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Out of the Deep: And Other Supernatural Tales
Walter de la Mare wrote some of the finest traditional ghost stories in the English language. Although some of his classic stories have been frequently anthologized, many of them are hard to find outside scholarly collections. This new collection presents some of the best-loved stories alongside others that have been undeservedly neglected. De la Mare is revealed as an enigmatic writer of troubling stories that take unexpected turns into the supernatural.
Contents
Introduction (Out of the Deep and Other Supernatural Tales) • essay by Greg Buzwell [as by uncredited]
Kismet • (1895) • short story by Walter de la Mare
A:B:O. • (1971) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
The Riddle • (1903) • short story by Walter de la Mare
Out of the Deep • (1923) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
Seaton's Aunt • (1922) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
Winter • (1924) • short story by Walter de la Mare
The Green Room • (1925) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
All Hallows • (1926) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
A Recluse • (1926) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
The Game at Cards • (1928) • short story by Walter de la Mare
Crewe • (1929) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
A Revenant • (1936) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
The Guardian • (1938) • short story by Walter de la Mare
Contents
Introduction (Out of the Deep and Other Supernatural Tales) • essay by Greg Buzwell [as by uncredited]
Kismet • (1895) • short story by Walter de la Mare
A:B:O. • (1971) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
The Riddle • (1903) • short story by Walter de la Mare
Out of the Deep • (1923) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
Seaton's Aunt • (1922) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
Winter • (1924) • short story by Walter de la Mare
The Green Room • (1925) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
All Hallows • (1926) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
A Recluse • (1926) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
The Game at Cards • (1928) • short story by Walter de la Mare
Crewe • (1929) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
A Revenant • (1936) • novelette by Walter de la Mare
The Guardian • (1938) • short story by Walter de la Mare
288 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2017
62 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Walter de la Mare
524 books173 followersWalter John de la Mare was an English poet, short story writer and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for his psychological horror short fiction, including "Seaton's Aunt" and "All Hallows". In 1921, his novel Memoirs of a Midget won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction, and his post-war Collected Stories for Children won the 1947 Carnegie Medal for British children's books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 20, 2018
'De la Mare can be exceedingly powerful when he chooses, and I only wish he’d choose oftener.' – H. P. Lovecraft
Walter de la Mare was at his best as fine and ambiguous a storyteller of ghost stories as Robert Aickman, but until now he was consigned to either tatty out of print collections or diffuse volumes of his entire work, so a streamlined and affordable collection of his ghost stories was essential for his hopeful re-discovery. He is a writer often mentioned, but seemingly never discussed. I have recommended this cheap and easily available collection to my friends and panhandled people who have never read de la Mare into doing so (you know who you are!), and even though I would have omitted 'A Game of Cards' and 'The Guardian' in favour of less sentimental and more disquieting stories ('Mr. Kempe' and 'The Tree' perhaps), these are solid enough fantasies that do well to illustrate the breadth of de la Mare's abilities beyond terror.
A favourite author of mine is finally resurrected for the public at large to access, and I am highly grateful. Essential for de la Mare neophytes who are devotees of the ghost story or classic fantasy literature.
Walter de la Mare was at his best as fine and ambiguous a storyteller of ghost stories as Robert Aickman, but until now he was consigned to either tatty out of print collections or diffuse volumes of his entire work, so a streamlined and affordable collection of his ghost stories was essential for his hopeful re-discovery. He is a writer often mentioned, but seemingly never discussed. I have recommended this cheap and easily available collection to my friends and panhandled people who have never read de la Mare into doing so (you know who you are!), and even though I would have omitted 'A Game of Cards' and 'The Guardian' in favour of less sentimental and more disquieting stories ('Mr. Kempe' and 'The Tree' perhaps), these are solid enough fantasies that do well to illustrate the breadth of de la Mare's abilities beyond terror.
