magnetgrrl's review against another edition
2.0
It doesn't surprise me that Alan Moore did the intro for this.
As an adaptation of a "Lovecraftian" (technically this predates Lovecraft by about a decade, at least) work, it hits the usual sweet spot of taking something in the cosmic horror realm and "updating" it so that it has action and isn't just some guy describing all his worst fears, dreams, and terrors in descriptive but largely allegorical prose, journal style. But, as something in the realm of the same way Alan Moore does this - and he does this a lot - it's added a bunch of brute violence, lengthy battle scenes, incest and other weird sex stuff, and a whole bunch of crap that's just not in the original at all.
I want to say that, if you have no patience for or don't care to find and read the original, this is a fine substitute but... it's really not. It's a well-illustrated re-interpretation, but think of this more like the 2005 reboot of The Fog than the original Carpenter The Fog, if you will. It adds some stuff, and updates some things, sure, but is it GOOD in any way? Would it have stood on its own, without the reference to the original yet being so different? Eh.... debatable.
Actually, this analogy is probably debatable and I could have come up with a better one with a different movie but... I'm leaving it where it is.
As an adaptation of a "Lovecraftian" (technically this predates Lovecraft by about a decade, at least) work, it hits the usual sweet spot of taking something in the cosmic horror realm and "updating" it so that it has action and isn't just some guy describing all his worst fears, dreams, and terrors in descriptive but largely allegorical prose, journal style. But, as something in the realm of the same way Alan Moore does this - and he does this a lot - it's added a bunch of brute violence, lengthy battle scenes, incest and other weird sex stuff, and a whole bunch of crap that's just not in the original at all.
I want to say that, if you have no patience for or don't care to find and read the original, this is a fine substitute but... it's really not. It's a well-illustrated re-interpretation, but think of this more like the 2005 reboot of The Fog than the original Carpenter The Fog, if you will. It adds some stuff, and updates some things, sure, but is it GOOD in any way? Would it have stood on its own, without the reference to the original yet being so different? Eh.... debatable.
Actually, this analogy is probably debatable and I could have come up with a better one with a different movie but... I'm leaving it where it is.
chramies's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I'd heard better things about this book than I actually found. I discovered WHH years ago at school reading the tales of "Carnacki, the Ghost-Finder," and was astonished it was published as long ago as 1918. Then I happened across "The Night Land" with its ponderous depiction of a world that must have been very cold indeed (are we told this?). And WHH's tales of maritime terror including "The Voice in the Night," which must have influenced Stephen King in a good way.
And so we come to "The House on the Borderland." Two chaps head for the West of Ireland to do a spot of camping and other outdoorsy stuff among the people whose language they don't even speak. Now you might expect the locals to wind them up ('locals wind up outdoorsy outsiders' is something I've done a few times in my own fiction, and WHH was really outdoorsy) but what really happens is they go a-wandering along the unbeaten track and find the ruins of an old house and conveniently a handwritten book.
Which contains the diary of the house's past inhabitant. And a tale ensues of hostile pig-men and an apparent trip into the far future, like a cross between The Time Machine and Ambrose Bierce's An Inhabitant of Carcosa. We see the Green Star (possibly the home of the pigmen) draw Earth into the Sun (I think that's what happens).
Pigs. That's what you get in one of the most effective stories in "Carnacki," and here. I think WHH like the proud sailor he was, didn't like our porcine friends. I'm also reminded of "The Island of Dr Moreau."
And a darkened planet where all is cold and the sun has stopped shining and there are huge creatures that resemble the Gods of Old Earth. That's "The Night Land"!
So it's fairly derivative of WHH's own stuff, but that may not matter. The trouble ensues when the real threat of the pig-men is thrown over for the almost certainly hallucinated trip into the far future. Ambrose Bierce ("and I knew these were the remains of proud Carcosa" or whatever it is) did this better. Yes, the character has probably gone mad due to the attack and the death of his beloved dog, but it's now all descriptive wow and trying for sensawunda.
It's ok but it isn't that great.
And so we come to "The House on the Borderland." Two chaps head for the West of Ireland to do a spot of camping and other outdoorsy stuff among the people whose language they don't even speak. Now you might expect the locals to wind them up ('locals wind up outdoorsy outsiders' is something I've done a few times in my own fiction, and WHH was really outdoorsy) but what really happens is they go a-wandering along the unbeaten track and find the ruins of an old house and conveniently a handwritten book.
Which contains the diary of the house's past inhabitant. And a tale ensues of hostile pig-men and an apparent trip into the far future, like a cross between The Time Machine and Ambrose Bierce's An Inhabitant of Carcosa. We see the Green Star (possibly the home of the pigmen) draw Earth into the Sun (I think that's what happens).
Pigs. That's what you get in one of the most effective stories in "Carnacki," and here. I think WHH like the proud sailor he was, didn't like our porcine friends. I'm also reminded of "The Island of Dr Moreau."
And a darkened planet where all is cold and the sun has stopped shining and there are huge creatures that resemble the Gods of Old Earth. That's "The Night Land"!
So it's fairly derivative of WHH's own stuff, but that may not matter. The trouble ensues when the real threat of the pig-men is thrown over for the almost certainly hallucinated trip into the far future. Ambrose Bierce ("and I knew these were the remains of proud Carcosa" or whatever it is) did this better. Yes, the character has probably gone mad due to the attack and the death of his beloved dog, but it's now all descriptive wow and trying for sensawunda.
It's ok but it isn't that great.
rcsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
jonwesleyhuff's review against another edition
4.0
Ah this was fantastic. An intriguing tale of cosmic horror that feels weirdly intimate and epic at the same time. My hats off to Swan River Press for a beautifully produced book. Now I kind of want to track down the hardcover. This was first published in 1908 so, yes, some of the style is archaic at this point but still very readable. In some ways it really only lends to the “found manuscript” feel of the piece.
caitsidhe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
biggreg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
mosscraftink's review against another edition
4.0
It was very intriguing in the begining but I had a hard time paying attention during the bit about the cosmic passage of time and the end of worlds(felt like it was a little long) Could just be my personal attention span failing me but I still enjoyed the story overall
amy_da1sy's review against another edition
3.0
I’m glad I finally got around to reading it and the ending was good but it hasn’t been the best book especially when I had it hyped up to me
sudopia's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jenni3penny's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5