The Final Reflection by John M. Ford
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book. But I can see now why it’s so highly regarded. A very interesting peek into the mind and culture of a species that is often dismissed as simplistic.
Fager, Anders - Swedish Cults
Nordic horror, Swedish horror, not necessarily based on any HPL Mythos. Fager has his own voice and is not a follower.
The opener, “The Furies From Borås” is full throttle sex, drugs and blood. An overdose of all three, swirling around the riot grrrls, barely of age, yet keepers from time immemorial of the forest entity.
Zami and Janoch are tasked with bringing the oldest relative to the new home. From Romania to Sweden. By van. Neither has driven before, neither can read maps. Both are outsiders to what he perceive as “our world”. “Grandma’s Journey” is the long trip between.
For those who view sex as a spectator sport “Miss Witt’s Great Work” will entice. Miss Witt is a porn star de jour. As with the overwhelming majority of film luminaries and popular musicians, fame is but a fleeting passage. Ours is the era of temporary celebrities. For Miss Witt, who has enacted and reproduced all manner of genital monstrosities, how can she maintain, let along top herself? For voyeurs everywhere, who prefer to watch.
Scattered between stores are tantalizing fragments, unfinished stories of promise.
Newell, Adam - Dracula’s Forgotten Brides
Onscreen, perhaps a minute. Dialogue, none.
Nevertheless, once seen among the mists of the crypt, the three “brides” are not forgotten.
Despite their insignificant roles, their images were endlessly reproduced.
Slim homage to the trio of actresses: Dorothy Tree, Geraldine Dvorak and Cornelia Thaw.
Packed with photos, this exquisite gem shines a light on the three and their mixed success in Tinseltown.
Clearly, this will appeal to film buffs, perhaps exclusively to Horror or Dracula fanatics.
Thanks to Mark Valentine for alerting all to this (https://wormwoodiana.blogspot.com/2024/02/draculas-forgotten-brides.html).
An unsolved mystery – who were the Mexican brides?
Waggoner, Tim - The Last Mile
Following the Arrival, Earth is decimated; population mostly, I suppose, eaten.
Unseen rulers came from beyond and are called Masters.
Their go-to human servants are branded and called Thralls.
Everyone else is destined to be an unhappy meal, sooner or later.
Dan is a Thrall, driving down a broken highway with tied-up Alice in his backseat.
Destination? “Here’s yer pizza, boss!”
I have a suspicion Waggoner simply arranged bits from his idea journal, but this is stitched with a twist.
As with other books I’ve read by this author, there is a misogynistic component that may disturb some.
Never could decide whether the arrivals were SciFi aliens or Lovecraftian entities.
Mills, Daniel - Moriah
1874, journalist Silas Flood travels from New York to Rutland, Vermont. There are reports of a family of spiritualists who can summon the dead. Ghostly apparitions who can speak and comfort bereaved family left behind.
A miracle? Or a fraud? Whichever truth, there is a story, and there are eager readers.
Flood is an ex-Army chaplain, faith shattered during the Civil War, where he was part of Grant’s campaign. Of ghosts, he clutches his own, as do most of the characters in this.
The narrative spills from various witnesses and players, sweeping from a decade preceding the war, to blood soaked battlefields, into a parched 1874.
The family of spiritualists are a particularly complicated tribe.
Mills’ style is rich and textured, meticulously structured. Multitask readers, steer away.
Mills reads like a wayward descendant of Faulkner, which I mean as a compliment.
I went into this one stone cold, knowing nothing, and was absorbed and immensely pleased.
Nelson, Michael - Queen Victoria And The Discovery Of The Riviera
Enjoyment might depend on how much one knows about Queen Victoria or how much one is into that period. Especially for those who know more from films.
Highland companion John Brown only accompanied her on a few French trips before his death. More controversial was her munshi attendant, Abdul Karim. In the film, he was resented owing to his skin. The book shines light on many more improprieties which antagonized the staff.
Victoria’s children, nieces, relations, kings, queens, tsars, whatnot make up the sweeping parade, along with global events.
I was familiar with the Dreyfuss Affair, and later when President Faure appears, I knew he would die soon enough owing to … bedroom activities.
Victoria stayed at numerous towns along the Riviera. Those and the citizens are well described. Also, her dining habits, how she traveled, and the costs per trip.
Masses of footnotes at the back, which I seldom dipped into. I read a chapter a day, then went back to whatever novel or short stories I was working on. Very little of the fin de siècle is evident.
As with all things pertaining to the Queen, much was redacted or burned by her daughter.
Various (Editor: Richard, Sam) - Beautiful / Grotesque
Mixed assemblage of the body poetic.
Roland Blackburn’s “God Of The Silvered Hall” occurs in the loveliest of settings, the coroner’s morgue. The torso was a shredded ruination, yet Patience spied the small tattoo that appeared to be - really - a recipe.
“Threnody” by Jo Quenell is a song of guilt by Lydia, who understands she is not responsible – this time.
“The Queen Of The Select” showcases the tourists, timid degenerates, venturing into the deep end of depravity, ignorant of the restless pit dwellers.
“Swanmord” gave me a headache. Enough.
Editor Richard’s own tale, “The Fruit Of A Barren Tree”, is an excursion into the grief that never fades, does not ebb, yet when watered, flourishes.
Mayes, Elaine - It Happened In Monterey
Essential book for any attendee, fan or collector of the 1967 Pop Festival. Perfect companion to the Pennebaker documentary, as well as a beaming contrast to the cranky collection by Joel Selvin.
Mayes was there, in the photographers pit, and this book is bristling with her photos, black and white, as well as color.
Chapters are broken up by each day, further divided into afternoon and night performances. There are shots of almost every artist, along with fairground attendees. The book is also filled with recollections from performers and audience members. Some reflect on the event, others on how things have changed – or have not.
This is a true artifact of a brief, too brief, magical moment.
As of 2024, Elaine Mayes is still selling signed copies through her website. Support the artist.
Harman, Christopher - Blood Wood
The featured story, an extended tale, rides along with Gavin, newly hired driver of the mobile library. The physical library is closed, meaning he is the book source for several rural communities. In Gavin’s background is girlfriend Jacqui and her son, an older teenager, moody – aren’t they all?
Around the library lies the forest, which few remember as Blood Wood, and fewer know why. Nonetheless, Gavin has free time, library resources, and a niggling curiosity.
One particular funhouse ride stirred nightmares. As boys, Brian and Travers had been aboard when the train came to a complete stop inside the ride. In the inked darkness of the spook house, something seemed to slither. In “Dark Ride” the train was never actually disposed of, but merely transported, tracks, rails, coaches, into a basement, where the proprietor continued making improvements.
Christmas. Hide & seek. The further one goes to hide, the less likely they are to be found. Unless, as in “The Last To Be Found” they come across the unexpected seeker.
The cancelation of a long running column in the weekly paper does not go unchallenged. The new manager wants to modernize, meaning let paying advertisers pen their own self-serving posts. And not those enigmatic prose poems by Mr. Pucklebry. “By Leaf & Thorn” indeed!
I have often found Harman’s style difficult to tune into. His word choice, descriptions, analogies, are unique to themselves. So much so, I often paused mid-paragraph to consider the word painting he had presented.
Lovecraft, HP - Little Silver Book Of Supernatural Stories
Minimalist introduction to Lovecraft is a clever one.
Nine stories here, selected and edited by HPL scholar ST Joshi.
Most are early, fledgling tales, clearly showing influences of Poe, Blackwood, Machen.
“Dagon” and “Nyarlathotep” both hint at outside forces, with perhaps cults or underlying agencies.
The backwoods lead to treasures best left undisturbed in “The Picture In The Picture In The House” as well as “The Festival”.
“He” transplants many of the same themes to Gotham, “The Hound” likewise from England.
The longest, “The Call Of Cthulhu”, Joshi saves for last, and is a tour de force. In countless collections and anthologies – rightfully so – this remains an enjoyable reread. Lovecraft masterfully weaves separate narratives, hints, whispered blasphemies, journals and ship’s logs, tightening them into a monstrous finale.
Joshi’s introduction on HPL is succinct and useful. Joshi’s editing is impeccable.
Towers, Frances - Tea With Mr Rochester
“Mr. Revell and Jane smiled at each other as though they shared a secret. And his smile, always like a falling star, seemed to drop through Jane’s eyes into her heart.”
At first blush, a slim assortment of parlor dramas.
Nevertheless, every story here is a pearl, delivering an emotional punch.
“Violet” is the new maid in the household. She is not a witch, nor is she magical, yet she can “see”. Meaning, when so inclined, Violet can predict, can foretell, long before others.
Lisby is the quiet sister, pale beside sister Charlotte’s flashy ways, opinionated manners, and swarm of suitors. In “The Little Willow”, Lisby encounters a kindred spirit, one whom Charlotte decides to add to her conquests because – well – because Charlotte gets what Charlotte wants.
A sensitive sort, Gerard is shipped to Penorth to plant new conifers. An outsider, distant, he catches the eyes of several local females. Chloe seems beguiled, he seems smitten by her beauty, possibly they could make an agreeable pair. Carlotta, however, thoughtful, intellectually curious Carlotta, is more his match, and both Gerard and Carlotta recognize each other deeply. Fate in this one, “What Must Be, Shall Be”, proves a ruthless force.
Many of these stories read like late Jane Austen. Female protagonists akin to Anne Elliot (“Persuasion”), silently observing and navigating amid narcissists.
A delightful find that Janeites should investigate.
Chesher, Deborah - Everybody I Shot Is Dead
Narrow focused book will likely appeal to select audience.
Chesher was a concert photographer, very active in the 1970’s.
This coffee-table sized book is packed with images of musicians, who, by 2007, had died.
One might think macabre, but this is not. More of personal remembrances.
Brief bios, a fragment of memory, a flash of personality.
Hollywood Fats, for example. Phenomenal blues guitarist who never broke big.
John Fahey, late in life, impoverished, on medication, needing anyone could help.
Jane Vasey and Tony Flaim, both from the Downchild Blues Band.
Badfinger, that poor group, represented three times.
Papa John Creach, onstage or backstage, ever stylish.
For as wild, excessive and hedonistic as the 70’s were, surprisingly this is not wall to wall overdoses.
Enjoyable, if you know the period, know the music.
Chesher, while one suspects knows more stories, refrains from dishing dirt. She also remembers those who helped her out along her path. Classy.
Tweddell, Benjamin - Trackless Paths
Almost shameful how this striking author has been overlooked.
Then again, most of his works seem to have been with a minuscule press that sold to a handful, or to secondary resellers.
Tweddell is a masterful storyteller, mingling histories, myth and whispers, always in fine prose.
“A Crown Of Dusk And Sorrow” makes for a heady opener. Daniel had relocated to Quorts Moor following a visual epiphany; a sighting, an experience that left him thunderstruck. Alas, no matter how hard he tried, the frisson never repeated. Until the encounter with Silas, who soon leads him beyond, high beyond, to Woden’s Barrow, where Daniel is gifted with the curse of second sight.
Jacob, gradually losing his vision, isolates himself in a remote cottage. His nearest neighbor, across a deceptive creek, is Julius, a Catholic shunned by local folk. Julius had likewise gone blind earlier, only to have his sight miraculously return. The chapel, the shrine, the holy relic, are all used in a tale, steeped in faith and doubt, “The Veneration At Polwheveral Manor”.
Another lonely chapel, this one deep in the fens, irresistibly beckons Henry in “The Salix Arcanum”. Henry, trying to recover from a broken relationship has sought artistic refuge in rural oblivion. The small church, now abandoned, may have pagan origins. Locals, from simple stock to the vicar, try to caution Henry, appeal to his reason. And yet –
The collection concludes with “The Place Of Remaking”. Three childhood friends, aging member of the Kindred of the Kibbo Kift, reconvene at the bygone home. Bloodied by war, carnage, and too much death, the men are soured, cynical. Nevertheless, the tale is one of redemption and reawakening.
