I couldn’t really get through this book as I wasn’t sure what was going or understood the language. This was a DNF I’m afraid.

I absolutely loved Algernon Blackwood's voice in this collection of stories. This is my first book of his and will absolutely not be the last!

The stories by Blackwood are timeless. I was certain that I had read two of the four short pieces in this anthology before. The use of the first-person narrative and his mastery of that point of view to infuse his writing with a genuine sense of nervous apprehension are what most impress me about Blackwood's writing. He provides the tiniest hint of foreshadowing so that we know something weird will happen, but he forces us to read the story quickly along with the narrator in an effort to identify what exactly is strange. His speciality is creating tension.

This book was just not my cup of tea!

The moment I started entertaining the thought of giving up on it, I knew it was time to move on. Guess, this style of storytelling and these kind of stories are just not for me.

I love short stories, especially horror ones, so this was a perfect read for me! The Listener will particularly never leave me, it was so creepy. Loved the chance to review this classic reissue so thank you!

What a delight to read these amazing stories again. The Deluxe Edition of Ancient Sorceries was brilliant. They are beautifully written and keep the reader ready for more.

I dipped in and out of this book over a week, absorbing each unique story. Blackwood really is a master writer, building great atmosphere, tension, emotions and intrigue. A beautiful collection of stories!

Spine-tingling supernatural tales from "the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere" (H.P. Lovecraft)

different from books i normally read... a great supernatural horror collection

This a supernatural and horror anthology that is entertaining. This book includes four different stories; Ancient Sorceries, The Listener, The Sea Fit, and Willows. Each story is weird, creepy and provocative. The author is a talented horror storyteller. The stories are different but they mesh well together to make a stunning book. This is a heart stopping anthology.


Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for this review copy, I received this review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lauded as one of our greatest storytellers, and inspiring generations of writers from H.P. Lovecraft to Tolkien to Stephen King, Algernon Blackwood left a legacy as one of Britain's greatest conjurors of weird and supernatural stories. Blackwood’s inimitable style puts readers right in the middle of the story, with visceral and nature-inspired fear that lies just beyond the real, often in the form of a nameless dread.

This beautifully produced edition, with a stunning cover and thoughtful design and layout to ensure the most enjoyable reading experience, features four of his most unnervingly curious tales:
Ancient Sorceries--a traveller stops in a remote French hill town and soon finds himself unable to leave; there is something strangely feline about the inhabitants, he notices, and they all seem to be watching him very closely…
The Listener--a lodging house guest feels himself observed by a malevolent presence. Soon it transpires his room’s previous occupant is watching him from beyond the grave, and is envious of the very flesh on his bones.
The Sea Fit--an old retired ship’s captain’s ravings build to a terrifying climax, as he offers himself up as a sacrifice to the cruel gods of the sea.
The Willows--two friends on a canoeing trip spend a terrifying night on a lonely willow-covered island, haunted by the strange trees and sinister shapes in the water.


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Sinister, creepy but in a good way. Make me extra jumpy that day. THAT GORGEOUS COVER THO!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Highly recommended for Halloween read!

In America there was HP Lovecraft and in England there was the brilliance of Algernon Blackwood.

Included in this volume of his stories are some of his best and downright eerie. His attention to detail and dread makes him one of the most accomplished fantasy horror ever to be published. Predating the greats such as Stephen King and Clive Barker, one can read these classic tales and see where inspiration was inspired from.

Blackwood foreboding tales settle on the brain long after reading and leaves the reader with a sense of wonderment and dread making him one of the greats. If you are new to the author, this is an excellent place to start with all his greatest stories collected in one volume.

Open your mind, soul and experience with Blackwood and you will find yourself enjoying a new breed of horror written more than a 100 years ago. Highly recommended.

