more? There couldn't be a bit more outlining of the nameless horror?
That being said, I think that Dagon is generally a success, and certainly a worthy entry among those influenced by Lovecraft. Poor, poor Peter. I thought the first section of the book, leading up to Sheila's murder, was quite creepy. The attic scene in particular. And then, suddenly, ol' Sheila gets the chop. Was it the house that made him? Mina? Bad blood? Did he inherit something that put him under the spell of that place? I think those questions, and the lack of answers, fall into the "creepy" category.
After the murder, it's not clear, and never explained, why Peter submits himself to such debasing treatment at Mina and Coke's hands. Why does he become an alcoholic and, eventually, basically a simpleton (although this isn't the case at the end)? What is the point of all his suffering? In fact, why does Peter have to die after he confronts Dagon? Why can't they just keep tattooing him? Is there some ultimate goal in Mina's mind, some larger conjuring that she is moving towards? The lack of information regarding questions like these, in the book's latter part, are a bit more frustrating (especially because the book is only 177 pages). Perhaps keeping things short does keep Chappell in line with Lovecraft's style like the vagueness does but, still, come on. Give me a bit more, man.
But, like with Lovecraft, this book has hooked me and I would read more if there were any.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2015
Dagon (1968) by Fred Chappell is a short novel, mixing elements of the southern gothic, with the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft. The Lovecraftian elements are minor, at least until the conclusion, and most of the novel moves at a slow pace with unlikable characters doing unspeakable things to each other. It starts out with the minister Peter Leland and his wife Sheila taking up the house and four hundred acres that Peter has inherited from his grandparents. There he plans to work on his theological book on Dagon, a forgotten ancient pagan god who is mentioned in the Book of Samuel. Peter finds a bizarre family of squatters who have lived on the property for generations, and some strange torture implements in his attic that seems to relate to his father’s mysterious death decades ago. So far, so good, but the story abruptly shifts, as Peter brutally murders his wife, and takes up with the young girl of the family of squatters, who keeps him supplied with moonshine and uses him for occasional sex, eventually taking him and her other boyfriend on a road trip with a predictable result. Much of this novel feels like unnecessary padding, and it would probably have been more successful for this reader at a much shorter length.
February 6, 2015
Lasciate perdere questo libro, semmai leggetevi o rileggetevi l'originale racconto lovecraftiano dallo stesso titolo. Per quanto riguarda il secondo romanzo breve contenuto nel volume, l'italiano "Il sentiero dei mille sospiri", "un horror action insuperato nel suo genere" a detta della quarta di copertina, già non mi prendeva, poi arrivato a pag. 176 ho abbandonato la lettura... Da evitare come la peste...
August 31, 2024
I hadn't heard of Chappell before going through Wagner's Year's Best Horror #10 kind of randomly from the early 80s. What a find!
It's not really a high standard unfortunately, but it's the best Lovecraftian effort by far from any writer not named Lovecraft. The script is entirely flipped here, and ... well, it's cosmic horror, but perhaps its existential horror too as Chappell does a deeper dive into the "slovenly degenerates" that HPL would eschew examining too closely. (And they are us.) If you want to know what all that stuff looks like in the hands of an actual literary type writer, this is it.
It's not really a high standard unfortunately, but it's the best Lovecraftian effort by far from any writer not named Lovecraft. The script is entirely flipped here, and ... well, it's cosmic horror, but perhaps its existential horror too as Chappell does a deeper dive into the "slovenly degenerates" that HPL would eschew examining too closely. (And they are us.) If you want to know what all that stuff looks like in the hands of an actual literary type writer, this is it.
October 11, 2020
10.03.2020: a Goodreads reader 'liked' my other read book by this author (I had written a glowing review); this acclaimed NC author has numerous others...; 10.11.2020: while this short novel was granted the Best Foreign Book prize by the French Academy, to my way of thinking they should have thrown the manuscript out with the bath water; here is what GoodReads had to say about this book: “Peter Leland, a young minister, inherits his grandparents' farm in the mountains of North Carolina. There, he aims to finish his book on Dagon, the maimed pagan deity of fertility described in the First Book of Samuel. But returning to the place of murky childhood memories strangely effects Peter.”…strangely effects is an understatement; this book is such a huge departure from this acclaimed author’s other books, so I won’t give up on the author; sorry I finished this one though; 2009 hardcover paperback via Madison County Public Library, Berea, 130 pgs.;
April 3, 2018
Written in the style of h.p. Lovecraft, and is more of a novella. A really fast read, but the start is really slow. I like the author's idea of the ending, but thought it was a little disappointing in how it was presented. I thought the middle of the book was the most interesting part, but even then the author doesn't really give any interpretation of characters beyond the protagonist in the book. I certainly wouldn't describe it as 'a novel of blinding terror' as stated on the cover!
December 28, 2019
3.5 Some really interesting stuff here. I did go read the Lovecraft short story before reading this but I don’t know a single think about Lovecraft besides that. A really creepy read. I wasn’t able to predict a single thing that happened. Chappell is a good writer but his female characters are really lacking and his descriptions of Leland’s wife were groan-inducing, hence 3.5 instead of 4.
August 24, 2019
Wish I'd known this was part of the Cthulu mythos on the way in. I was expecting more psychologically tormened preacher slow burn Southern gothic than the torture porn this devolved into. It was good for what it was.
October 17, 2012
Scary...
February 8, 2013
A very odd book. I liked it but I doubt I can explain what happened in the end.
