What do you think?
Rate this book
The Return
It was curious—that sense of dull uneasiness that came over him so suddenly; so stealthily at first he scarcely noticed it; but with such marked increase after a time that he presently got up and left the theater. His seat was on the gangway of the dress circle; and he slipped out awkwardly in the middle of what seemed to be the best and jolliest song of the piece. The full house was shaking with laughter; so infectious was the gaiety that even strangers turned to one another as much as to say; "Now; isn't that funny?"
- GenresShort StoriesHorror
Unknown Binding
9 people want to read
About the author
Algernon Blackwood
1,351 books1,176 followersAlgernon 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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 16, 2023
A rather unimaginative businessman is bodily invaded by an old friend.
This story concerns one of Algernon Blackwood's most prominent themes. In this case, it is again that of an outward thing pushing in; the manifestation here is that of a person experiencing a different consciousness, being given the gift of a secondary and powerful perspective annexed to the soul of an old friend recently deceased. This sense of difference his heavily underscored: our protagonist becomes capable of truly seeing beauty through experiencing the more emotive soul of his friend, giving him the imagination that he lacked all his life.
The descriptive power that Blackwood employs within this story is amazing. The sense of dread which builds around the unknown newness, the changing figure of that newness, and the ultimate culmination of the transformation (another of Blackwood's favorite ideas to explore) are all done up with easy mastery. What I think is best done must be his description of the city once our protagonist has changed; it is lilting and strongly focused on interplay and perspective.
This story concerns one of Algernon Blackwood's most prominent themes. In this case, it is again that of an outward thing pushing in; the manifestation here is that of a person experiencing a different consciousness, being given the gift of a secondary and powerful perspective annexed to the soul of an old friend recently deceased. This sense of difference his heavily underscored: our protagonist becomes capable of truly seeing beauty through experiencing the more emotive soul of his friend, giving him the imagination that he lacked all his life.
The descriptive power that Blackwood employs within this story is amazing. The sense of dread which builds around the unknown newness, the changing figure of that newness, and the ultimate culmination of the transformation (another of Blackwood's favorite ideas to explore) are all done up with easy mastery. What I think is best done must be his description of the city once our protagonist has changed; it is lilting and strongly focused on interplay and perspective.
March 21, 2018
A man returns to a friend after death as promised bringing with him his passion and eye for beauty and in his turn changing the perceptions of the friend.
July 4, 2018
Recommended for short, slightly goth read.
March 14, 2019
More tone poem than short story. Blackwood creates a great sense of dread, but that seems to be the main purpose of the story. The revelation of what's causing the dread is secondary; almost an afterthought.
October 7, 2020
A sense of dread is built as a man finds his mind altered and self changed suddenly. He then discovers the reason for this.
September 6, 2021
A great tale of creepy supernatural fiction almost like a creepy pasta mixed with a mystery. Enjoyable little read that kills a hour!
May 17, 2022
Wonderful and heartfelt short story I narrated for AIC Stories.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews