Well, for what it's worth, the Nobel prize winner Hermann Hesse was a great admirer of Hoffmann's work, and considered him to be one of the high points in German literature. He likewise held Novalis in high regard, though I'm sure he would have taken exception to Kyberean's professor's view (with all due respect!) that Hoffmann was merely derivative of his work.

Thomas Mann was another reputable admirer of Hoffmann. (His "Faustus" is said to be structured after Hoffmann's "Tomcat Murr.") Of course that doesn't "prove" anything per se. Though certainly one must allow that both Hesse and Mann knew something of literary merit in general, and about good German literature in particular.

Of course, the Kyberean/Lovecraft view is supported by no less a personage than Goethe, who's amusing verdict on Hoffmann was, "Sick, sick, sick." --So to each his own, I guess.

No comment on the Morrow?

And incidently-R.W.Chambers' "shop-girl" novels were very popular
and were very celebrated,yet,acording to experts,their pure rubish.

David Kartas Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And incidently-R.W.Chambers' "shop-girl" novels
> were very popular
> and were very celebrated,yet,acording to
> experts,their pure rubish.

You don't have to be an expert to see they've not held up very well. Try reading one. His historical novels, OTOH, aren't bad; the ones set in colonial upstate New York influenced Robert E. Howard and are particularly good.
Incidentally, it was a year ago this weekend that I visited Chamber's home in Broadalbin, New York, and paid my respects at his grave.
Best,
Scott

Incidentely,one could mention Bernard Capes.Online,you can find his "AT a winters fire" which im now reading. At least three stories there are very good:

"An eddy on the floor"
"William Tyrwhit's "copy""

and the best so far:

"The moon-stricken"

I am very fond of Capes. Arno/Books for Libraries reprinted the collection AT A WINTER'S FIRE, Hugh Lamb compiled one collection for Equation Chillers and another (expanded from the Equation) for Ash-Tree. These all contain excellent work. It may take some time for some readers to adjust to Capes' full-dress Victorian style, but it did not bother me. Thomas Loring will publishing the rest of the shorter supernatural fiction some time next year. There is at least one supernatural novel as well, though it has not been reprinted.

Vernon Lee (Violet Paget) is also excellent. Some of her stories are ghost stories with historical settings or backgrounds. Her one short supernatural novel - OKE OF OKEHURST, or A PHANTOM LOVER - is among these, though the flavor is closer to Henry James of Oliver Onions. Most of her remaining stories are in the manner of Medieval and Renaissance legends, with a fascinating tension between pagan and Christian religious rites, somewhat similar to Garnett's TWILIGHT OF THE GODS, though darker in tone and event.

Another superb specialist in supernatural fiction with historical settings is Marjorie Bowen (Gabrielle Margaret Vere Campbell Long, who also wrote under the pseudonyms Joseph Shearing, Robert Paye, and George Preedy). Her supernatural novels (except paradoxically for the very early BLACK MAGIC) are very difficult (and expensive) to locate, but on the evidence of THE HAUNTED VINTAGE, I suspect these are well worth seeking out in university libraries or waiting for someone to reprint. I just spent the weekend tracking down a library copy of her George Preedy supernatural novel, THE DEVIL SNAR'D. Fortunately, her shorter supernatural fiction is much easier to find, even if the reader has to be satisfied (in the meantime) with only a portion of it. Wordsworth Editions reprinted THE BISHOP OF HELL (minus Sadleir's introduction, alas!), Arkham House's KECKSIES is also still in print (and worth every penny!). Bowen (and Lee) are far, far removed from their Victorian distaff forebears, and many of their stories are anything but polite. Vivid, dramatic, and often violent, with little symbolic touches that add to their resonance.

Re: Morrow - yes, I have read him, and enjoyed him. He reminds me most of Bierce, though the influence is just as likely to have been the other way around. Many of them are more contes cruels than supernatural tales.

Jim

What do you think of Ernest Bramah, Donald Corley, Richard Garnett, and Eden Phillpotts?

