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The Great God Pan Paperback – November 20, 2024
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When a scientist in Wales, who yearns to see the supernatural world, performs an experiment on a woman in his care, not only is her mind destroyed but it sets into motion a series of mysterious events in the future.
Years later, a beautiful, albeit sinister woman arrive on the London social scene and soon thereafter influential men start committing suicide for no apparent reason. Their deaths are horrific, often seems unrelated, but it quickly becomes clear that there are forces not of this world behind their demise.
A subtle revenge tale set in England during the Victorian Era, this body-horror brings to life the occult with its implied erotic undertones and vivid imagery.
The Great God Pan was widely criticised at the time of its release, but has since gained widespread adoration, influencing horror writers like Bram Stoker and H.P. Lovecraft.
With an introduction by William Meikle and interior artwork by Luke Spooner.
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Where Stories Come Alive!
- Print length84 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateNovember 20, 2024
- Dimensions5 x 0.19 x 8 inches
- ISBN-13979-8300613754
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now
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Where Stories Come Alive
Since its founding in August 2012, Crystal Lake has quickly become one of the world’s leading publishers of Dark Fiction and Horror books. In 2023, Crystal Lake officially transitioned into an entertainment company, joining several other divisions, genres, and imprints, including Torrid Waters, Crystal Lake Comics, Crystal Lake Games, Crystal Lake Kids, and many more.
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Category | Novella | Novel | Collection | Novel | Anthology | Collection |
Blurb | When "Scareville", a store specializing in the sale of all things creepy and unusual opens in a former funeral home in the sleepy town of Lakewood, Ohio, the whole town goes insane with anticipation. | Bailey, a lifeguard with a heavy metal heart and a Jack Daniel's addiction, has long avoided the deep sea since a haunting accident. | A collection of haunting short stories that delve into the darker sides of the human soul, this horror book explores raw emotions of desire, despair, and obsession. | Fallon’s life shatters the night she walks in to find her father unconscious, their home invaded, and her sister on the brink of death. | Whether you crave the suspense of flash horror, the depth of a full-bodied short story, or the haunting rhythm of dark poetry, Hotel Macabre Vol.1 has it all. | We All Go Into the Dark takes you through four chilling tales where fear lurks around every corner, and the shadows stretch long, no matter the time of day. |
Product details
- ASIN : B0DNQ74T63
- Publisher : Independently published (November 20, 2024)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 84 pages
- ISBN-13 : 979-8300613754
- Item Weight : 5.1 ounces
- Dimensions : 5 x 0.19 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #930,054 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5,443 in Occult Fiction
- #10,288 in Supernatural Mysteries
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
![Arthur Machen](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/amzn-author-media-prod/vfk0tk53kfocv4rolhl47gt6ko._SY600_.jpg)
Discover the masterful storytelling of one of the most influential horror and fantasy writers of the 20th century - Arthur Machen.
In this collection of Machen's most renowned works, readers will be transported to eerie, otherworldly landscapes where ancient legends and occult forces come to life. From the spine-tingling horror of "The Great God Pan" to the dreamlike fantasy of "The White People," Machen's tales are sure to delight fans of the supernatural, the weird, and the macabre.
This book includes some of Machen's most beloved stories, such as "The Red Hand," "The Hill of Dreams," and "The Novel of the Black Seal," as well as lesser-known gems that are sure to become favorites. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer to Machen's work, this collection is a must-read for anyone who loves spine-tingling tales of horror and the supernatural.
So come explore the strange and fascinating world of Arthur Machen, and see why his influence can be felt in the works of such writers as H.P. Lovecraft, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen King.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book's story fascinating and thought-provoking. They praise the writing style as beautiful, haunting, and uncanny. However, some readers found the plot confusing at times and predictable. Opinions vary on the horror genre - some consider it an influential classic, while others find it disturbing or chilling.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the story fascinating and enjoyable, with a thought-provoking tale. The writing is praised as eloquent and thought-provoking. Many readers consider it a must-read for fans of Lovecraft.
"I love moody, atmospheric horror. The kind of that creeps upon you, inducing chills without resorting to the cheap shock common in horror today...." Read more
"...She awakens from anesthesia, seems to have a flash of mystical insight, but the wonder quickly fades, replaced by terror — she is reduced, in his..." Read more
"A short novella, easily read in an hour or two. The story was based on an interesting idea, but I found the presentation too disjointed for my liking..." Read more
"...Machen's stories are quite unique and his influence on subsequent writers of supernatural fiction continues to endure." Read more
Customers enjoy the story's quality. They find it engaging and well-written. The prose is literate and the plotting is exceptional. Readers say it's worth reading again.
