Ancient Sorceries: a collection of stories

by Algernon Blackwood

A beautifully produced new edition of Blackwood’s weirdest supernatural stories, including “The Willows,” highlighted by H.P. Lovecraft as "the single finest weird tale in literature”

Lauded as one of our greatest storytellers, and inspiring generations of writers from H.P. Lovecraft to Tolkien to Stephen King, Algernon Blackwood left a legacy as one of Britain’s greatest conjurors of weird and supernatural stories. Blackwood’s inimitable style puts readers right in the middle of the story, with visceral and nature-inspired fear that lies just beyond the real, often in the form of a nameless dread.

This beautifully produced edition, with a stunning cover and thoughtful design and layout to ensure the most enjoyable reading experience, features four of his most unnervingly curious tales:
• Ancient Sorceries—a traveller stops in a remote French hill town and soon finds himself unable to leave; there is something strangely feline about the inhabitants, he notices, and they all seem to be watching him very closely…
• The Listener—a lodging house guest feels himself observed by a malevolent presence. Soon it transpires his room’s previous occupant is watching him from beyond the grave, and is envious of the very flesh on his bones.
• The Sea Fit—an old retired ship’s captain’s ravings build to a terrifying climax, as he offers himself up as a sacrifice to the cruel gods of the sea.
• The Willows—two friends on a canoeing trip spend a terrifying night on a lonely willow-covered island, haunted by the strange trees and sinister shapes in the water.

Story Locale: spooky rural England and French locales, incl forests and at sea

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Weird Fiction, Classics, Fantasy, Paranormal

253 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2022

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

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good creepy collection of four stories, spine tingling and unearthly. In the title story, a man gets off a train and finds himself in a strange town where the people display catlike behaviour. In ‘The Listener’ a lodger is haunted by a previous tenant. ‘The Sea Fit’ is about the nature of the sea and old sea gods. The final story, ‘The Willows’ set on an ever dwindling island in a flooding Danube, two canoeists hear sounds from the surrounding willows, something from another dimension wants a victim. The writing is excellent with good pacing. The stories drew me in to the character’s fears and beliefs making me want to know what was going on.

[Ends of the Word · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit I feel rather silly reviewing this Pushkin Press “deluxe edition” of Algernon Blackwood short stories on the basis of the ebook version. So I must clarify at the outset that, apart from the cover (which I love), my views are not based on the quality of the physical artefact but on its contents – four of the author’s longish supernatural short stories.

Blackwood (1869-1951) is widely recognised as one of the pioneers of what we now refer to as “folk horror”. A recurrent theme is the ancient “lay of the land” and how its effects intrude on contemporary life. Another regular trope is an urban dweller moving to a rural context, and being overcome by ancient, pagan or natural forces – possibly a symbol of the inherent struggle between man and beast. The Willows, the last story in this volume, is a clear example. Two friends on a canoeing trip on the Danube end up stranded on an eerie, remote, willow-covered island, an area which seems to be still in thrall of ancient, violent pagan gods. It is a slow-moving story but one which is strong on atmosphere. It is also probably inspired by journeys which Algernon Blackwood himself undertook in his thirties, giving it greater immediacy and personal resonance.

The Sea Fit also features ancient pagan gods, as a retired sea captain invokes, challenges, and is eventually offered as sacrificed to the occult powers of the sea.

The title story, Ancient Sorceries, is one of a series featuring Blackwood’s creation, the supernatural detective John Silence. Silence does very little sleuthing, here, except to draw out a weird story from the narrator, a traveller who stops at a French rural town and finds himself unable to leave, seduced by a mysterious young woman whose past is supernaturally linked to his own. A tale of witchcraft and diablerie, this story also invokes theories of collective and suppressed memories.

The only “odd one out” of the stories featured in the volume is The Listener. It’s less a work of folk horror, than a fairly traditional “haunted house” story but none the worse for that. On the contrary, compared to the other stories, which tend to be somewhat overlong (although admittedly strong in atmosphere), The Listener is more direct and particularly effective.

https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/20...

