Reviews for The Man from Archangel

The average rating for The Man from Archangel based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-03-26 00:00:00 richard simon Not as good as his House on the Borderlands, but enjoyable and worthwhile nonetheless. These stories improve in quality as the book progresses, beginning with the hackneyed gothic claptrap of "The Thing Invisible" and ending with stories of true cosmic terror. Carnacki himself is an interesting transitional figure, an eccentric bachelor in the Holmesian mode, who--although relying on his intellect and expertise--yet seems, at bottom, lonely and filled with self-doubt in the wake of his uncanny experiences. A professional ghost hunter who possesses his own tools--revolver, camera, elaborate electrical devices--he relies on them desperately, only half-believing in their efficacy. If the stories have a noticeable flaw, it is that Carnacki talks continually to his captive audience of dinner guests about the detailed workings of his technology and the precise gradations of color and texture produced by the alteration of the psychic atmosphere, repeating every few paragraphs the phrase "Do you understand?" Although I found this to be irritating at first, I came to realize that these narrative conventions are an expression of Carnacki's isolation and desperation. He is, after all, a 19th century style ghost hunter trying to survive and understand an increasingly chaotic 20th century world--a world whose strangeness is reflected in the best of these tales--which are very good indeed--such as "The Whistling Room" and "The Hog."

Review # 2 was written on 2020-05-01 00:00:00 Mitchell Larson "... we four - Jessop, Arkright, Taylor and myself - had received the usual summons to drop in at No. 472 and hear Carnacki's story of his latest case. What talks they were! Stories of all kinds and true in every word, yet full of weird and extraordinary incidents that held one silent and awed until he had finished." So begins each tale of Carnacki, ghost hunter extraordinaire. With four companions attentively listening to the account of each adventure, the stoic Carnacki recounts both natural and supernatural cases which he has investigated. Combining mystery, inventive gadgets, deduction and some genuine scares, the stories entertain with a mix of tension, delightfully outdated language and Outer Monstrosities. I enjoyed some narratives more than others, particularly the "The Hog," which harkens to The House on the Borderland in its cosmic darkness. All of the stories provide a generous touch of pure delight regarding the style of the times in which the tales were written. There will surely be more William Hope Hodgson in my reading future. And finally, in the parting words of Carnacki himself, out you go.