Vaila

by M.P. Shiel

Vaila is a novel written by M. P. Shiel. The story takes place on the island of Vaila, located off the coast of Scotland. The protagonist, a young man named John Silence, travels to the island to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his friend, Dr. Herbert. Upon arrival, Silence discovers that the island is inhabited by a group of eccentric and enigmatic characters, including a reclusive artist, a hermit, and a beautiful but troubled young woman. As Silence delves deeper into the mystery, he uncovers a web of secrets and intrigue that threatens to consume him. The novel is a thrilling tale of suspense, romance, and the supernatural, and is sure to captivate readers with its vivid descriptions of the rugged Scottish landscape and its unforgettable cast of characters.I asked with what motives, and in what particulars, the malice of his mother and aunt manifested itself. He replied that there was, he believed, no specific motive, but only a determined malevolence, involuntary and fated; and that the respect in which it manifested itself was to be found in the multiplied prayers and commands with which, for years, they had importuned him to seek again the far hold of his ancestors.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Short Stories

34 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1896

About the author

Matthew Phipps Shiel was a prolific British writer of West Indian descent. His legal surname remained "Shiell" though he adopted the shorter version as a de facto pen name.

He is remembered mostly for supernatural and scientific romances. His work was published as serials, novels, and as short stories. The Purple Cloud (1901; 1929) remains his most famous and often reprinted novel.

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐

Shiel after a fashion was a Poe aficionado and Vaila is his restatement of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. The narrator of the story visits his old university friend Harfager at the Harfager ancestral home on one of the far northern islands of Great Britain. Harfager suffers from hypertrophied hearing, which is known as Hyperacusis, where every day sounds may seem unbearably loud, painful and even frightening. Harfager appears half mad to the narrator as well as his aunt and Aith, their weirdly strange servant. The house is an odd structure made of brass, chained to the storm swept island. According to family records it was built as a result of a fraternal clash between two brothers 500 years before, and it embodies a curse. The house contains a gravity clock that contains little lead balls. When the clock is empty the house shall perish with all the descendent family within. It would seem, though Shiel doesn't explicitly state this that Aith is one of the quarreling brothers of 500 years before coming back to witnesses his final revenge. The curse takes effect with the narrator fortunately escaping the fate of the Harfagers. The story has merit but Shiel is no Poe.

[eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

another fave from the collection. reminded me somewhat of a mixture between frankenstein & dracula. also great use of sublimity and nature!!🤩

[Kjsbreda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Atmospheric novella about a 500 year old mansion built over a wide waterfall on a remote island in the North Sea. The story creates many beautiful mental images. Shield wrote it in the style of Edgar Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher. There is a giant hourglass of sorts in a cellar of the mansion and, Horfager, who is the last of his tribe of gnomish men, knows that his time is running out.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating journey into a drowning mansion, full of anxiety and nervous breakdowns. Loved the aesthetics, but quite difficult to grasp the complex vocabulary for non-English readers.