This book includes 4 short stories from Algernon Blackwood, which were written around 100 years ago, at the beginning of the 20th century. The titles of these stories are "Ancient Sorceries", "The Listener", "The Sea Fit" and "The Willows". They all feel quite old, mostly because of the dense writing style with really long and descriptive sentences and the really slow building horror. That creates an amazing atmosphere, but at the same time it made it really hard for me to focus on the stories properly because nothing was happening. I felt like I was just drifting around in this sea of words, waiting for the story to get to the point and end. That's weird because the writing was really beautiful, intricate even, just too hard to read and follow along. I'd also say that the stories weren't really scary, but rather just eerie and atmospheric. I'd recommend this book to anyone who already enjoys reading classics, H. P. Lovecraft, character driven atmospheric stories or is looking for some old eerie stories, or just wants to quickly find out if that's something that they would enjoy.

A timeless collection of haunting tales that brings together horror,fantasy and atmospheric thrills. I'm so glad they have released the deluxe edition.

A gorgeous presentation of some classic horror stories from Algernon Blackwood.
If you like folk horror and slow burning revelation then this author is for you.
Younger Gen Z readers who can't handle scene building and wordiness might choose to miss this author in favour of fast placed Popcorn horror but really shouldn't. Try it, you might like it

From what I understand, these stories were written around a hundred years ago, and it’s pretty obvious when reading them. They were a bit difficult to slog through at times. I definitely enjoyed The Listener the most as it was the most readable and actually quite scary. The first story was probably my least favorite. It was especially difficult to read, and the age difference between the 45 year old main character and his 17 year old “love interest” was pretty gross. I can see why this author would have been considered a master story teller, but his style just isn’t for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

Gorgeous book. Text font and cover illustrations are spot-on perfect. I had heard of Algernon Blackwood but not ever read his stories so this was a perfect introduction. As we are nearing Halloween, this particular collection would be a good spooky gift.

As a huge Edgar Allan Poe and Victorian Gothic fan, I had always heard that I should try Algernon Blackwood. My favorite stories here were The Listener, Ancient Sorceries, and The Willows. Blackwood was very skilled in creating an ominous, spooky atmosphere and conjuring an immense sense of dread in these tales. The tales are perfect to read on an October day, and better yet during a thunderstorm! Because of the time, some of the language may be a little hard to get through if you aren't used to reading old literature, so it's best to take your time with this book and let the stories settle in. I found myself reading 1 story at a time, which each took about a week. If psychological horror is something you gravitate towards, you should try this! My observation after reading this book is that Blackwood delivers more of a slow burn...not unlike A24 movies like the Witch, Midsommar, and Hereditary. I will definitely check out more from this author in the future!

A beautifully produced new edition of Blackwood’s weirdest supernatural stories, including “The Willows,” highlighted by H.P. Lovecraft as "the single finest weird tale in literature ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ominous and eccentric, atmospheric and spellbinding, these stories were perfect to get into the autumn mood.

Blackwood's tales are classics. Of the four stories in this particular collection, I had clear memories of having read two before. The thing which stands out to me in Blackwood's writing is his use of the first-person narrative and his skill at using that point of view to impart a real sense of anxious fear into his writing. He gives the barest hint of foreshadowing so that we know something strange is going to happen, but makes us rush through the tale alongside the narrator trying to figure out exactly what that strange thing is. Building tension is his forte.

The stories included are:

Ancient Sorceries - a man on holiday takes a detour in a little town where no one is what they seem, and must fight against the hypnotic allure of a lithe young lady and vague memories of his past self, lest he find himself stuck forever in the dreamy little village. Readers with ailurophobia will find this tale especially disturbing.

The Listener - a poor writer rents suspiciously cheap rooms in an otherwise-empty boarding house, only to be plagued by visions of a shadowy figure who listens at his door, sneaks into his rooms, and drives the narrator half-mad as he fights to maintain control of his own mind against the figure's increasing strength.

The Sea Fit - four men gather in a hut near the sea, and it's all fun and games until the old sea gods come calling for a willing sacrfice.

The Willows - two friends on a trip down the Danube find themselves stuck on a shrinking island as strange sights and sounds rub their nerves raw and time ticks slowly toward a seemingly inevitable conclusion. Exactly who or what the strange forces are remains a mystery to the end.

Blackwood wrote during the early part of the twentieth century and thus his style straddles the line between the Victorian writers of Gothic tales and the more modern stories of mid-century authors. A bit wordy at times but worth the work, these are stories which start out slow and pick up steam like a train headed straight for a steep cliff.