Mystical, exciting, romantic and scary. The present novel is a forerunner of the genre of secular horror stories in which a great Blackwood fan specialized, HP Lovecraft.
"He knew that many strange people put advertisements in the papers, and that many strange people wrote letters in them, and Spinney—as he was called by those who loved him—was a diligent student, and read columns known as "Agony" and "Help Wanted ". At some point, when he reached the age of twenty-eight and without a job, the threads of the following incident entered the pattern of his life and "led to something" that may well cause questions and surprise.
The ad that ended up being the bait said:
WANTED, from a retired clergyman, assistant secretary with courage and imagination. Tenor voice and some knowledge of Hebrew necessary; free of obligations; good. Application for the work in consideration of Philip Scale'.
The claim that music shares a mysterious relationship with the human soul is not new. For thousands of years, since our distant ancestors began to create pleasing sounds with whatever rudimentary tools they could use, music has been an important part of ritual, ritual and spiritual life. In The Human Chord, the renowned master of the supernatural Algernon Blackwood takes this claim to the ground – with fascinating and thought-provoking conclusions.
Literary, enchanting and impressive, The Human Symphony is a true masterpiece. As the author himself writes at one point, it "strains the capacities of faith and the resources of imagination," and yes, much of what Blackwood asks us to accept as possible in this horror novel they seem rather excessive at first glance. However, such is the author's descriptive ability and his explanations are so clear, that even his most outrageous inventions become completely believable.
As the Daily Telegraph wrote at the time: "The author had, one might say, an amazing idea and implemented it with all the zeal and all the talent that he possesses...".
reviews
There is no review yet.