[Peggy · Rating 2 out of 5]

In truth I did not finish this book, it did not grab me and the stories were very dated. Today's horror authors are so much better at their craft. This book did not even raise my pulse.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got my copy of this from NetGalley and Pushkin Press. Unless they clean up the ebook version, I recommend the pdf or a print copy, otherwise it's unreadable.

I can't believe I've slept on Algernon Blackwood for as long as I have - loving horror as much as I do, especially cosmic and ghost stories, I should have been reading him already! This book includes Ancient Sorceries, The Listener, The Sea Fit, and perhaps Blackwood's most favorite short, The Willows.

All were very good. Blackwood has a way of really bringing the atmosphere, or vibe of a story, to life. I love a storyteller who can elicit a physical reaction in me when reading their work... and while all of these stories succeeded in that regard, it was Ancient Sorceries that really got me. I deeply love The Willows and totally understand why it's so popular, and it definitely a foundational story in the genre of cosmic horror, but Ancient Sorceries just felt so magical and evil. Maybe it's because it's the middle of summer and I read it a sunny, hot day, but I just really, really felt that world.

I'm looking forward to reading more of his stories!! Nightmare fuel for sure.

[julia ☆ [owls reads] · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There was a certain queer sense of bewitchment in it all."

Ancient Sorceries - really loved the descriptions of the town and how that atmosphere turned from something cozy to something eerie. Was not at all surprised by the twist.

The Listener - enjoyed the change in format to diary entries! The descent into depression and deep paranoia was a bit difficult for me to read, personally, but I liked the ghost aspect of it.

The Sea Fit - the sea scares me so this was an Experience. Really enjoyed all the Old Power/Gods stuff and how that was tied to the story!

The Willows - I loved this one so much my skin crawled while reading it! Loved the atmosphere and all the extremely unsettling description of the willows. There were something deeply wrong with it and that translated so well into words.

[Persy · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Some essence emanated from them that besieged the heart.”

A creepy collection of short stories from the master of atmospheric terror, Algernon Blackwood. Despite the age of his stories they never cease to give me a shiver up my spine.

True terror lasts the test of time.

+++++++++++++++++++
INDIVIDUAL REVIEWS
+++++++++++++++++++

Ancient Sorceries
“Have they the souls of night-things, and is the whole blessed town in the hands of the cats?”

An unsettling fantasy that hits the reader a bit hard over the head with its messaging. Overall, I enjoyed it and suspect it was a very innovative work for its time period (1910). I know other books and films have taken inspiration from this piece and we have Blackwood to thank for that.

This isn’t as elegantly written as his other works, which was a bit disappointing. We get it. The townsfolk were feline-like. Please stop using the word cat. 🐈‍⬛

+++

The Listener ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I want your body. I want its covering. I am waiting for it, and listening always.”

This story was downright terrifying in parts. A definite one to give you goosebumps. What’s more terrifying than an apparition that wants your very skin?

I recommend reading it at night—when you’re alone in the dark.

+++

The Sea Fit ⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The gods were not dead, but merely withdrawn.”

A spooky mariner’s tale that happens to actually take place on land—a concept that is mildly disturbing in itself as one is never truly safe from the sea.

What would you give of yourself to your God?

+++

The Willows ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The elements are always the true immortals.”

Blackwood is the undisputed master of crafting teeth-clenching horror through setting. The Willows is justly one of his most highly-regarded (and terrifying) works and should at once be read by any fan of creeping, atmospheric horror.

It’s no wonder H.P. Lovecraft found him to be such a huge inspiration. Blackwood is a master.

[Keith Chawgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

In America there was HP Lovecraft and in England there was the brilliance of Algernon Blackwood.