A favourite author of mine is finally resurrected for the public at large to access, and I am highly grateful. Essential for de la Mare neophytes who are devotees of the ghost story or classic fantasy literature.
October 19, 2017
Some of these I adored. Others bored me to tears...
Want to read
March 25, 2020PLACEHOLDER REVIEWS:
"The Riddle" in which seven children come to visit their Grandma in the countryside and are given free reign of the house except for being warned away from the oak chest in the upstairs guest room. But kids being kids... this is a good, spooky little fable - sure to set young minds working and pleasantly enigmatic for us oldsters.
de la Mare is a subtle writer who rewards close reading and "Out Of The Deep" is an enjoyable story but somewhat hard to crack, as the author sometimes surrenders narrative clarity to British upper-class colloquialisms of the time. The basic plot is simple - a young wastrel inherits the home of the deceased family who rescued him as a child. He has a morbid fear of the attic bedroom where he once slept, and of the various pull-ropes used to summon servants. As there are no servants left in the house, at least at night, he's very surprised when his deliberate attempt to overcome his fear and pull the bell rope does actually summon... someone... and then something. I enjoyed it but, as I said, I'm not entirely sure I grasped the psychological detail due to the playful language at times - with de la Mare, a single word in a short line could turn the whole meaning of a paragraph on end. I'll have to see if there's any secondary analysis on the web somewhere.
A young man is allowed access to a bookseller's private stash of rare books, "The Green Room", and while there has a vision of a troubled young woman which leads him to an abandoned room where he finds a journal. The previous home's owner was having an affair with the woman, who later committed suicide, but who transcribed all her passion and bitterness into poetry in the journal. The young man thinks he will honor her by publishing the material, but the ghost isn't happy about that either. An interesting psychological ghost tale, with some wonderfully delicate, atmospheric scenes.
"The Riddle" in which seven children come to visit their Grandma in the countryside and are given free reign of the house except for being warned away from the oak chest in the upstairs guest room. But kids being kids... this is a good, spooky little fable - sure to set young minds working and pleasantly enigmatic for us oldsters.
de la Mare is a subtle writer who rewards close reading and "Out Of The Deep" is an enjoyable story but somewhat hard to crack, as the author sometimes surrenders narrative clarity to British upper-class colloquialisms of the time. The basic plot is simple - a young wastrel inherits the home of the deceased family who rescued him as a child. He has a morbid fear of the attic bedroom where he once slept, and of the various pull-ropes used to summon servants. As there are no servants left in the house, at least at night, he's very surprised when his deliberate attempt to overcome his fear and pull the bell rope does actually summon... someone... and then something. I enjoyed it but, as I said, I'm not entirely sure I grasped the psychological detail due to the playful language at times - with de la Mare, a single word in a short line could turn the whole meaning of a paragraph on end. I'll have to see if there's any secondary analysis on the web somewhere.
A young man is allowed access to a bookseller's private stash of rare books, "The Green Room", and while there has a vision of a troubled young woman which leads him to an abandoned room where he finds a journal. The previous home's owner was having an affair with the woman, who later committed suicide, but who transcribed all her passion and bitterness into poetry in the journal. The young man thinks he will honor her by publishing the material, but the ghost isn't happy about that either. An interesting psychological ghost tale, with some wonderfully delicate, atmospheric scenes.
November 5, 2023
I still remember the first time I read "Seaton's Aunt." It was the week of Halloween and I read it on my laptop instead of paying attention to the lecture on one of those 90s-era relic websites that posts public domain stories. I loved the story but felt that it also changed me somehow. I remember walking around campus afterwards feeling the same "pleasing terror" that a good ghost story gives but mixed with a sort of strange melancholy that was somehow both unnerving and satisfying and seemed to be seeping into everything around me. There's a phrase near the end of that story that still haunts me, occasionally running through my head unbidden and giving me a satisfying shutter.