I mentioned Garnett above - fine stuff. Have liked what I have read by Corley, but it has not left a lasting impression. Same goes for Bramah - I find his work fun while I am reading it, but recall nothing more about it but a few pleasurable hours spent.

I have read very little by Philpotts, and thought it a bit on the twee side - however, that was a long time ago, and would be willing to try more of his work if I knew where to start. Richard LeGallienne is another of those authors who seems to me to write well, but whose work seems as substantive as a cobweb - beautiful while it lasts yet too tenuous to linger in the memory. Again, it has been years since I have read any of his work.

Jim

well,Morrow's tales can,however, also be said to posses an almost physical air of impeding doom,of sheer utter NASTINESS,which you know is almost certain will befall someone,inocent of course.I never raid much Bierce beyond the sugestions in SHiL.

Also,have recently downloaded FLOATING FANCIES AMONG THE WEIRD AND THE OCCULT BY CLARA H. HOLMES,THE WEIRD ORIENT-NINE MYSTIC TALES BY HENRY ILIOWIZI,A BOOK OF STRANGE SINS BY COULSON KERNAHAN,THE LAGOON OF DESIRE BY W. F. ALDER and GODS AND WOOD-THINGS BY L. H. ALLEN-aside from Fields Aut Diabolus Aut Nihil and HIDDEN WITCHERY BY NIGEL TOURNEUR-I actualy downloaded quite a bit-im fairly into the obscure stuffs- so im gonna say whats good to try.

Also,I have a litle bit finished of "The Insane Root" by Mrs. Praed at the moment-well see.

How does the new extended text of The Metal Monster from the original magazine publication compare to Merritt's final version? Does it have more fantastic elements, or improved ones? I wonder if it is worthwhile.

I also wonder about the printing quality of Blackwood's Incredible Adventures from Hippocampus Press. I read a bad review, but it was not clear if it was for this edition. Does it have typographical errors?

The original is,to my knowledge, superior,as it has all the original implications,dimensions,etc. and it doesnt feel as bad as neither of the I think two revisions existent.

Also-anyone here read "The Dwellers in the Mirage"-I have and like with "The thing from the lake" am shocked theres no discusion about it anywhere.

Also-would it be okay to post my reviews on this site,at least the Capes and Merritt related ones?

Do you know of a good collection, new or old, of medieval legends like Beowulf and Roland? I bought one called Medieval Myths (Goodrich), but the translation is criticized for straying to far from the original sources.

There are several collections containing the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of Judith - mostly out of print but show up on Ebay etc sometimes and usually contain several of the other tales contemporary with that work - the Judith is marvelous -- Judith, the flaxen haired princess of the Hebrews, having been captured the the evil Holofernes, commander of the Assyrian Hordes, is imprisoned in his tent , while he, good viking that he is (the story is of course told in the context of medieval experience) throws a giant Mead party in anticipation of his rape of said princess as any good Viking would on a similar occasion - then, he staggers to his tent, whereupon Judith, in an act which might be considered monumental humanitarianism if you know anything about mead in large quantities, cuts off his head with his own sword -- the following day, the triumphant Hebrews led by Judith bearing aloft the head of Holofernes advance upon the Assyrians who are nursing headaches that would have wrung tears of pity from Attila the Hun, (italics)"beating on their shields" - the Assyrians lay down their arms and accept slaughter gratefully --
this interpretation of the apocryphal biblical tale in contemporary form in the middle-ages is fun to read, as are many of the other tales of that time - somewhere in my library I have a copy and if I can find it I will post the publisher and its dates - these are all a delight to read.

The Tolkien Fan's Medieval Reader (Cold Spring Press) is a pretty good compilation along these lines.

Jim

Thank you. The Tolkien Fan's Medieval Reader has a nice cover. (Such things are also important to me.) It has received mixed opinions. Seems like a popular rendition though. One of the fascinating things with truthful presentations of original old texts (although they be awkward to read), is that they transport you into other worlds and give you utterly strange sensations of alien perspectives and long gone ways of thinking.