Included in this volume of his stories are some of his best and downright eerie. His attention to detail and dread makes him one of the most accomplished fantasy horror ever to be published. Predating the greats such as Stephen King and Clive Barker, one can read these classic tales and see where inspiration was inspired from.

Blackwood foreboding tales settle on the brain long after reading and leaves the reader with a sense of wonderment and dread making him one of the greats. If you are new to the author, this is an excellent place to start with all his greatest stories collected in one volume.

Open your mind, soul and experience with Blackwood and you will find yourself enjoying a new breed of horror written more than a 100 years ago. Highly recommended.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories in this collection range from great to mediocre. "The Willows," and "The Wendigo" were excellent. Blackwood seems to be at his best when he's writing about nature, rather than something urban.

[Bianca _Your_Sad_Anime_Boyfriend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god was this exceptional.

I've been meaning to read 'The Willows' specifically for quite a while now, and sweet baby Jesus it did not disappoint. That is one of the best stories of otherworldly dread that I've read since Uzumaki. And yet it's also beautiful? Incredible.

Also 'Ancient Sorceries' - a story about an Englishman who finds himself in a remote village in France where all of the people he meets are catlike and mysterious - and they all seem to be watching him ? Amazing.

I need to read more of his works.

Heads up for those reading that there are phrases like 'red Indian' and an infatuation with a 17yo girl in these stories. They're still a product of the time for sure.

[Sjoerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start with saving that The Willows would be a 6 out of 5 star story. It has everything I love to read. Nature, uncaring gods, hikes, otters, horror and fire. It felt as if I was reading a Opeth or Primordial song.

The other three stories were of less quality and in some cases I had difficulty following them, or the pay off of the story wasn't that great. Ow, you are haunted by a leper? Mweh. Something sea related? Okay. Your girlfriend is a cat and you are way to old for her? Weeb.

Okay joking a bit, but the stories selection wasn't that great. And it differed a lot from the selection penguin made, so hopefully that book will get 5 stars.

Recommend, or at least The Willows.

[Hazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - the first three stories were a solid four stars, but then I read The Willows, which was a ghoulish creepy five. Definitely the strongest of the lot, I see why it's one of Algernon Blackwood's most famous.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have been 5/5 but Algernon uses the word “orgy” a LOT

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of short stories, perfectly poised to instil disquiet in one's soul.

Blackwood doesn't much like cats though.

[Alexander Pyles · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Willows has to be one of the best horror/weird stories I've read. Blackwood deserves every reader's attention. Loved it.

[Aélia · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED The willows!!!

[Julia Bolinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
Some good spooks

[Steve T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read a book of stories by Algernon Blackwood before, but I'm very familiar with his work. I have dozens of short horror collections, many of which contain at least one of his classic weird tales. I'm sure over the years I've read all four of the stories collected here, but it's nice to have these all in one eBook — especially when it was provided by NetGalley.

From the description:

1. Ancient Sorceries — a traveller stops in a remote French hill town and soon finds himself unable to leave; there is something strangely feline about the inhabitants, he notices, and they all seem to be watching him very closely.

2. The Listener — a lodging house guest feels himself observed by a malevolent presence. Soon it transpires his room’s previous occupant is watching him from beyond the grave, and is envious of the very flesh on his bones.

3. The Sea Fit — an old retired ship’s captain’s ravings build to a terrifying climax, as he offers himself up as a sacrifice to the cruel gods of the sea.

4. The Willows — two friends on a canoeing trip spend a terrifying night on a lonely willow-covered island, haunted by the strange trees and sinister shapes in the water.

"Ancient Sorceries" is the best, with its witchy atmosphere. It was the inspiration for the original "Cat People" movie from 1942 (add that one to your Halloween watch list). The last story, "The Willows," is probably the most unnerving of the collection.

So why only three stars? For a hardcover release of what they're calling a "Deluxe Edition," where are the missing classics? When I think of Algernon Blackwood stories, I immediately expect to see "The Wendigo," "Secret Worship," and "The Glamour of the Snow," among others. The stories here are solid, but a "Deluxe Edition" needs to deliver all the great tales of this British horror grandmaster.