"...It’s a cracking good read, and certainly deserves to be included in the library of horror classics of horror, especially because, apparently, the..." Read more
"...The book is presented as a series of events. All are connected, but we don't know exactly how until the very end of the book...." Read more
"...has endured and set the place of Arthur Machen as an important writer of weird tales...." Read more
"...Though the storytelling is a product of its time (wooden characters, melodrama, lack of graphic content of any sort)..." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's style. They find the writing beautiful and haunting. The story is memorable and provokes imagination without being graphic. Readers also mention that the illustrations are from the period, but they find them random.
"The Great God Pan by the brilliant Arthur Machen retains all its power, beauty, and grace despite having first been published in 1890...." Read more
"...and didn't detail quite what I would prefer, but the age of this is completely adorable...." Read more
"...Nicely done!" Read more
"...Disturbing and imaginative, with a wonderful style. The Great God Pan feels like foundation work for all the great horror to come later." Read more
Customers have different views on the horror genre. Some find it an influential and classic story of supernatural horror, prototypical of weird fiction that would become popular in the 20th century. Others describe it as a dark tale with no sense of horror but a disturbing mystery.
"...But given that it was highly original in 1894, and prototypical of weird fiction that would become popular in the coming decades, it gets an easy 5..." Read more
"...The author has a wonderful way with words, and there are as many memorable, quotable passages as you would find in Poe, Lovecraft, or Howard...." Read more
"...help but be reminded of THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY.All kinds of unspeakable horror and evil is swirling around but never described...." Read more
"...Pan is justifiably one of the most influential and enduring stories of supernatural horror of all time...." Read more
Customers have different views on the writing style. Some find it well-written and easy to read, with a wonderful way with words. Others feel the book is overwritten, melodramatic, and difficult to read due to Latin usage without translation. The narration is also considered average.
"...I was totally absorbed. The author has a wonderful way with words, and there are as many memorable, quotable passages as you would find in Poe,..." Read more
"...First published in the 1890's, the books writing style definitely shows it's age. I don't think it holds up as well as some others in the genre." Read more
"This book, though well written, is of such an old style that I found it hard to keep up my interest...." Read more
"...noteworthy for its inversion of the late Victorian lapse toward sentimental, genial, and infantile fantasy." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the era. Some find it an old classic and original in 1894, while others consider it dated and not fashionable today.
"...But given that it was highly original in 1894, and prototypical of weird fiction that would become popular in the coming decades, it gets an easy 5..." Read more
"This book, though well written, is of such an old style that I found it hard to keep up my interest...." Read more
"Great horror story, placed in the late 1800s. Written between Poe’s and stoker’s work. I only wished it had been longer." Read more
"...narrative... Certainly not a fashionable style these days and quite antiquated, however if you manage to persist, the overwhelming sense of dread..." Read more
Customers find the book confusing at first, with shifting perspectives. They find it predictable and lacks descriptive details about the monster. The story is described as disjointed at times, but they enjoyed the dark mystery.
"...They frequently exceed half a page making it somewhat difficult to follow and comprehend...." Read more
"...Short book, but still took up time that I'll never get back." Read more
"...This particular edition has a few strange glitches, proving that contemporary indie writers are not the only ones with electronically published typos..." Read more
"...It was an OK read, but I guess some of the subtleties were lost on me." Read more
Customers find the book uninteresting and difficult to keep up their attention. They also mention parts are boring and it can be hard to keep track of everything.
"...well written, is of such an old style that I found it hard to keep up my interest. I suspect this sort of problem with very old books...." Read more
"...just can't appreciate the era's literature, but this book failed to engage me in every way...." Read more
"...It simply does not grabbed me, even some parts are boring." Read more
"...It makes you think, and it can be hard to keep track of everything , but it’s worth it in the end." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2016I love moody, atmospheric horror. The kind of that creeps upon you, inducing chills without resorting to the cheap shock common in horror today. TGGP is that kind of spookiness. Though the storytelling is a product of its time (wooden characters, melodrama, lack of graphic content of any sort) the tale is beautifully executed, slowly unfolding a mystery and ratcheting the suspense until the horrific climax. It leaves an awful lot to the imagination, partly due to Victorian-era necessity, but it’s not a copout. Machen knows what you’re thinking and he masterfully works your imagination against you.