Swinburne, Algernon - Lesbia Brandon
A messy novel, and an exasperating read.
Unpublished for being deemed pornographic, what remains appears fragmentary a rough draft.
The subject of the book is not Lesbia, but Herbert. Lesbia is hardly in the book; Swinburne never gave the novel a title. One was applied later, doubtless to provoke middle-class sensibilities.
Initial chapters pertain to Herbert’s private education and discipline from an exacting tutor. Swinburne relishes the switching, flogging, birching, at length, of the young lad, more to break his spirit, akin to breaking a horse.
Instead of a caning, this section needs a severe editorial pruning. It comes across as excessive and self-indulgent.
Another lengthy traipse involves a dinner party with young Herbert, his sister, her husband, and their gentry friends and neighbors. Conversations spiral about, heavily sprinkled with French and Latin, and fail to serve the narrative.
Point is, there is scant narrative at all. Swinburne marshals ideas, descriptions and dialogue, but is unable to harness these, let alone array into a cohesive whole.
Mind you, so much of this is gloriously written. “Turris Eburnea” is a deliriously scathing chapter on Leonora Harley, sensuous and beautiful, who could neither spell nor think, and deserved more pages than she was allotted.
There is a haunting death near the end of another character who should have received far, far more of Swinburne’s prodigious imagination.
Fans of the author, and of florid Victorian literature, should throw caution to the wind and get a copy of the latest edition.
Ackroyd, Peter - London: The Biography
Sprawling, 801 page, history of London. Not UK, not Britain, not England.
London.
From prehistoric times to 2000 (publication date of my copy).
There is a lot here, too much, in fact, to comment on.
While very readable, this is not a book to slog through.
My strategy was to read 100 pages, end at a chapter, then put it away for a month.
Target readers would be those who “know” London, have traipsed around the city plenty of times, and like being there.
Believe it or not, I have met several individuals who have been to London and disliked it.
It was too expensive, overcrowded, noisy, confusing, overwhelming.
Yes, all true. Whatever.
Like I said, this if for those who love cities, and possess a fondness for London.
Basbanes, Nicholas - A Gentle Madness
Gentle? Perhaps. Expensive, almost certainly.
The disease of book collecting which many here can possibly relate to.
On the other hand, those discussed are mega-players.
Starting out in Egypt, then Greece and Rome, eventually charting the dynasties of England.
Bibliophiles on the order of sovereigns or deep-pocketed aristocrats.
Much later, Stateside, there is the House Of Morgan as well as Huntington.
A chapter on Texas oil gushers building the massive Texas University library, balanced by the rising wealth and predominance of California.
This is entertaining reading, if from a distance. These folks have money; they spend more in a year than most can earn in a lifetime.
Then there is the wonderful Stephen Blumberg. Lacking unlimited resources, he built his multi-million dollar collection the old-fashioned way – – stealing.
Excuse me, Blumberg declared that he viewed his activities as an indefinitely extended inter-library loan.
This chapter delves at length into his resourcefulness and ingenuity, getting past high security of universities and major city libraries.
Remember, rare books are out there. Keep checking Thrift Town, some steamer trunk might contain a Gutenberg.
Von Biela, Lisa - Skinshift
Please, just think shape shift and you’re halfway there.
Small time thieves leave their new recruit for dead in the Mojave.
Yes, they beat him up, but did not kill him, thinking the desert would kill him off.
Story switches back and forth between the petty losers and Grade-D sunburn, wanting revenge.
40 pages in, a magical coyote appears. Our villain drinks enchanted water, does a thing with the coyote, and moves plans for vengeance into high gear.
Late in the novella, new characters are introduced, and I knew exactly what their purpose would be,
Fast moving action, characters sketched enough to get a handle on them.
Nevertheless, this is awfully predictable.
Change of pace from many Delirium / Dark Fuse grief soaked releases.
Cox, Michael - The Meaning Of Night
As bygone Common Reader would have put it, a thumping good read.
