a few years ago now there was a great BBC radio 4 programme about him and his beliefs about the thinness of the veil. it was awesome - thankyou for this video
Finding a collection of Arthur Machen without “The Great God Pan” may be analogous to the time when I almost bought an album of the greatest hits of Gladys Knight and the Pips that left out “Midnight Train To Georgia”. 😄
I just finished my first Machen, the Great God Pan. read very well by Edward French. A very engaging style; getting bits and pieces of of this larger mystery from two perspectives. I suppose that helps a bit with the amount of coincidences where these two keep knowing someone (or someone who knows someone) affected by Helen (didn't really think of that till you mentioned it). That last chapter was strange, in puzzle pieces, seemingly anticlimactic at first, as we sudden skip to after the confrontation and only hear snatches of what happened, but then this was never an action book, it's just been people talking, and the thin hints about what exactly went down and why (he did this in chapter 2 also) _really_ tease and horrify the brain afterward. Maybe that's why it caused such a stir in the sex repressed Victorian age, but it makes it funny that some 6 years later the more explicit and salacious Dracula was so wildly accepted (maybe because Dracula was clearly beaten while Helen was dealt with off screen, and less then understood, and Pan and his kind are left entirely behind the veil, maybe safely, maybe not. I just _really_ want to know what Villiers and Clarke said exchanged with Helen Vaughan, and if Villiers retained his sanity.
I picked up a complete works of Arthur Machen for $0.99 on Kindle. There are a few complete Kindle editions out there. Mine is the Ultimate Collection. I got it after rereading The Ceremonies by T.E.D. Klein because Machen features in the story.
Yeah, the Kindle is great for these public domain authors! Ah, T. E. D. Klein! His two books are great! I still think the short story version was more effective than The Ceremonies but it was still really good.
Arthur Machen...Yes...I was just going 2 say you can tell he was an Influence on H.P. Lovecraft without anyone telling you. Ah...Great God Pan. 👍😁👍 You can hear his longing for a simpler time in all his stories. Wonder why they left it out??? Very Strange. Exactly So what. It would be like leaving out H.P. Lovecraft's ...At the Mountains of Madness. IMO. That's Madness 😁🤣 LoL. Made myself laugh. My sense of Humor is dumb. You did it justice. 👍😁👍 Nice video. Can't wait till Mythos Monday 😁👍
I've noticed that the Oxford edition of the "Great God Pan and other Horror Stories" is missing the two stories "The Decorative Imagination" and "Novel of the Iron Maid" from The Three Imposters. These stories were included in the original John Lane 1895 edition, but have often been left out of later anthologies. I was impressed with your knowledge of classic literature and thought that you may know why this is, and does it detract from the episodic nature of the story. You have done a great job on your channel. I like your taste in literature. Glenn.
Hmmm 🤔. I didn’t, in fact, read the novel in the Oxford edition so I didn’t realize it was missing those parts. I should have taken a closer look! Oxford does occasionally make odd choices with the texts they use. I will have to look into this!
I know this is an old video now but I'm commenting anyway. I know that Penguin Classics are often the go-to edition for most readers. But yes, they sometimes "drop the ball". I'm quite aware of some that don't stand up to be as good a read or compilation or whatever, than some other publications. I'm glad to be able to get that kind of information from you. Even more glad when it comes with suggestions for other editions that may be better to read or simply nicer for the home library.
Not fair at all !! This is the second week that I have fallen prey to your story telling! Ok, ok, ok I ordered the oxford version. Geez. BTW absolutely LOVE your tie tonight!
Arthur Machen is in a weird place in being highly influential without being really well known. He's also is a big hole in Joshi's assertion that the best horror writers are atheists. Machen wasn't an atheist and was a great horror writer. Blackwood was a type of pantheist. Manly Wade Wellman I believe was some sort of Christian. Jean Ray, often considered the Belgian version Lovecraft, I think was Catholic. (Though that may have been nominal.) Talent matters more than personal belief to good writing.
Does either book contain 'The Bowmen' ? I dont know his works but just read his wiki and that story intrigues me, and seemed to lead to a controversy of sorts (Angels of Mons).
I'm going to be a bit conspiratorial here, but perhaps Joshi is prejudiced against The Great God Pan because of its clear influence on The Dunwich Horror. Joshi really doesn't like The Dunwich Horror among all of Lovecraft's mature tales. He regards it as a betrayal to Lovecraft's materialism because the "heroes" use a form of magic in the end to defeat the monster.
Great to see this review. I love Machen's work and have been collecting his books for the last fifty years.
Just got the Oxford version! Thank you a lot for the better recommendation!
Great reccomemdation by oxford sir tyyyyy
a few years ago now there was a great BBC radio 4 programme about him and his beliefs about the thinness of the veil. it was awesome - thankyou for this video
Mr. Vaughan's Penguins..... but this one don't fly!!
Finding a collection of Arthur Machen without “The Great God Pan” may be analogous to the time when I almost bought an album of the greatest hits of Gladys Knight and the Pips that left out “Midnight Train To Georgia”. 😄
🤣🤣🤣
Yes! Exactly!