De la Mare is definitely for people who like their horror very subtle, fans of Aickman or great stories like "The Beckoning Fair One" and "How Love Came to Professor Guildea." But as his best he's even more subtle than subtle. In very subtle horror fiction, something always happens but often you can't tell exactly what it was. In De le Mare's work, you're often not even sure if anything happens at all. This stories are often elusive and beguiling, and the lack of complete clarity at the end begs for rereading (and often even more rereading). De La Mare's writing is so frustrating yet satisfying, so fun yet melancholic, so odd and beautiful.
One day, I'll actually have the energy to write down everything I think about Walter De La Mare's supernatural stories, why I think they're genius, and the way they make me feel. But today is not that day. I'll just say that "All Hallows," "Crewe," "A Recluse," and "Seaton's Aunt" are four of the best ghost stories in the English language and "Seaton's Aunt" is probably the best ever written.
That said, I want a talking-to with whoever put together this collection. "Out of the Deep," "ABO," "The Green Room," and "Kismet" are great, though not as good as the other four I mentioned. "The Riddle" while not a true ghost story is one of the most affectingly somber bits of prose poetry I've ever read. I mean, come on, it inspired Hausu. That fact alone makes it special. But "The Guardian" is a huge dud. "The Game at Cards" feels like a kids' story with a weird moment of Anti-Semitism in it (come to think of it there's enough hints across several of these stories that make me think WDLM wasn't too fond of Jewish people). "The Revenant" is essentially an essay about Edgar Allan Poe. I can't understand how the editor can justify including those and not stories like "Mr. Kempe"
But whatever. I'll own this collection until I die and reread most of its stories till I have them memorized.
October 2023 HorrorLibrary 7/8
De la Mare is definitely for people who like their horror very subtle, fans of Aickman or great stories like "The Beckoning Fair One" and "How Love Came to Professor Guildea." But as his best he's even more subtle than subtle. In very subtle horror fiction, something always happens but often you can't tell exactly what it was. In De le Mare's work, you're often not even sure if anything happens at all. This stories are often elusive and beguiling, and the lack of complete clarity at the end begs for rereading (and often even more rereading). De La Mare's writing is so frustrating yet satisfying, so fun yet melancholic, so odd and beautiful.
One day, I'll actually have the energy to write down everything I think about Walter De La Mare's supernatural stories, why I think they're genius, and the way they make me feel. But today is not that day. I'll just say that "All Hallows," "Crewe," "A Recluse," and "Seaton's Aunt" are four of the best ghost stories in the English language and "Seaton's Aunt" is probably the best ever written.
That said, I want a talking-to with whoever put together this collection. "Out of the Deep," "ABO," "The Green Room," and "Kismet" are great, though not as good as the other four I mentioned. "The Riddle" while not a true ghost story is one of the most affectingly somber bits of prose poetry I've ever read. I mean, come on, it inspired Hausu. That fact alone makes it special. But "The Guardian" is a huge dud. "The Game at Cards" feels like a kids' story with a weird moment of Anti-Semitism in it (come to think of it there's enough hints across several of these stories that make me think WDLM wasn't too fond of Jewish people). "The Revenant" is essentially an essay about Edgar Allan Poe. I can't understand how the editor can justify including those and not stories like "Mr. Kempe"
But whatever. I'll own this collection until I die and reread most of its stories till I have them memorized.
October 2023 HorrorLibrary 7/8
November 1, 2018
Where have they been keeping this guy? I'd vaguely heard of Walter de la Mare and expected some pleasingly spooky but unchallenging yarns in the MR James vein. But these stories (medium rather than short) are something else again: rich and strange, elusive and tantalising, confounding but compelling. The supernatural here is not so much in the spotlight as it is itself the spotlight that illuminates the dark depths of human psychology. The title story, in which a roguish chancer inherits a house and its all too obliging demonic(?) servants, is a particular small masterpiece in this respect; but throughout all the tales the characterisation is so slyly nuanced that this reader was irresistibly fascinated.