[Jess Mayhall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dipped in and out of this book over a week, absorbing each unique story. Blackwood really is a master writer, building great atmosphere, tension, emotions and intrigue. A beautiful collection of stories!

[Ayesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars at best. But I’ll round up. There are 4 different tales of ‘horror’ fiction or ‘weird’ fiction (?) in this book. The first story, “Ancient Sorceries,” is about a traveler who decides to get off the train and stop randomly in a town on his way home. This town is odd, and the people act strangely. When the traveler goes out and walks around the town, he notices the townspeople watching him but never actually watching him. He also notices strange behavior in the other guests staying at the hotel he’s staying. These guests tend to walk around by getting very close to the walls and moving about this way. Anyways, long story short, there’s a cat-like presence in the townspeople and in the woman, he finds attractive, who is the hotel owner’s daughter. Some strange things happen, and he leaves the town. I don’t really like cats, so a story about people with cat-like/feline behavior is not going to interest me. But even if I did like cats, the story was just a tale of a traveler who experienced something strange and that’s about it.

The following stories, “The Listener,” “The Sea Fit,” and “The Willows” were a mixed bag. I liked “The Listener” because it was creepy. A man rents a room in a hotel, and he hears, sees, feels another person watching him. But there are no other guests staying in the hotel (only the owner and one worker). This tale was written craftily. “The Sea Fit” was boring. The tale takes place on a ship with a few men listening to one man talk about the sea and the forces within/of the sea…? It was not interesting. “The Willows” was long and focused on trees, nature, and the forces that control it. As you can see, I don’t even want to bother explaining the tales because I found them relatively boring.

I recommend this book to readers who like H.P. Lovecraft (the author praised the stories in this book), odd/weird tales of fiction, horror fiction (not gory or murder horror, more like spine-tingling horror).

[Dorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ancient Sorceries and Other Stories
by: Algernon Blackwood
Pushkin Press
2022
**** 1/2 (4.5 stars)

What I enjoy most about Blackwood's stories is the eerie, atmospheric world building. The feeling of standing on the edge of a great decision, that could save your life or kill you; that could impact your livlihood, and your very existence. His characters draw you into their spooky and surreal world, which makes the decision on which way to go even more personal, and terrifying. You feel like part of the story.

The nine stories included here are spooky, wander between horror and fantasy and brilliantly showcase some of his best and most disturbing tales Blackwood has written. The title story, 'Ancient Sorceries', is about a tourist who decides to visit a small French town, and becomes enchanted with its history and secrets. My favorite, and the reason I bought the book, is the story 'The Willows' about 2 campers who chose the wrong place to settle for the night. One of my favorite short stories, ever.

If you prefer a psychological, atmospheric horror story, rather than a crazed slasher that kills everyone in sight, type horror story, this is an author you may enjoy. He is a master and one of the best horror writers ever.

[rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read because: I think this was one of the books I received as an anniversary gift from V.

Thoughts: I've never read Blackwood before, and now that I have, I can well see his influence on Lovecraft and the horror and weird fiction genres. I'd like to read more of his work, certainly, especially stories like Ancient Sorceries and The Willows, which have some things in common with The Great God Pan (a story I adore).

The Listener was good, but somehow...I don't know. I'm used to weird fiction ending a little abruptly, in a little up-for-intepretation sort of way, but that wasn't satisfying. It was just an "Aha!" moment and that was it.

The Sea Fit, I surprisingly didn't like. On another recent book review I mentioned my something-like-naturalism spiritual beliefs. The ocean and water, generally, have been my main focus, my #1, foremost in my mind, my ride or die, etc., and I should've loved The Sea Fit. But I didn't. It just didn't go hard enough for me.

The Willows, on the other hand, really hit the spot. It took its time with the set-up, but then the weirdness and the terror really built up, and the denouement was just ((chef's kiss)).

