What do you think?
Rate this book
Occult Territory - An Arthur Machen Gazetteer
This Gazetteer lists those places in which Arthur Machen lived, worked, wrote, ate, drank and worshipped. It is also a guide to sites that influenced his life and his work. It is illustrated, often with contemporary photographs, and includes quotes from Machen, and those that knew him.
There is much to be gained from wandering around the lanes and footpaths of Machen’s family home in Llanddewi, Gwent, because the landscape is essentially unchanged from when he lived there as a boy. Arthur Machen’s London is rather different. Machen experienced it as a city of delight and wonder when he first visited it in 1880, but when he lived there in the mid 1880s it was the backdrop to poverty and hardship, doubt and frustration. However, after this dark period, it was the anvil upon which some of his most important friendships and relationships were forged, and where he had the most strange and mysterious encounters.
With over 160 entries, this is an indispensible volume for any admirer of the work of Arthur Machen, author of The Great God Pan, The Hill of Dreams, and other works of sorcery and sanctity.
There is much to be gained from wandering around the lanes and footpaths of Machen’s family home in Llanddewi, Gwent, because the landscape is essentially unchanged from when he lived there as a boy. Arthur Machen’s London is rather different. Machen experienced it as a city of delight and wonder when he first visited it in 1880, but when he lived there in the mid 1880s it was the backdrop to poverty and hardship, doubt and frustration. However, after this dark period, it was the anvil upon which some of his most important friendships and relationships were forged, and where he had the most strange and mysterious encounters.
With over 160 entries, this is an indispensible volume for any admirer of the work of Arthur Machen, author of The Great God Pan, The Hill of Dreams, and other works of sorcery and sanctity.
- GenresBiography
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 9, 2019
2 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
R.B. Russell
81 books47 followersR.B.RUSSELL has only recently started writing fiction seriously, having previously written lyrics, composed music, and drawn in pen and ink for his own amusement. He runs Tartarus Press with Rosalie Parker from their home in the Yorkshire Dales.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 28, 2020
When one thinks of Gazetteers one tends to think of them as somewhat dry affairs. Of course there are exceptions: Headley and Meulenkamps 'Follies: Grottoes & Garden Buildings' is one of my favourite books as much for its commentary as its subject matter and this seems to me to be of a similar ilk.
Any Machen reader will know that he spends a lot of time 'wandering around' and a fair bit of time in pubs and most devotees of an author might want to visit their heroes haunts. The book is largely divided into residences, pubs and other locations mentioned in his writings with lots of historic photos and quotes from the relevant works. Its pretty exhaustive, even Pontypool railway station is included! This research has thrown up some interesting facts, for example Machen appears to have mis-remembered the location of one of his own residences and using Machens quotes to illuminate the locations gives his work (and the locations) a fresh perspective.
With this book you can visit all of Machens drinking haunts, visit his mates houses and generally take yourself on a guided tour round London and Gwent. You can smugly stand and look at places that if you didnt know the street had been renamed or renumbered you would never find or lament the places that have remodeled redeveloped or knocked down.
Its a much a guide to the lost London as anything else, so you dont necessarily have to be a pure Machenite to enjoy this book because the quotes and commentary give you enough context. You might want to pair it up with 'Decadent London' (see my earlier review of this book) and live the bohemian dream.
Its to the usual Tartarus standard and a ltd ed of 400 copies. Any Machenite (or those just in search of old pubs) should (will!) want this book.
Any Machen reader will know that he spends a lot of time 'wandering around' and a fair bit of time in pubs and most devotees of an author might want to visit their heroes haunts. The book is largely divided into residences, pubs and other locations mentioned in his writings with lots of historic photos and quotes from the relevant works. Its pretty exhaustive, even Pontypool railway station is included! This research has thrown up some interesting facts, for example Machen appears to have mis-remembered the location of one of his own residences and using Machens quotes to illuminate the locations gives his work (and the locations) a fresh perspective.
With this book you can visit all of Machens drinking haunts, visit his mates houses and generally take yourself on a guided tour round London and Gwent. You can smugly stand and look at places that if you didnt know the street had been renamed or renumbered you would never find or lament the places that have remodeled redeveloped or knocked down.
Its a much a guide to the lost London as anything else, so you dont necessarily have to be a pure Machenite to enjoy this book because the quotes and commentary give you enough context. You might want to pair it up with 'Decadent London' (see my earlier review of this book) and live the bohemian dream.
Its to the usual Tartarus standard and a ltd ed of 400 copies. Any Machenite (or those just in search of old pubs) should (will!) want this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review