There is a very shrewd mind at play behind these deft and delicate narratives. Perhaps their subtlety puts a limit on the breadth of their appeal, but for me they were an unexpected treat. A delight!
There is a very shrewd mind at play behind these deft and delicate narratives. Perhaps their subtlety puts a limit on the breadth of their appeal, but for me they were an unexpected treat. A delight!
July 22, 2018
Maybe the most subtle ghost stories ever written. M.R. James stories only give you a glimpse of the horror: in these stories, you're not even sure you've gotten that glimpse. The best of them ("Seaton's Aunt," "All Hallows," "The Recluse") are tremendously creepy. But what happens? The language is all very clear and beautiful, but somebody, something is not getting the story straight. Some of the others are more traditionally spooky, and there's a couple that don't quite fit the theme. But I do want to read them again. I think they scared me.
June 2, 2021
This was a real disappointment. "Seaton's Aunt" is, of course, one of the all-time greatest weird stories, creepy and unsettling without ever giving you a clear reason why it would be. "Out of the Deep" and "A:B:O" are also very strong.
Most of the other stories here are downright tedious.
Most of the other stories here are downright tedious.
August 9, 2018
This should really be a 2-star rating because most of the stories were very, very dull; however, two of them were above-average and truly creepy: The Riddle and Seaton's Aunt.
I'm thinking de la Mare was a much better poet than a story-writer. His poems are terrific.
I'm thinking de la Mare was a much better poet than a story-writer. His poems are terrific.
Read
March 22, 2022A mixed bag. This collection starts off with some relatively poor stories. A couple have good ideas but I was left quite disappointed. With Seaton’s Aunt, however, the quality increases greatly and the rest are consistently very good. The best stories, including Seaton’s Aunt and All Hallows, are some of the finest weird tales that I’ve read.
In those stories, de la Mare shows that he’s a master at hinting beyond the edges. The best of them gesture at an explanation but refuse to completely reveal. Explanatory gaps are vital to sustaining an uncanny atmosphere and de la Mare constructs those gaps better than most.
There are a few more de la Mare tales that I'd particularly like to read so I’ll have to track those down elsewhere. I felt that the selection of stories in this collection could have been improved given the well-regarded stories that were left out. Still, we’re lucky to have a widely available paperback introduction to his supernatural works.
In those stories, de la Mare shows that he’s a master at hinting beyond the edges. The best of them gesture at an explanation but refuse to completely reveal. Explanatory gaps are vital to sustaining an uncanny atmosphere and de la Mare constructs those gaps better than most.
There are a few more de la Mare tales that I'd particularly like to read so I’ll have to track those down elsewhere. I felt that the selection of stories in this collection could have been improved given the well-regarded stories that were left out. Still, we’re lucky to have a widely available paperback introduction to his supernatural works.
October 25, 2017
An excellent selection of some of de la Mare's richly enigmatic, haunting tales: if you are a devotee of James' ineffable, ambiguous ghostly stories, like "The Jolly Corner" and "The Turn of the Screw," then these stories will be a great gift.
March 17, 2024
3.59⭐
Introduction essay by Greg Buzwell 4⭐
Kismet • (1895) 3.25⭐
A:B:O. • (1971) 4⭐
The Riddle • (1903) 4⭐
Out of the Deep • (1923) 3.5⭐
Seaton's Aunt • (1922) 3.25⭐
Winter • (1924) 3⭐
The Green Room • (1925) 3.25⭐
All Hallows • (1926) 4.25⭐
A Recluse • (1926) 4⭐
The Game at Cards • (1928) 3.25⭐
Crewe • (1929) 4⭐
A Revenant • (1936) 3.5⭐
The Guardian • (1938) 3⭐
Introduction essay by Greg Buzwell 4⭐
Kismet • (1895) 3.25⭐
A:B:O. • (1971) 4⭐
The Riddle • (1903) 4⭐
Out of the Deep • (1923) 3.5⭐
Seaton's Aunt • (1922) 3.25⭐
Winter • (1924) 3⭐
The Green Room • (1925) 3.25⭐
All Hallows • (1926) 4.25⭐
A Recluse • (1926) 4⭐
The Game at Cards • (1928) 3.25⭐
Crewe • (1929) 4⭐
A Revenant • (1936) 3.5⭐
The Guardian • (1938) 3⭐
January 12, 2020
Some nice ideas, but he does go on a bit.....
