Algernon Blackwood
Avventure incredibili

In the volume titled Incredible Adventures just published by Providence Press, we find Algernon Blackwood at his best: the English writer remains unsurpassed even today when it comes to evoking the unknown forces of nature, hinting at the existence of a dark dimension that is part of our reality. We are faced with a kind of spiritual and pagan terror. Blackwood, on the other hand, was part of the Golden Dawn, an esoteric association that undoubtedly influenced him. But if in some cases, such as in my opinion some stories of John Silence or the novel The Human Chord, where he gets carried away by an overly mannered esotericism that undermines the final result, in this instance his pen is incredibly inspired because Blackwood has the extraordinary ability to create a genuine atmosphere by suggesting and not showing the horrors he talks about, managing to evoke the "indifference" and hostility of supernatural forces toward man," as Lovecraft emphasized.

Here we find 2 novellas, namely The Regeneration of Lord Ernie and The Damned, the latter previously translated in the volume by Armenia The Voice of the Wind. In The Regeneration of Lord Ernie, the protagonist is a young English aristocrat, indolent and apathetic, accompanied by his tutor John Hendricks on a kind of tour across Europe. Eventually, this journey will turn out to be a true initiatory experience for Lord Ernie. The key to his regeneration will be, as often happens in the English writer's narratives, direct contact with Nature, in this case near the French Jura mountains where ancient pagan cults practiced by rough degenerate peasants (and here Lovecraft surely drew inspiration) survive, worshiping the elements of Air and Fire. The Damned might initially seem like a simple story based on the haunted house theme. In reality, it is a philosophical reflection on Evil and on religions: a malign yet ineffable aura emerges that does not leave one indifferent. At the center of the plot is the existence of a sect led by a fanatic who wished damnation upon those who didn't follow his creed. These 2 novellas were conceived specifically for this book whereas other stories had previously appeared in magazines. This is the case with The Sacrifice, where we are told of a mountaineer's ascent which transforms into a realization of one's own Self, all narrated in a powerful and dreamlike style. In Time Wanderers, reincarnation is discussed: the story tells of a man who, following a car accident, undertakes a real journey back in time 100 years. Undoubtedly a very touching story. Finally, Onanonanon is an autobiographical account. An appendix also contains Algernon Blackwood: An Appreciation, a keen article by Grace Isabel Colbron highlighting all the qualities of this author.

A must-buy for all fans of classic weird and more.