Best story in collection: The Willows.

[Annavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took this book home as I was enchanted by the beautiful cover art. Didn't notice it had "H.P. Lovercraft Recommendation" written on both the front and back covers until I started reading it. Having just finished a Lovecraft book and felt very underwhelmed, I didn't have high expectations at first but I'm glad Blackwood proofed me wrong. I can see the resemblance in their story style, the sometimes too wordy long paragraphs of descriptions when nothing at all happened for 3 whole pages, and how every character is inexplicably afraid. The difference is, Blackwood described the scenes and thoughts in details with simple sentences and vocabularies that I am able to grasp what made the characters afraid.

One-line Spoilers
Ancient Sorceries - A traveler stayed in a French town that just felt "off"
The Listener - Is there someone else living in this mansion
The Sea Fit - Chosen by the sea God for sacrifice. I knew it
The Willows - A place where the veil between this world and another is thin. Good proper horror, a bit too wordy and long for my taste.

[Ross B · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll give my thoughts on each story:

Ancient Sorceries 2.5/5
Just wasn’t that interesting really. Wouldn’t call this spine tingling or spooky, just witchy I guess. Just felt like it wasn’t really about anything. Guy goes to town and thinks everyone is weird and they are weird and then he leaves.

The Listener 4/5
This was my favorite of the collection. Could have been a 4.5 or 5 with a less rushed ending. Actually very creepy and could make a really scary horror movie if it hasn’t been one already, would just need some more fleshing out. Really gripping overall.

The Sea Fit 1/5
This was just nonsensical garbage. I didn’t understand one thing that was happening in this but it’s only 20 pages so I’m not considering as strongly as the other stories. Still ass though.

The Willows 4/5
This is why I picked up this book, I’ve been wanting to read this story for long time now and I would say it was pretty successful. It was a little drawn out and again, dumb rushed ending which seems to be a staple of these stories, but I liked these 2 little gaybos and their brush with……things.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable collection of weird fiction from Blackwood.

Ancient Sorceries 3 Stars
Interesting story that hasn’t aged too well in regard to female representation. The twist is given away way too early. I’m interested in more John Silence stories

The Listener 3 Stars
This was less horror or thriller and more atmospheric ghost story. I didn’t think the ending was shocking or scary.

The Sea Fit 5 Stars
My favorite story of the collection, and this is most likely due to its brevity. It is just enough without overanalyzing the oddity of the story. It was very atmospheric and interesting. I wonder if this inspired some of Lovecraft’s work or if that’s coincidence.

The Willows 4 Stars
This is the most famous story in this collection. I loved the first half, but the second half was not extremely interesting. I felt it was too vague but dull at the same time due to the narrator’s voice. Interesting premise though.

[Andreas Valentin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeg har læst netop denne udgave af Ancient Sorceries, der også indeholder tre andre historier: The Listener, The Sea Fit og The Willows, alle af Algernon Blackwood.

Bogen startede virkelig godt ud, for den titulære novelle er sindsygt fed, og virkelig original på en måde der er sjældent set for en historie der er skrevet i starten af 1900-tallet. Det samme gør sig i lidt mindre grad gældende for samlingens tre andre noveller.

Jeg havde hørt om Blackwood før, især når han henvises til som en af Lovecrafts store inspirationskilder. Det kan man sagtens mærke har været tilfældet, især i The Willows, der er en slags studie i netop det sprog som Lovecraft er kendt og berygtet for.

Jeg er meget tilfreds med oplevelsen, og vil gerne læse flere af Blackwoods noveller!

[David Levell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The four stories in this good-looking little hardback are an excellent sample of Algernon Blackwood's weird fiction. It could only be improved by having more.

Ancient Sorceries, an atmospheric novella of witchiness in rural France, is Blackwood's best-known, most anthologised and possibly best story. Or maybe The Willows is better. The way it slowly turns a lonely stretch of the Danube into a place of supernatural terror is very impressive.