Read
March 28, 2021I made it half way through and gave up.
October 11, 2020
Finally! Finally I’ve finished this book, it has taken me 11 days, unheard of from a girl who can take down a 350 page book in one go. And there’s a reason for this, this book was hard to read. Enjoyable in places, boring in others and weird overall, it was in a style of writing that had to be read so SLOWLY for it to make any sense.
Now this wasn’t a bad book, neither however was it a good book. The main word I would use for the stories in this book is weird. Just weird. Not like good old cosmic horror weird, or ghosts eating your kids weird, but the kind of weird that makes even the most mundane of stories seem off-kilter and not quite in our normal bounds of reality. You read these stories and are left scratching your head like what did I just read. They give you an unsettling feeling, just with language and oddness and things left unsaid, as at no point in any of these stories do you actually see a ghost or monster or that kind of thing.
So in that aspect this book is great, I love anything that can mess with my head and perceptions, however a lot of these stories are just dull. Real dull. And this made reading them a chore. But there are a couple of diamonds in the rough, as it where, presented in my wee reviews of each story below.
1. Kismet - This little gem set me up with very high expectations as it is a perfect short creepy tale that leaves you thinking ‘oh fuck no I can see where this going’ just at the climax. 🖤🖤🖤
2. ABO - This story could have been so so TRAUMATISING and dark if it hadn’t gotten so hysterical in the middle, I actually struggled to understand the middle section as it was so bizarre. Shame, dark idea just badly done. 🖤🖤
3. The Riddle - Best one of the lot by a country mile. Properly dark and wrong. Yes. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
4. Out of The Deep - Just weird, real weird?? It had it’s unsettling points but it was just weird. There’s a nice ghost story in there somewhere. 🖤🖤
5. Seatons Aunt - Another good one, and the best example of things just not being quite right but you unable to work out why. Fabulous ending, very atmospheric. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
6. Winter - More about a build up of tension and atmosphere than anything else this one, but very well done. And you know, who doesn’t love a graveyard in the snow? 🖤🖤🖤
7. The Green Room - Now this has Victorian ghost story written all over it, but again done in De La Mare’s off-kilter reality way. Everything in this one just feels damp and unhealthy. 🖤🖤🖤
8. All Hallows - God this one dragged on and on, and was mainly about nothing. Add to that the speech of the Vicar type bloke being damn infuriating and its a no. No.🖤🖤
9. A Recluse - More use of unsettling language here rather than imagery, would like to have known what the old lad was up to, but still creepy. 🖤🖤🖤
10. The Game at Cards - Religious tripe. 🖤
11. Crewe - Gave up about 2 pages in.
12. A Revenant - see above.
13. The Guardian - This story was fabulous, setting the scene up for some big ghostly reveal and so subtle in it’s way of doing so. But the end? The end??? Utter bollocks. 🖤🖤
So overall, still undecided if this will get a place on the bookshelf or not.
Now this wasn’t a bad book, neither however was it a good book. The main word I would use for the stories in this book is weird. Just weird. Not like good old cosmic horror weird, or ghosts eating your kids weird, but the kind of weird that makes even the most mundane of stories seem off-kilter and not quite in our normal bounds of reality. You read these stories and are left scratching your head like what did I just read. They give you an unsettling feeling, just with language and oddness and things left unsaid, as at no point in any of these stories do you actually see a ghost or monster or that kind of thing.
So in that aspect this book is great, I love anything that can mess with my head and perceptions, however a lot of these stories are just dull. Real dull. And this made reading them a chore. But there are a couple of diamonds in the rough, as it where, presented in my wee reviews of each story below.
1. Kismet - This little gem set me up with very high expectations as it is a perfect short creepy tale that leaves you thinking ‘oh fuck no I can see where this going’ just at the climax. 🖤🖤🖤
2. ABO - This story could have been so so TRAUMATISING and dark if it hadn’t gotten so hysterical in the middle, I actually struggled to understand the middle section as it was so bizarre. Shame, dark idea just badly done. 🖤🖤
3. The Riddle - Best one of the lot by a country mile. Properly dark and wrong. Yes. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
4. Out of The Deep - Just weird, real weird?? It had it’s unsettling points but it was just weird. There’s a nice ghost story in there somewhere. 🖤🖤
5. Seatons Aunt - Another good one, and the best example of things just not being quite right but you unable to work out why. Fabulous ending, very atmospheric. 🖤🖤🖤🖤
6. Winter - More about a build up of tension and atmosphere than anything else this one, but very well done. And you know, who doesn’t love a graveyard in the snow? 🖤🖤🖤
7. The Green Room - Now this has Victorian ghost story written all over it, but again done in De La Mare’s off-kilter reality way. Everything in this one just feels damp and unhealthy. 🖤🖤🖤
8. All Hallows - God this one dragged on and on, and was mainly about nothing. Add to that the speech of the Vicar type bloke being damn infuriating and its a no. No.🖤🖤
9. A Recluse - More use of unsettling language here rather than imagery, would like to have known what the old lad was up to, but still creepy. 🖤🖤🖤
10. The Game at Cards - Religious tripe. 🖤
11. Crewe - Gave up about 2 pages in.
12. A Revenant - see above.
13. The Guardian - This story was fabulous, setting the scene up for some big ghostly reveal and so subtle in it’s way of doing so. But the end? The end??? Utter bollocks. 🖤🖤
So overall, still undecided if this will get a place on the bookshelf or not.
June 3, 2022
Not sure what to say about this one. It's unclear whether de la Mare is intentionally being funny, or is deadly serious about absurd things.
A good example is the tale about the lecturer, who gives a fifteen minute (and possibly twice as many pages) talk on Edgar Allen Poe, followed by an afterword from the guy who invited him to lecture. After the talk breaks up, the ghost of Poe shows up to argue a rebuttal with the lecturer. After all this tedium is said and done, and the ghost is gone, the lecturer thinks: Did Poe change my view of his work? No, what he said agrees with what I thought of it. Did he change my unfavorable view of him as a person? No, in fact, now I hate him rather than merely dislike him.
Amusing to relate in just a few sentences, but long and quite tedious and decidedly un-funny in de la Mare's telling.
There's a lot more like that, in particular turns of phrase which are awkward or jarring, and while entertaining to the jaded reader, they likely were not intended to be. I highlighted a bunch of examples on the kindle while reading, but really, this book is not worth taking the trouble to include them.
The greatest weakness of this collection is undoubtedly de la Mare's storytelling ability. It is unclear where most of these meandering tales are going, and once they get there, it is uncertain where one has ended up. This sounds like good psychological horror, but it's not. The reader is left thinking, "Did anything actually happen? Because he didn't describe anything happening. Why did he bother telling this story at all?" In short, you really gotta dig to find anything supernatural in most of these stories, and bereft of that, they have little else to recommend them.
A good example is the tale about the lecturer, who gives a fifteen minute (and possibly twice as many pages) talk on Edgar Allen Poe, followed by an afterword from the guy who invited him to lecture. After the talk breaks up, the ghost of Poe shows up to argue a rebuttal with the lecturer. After all this tedium is said and done, and the ghost is gone, the lecturer thinks: Did Poe change my view of his work? No, what he said agrees with what I thought of it. Did he change my unfavorable view of him as a person? No, in fact, now I hate him rather than merely dislike him.
