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A review by snazzy10101
The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I started this ages ago cuz I found out about The Great God Pan.
After reading that story (which is 5/5), I did some research on Machen and discovered we would not have gottten along. Funny how a man from the late 1800’s who hated women managed to write a piece of Good For Her, feminist horror. However although I loved it, I did have to sit with it for a while to gain any meaning from it (not that meaning is essential, it can just be a fun journey).
Novel of the White Powder 5/5
After reading that story (which is 5/5), I did some research on Machen and discovered we would not have gottten along. Funny how a man from the late 1800’s who hated women managed to write a piece of Good For Her, feminist horror. However although I loved it, I did have to sit with it for a while to gain any meaning from it (not that meaning is essential, it can just be a fun journey).
Novel of the White Powder 5/5
This is a much shorter story which reads like a drug trip and could be a metaphor for our capitalist society. what started with corruption ends with corruption. The meaning of this one jumps right out at you.
The Red Hand (dnf)
Here is where Machen’s prose begins to take a toll. It was all too much and I couldn’t finish it. This resulted in me putting the book for months.
The White People 4/5
I picked this book back up again for the final story as I am currently reading The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher and I wanted to read the original before I continued their version. This one doesn’t hit as hard as Pan but Machen’s never ending sentences add to the overall experience of the unknown magic(??)(it could just be how nature truely is honestly) and I loved the depiction of good/evil and saints/sinners.
Here is where Machen’s prose begins to take a toll. It was all too much and I couldn’t finish it. This resulted in me putting the book for months.
The White People 4/5
I picked this book back up again for the final story as I am currently reading The Twisted Ones by T Kingfisher and I wanted to read the original before I continued their version. This one doesn’t hit as hard as Pan but Machen’s never ending sentences add to the overall experience of the unknown magic(??)(it could just be how nature truely is honestly) and I loved the depiction of good/evil and saints/sinners.