The Listener, set in a haunted London lodging house, is another excellent example of how Blackwood builds eerie tension. The Sea Fit is a good creepy story about a sailor bewitched by the sea, but it's much shorter than the others and doesn't attain their heights, so perhaps doesn't quite fit. In a small sampler like this I'd have preferred another stone classic like The Wendigo. However, a shorter piece may have been a budgetary necessity.

But that's nitpicking. Blackwood was a master in his field and I recommend this to anyone drawn to the golden age of weird and ghost fiction.

[Rahel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: discussions of suicide in The Listener

Five stars go out to The Willows and The Listener, four to The Sea-Fit and three to Ancient Sorceries. These were really enjoyable, though obviously quite different from the horror stories that are popular today - these follow a far slower pace to build up the tension needed to convey the atmosphere. The resolution at the end of the story sadly dampens the punch of the more unsettling aspects of these stories, but that is an issue I have with other horror stories (I'm thinking of ending things being the exception, I think?), so fault of Blackwood's.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apart from the dodgy dated ending of The Listener, the eerie nature writing of Blackwood is fast becoming some of my favourite so far. I am learning that my flavour of spookiness sits definitely with this early 20th century sort of cosmic nature escapade, where the fear is existential, invisible and rooted in a place, preferably a landscape. Ancient Sorceries and The Willows actually scared me. These stories have conjured up my own eerie nature experiences that I will never be able to explain.

[Holly Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a good creepy read for fall season. The stories were definitely creepy, not scary, but psychologically disturbing and the author does a great job at making you feel as if you are in it feeling what the characters are feeling and seeing what they see. A little wordy, as most older writing is, and usually the ‘reveal’ of horrors are at the very end of each story- but they are worth waiting for! One vision described will haunt me for some time still…lol

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing like a complete Algernon Blackwood, this gives us a well-intentioned window into his world through just four works – two novellas, one short story and, well, one in-between – and that in completely vanilla fashion, too, with no word of editorialising. We start with the title work, which would be circa two hours as a talking book, where a man chances upon a stay in a French village's hotel – and stays, and stays… The locals seem both lethargic and intent on checking up on him at all times, and hiding something from him, but any such peculiarity might be forgiven when the beauty that is the hotel owner's daughter comes along. This is certainly not as vividly macabre or horrific as some works, even if it from the 1900s, but you get a strong sense of the man being thoroughly torn between the mysterious and the good lovin' his middle-aged character never thought to experience again.

Closing the book is 'The Willows', a smidge longer, and a piece that starts pretending it will never in a month of Sundays turn into a genre work. Instead we have the narrator and his Swedish friend canoe down the length of the Danube, and enter a huge floodplain peppered by willow-strewn sandy islets. It's long after the unique variant on the local yokel saying "ooh, you don't want to be going there" (something attended to with similar attention by the first novella) that it admits to being a spookier entity than just travel reportage. It felt unfinished to me.

Of the other two, the shortest here, 'The Sea Fit' has aged less well, in its evocation of sailors and their tales of nautical gods seeking their sacrifices. 'The Listener' is the other work, and perhaps the best – a diary format allows a writer and journalist to recount what happens when he takes new rooms in a quiet cul-de-sac in London. He might be the title character for all the talk he has of noises disturbing him, both mundane and otherwise – but he soon finds the wonky old building really does have a strange old character all to itself, in both meanings of the word. But once again, endings prove a downfall.

Overall, however representative this may be, this does the job of showcasing the author and how his macabre tales might have worked. But with no introductions and other matter, some of that is for you to work out for want of someone else informing you. Some scenes definitely land, and the set-ups when they slowly come to fruition are fine, but even the title story is not a perfect entity. And in coming up to 120 years old these tales have not held their age as well as some. So for a low-risk look at a writer whose qualities have somewhat faded, this is a reasonable proposition. But I would not find myself rushing back for much more.