Amusing to relate in just a few sentences, but long and quite tedious and decidedly un-funny in de la Mare's telling.
There's a lot more like that, in particular turns of phrase which are awkward or jarring, and while entertaining to the jaded reader, they likely were not intended to be. I highlighted a bunch of examples on the kindle while reading, but really, this book is not worth taking the trouble to include them.
The greatest weakness of this collection is undoubtedly de la Mare's storytelling ability. It is unclear where most of these meandering tales are going, and once they get there, it is uncertain where one has ended up. This sounds like good psychological horror, but it's not. The reader is left thinking, "Did anything actually happen? Because he didn't describe anything happening. Why did he bother telling this story at all?" In short, you really gotta dig to find anything supernatural in most of these stories, and bereft of that, they have little else to recommend them.
September 5, 2019
What is the supernatural? A nameless beast, a monster, an unicorn? A shadow we cannot define?
A definite feeling we have in certain circumstances or places, something hinted at only by the nature of external things, reflected by the mirror of the subconsciousness. Yet it is something universal, some sort of oblivious search for something we cannot understand, an indefinite apprehension of a definite feeling we share with the whole of humanity.
A definite feeling we have in certain circumstances or places, something hinted at only by the nature of external things, reflected by the mirror of the subconsciousness. Yet it is something universal, some sort of oblivious search for something we cannot understand, an indefinite apprehension of a definite feeling we share with the whole of humanity.
August 7, 2022
I'm always on the lookout for old literature with folklore inspired supernatural themes that have not been pushed to be sensational, and I was drawn in by the title and the description of this book.
It's on the mark and I really wanted to like it, but the pace of some of the stories was so slow, I struggled to keep going. I was not able to finish it, something that rarely happens (only read 7 out of the 13 stories, horrible for a completionist).
Some of the stories I found deeply unsettling, but I guess this is something that can make a horror story good. Some stories I felt wanted to be a bit philosophical, I would have liked more of that, here I was not sure if it was intentional, or a favourable accident that happened while the author was in the search for the macabre, and wanted to make sure it's chilling enough through its subtlety.
Beautiful descriptions at times. I give it 3 stars, for all the effort, but I can't give it more, since it could not keep me engaged.
It's on the mark and I really wanted to like it, but the pace of some of the stories was so slow, I struggled to keep going. I was not able to finish it, something that rarely happens (only read 7 out of the 13 stories, horrible for a completionist).
Some of the stories I found deeply unsettling, but I guess this is something that can make a horror story good. Some stories I felt wanted to be a bit philosophical, I would have liked more of that, here I was not sure if it was intentional, or a favourable accident that happened while the author was in the search for the macabre, and wanted to make sure it's chilling enough through its subtlety.
Beautiful descriptions at times. I give it 3 stars, for all the effort, but I can't give it more, since it could not keep me engaged.
April 2, 2021
Walter de la Mare wrote "supernatural tales" alongside children's poetry of a sometimes uncanny nature, but his writing is much closer to the school of the Uncanny (later typified by Robert Aickman and Ramsey Campbell) than his contemporaries like M. R. James or E. F. Benson. At his best, de la Mare's stories are genuinely haunting and unsettling, often surrounding an enigma that is hinted at but never quite revealed (see "Seaton's Aunt" and the beguiling "The Riddle"). But sometimes, de la Mare gets bogged down in himself, as in the rather dry "A Revenant" in which the spirit of Edgar Allan Poe engages in a debate with a literary professor who holds him in low regard. All in all, a worthwhile read for lovers of the uncanny, though occasionally slower than one might hope from supernatural fiction.