Edward Glapthorn, the special investigator (fixer) at Tredgold law firm, exceeds his brief to commit a casual, random murder.
Just to see if he could do it. This is only a trial run, for the actual deed.
Who does Glapthron want to kill? And why? Therein lies the tale.
Victorian thriller, steeped in Gothic and fog, vast libraries and brothels, set during the Crimean War.
Revenge for a life stolen, vengeance against an all-knowing adversary.
How much is factual? How much is in Glapthron’s imagination?
At 600 pages, this is a long book.
If you dislike length, florid language, dense writing, footnotes, then read something else.
The first two-thirds of this fly past. Latter sections echoed Thomas Hardy for me.
Nevertheless, the story is compelling, and satisfying.
Preedy, George (M Bowen) - The Devil Snar’d
Grace had supported husband Philip during the rough years.
Reading his works, proofing, editing, advising.
Success finally arrived, and Philip, lionized was soon smitten by actress Angela.
Younger, prettier, glamorous.
Only Grace would not yield to the alluring rival, would not grant a divorce.
Then Philip moved Grace and himself to Medlar’s Farm, on the Scottish border.
The home had already witnessed murders and suicide. Cursed or haunted.
Grace soon believes she will never depart alive, certain Angela and Philip will murder her.
The story carefully balances supernatural elements with anxiety and mental breakdown.
While not a page turner, the narrative flows easily.
Character behavior and attitudes seem dated, even for the 1930’s when this was published.
Baker, Phil - Austin Osman Spare: Life And Legend Of London’s Lost Artist
Fascinating, frustrating, entertaining, baffling biography.
Primarily because the subject was so elusive. Misremembering, fabricating, or simply confusing.
Spare, whose cult fame continues to rise, was an artist and occultist spanning the Edwardian period into the 1950’s. Some of his work mirrors Beardsley, yet the bulk is assuredly his own style.
Baker is on solid footing with the chronology of the man.
With details, anecdotes, history, he confesses when some events are outright dodgy.
Spare, to be kind, was a unreliable source.
Success wise, Spare, like many of us, was generally his own enemy. Perhaps his roots, the premature acclaim as genius, his temperamental encounters with others.
An early Surrealist, dabbler in automatic writing, side real perspective, creator of sigils, acquaintance of Crowley, illustrator of common folk, forgotten people, not the rich nor influential.
Filled with numerous illustrations, color and black and white, although I longed for more.
Overall, enlightening and informative.
Will likely reread.
Parker, Rosalie - Through The Storm
PS has put together a very plummy collection. A generous assortment ranging from unsettling, poignant, and downright mystifying.
“The Moors” was Simone’s true element, where she could spend hours, perhaps her life. She loved that it was so desolate, forsaken even. Except when she encounters the others.
The Robinsons were newcomers to “Village Life”. Younger, too, energetic with a dash that diminished the oldsters. They also appeared to have an appetite for dirt and whispers.
“Dear John”, often perceived as a kiss-off, yet this is stranger by far. The correspondence between lonely hearts, drawn together, forming a tentative attachment, along with an odious presence.
Leonie is working with the big name actress. Cinema star, cast in a rural role, where she requires coaching with dialect. accent, cadence. Exposed to the bustle and sweep, Leonie is touched with a case of city fever. Her place, however, is in “Cow City” where she is unaware of the chains.
There was a disagreement, an argument, outside “The Cinema”, where Anne and Callum got separated. Anne, disoriented – and cold – soon wanders into unfamiliar neighborhoods. As darkness rises, masked smiles offer assistance. The treachery of good cheer. Wisely, she senses the teeth, begs off, only to flee deeper into confusion.
Just a sampling of the stories, most of which are solid, and have conclusions.
A modern tendency is to leave readers suspended. This collection offers very little of that.
Ghahwagi, Karim - Black Hand, The
Malta experiences a bizarre series of murders. Dismembered bodies amidst feathers, a lot of feathers.
Inspector Osman is assigned. A Libyan, he works under the auspices of the Port Authority, yet actually he falls under the Secret Police.