I just finished my first Machen, the Great God Pan. read very well by Edward French. A very engaging style; getting bits and pieces of of this larger mystery from two perspectives. I suppose that helps a bit with the amount of coincidences where these two keep knowing someone (or someone who knows someone) affected by Helen (didn't really think of that till you mentioned it). That last chapter was strange, in puzzle pieces, seemingly anticlimactic at first, as we sudden skip to after the confrontation and only hear snatches of what happened, but then this was never an action book, it's just been people talking, and the thin hints about what exactly went down and why (he did this in chapter 2 also) _really_ tease and horrify the brain afterward. Maybe that's why it caused such a stir in the sex repressed Victorian age, but it makes it funny that some 6 years later the more explicit and salacious Dracula was so wildly accepted (maybe because Dracula was clearly beaten while Helen was dealt with off screen, and less then understood, and Pan and his kind are left entirely behind the veil, maybe safely, maybe not.
I just _really_ want to know what Villiers and Clarke said exchanged with Helen Vaughan, and if Villiers retained his sanity.
I picked up a complete works of Arthur Machen for $0.99 on Kindle. There are a few complete Kindle editions out there. Mine is the Ultimate Collection. I got it after rereading The Ceremonies by T.E.D. Klein because Machen features in the story.
Yeah, the Kindle is great for these public domain authors! Ah, T. E. D. Klein! His two books are great! I still think the short story version was more effective than The Ceremonies but it was still really good.
You are giving me choices for your Mayhem May readings in 2022.
I love the look of that hardcover!
It’s great!
Arthur Machen...Yes...I was just going 2 say you can tell he was an Influence on H.P. Lovecraft without anyone telling you.
Ah...Great God Pan. 👍😁👍
You can hear his longing for a simpler time in all his stories.
Wonder why they left it out???
Very Strange.
Exactly So what.
It would be like leaving out H.P. Lovecraft's ...At the Mountains of Madness. IMO. That's Madness 😁🤣 LoL. Made myself laugh. My sense of Humor is dumb.
You did it justice. 👍😁👍
Nice video. Can't wait till Mythos Monday 😁👍
Leaving Great God Pan out really bewildered me!
I've noticed that the Oxford edition of the "Great God Pan and other Horror Stories" is missing the two stories "The Decorative Imagination" and "Novel of the Iron Maid" from The Three Imposters. These stories were included in the original John Lane 1895 edition, but have often been left out of later anthologies. I was impressed with your knowledge of classic literature and thought that you may know why this is, and does it detract from the episodic nature of the story.
You have done a great job on your channel. I like your taste in literature.
Glenn.
Hmmm 🤔. I didn’t, in fact, read the novel in the Oxford edition so I didn’t realize it was missing those parts. I should have taken a closer look! Oxford does occasionally make odd choices with the texts they use. I will have to look into this!
IMO, leaving those out WOULD detract from the overall effect.
I know this is an old video now but I'm commenting anyway.
I know that Penguin Classics are often the go-to edition for most readers. But yes, they sometimes "drop the ball". I'm quite aware of some that don't stand up to be as good a read or compilation or whatever, than some other publications. I'm glad to be able to get that kind of information from you. Even more glad when it comes with suggestions for other editions that may be better to read or simply nicer for the home library.
Thank you! Yes, every once in a while Penguin makes some odd choices.
Not fair at all !! This is the second week that I have fallen prey to your story telling! Ok, ok, ok I ordered the oxford version. Geez. BTW absolutely LOVE your tie tonight!
The Oxford is a really great book! I like that tie also. Wilkins, my valet, has an admirable sense of style. Thanks for watching!
@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Give the wonderful man a raise !! He deserves it ! Even my hubby liked it.
I just ordered this with Penguins Blackwood book, I somehow missed this video!
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on both of them!
Dammit, I’m going to have to stop watching your channel.... another one on the list 😫 Really helpful to know which edition to get.... thanks!
I think you will like this guy! Great stuff!
But they f*** dropped the ball
Joshi's Chambers collection for Chaosium taught me that he could make bad editorial choices. He's fumbled the ball more than once.
Arthur Machen is in a weird place in being highly influential without being really well known.
He's also is a big hole in Joshi's assertion that the best horror writers are atheists. Machen wasn't an atheist and was a great horror writer. Blackwood was a type of pantheist. Manly Wade Wellman I believe was some sort of Christian. Jean Ray, often considered the Belgian version Lovecraft, I think was Catholic. (Though that may have been nominal.) Talent matters more than personal belief to good writing.
I've never heard of this person before now. Gotta get into this guy. I'm a big Lovecraft guy. I like Matheson too. I like the twilight zone.
Machen was really influential on Lovecraft. He did some great work. Thanks for watching!
Have you ever read anything by Robert Aickman?
Does either book contain 'The Bowmen' ? I dont know his works but just read his wiki and that story intrigues me, and seemed to lead to a controversy of sorts (Angels of Mons).
Both books include The Bowmen. I had forgotten about that controversy when I shot this video!
Well done sir. I never realised that Joshi fucked up with this Penguin edition, which I own.
Well, in my humble opinion, the normally great Joshi really shat the bed with this book.
Great reading and discussion, as always. I wasn't familiar with this author, other than from here on your channel.
I’m glad I introduced you to him!
I can imagine you as a villain. Vaughan, the Vegan Villain!
Based on that one hat he sometimes wears, I often think of Michael as one of the kids from Newsies all grown up. LOL.
@@jeremyfee I said that to him once.
Okay, I’m definitely going to start wearing a 🎩 top hat!
I'm going to be a bit conspiratorial here, but perhaps Joshi is prejudiced against The Great God Pan because of its clear influence on The Dunwich Horror. Joshi really doesn't like The Dunwich Horror among all of Lovecraft's mature tales. He regards it as a betrayal to Lovecraft's materialism because the "heroes" use a form of magic in the end to defeat the monster.
That’s as good a theory as any other, I guess.