![]() The atmosphere darkens much as in a Joseph Conrad story, such as the novella Heart of Darkness from about the same period. As they journey across eastern Europe, however, the environment is dense with foreboding. The first twenty pages or so read like an exciting adventure, as two friends paddle a Canadian canoe down the Danube River. (I'm calling it a story, although it's long enough for others to classify as a novella.) Something like that is achieved in Algernon Blackwood's lengthy story, "The Willows". You're eased across, into the mirror world, without noticing the transition. And then when you're hooked, it ratchets up the wonder by gradually introducing the horrific or fantastic elements. ![]() It just seems.well, not credible.Īs opposed to a more naturalistic approach that first draws you into the story and characters. With a few exceptions, I dislike the kind of horror and fantasy that's in your face-tales that start with incredible, supernatural phenomena and then keep building on it, getting wilder and wilder. CRITIQUE Horror that comes creeping up on you ![]()
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