The murders are not only inexplicable, but they are delicate and have connections with the swelling migrant community.
Osman enters the refugee camps, where he is told a lengthy fable of a wealthy merchant and his daughter, whose singing sent those who heard her into raptures.
Apparently, the fairytale is the core of this novella.
We return to Inspector Osman, where his case concludes abruptly. Not that readers deserve solutions, let alone explanations, yet more exposition might have improved this dramatically. Perhaps 10-15 pages.
One gets a sense that Ghahwagi simply quit. Put down his pen, ceased typing, went for a walk.
The result is a half finished draft. Unsatisfactory and badly done.
Where is the publisher’s guidance? Try harder, please.
Valentine, Mark - Lost Estates
A new collection by Mr. Valentine is always a welcome addition to the library.
In “A Chess Game At Michaelmas”, our narrator is a scholar of sorts, seeking old customs, old folklore. The home he seeks out belongs to the king’ tenant rent is free, for an unnamed service.
Mr. Warringer is fussy about Christmas cards. They should not arrive too early, nor should they hail from strangers. His organization is shaken when “The Seventh Card” arrives from the Post, sender unknown.
Collectors will relate. Cogenhoe is after a legendary pamphlet, referenced as lost. He has his methods, and here the author shares tips and suggestions for newcomers to the passion. “Laughter Ever After” suggest that it is not always fellow collectors one should beware of.
The tides may be predictable, yet the sands are not. Three “Readers Of The Sands” are invited to investigate a mystery at Driftwood End. A professionally appointed guide, a fortune teller, and an artist who works in sand. The sands seem to form shapes, hide shapes, and guard.
Lost treasure. The Dutchman’s mine, the Valley of Kings, Hitler’s gold, Montezuma’s treasure.
Two friends, writer and photographer, undertake a new book regarding the missing loot of King John, vanished during a tidal surge. In “The Fifth Moon” they question local experts, who share plausible if conflicting theories. They consult maps, attempt to chat up taciturn denizens of the pub. As with friends, dwellings, jobs, some things do vanish, and vanish for a reason. Seek at your peril applies.
A generous Swan River collection, with considerate production touches, and an ideal size for holding.
I’ve set out to try again at a comprehensive reading of the Bible. I tried once before, reading straight through cover-to-cover, but tapped out before finishing Exodus. This time I’m using a different approach. I’ve started with the New Testament; instead of going by canonical order, I’m following Marcus Borg’s chronological order. Once I’ve finished the NT, I’ll go back to the Hebrew Bible and read it according to the Jewish canon (Torah, Nev’im, and Ketuvim). Then I’ll finish with the deuterocanonical books, including those canon to the Slavonic and Ethopian Orthodox churches. I’ll mostly be reading from my New Oxford Annotated Bible based on the NRSV, but for books like Jubilees and Enoch, I’ll have to look elsewhere.
Eventually, I plan on tackling the Nag Hammadi library (the so-called Gnostic Gospels) and other Judeo-Christian pseudepigrapha.
Gods for some, miniature libertarian socialist flags for others.
Yolland, E. - Mistress Bridget And Other Tales
Historical fiction, set following the English Civil War.
With Cromwell deceased, lawlessness on both sides increases.
Adding fuel to the fires of hatred, Matthew Hopkins and his henchmen scour the land to find and execute witches, for a fee, witches being an all-purpose scapegoat for many.
Bridget is a headstrong girl, liked and disliked in equal measure by grateful / resentful villagers.
Turmoil boils over when Bridget’s parents hurriedly depart to tend an ailing relative, leaving the twenty year old Bridget to protect manor and possessions from roving cutthroats.
The yarn is well written, spiced with details and factual tidbits to please fans of this genre.
In addition, there are seven short stories. A few are barely tinged with supernatural elements, others deal with financial obsessions. Money, lack of money, hidden money, inheritances.
While I would not label this a barn burner, it was a quietly satisfying book.
Again, for readers who enjoy Victorian / Edwardian prose may find this rewarding.