February 25, 2013
Weird, frustrating, and more than a bit terrifying.
March 8, 2013
Keep the light on....never date a girl named Mina.
March 5, 2025
I found this gothic horror masterful. Chappell uses language in such a sharp, visceral way, it brings tastes, textures, temperatures -- the senses that are the most difficult to describe -- right into readers' brains. There is a corrupted film to all settings and details -- I loved that growing sense of an unnamed menace. I also loved the book's focus on the psychological. The inner workings of the main character are tersely shown, but I became very familiar with him. Though he's not likeable, I related to him more as the story goes on. No one is really likeable here and there are no heroes. Just victims and perpetrators.
The story is set sometime in the 20th century with cars, but before the internet and cell phones. It feels like a classical story to me -- the loss of humanity of the protagonist, first by an act of violence that he commits, secondly by his choice of going to the home of tenants on the property that he had inherited. There, the protagonist is subjected to events that further degrade him, yet somehow seem matter-of-fact.
I'm not giving it 5 stars because I was surprised by the change of setting. I wanted to puzzle out more about the home that the protagonist inherited. That rich environment is both practical and nicely made, and also creepy and disturbing. I wanted more experiences there.
Also, there are hints about a ruined, old god. Then that possibility wasn't exactly dropped, but seeps under the story, so that readers forget about it. Nothing is on the nose -- which is a strength, but at the same time, I expected them to be more obvious. Maybe I need to read more horror of this caliber. I had wanted the protagonist to try to figure things out -- he was a preacher, after all. But that familiar horror set-up is not to be.
Instead the protagonist is broken down to such extremes that one can't help but feel sorry for him. It was interesting to me that I felt empathy, without changing my unfavorable impression of him as a person. I guess empathy doesn't always require that you like the person. What a fascinating insight -- brought about by this book. WELL DONE!
The story is set sometime in the 20th century with cars, but before the internet and cell phones. It feels like a classical story to me -- the loss of humanity of the protagonist, first by an act of violence that he commits, secondly by his choice of going to the home of tenants on the property that he had inherited. There, the protagonist is subjected to events that further degrade him, yet somehow seem matter-of-fact.
I'm not giving it 5 stars because I was surprised by the change of setting. I wanted to puzzle out more about the home that the protagonist inherited. That rich environment is both practical and nicely made, and also creepy and disturbing. I wanted more experiences there.
Also, there are hints about a ruined, old god. Then that possibility wasn't exactly dropped, but seeps under the story, so that readers forget about it. Nothing is on the nose -- which is a strength, but at the same time, I expected them to be more obvious. Maybe I need to read more horror of this caliber. I had wanted the protagonist to try to figure things out -- he was a preacher, after all. But that familiar horror set-up is not to be.
Instead the protagonist is broken down to such extremes that one can't help but feel sorry for him. It was interesting to me that I felt empathy, without changing my unfavorable impression of him as a person. I guess empathy doesn't always require that you like the person. What a fascinating insight -- brought about by this book. WELL DONE!
January 16, 2021
...The fault in mankind... to act without reflecting...
No spoilers. 4 stars. Peter Leland is an unmoored preacher who has just inherited his grandparents' 16-room Victorian house and a pot of their money. He should be happy but...
It is all meaningless to him as is his chosen career of bringing Biblical knowledge to his congregation...
After reading a message to mankind embroidered on a pair of Grandma's handmade sofa pillows: I slept and dreamed that life was beauty...
...and, on the other pillow: I woke and found that life was duty...
Peter murders his wife, abandons his home and ends up on the doorstep of his weird tenant's shack in the cornfields...
They steal all of his money and ply him with rot-gut moonshine and have their daughter sleeping with him... until he is mindless and she becomes bored with him...
Peter's seminary-educated mind tells him that he represents the fault in mankind: to act without reflecting, to do without knowing why, to go without knowing where...
Peter is well on the road to meeting Dagon...
I personally liked this story but it was work to get through. The use of outdated words and the author's style made it difficult to know what his story was saying and for that I removed a star. Casual reading should be relaxing.
Once you're past the first 25%, understanding the story got easier but you still have to stay on your toes and Google definitions and use your imagination because of the author's crazy style.
I would classify this novel as Southern Gothic Horror.
No spoilers. 4 stars. Peter Leland is an unmoored preacher who has just inherited his grandparents' 16-room Victorian house and a pot of their money. He should be happy but...
It is all meaningless to him as is his chosen career of bringing Biblical knowledge to his congregation...
After reading a message to mankind embroidered on a pair of Grandma's handmade sofa pillows: I slept and dreamed that life was beauty...
...and, on the other pillow: I woke and found that life was duty...
Peter murders his wife, abandons his home and ends up on the doorstep of his weird tenant's shack in the cornfields...
They steal all of his money and ply him with rot-gut moonshine and have their daughter sleeping with him... until he is mindless and she becomes bored with him...
Peter's seminary-educated mind tells him that he represents the fault in mankind: to act without reflecting, to do without knowing why, to go without knowing where...
Peter is well on the road to meeting Dagon...
I personally liked this story but it was work to get through. The use of outdated words and the author's style made it difficult to know what his story was saying and for that I removed a star. Casual reading should be relaxing.
Once you're past the first 25%, understanding the story got easier but you still have to stay on your toes and Google definitions and use your imagination because of the author's crazy style.
I would classify this novel as Southern Gothic Horror.
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