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A review by lakserk
Dark Entries by Robert Aickman
5.0
The stories:
The School Friend: An old school friend of the protagonist returns to her father’s house after his death. The house seems to have a weird effect upon her. A masterful story, a subtle journey into female oppression, a spin on speculative fiction of the created, and a hint of Greek mythology, with strong Lynchean vibes, as well as a cryptic finale; this is a tour de force of Aickman motifs.
Ringing the Changes: A couple visit a seaside village where bells seem to be constantly ringing and the border between life and (un)death is occasionally thinning. Less abrupt than the average Aickman, this is an exemplary lesson of how to craft an unsettling settlement. Strong aesthetical hints of the Carnival of Souls.
Choice of Weapons: A young man falls furiously in love at the first sight of a woman, becoming obsessed with her and ending up in a weird house crossing shoulders with even more weird characters. It takes the reader through a spectral range of expectations before abruptly ending, leaving him dazed with a quintessential Aickmanish ending.
The Waiting Room: A man spends the night alone in a haunted train station room. This short story is much smoother than its other counterparts. A traditional ghost tale which is a delight to read, creating a much appreciated wintry atmosphere.
The View: An artist ends up in the secluded manor of a woman, in an island where space seems to be malleable. The book’s largest story, this has an almost dreamlike quality and more than a hint of Odysseus’ time with Circe and Calypso as well as folktales of time spent in fairyland. Can be a bit slow-moving, but ultimately satisfying.
Bind Your Hair: A woman visits her fiance’s village and family. She meets an eccentric old lady and wanders in the countryside discovering a strange labyrinth and equally bizarre guides. A folk-horror masterpiece, slightly hinting of Machen’s The White People, also doubling over as a subtle study of the collective versus the individual (rural/urban, traditional/modern), of boundaries and their dissolving. My personal favourite of the book.
Full review here: https://industriesofinferno.github.io/books/2020/07/02/robert-aickman-dark-entries.html
The School Friend: An old school friend of the protagonist returns to her father’s house after his death. The house seems to have a weird effect upon her. A masterful story, a subtle journey into female oppression, a spin on speculative fiction of the created, and a hint of Greek mythology, with strong Lynchean vibes, as well as a cryptic finale; this is a tour de force of Aickman motifs.
Ringing the Changes: A couple visit a seaside village where bells seem to be constantly ringing and the border between life and (un)death is occasionally thinning. Less abrupt than the average Aickman, this is an exemplary lesson of how to craft an unsettling settlement. Strong aesthetical hints of the Carnival of Souls.
Choice of Weapons: A young man falls furiously in love at the first sight of a woman, becoming obsessed with her and ending up in a weird house crossing shoulders with even more weird characters. It takes the reader through a spectral range of expectations before abruptly ending, leaving him dazed with a quintessential Aickmanish ending.
The Waiting Room: A man spends the night alone in a haunted train station room. This short story is much smoother than its other counterparts. A traditional ghost tale which is a delight to read, creating a much appreciated wintry atmosphere.
The View: An artist ends up in the secluded manor of a woman, in an island where space seems to be malleable. The book’s largest story, this has an almost dreamlike quality and more than a hint of Odysseus’ time with Circe and Calypso as well as folktales of time spent in fairyland. Can be a bit slow-moving, but ultimately satisfying.
Bind Your Hair: A woman visits her fiance’s village and family. She meets an eccentric old lady and wanders in the countryside discovering a strange labyrinth and equally bizarre guides. A folk-horror masterpiece, slightly hinting of Machen’s The White People, also doubling over as a subtle study of the collective versus the individual (rural/urban, traditional/modern), of boundaries and their dissolving. My personal favourite of the book.
Full review here: https://industriesofinferno.github.io/books/2020/07/02/robert-aickman-dark-entries.html