The story begins with a research doctor making an experimental surgical adjustment to a girl’s brain that he believes will enable her to see the world as it really is, as opposed to how mankind has been conditioned to perceive it. He calls this “seeing the Great God Pan”. “Pan” being the Greek god of nature. The experiment sets in motion a sequence of events spanning many years. As the story progresses we shift to new characters who are drawn into a mystery from various angles. Only at the end do the pieces come together. Occult imagery abounds, but the genius of the story is that the deviltry is ambiguous enough to be compatible with just about any worldview. It’s simply a terrifying encounter with the unknown.
Machen was an interesting man. The son of a clergyman, he was raised in a Christian home, but developed a deep interest in the occult. His knowledge influenced his fiction, but he apparently stayed true to his faith until his death. As far as I know he is the only Christian weird fiction writer of his day.
If this were written today, it would probably merit 3.5 stars. But given that it was highly original in 1894, and prototypical of weird fiction that would become popular in the coming decades, it gets an easy 5 stars.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2017The Great God Pan is by Arthur Machen, a Welsh author and mystic who wrote in the late 1800s. I first made his acquaintance with the spectacularly creepy short story The White People, so moved to this — considered a horror classic.
It is focused on similar themes of his later books, an occult world existing in the shadows of this world, hidden and mysterious but also some how more real.
The novella from 1890 opens with a young woman willingly participating in questionable medical experiment performed by a surgeon intent on helping humankind experience the mystical realm directly. He has, apparently, found the structure in the brain that prevents easy access to the spiritual realm (what he calls, “seeing the god Pan”), though curiously, he offers no insights as to why nature may have seen fit to prevent the veil from being lifted.
He surgically alters the brain of the young woman to bridge the “unthinkable gulf that yawns profound between two worlds, the world of matter and the world of spirit.” He is successful, after a fashion.
She awakens from anesthesia, seems to have a flash of mystical insight, but the wonder quickly fades, replaced by terror — she is reduced, in his words to a “hopeless idiot” for life.
The novella flashes forward, and flashes forward again, and from that rocky start, things go progressively downhill.
There are strange rituals in the woods, children driven insane by the sight of Roman statues, child abductions, orgies (not children, thankfully), suicides (also not children) and an apparent deicide.
“Though horror and revolting nausea rose up within me, and an odour of corruption choked my breath, I remained firm. I was then privileged or accursed, I dare not say which, to see that which was on the bed, lying there black like ink, transformed before my eyes. The skin, and the flesh, and the muscles and bones, and the firm structure of the human body that I had thought be unchangeable, and permanent as adamant, began to melt and dissolve.”
It’s a cracking good read, and certainly deserves to be included in the library of horror classics of horror, especially because, apparently, the novella influenced HP Lovecraft.
Equally intriguing is the underlying conceit that evolution or civilization or just plain old ignorance compounded by the passage of time somehow lowered a veil between the two realms — matter and spirit. And that, at least according to this Welsh writer, bridging these two worlds has such dark and tragic consequences.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2016A short novella, easily read in an hour or two. The story was based on an interesting idea, but I found the presentation too disjointed for my liking. The book is presented as a series of events. All are connected, but we don't know exactly how until the very end of the book. Most of the "atrocities" in the book take place out of our sight, so the reader is left to use his imagination for the most part. First published in the 1890's, the books writing style definitely shows it's age. I don't think it holds up as well as some others in the genre.
Top reviews from other countries
- AyusmanReviewed in India on January 23, 2022
2.0 out of 5 stars Insipid
To me, the stories appear rather dull. Nothing like Robert Bloch or even Lovecraft. Perhaps, they were novelties at the time of their first publication. But to readers of my generation, they may appear bland. What I find interesting instead is Machen's othering of non-Christian religions, his fascination with "pagan" or Greco-Roman myths and rituals, and his obsession with (what appeared to him) as deviant sexuality. So while this book may bore those who pick it up for light readings, it may interest researchers in literature, history and psychology.
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Diego AraujoReviewed in Brazil on May 24, 2020
3.0 out of 5 stars O horror frente ao que a humanidade não deveria conhecer
É a história sobre alguém ousado disposto a conhecer características além da compreensão limítrofe da humanidade. Diferente do horror cósmico ― criado antes dos primeiros contos de H. P. Lovecraft ―, tem a peculiaridade de causar consequências a pessoas além daquele que testemunha o ser de capacidades aterradoras, comprometendo vítimas com relações indiretas, de fato inconscientes da situação, tudo fruto da ousadia das aplicações positivistas sobre aspectos superiores à consciência humana. Em vez de uma criatura alienígena, pessoas morrem sob a presença do Grande Deus Pã ― The Great God Pan ―, escrito em 1890 por Arthur Machen. Esta resenha feita a partir da leitura com a edição da Open Road Integrated Media, disponibilizada desde 2017.