October 19, 2021
These were a little more somber than some of the collections in the Tales of the Weird series. The mode is very reflective and melancholy, maybe more suited for the depths of winter. Or not, depending. Several of the stories made me think about the whole "show, not tell" thing too, since I think they were able to create an atmosphere of strangeness and dread while not having a lot of dramatic action, and a fair amount of speechifying. The story "A Revenant" is about a guy giving a lecture, and then getting lectured himself afterward! But it's still interesting. Just more evidence that all sorts of modes are possible. Probably my favorite was "All Hallows," about a traveler who ends up getting a tour of a ruined cathedral that may be host to demonic forces. That one really struck me as being a great creepy metaphor for a lot of things. But no spoilers here. Overall, best when one's in the frame of mind to be receptive to a slower, more thoughtful mood in spooky tales.
August 16, 2018
The writing is atmospheric and spooky with a good build up of tension. Most of the stories reminded me of the tone of the Twilight Zone.
I liked all of the stories except for "The Game at Cards" and "A Revenant." The first one was very anti-semetic and the second one was just boring. I don't mind reading an essay about Edgar Allan Poe, but I don't want to read one when I'm expecting a ghost story. I would have preferred to skip these two, but all the other stories were enjoyable.
I liked all of the stories except for "The Game at Cards" and "A Revenant." The first one was very anti-semetic and the second one was just boring. I don't mind reading an essay about Edgar Allan Poe, but I don't want to read one when I'm expecting a ghost story. I would have preferred to skip these two, but all the other stories were enjoyable.
July 28, 2019
Must revisit this down the line. It took me ages to get through it, but as far as short story collections go, this is one of the best in memory.
Lovecraft's praise of De La Mare is spot-on. The man was an impressive stylist and even the weaker stories in this collection were a pleasure.
Lovecraft's praise of De La Mare is spot-on. The man was an impressive stylist and even the weaker stories in this collection were a pleasure.
February 20, 2022
OK fantasy listening 🎧
I read Out of the Deep as part of the Classic Tales of Horror box set - 500+ Stories. As with box set some are very good and other leave you questioning, this was one but the box set was excellent. Enjoy the adventure of novels 😎🎉✨ 2022
I read Out of the Deep as part of the Classic Tales of Horror box set - 500+ Stories. As with box set some are very good and other leave you questioning, this was one but the box set was excellent. Enjoy the adventure of novels 😎🎉✨ 2022
December 30, 2022
Read:
All Hallows. 3/5
A Recluse. Oct 22. 3/5.
Crewe. Oct 22. 2/5.
Out of the Deep. Sep 22. 3/5
Seaton's Aunt. 3/5.
The Riddle. 3/5.
The Tree. Sep 22. 2/5.
All Hallows. 3/5
A Recluse. Oct 22. 3/5.
Crewe. Oct 22. 2/5.
Out of the Deep. Sep 22. 3/5
Seaton's Aunt. 3/5.
The Riddle. 3/5.
The Tree. Sep 22. 2/5.
August 24, 2024
Looked good, sounded good, but was underwhelming and a bit boring at times
Want to read
March 1, 2025Watership Down, see poetry too
July 24, 2025
Out of the deep - 3/10
Seaton’s Aunt - 5/10
Seaton’s Aunt - 5/10
October 17, 2025
Aus der Tiefe: 3/5
Der Einsiedler: 4/5
Die Wesen: 2/5
Der Baum: 4/5
Mr. Kempe: 4/5
All Hallows: 5/5
Seatons Tante: 2/5
Der Einsiedler: 4/5
Die Wesen: 2/5
Der Baum: 4/5
Mr. Kempe: 4/5
All Hallows: 5/5
Seatons Tante: 2/5
December 8, 2023
Bells were originally meant to summon what was to be worshiped i.e. Mammon, the one and only true god of all mankind, not the worshipers.
August 5, 2017
Please see my comment which is my review.
May 24, 2020
16 pages long. I fell asleep multiple times, and had to force myself to complete it.
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