The Touch Of Pan

by Algernon Blackwood

MP3 CD Format Algernon Blackwood, a journalist and broadcast narrator, was one of the most prolific writers of ghost stories in the history of the genre. The title story, “The Touch of Pan,"" explores the lingering presence of myth in everyday life. In “The Glamour of the Snow,"" Blackwood winds a tale about a man's infatuation with a supernatural winter beauty. In “The Attic,"" the ghost of an usurer haunts the old Chateaux and, on the anniversary of a young boy's death, the boy's cat brings the family together. “The Willows"" follows two campers who are on a canoe trip down the Danube, with the sense of a looming threat following them. When darkness falls, they pick the wrong place to sleep for the night--a place where another dimension impinges on our own. American horror author H. P. Lovecraft considered “The Willows"" to be the finest supernatural tale in English literature. Full “The Touch of Pan,"" read by Stefan Rudnicki
“The Transfer,"" read by Justine Eyre
“The Occupant of the Room,"" read by Paul Boehmer
“The Valley of the Beasts,"" read by Stefan Rudnicki
“The Glamour of the Snow,"" read by Paul Boehmer
“The Pikestaff Case,"" read by Kate Orsini
“The Tryst,"" read by Paul Boehmer
“Wayfarers,"" read by Stefan Rudnicki
“The House of the Past,"" read by Paul Boehmer
“Initiation,"" read by Stefan Rudnicki
“The Wings of Horus,"" read by Gabrielle de Cuir
“The Attic,"" read by Paul Boehmer
“The Willows,"" read by Stefan Rudnicki

Genres: Horror, Classics, Audiobook, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1907

About the author

Algernon Henry Blackwood (1869–1951) was an English broadcasting narrator, journalist, novelist and short story writer, and among the most prolific ghost story writers in the history of the genre. The literary critic S. T. Joshi stated, "His work is more consistently meritorious than any weird writer's except Dunsany's" and that his short story collection Incredible Adventures (1914) "may be the premier weird collection of this or any other century".

Blackwood was born in Shooter's Hill (today part of south-east London, but then part of northwest Kent) and educated at Wellington College. His father was a Post Office administrator who, according to Peter Penzoldt, "though not devoid of genuine good-heartedness, had appallingly narrow religious ideas." Blackwood had a varied career, farming in Canada, operating a hotel, as a newspaper reporter in New York City, and, throughout his adult life, an occasional essayist for various periodicals. In his late thirties, he moved back to England and started to write stories of the supernatural. He was very successful, writing at least ten original collections of short stories and eventually appearing on both radio and television to tell them. He also wrote fourteen novels, several children's books, and a number of plays, most of which were produced but not published. He was an avid lover of nature and the outdoors, and many of his stories reflect this.

H.P. Lovecraft wrote of Blackwood: "He is the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere." His powerful story "The Willows," which effectively describes another dimension impinging upon our own, was reckoned by Lovecraft to be not only "foremost of all" Blackwood's tales but the best "weird tale" of all time.

Among his thirty-odd books, Blackwood wrote a series of stories and short novels published as John Silence, Physician Extraordinary (1908), which featured a "psychic detective" who combined the skills of a Sherlock Holmes and a psychic medium. Blackwood also wrote light fantasy and juvenile books.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heber escapes the conventions of higher society and enjoys buculic pleasures with an "idiotic" girl fond of Pan. Is this horror? I wouldn't say so. It's a kind of romantic story with mythology involved. Did I enjoy the story? Well, for my taste it was a bit too long and tedious. There weren't any new elements after some pages. Older man, younger girls on their way to making love... Something for the Blackwood fan rather!

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short story is one of my favourite Pan-related tales. It's decadence inspired me to write the short story I did for Frances Billinghurst's 'Call of the God'. It's up there with 'The Blessing of Pan' by Lord Dunsany in my favourites list.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aspects of this was definitely Of A Time In History, but the stories themselves and the examination through horror in them were terrific.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is not just of this story but of the 2020 audiobook compilation from Blackstone Publishing called "The Touch of Pan and Other Stories". Among classic horror writers, I've always felt that Algernon Blackwood does not get nearly enough accolades compared to Poe and Lovecraft, and this collection is a good representation of his work. One thing he does so well that appeals to me greatly is "nature horror", or stories where the weirdness or creepiness comes from being outdoors.

There is no better example of this than the final story of this collection, The Willows, about a canoeing trip on the Danube that was probably an influence on Lovecraft. It's still one of my favorite horror stories, although the narration here is not as good as elsewhere.

Other standout stories include:
The Occupant of the Room (involving extra dimensions)
The Valley of the Beasts (where man loses his memory of what it means to be human and reverts to an animalistic state)
The Glamour of the Snow
The Pikestaff Case (my 2nd favorite)
Wayfarers
The Wings of Horror (again, where humans take on traits of animals)
and more.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

An allegorical tale using Pan (a goat-legged god who loved nature, music, and women) as a metaphor for the joyless, hypocritical nature of the English upper class and contrasting it to pure love, sex and nature that is espoused in the mythology surrounding Pan.

Pan, the god of the wilderness, nature, and shepherds.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reddit always raves about The Willows, but I didn't really enjoy that or the other stories. Maybe they meant more 100+ years ago when they were published The mirror one wasn't bad I guess. Also, Stefan Rudnicki has the most soothing voice.

[Gary K Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished off the collection with arguably his most famous story - The Willows - which has a connection of sorts to Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places which I just finished. Overall I thought the book was 3.5 - full RTC

[Jessica George · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a strange short story, it read kind of like a feverish dream.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

An average but still enjoyable enough story about paganism and sexual love.

[Jason Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The complexity of horror changes throughout time.
This beautiful and poetic homage to living and life casts an introspective glance at the world we live within and the world that is within us.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read of creepy stories from the early 20th century. In most stories the danger is either nature, a loss of lucidity, or something incomprehensible.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one from the folk horror book club. Much shorter than the previous and I wouldn’t have described it as horror if I had found it independently.

[Jennifer Rossetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Ida Aasebøstøl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 point something. The intro and setting wonderful; the fantasy, not above average.