Arthur Machen
La collina dei sogni

In the Italian publishing landscape, the most authentic fantasy literature has become a niche genre: bookstores always feature the usual names from Stephen King to the fantasy bestsellers. There are only small entities that defend the genre in its most authentic sense, among which I remember the mythical Dagon Press of Pietro Guarriello and Andrea Vaccaro's Hypnos Editions. Now, the publishing house "Il Palindromo" is launching a new series called "I tre sedili deserti" – directed by Giuseppe Aguanno – and has decided to start with a book that had been missing from the shelves for 30 years, namely La collina dei sogni by Arthur Machen, defined by the famous critic Mario Praz as "the most decadent book in English literature." Even Borges gave the Welsh writer a prominent role for his "Library of Babel" published by Franco Maria Ricci.

The previous edition was edited by the great and much-mourned Claudio De Nardi, one of the most competent scholars of the fantastic who ever existed in Italy, unfortunately passed away a few years ago. For the occasion, his translation has been retained and revised by Giuseppe Aguanno. The volume has been complemented with a considerable critical apparatus: there is an introduction to the American edition of the text by Arthur Machen himself, in which the English writer narrates the events that led to the conception of this masterpiece that was also scandalously plagiarized. As he himself states, he wanted to write something less derivative: critics had defined him as an emulator of Stevenson for his "The Three Impostors," which was unjust. Thus, he decided to write a text about the loneliness of the soul and chose to draw inspiration from Daniel Defoe to compose "a sort of Robinson Crusoe of the soul."

"La collina dei sogni" is therefore a very tormented text and holds great importance for the author: the story of the protagonist Lucian Taylor, a perfect representative of the solitary and decadent figure, has much in common with the life of Arthur Machen himself. At the beginning of the novel, the young Taylor wanders through the splendid Welsh countryside, pausing to admire and rest at the Roman fort situated on a hill: he ponders the existence of a fantastic reality and indulges in the ecstatic contemplation of nature. There is all of Machen in the descriptions of this enchanted world thanks to the use of a measured and dreamlike style that creates a dreamy atmosphere. Subsequently, Taylor will move to London, confronting the crowd of the great metropolis and eventually isolating himself in the solitude of a small room. The reference is clearly autobiographical as Machen himself lived that experience, living for two years in a small apartment near Notting Hill Gate.

La collina dei sogni was finally published in 1907, ten years after its composition. The volume is completed by an introduction by Gianfranco De Turris and, in the appendices, two articles by Claudio De Nardi on Arthur Machen, namely The Charm of the Abyss and Biographical Note on Arthur Mache." There are also two illustrations depicting the old edition published by Reverdito and one belonging to the first English edition. La collina dei sogni is a fundamental text of fantastic literature that all enthusiasts should know. Honor to the publishing house Il Palindromo for unearthing a small jewel too long forgotten.

Arthur Machen “La collina dei sogni” – Il Palindromo – series “I tre sedili deserti” – 285 pages – E2017 – ISBN 9788898447312 – Euro 18