I see there are 87 different paperback editions alone on Amazon. What's a good quality edition with decent sized text?
This book has a slow-going unsettling weirdness to it all throughout, and suddenly at the end everything collapses theatrically. A very heavy book, but well worth the read. The poetry is beautiful and Hodgson's writing style is distinguishable. Just wanted to throw it out there!
Take it or leave it!
Mentioned recently on an episode of Lovecraft Country and praised by Lovecraft himself as a classic of the first water. Though I have been long familiar with Lovecraft as well as August Dereleth and all of the others in that vein I had not heard of Mr. Hodgsons work prior to its mention on Lovecraft Country. So finding a brand new (to me) weird fiction novel naturally I began reading this novel live on Twitch. We have had two sessions so far and we will be concluding the novel this evening if anyone would like to join us. Recordings of the first two sessions are available on both Twitch and Youtube if you want to catch up. After we finish The House on the Borderland I will hold Weird Fiction Fridays every week for more readings from the genre including stories directly from Mr. Lovecraft himself. Twitch accounts are not required to view either the live stream or recordings but if you enjoy the reading and wish to show support Twitch accounts are free and easy to create and then just hit the follow button to show you enjoyed the reading. Recordings will also be posted the same day to Youtube which will also hold the archive of all recorded content going forward.
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/obviouslybedtime
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-E73SZX5my7OMlXpJJ36TQ
The House on the Borderland is unique in several ways. The narrative itself is a double-frame narrative: the editor of the volume is presenting a manuscript he found under mysterious circumstances, describing the account of two fishermen who themselves discovered a hand-written account of the cosmic haunting of a recluse’s remote home.
Additionally, the novel is one of the earliest examples of the departure of horror fiction from the Gothic style of supernatural, psychological hauntings, to more realist, science-fiction/cosmic horror themes. The recluse is, among other events, transported to a mysterious supra-universal plane populated by monsters and elder gods; and his house withstands assaults from legions of monsters as he travels across time and the solar system.
The book was very influential on H. P. Lovecraft, who himself was famous for the cosmic horror themes in his work. The concept of an uncaring, and even evil, universe that Lovecraft found so disturbing is front and center in this supremely strange novel.
The original print edition of this novel contains a pathological number of commas—so much so that even Hodgson’s contemporary readers would have found them distracting at best and plainly ungrammatical at worst. The editors of this Standard Ebooks edition have made an effort to remove the most egregious cases of these ungrammatical commas, so that modern readers can better enjoy this unique tale.
The Ebook is 177 pages.
URL for the Ebook (available in epub, azw3, kepub and epub3 formats) : The House on the Borderland - William Hope Hodgson
The House on the Borderland is a supernatural thriller that holds court as one of the most influential works of modern fiction. It marked an abrupt and almost complete departure from typical 19th century gothic fiction for more serious and scientifically based works. The tense, vivid prose had an indelible effect on almost every speculative fiction writer that came after. The inimitable Terry Pratchett characterised it as
>the Big Bang in my private universe as a science fiction and fantasy reader and, later, writer.
Heady praise from all corners, but does it deserve it? I think yes.
##Plot Summary
Two middle aged men vacation to Ireland. While exploring the spooky and apparently forgotten remains of an old estate house they happen upon a diary written by the final owner. This journal, which is thenceforth referred to as 'the manuscript' details an incredible sequence of events which unfold because the house is a nexus to multiple universes. Bipedal demon pigs, and a reunion with a deceased lover are just a taste of what can happen at the eponymous house on the borderland.
##What works
- For a supernatural thriller with a frame story and an omniversal scope it is blessedly straight forward.
- The descriptive passages are truly top notch.
- While not truly scary, the novel keeps the reader pretty tautly wound with both expectation and bewilderment.
- There is a doggie named Pepper and he dogs out so hard.
##What doesn't work
- It's an old book. 110 years old next year. There are certain sensibilities that just don't sit well with a modern reader: like the characterization of the protagonist's sister as mentally frail because she is of the fairer(weaker) sex.
- The word 'presently' starts 40% of the paragraphs.
- It ends with a fucking poem. A poem about grief.
- The main character is the most stoic person I have ever come across in my life.
##Bingo Squares
- Horror Novel
- Novel featuring time travel
- Getting too old for this crap
- Reuse a previous bingo square: Pre-Tolkien Fantasy
##Final thought
It's really good, and a quick read, but only a mandatory read for big time H.P. Lovecraft fans.
