Transcribe
Translate
Fantasy Commentator, v. 1, issue 6, Spring 1945
Page 120
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
120 FANTASY COMMENTATOR GAWSWORTH, John, editor Strange Assembly London: The Unicorn Press, 1932. 334pp. 18 1/2 cm. 7/6. Further information: Contents are as follows: prologue, by the editor; "The Flying Cat," by M. P. Shiel; "The Vivisector Vivisected," by Sir Ronald Ross; "The Black Lad," by Frederick Carter; "The Franc-Tireur's Escape," by Herbert E. Palmer; "The Gift of Tongues," by Arthur Machen; "A Fellside Tragedy," by Hubert Crackenthrope; "The Mask," by Francis Marsden; "Ilya Vilka," by Stephen Graham; "The Journey," by Rhys Davies; "A Fragment," by Stephen Hudson; "Londoners," by Wilfred Ewart; "The Harrying of the Dead," by Frederick Carter; "A Night in Venice," by M. P. Shiel; "The Rose Garden," by Arthur Machen. Review: The opening story, "The Flying Cat" of M. P. Shiel, is a typical product of this author's art. Against a modern setting for the old Gothic school type of story---a large, gloomy house in which lives a young girl and the evil old uncle who is planning her murder in order to gain the fortune she is to inherit on coming of age---Shiel brings such modern devices as electric shock condensers and the like. Unfortunately, any merits the story has as a weird tale (hinging on the apparition of the flying cat) are entirely ruined by a rational explanation at the denoument. The eminent scientist Sir Ronald Ross is represented here by the story "The Vivisector Vivisected." Though written in a spirit of satirical humor, it nevertheless does contain a sufficient measure of gruesomeness to be reminiscent of Poe's "Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" or Lovecraft's "Herbert West, Reanimator." The supreme irony of Ross's effort lies in the fact that the victim who is brought back to life temporarily is himself a famous vivisector. Also in Strange Assembly are two little-known pieces by Arthur Machen. One of these, "The Rose Garden" (which was included only in an expensive and limited edition prior to appearing here) was written at the time of the author's Hill of Dreams, and includes many of the qualities of that delicate fantasia. As Gawsworth remarks in his prologue: Without strain or hint of forcing, it contains as much of the authentic Celtic twilight---peace on the wings of morning---as ever a poem by W. B. Yeats. On reading and rereading new profundities of sense are revealed. Each word is significant with a hundred unborn meanings. In "The Gift of Tongues" Machen speculates on the cases of people are apparently temporarily possessed, and speaking languages normally unknown to them---a simple German girl declaiming in Hebrew, a Welsh minister who knows only English and his native tongue lapsing into the purest Latin during a service, etc. Another story by M. P. Shiel is not a very happy inclusion. This one, "A Night in Venice," is nothing but pure melodrama, complete almost to masks, cloaks and daggars. Outside of one good scene in the torture chambers of the Banda---an organization somewhat akin to the Black Hand---this has little to recommend it. Basically, the plot itself is similar to the first Shiel story used in this volume: a scheming father seeking to gain control of his daughter's fortune. One of the best stories in this anthology is Frederick Carter's "Harrying of the Dead." Like Lovecraft and Edward Lucas White, Carter obtains many of the plots for his stories from actual dreams. "The Harrying of the Dead" is
Saving...
prev
next
120 FANTASY COMMENTATOR GAWSWORTH, John, editor Strange Assembly London: The Unicorn Press, 1932. 334pp. 18 1/2 cm. 7/6. Further information: Contents are as follows: prologue, by the editor; "The Flying Cat," by M. P. Shiel; "The Vivisector Vivisected," by Sir Ronald Ross; "The Black Lad," by Frederick Carter; "The Franc-Tireur's Escape," by Herbert E. Palmer; "The Gift of Tongues," by Arthur Machen; "A Fellside Tragedy," by Hubert Crackenthrope; "The Mask," by Francis Marsden; "Ilya Vilka," by Stephen Graham; "The Journey," by Rhys Davies; "A Fragment," by Stephen Hudson; "Londoners," by Wilfred Ewart; "The Harrying of the Dead," by Frederick Carter; "A Night in Venice," by M. P. Shiel; "The Rose Garden," by Arthur Machen. Review: The opening story, "The Flying Cat" of M. P. Shiel, is a typical product of this author's art. Against a modern setting for the old Gothic school type of story---a large, gloomy house in which lives a young girl and the evil old uncle who is planning her murder in order to gain the fortune she is to inherit on coming of age---Shiel brings such modern devices as electric shock condensers and the like. Unfortunately, any merits the story has as a weird tale (hinging on the apparition of the flying cat) are entirely ruined by a rational explanation at the denoument. The eminent scientist Sir Ronald Ross is represented here by the story "The Vivisector Vivisected." Though written in a spirit of satirical humor, it nevertheless does contain a sufficient measure of gruesomeness to be reminiscent of Poe's "Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" or Lovecraft's "Herbert West, Reanimator." The supreme irony of Ross's effort lies in the fact that the victim who is brought back to life temporarily is himself a famous vivisector. Also in Strange Assembly are two little-known pieces by Arthur Machen. One of these, "The Rose Garden" (which was included only in an expensive and limited edition prior to appearing here) was written at the time of the author's Hill of Dreams, and includes many of the qualities of that delicate fantasia. As Gawsworth remarks in his prologue: Without strain or hint of forcing, it contains as much of the authentic Celtic twilight---peace on the wings of morning---as ever a poem by W. B. Yeats. On reading and rereading new profundities of sense are revealed. Each word is significant with a hundred unborn meanings. In "The Gift of Tongues" Machen speculates on the cases of people are apparently temporarily possessed, and speaking languages normally unknown to them---a simple German girl declaiming in Hebrew, a Welsh minister who knows only English and his native tongue lapsing into the purest Latin during a service, etc. Another story by M. P. Shiel is not a very happy inclusion. This one, "A Night in Venice," is nothing but pure melodrama, complete almost to masks, cloaks and daggars. Outside of one good scene in the torture chambers of the Banda---an organization somewhat akin to the Black Hand---this has little to recommend it. Basically, the plot itself is similar to the first Shiel story used in this volume: a scheming father seeking to gain control of his daughter's fortune. One of the best stories in this anthology is Frederick Carter's "Harrying of the Dead." Like Lovecraft and Edward Lucas White, Carter obtains many of the plots for his stories from actual dreams. "The Harrying of the Dead" is
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