*
O Dr. Raymond chama seu amigo Clarke para testemunhar o progresso de seu trabalho, o de entrar em contato com uma entidade sobrenatural, retirando o véu limitando a humanidade de ver o Grande Deus Pã. Mary é usada como uma cobaia, uma moça atenciosa às necessidades de Raymond, e ele desconsidera limites ao contar com a ajuda dela. Basta apenas operá-la, e sim, a faca é necessária. Assim o faz, e Mary vislumbra o Deus, enlouquece, ficando incapacitada pelo resto da breve vida.
A história prossegue anos depois deste acontecimento, narrando mortes misteriosas. Estas incitam devaneios fantasiosos nas pessoas próximas da vítima. Villiers conversa com o amigo Herbet após muito tempo sem contato, depois descobrindo que seu amigo na verdade tinha morrido. A causa de sua morte gera divergências entre os legistas, exceto quanto ao estado de temor presente nas feições do cadáver. Evitando detalhes sobre as mortes posteriores, todas têm algumas características em comum, entre elas a relação com a esposa de Herbert, ora conhecida como Helen Vaughn, ora por outros nomes, conforme os personagens prosseguem em sua investigação.
*
Os capítulos alternam entre os personagens envolvidos na investigação das mortes misteriosas, em especial o ponto de vista de Herbert, pois acaba incitando o interesse do amigo Villiers a descobrir a causa com a ajuda de Austin e do Clarke. A intenção da narrativa é desenvolver o mistério ao redor das mortes, e tal prioridade da história afasta o aprofundamento dos personagens presentes nas cenas da investigação. Novas pessoas são inseridas na trama apenas como artifícios para contar sobre mais mortes. Embora Pã seja pouco citado nessa etapa da história, continua presente, lembrado entre uma conversa e outra. Isso até o desfecho da história, quando as pontas são amarradas e esclarece todas as mortes, inclusive o mistério em torno do Deus. The Great God Pan se limita a isso, decepcionando pela falta de desenvolvimento na trama dos personagens, trabalhando apenas a partir do mistério levantado.
Poucas cenas são contadas pelo narrador, o restante é narrado através dos diálogos, do personagem compartilhando sua aventura com o outro. O autor teve domínio em criar esses diálogos, soando naturais, jamais usados a explicar a história ao leitor ― infodumping ―, em vez disso são falas detalhadas da investigação realizada por eles. Tanto o narrador quanto os personagens, entretanto, deixam a desejar quanto ao uso de adjetivos, desde aos relacionados ao Pã, caracterizando-o com palavras genéricas, da mesma forma feita por Lovecraft anos depois. Há ainda o vício de duas palavras, queer e fancy ― estranho e extravagante/imaginário ―, usadas em vários capítulos, nas diversas situações.
The Great God Pan persiste em edições séculos após à primeira publicação para lembrar aos leitores sobre a possibilidade de empregar um terror causado por seres superiores à abstração humana, algo presente no horror cósmico, e provocado pelo Deus grego dos bosques neste livro. A narrativa dedica toda a história ao mistério das mortes sob a suspeita de estar relacionado a Pã, a partir da esposa de Herbert, desenvolvendo poucos elementos além disso por meio de diálogos a tomar o maior espaço do texto, recompensando o leitor paciente com uma frase a revelar toda a história de vez no capítulo final.
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Mister MadelReviewed in Germany on October 18, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Sollte man als Fan von Klassischem Horror kennen
Zu der Geschichte sollte man keine Inhaltsangabe ausser dem Grundthema wissen müssen, alles andere
wäre zu viel verraten! Die langsam aufbauend beklemmende Stimmung tut das übrige..
Die Bilder die der Autor im Geist des Lesers erzeugt sind grandios. Und kein Wort ist zu viel, er hat genau das
Mass gefunden um nicht wirklich abzuschweifen. Und das bemerkenswerte finde ich das Ende..
Vom Autor gibt es leider nicht so viele Novellen, dafür einige Kurzgeschichten die es auch in sich haben!
Und nicht viele sind ins deutsche übersetzt worden, lohnt sich im Original zu lesen. Wenn es ging 5 1/2 Sterne!
- Chiara D.Reviewed in Italy on January 10, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Ok
Ok
- SamanthaReviewed in Australia on February 19, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars The Stories Are Great, Quality Not So Much
I ordered this book because I love Machen, but the quality of these covers are terrible. They're beautiful, until you start reading them and then the covers and the pages warp more than on any other book I've seen.