Julius LeVallon

by Algernon Blackwood

A fascinating novel by a master of the horror and occult genre, Julius LeVallon is a tale of spiritual awakening and redemption. The book follows two men whose friendship is tested by their pursuit of knowledge and meaning in a world of dark secrets and mystical forces. Blackwood's vivid prose and haunting imagery create an eerie atmosphere that grips readers until the very end. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

362 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1916

About the author

Algernon Henry Blackwood (1869–1951) was an English broadcasting narrator, journalist, novelist and short story writer, and among the most prolific ghost story writers in the history of the genre. The literary critic S. T. Joshi stated, "His work is more consistently meritorious than any weird writer's except Dunsany's" and that his short story collection Incredible Adventures (1914) "may be the premier weird collection of this or any other century".

Blackwood was born in Shooter's Hill (today part of south-east London, but then part of northwest Kent) and educated at Wellington College. His father was a Post Office administrator who, according to Peter Penzoldt, "though not devoid of genuine good-heartedness, had appallingly narrow religious ideas." Blackwood had a varied career, farming in Canada, operating a hotel, as a newspaper reporter in New York City, and, throughout his adult life, an occasional essayist for various periodicals. In his late thirties, he moved back to England and started to write stories of the supernatural. He was very successful, writing at least ten original collections of short stories and eventually appearing on both radio and television to tell them. He also wrote fourteen novels, several children's books, and a number of plays, most of which were produced but not published. He was an avid lover of nature and the outdoors, and many of his stories reflect this.

H.P. Lovecraft wrote of Blackwood: "He is the one absolute and unquestioned master of weird atmosphere." His powerful story "The Willows," which effectively describes another dimension impinging upon our own, was reckoned by Lovecraft to be not only "foremost of all" Blackwood's tales but the best "weird tale" of all time.

Among his thirty-odd books, Blackwood wrote a series of stories and short novels published as John Silence, Physician Extraordinary (1908), which featured a "psychic detective" who combined the skills of a Sherlock Holmes and a psychic medium. Blackwood also wrote light fantasy and juvenile books.

Reviews

[Idun Asther · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to be sure to review this before anything, because Julius Le Vallon is without doubt my favourite book ever written. I literally can't get through a single page without sighing at the sheer beauty of Algernon Blackwood's descriptions, his in-depth knowledge of the things he writes about, or his lovingly awed description of the title character the narrator first met at public school. First met in this particular life, that is, because for anyone with an interest and belief in reincarnation this book is, or should be, their bible.
It's a book of quietly re-assembling destiny, and of connections between souls far beyond mere romantic notions. Which is not to say that lavishly romantic descriptions don't fill these pages, not only of people (Julius, first and foremost), but of events, places, thoughts and ideas.
Algernon Blackwood is my favourite author because he never shies away from using the most passionate, intense phrasing where other writers would go for something safe, mundane and detached. His writing, especially at many points in this book, literally leaves me breathless.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in reincarnation and spirituality, but also to any reader of m/m romances. I would definitely not recommend it to those who like a book to be packed with action, snappy dialogue and a high speed plot.
This is not light reading, but it is lavish reading.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was very difficult to find more in this than just a rehashing of Blackwood's favorite ideas. The slow pacing was fine, but it would have been better if there was at least some kind of direction. The plot just fell flat.

At least it wasn't just about children droning on about the reality of their "make believe" with an uncle that comes to live with them. (Like 3 previous Blackwood novels.)

[Harvey Dias · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. Beware- if you love action, Algernon's novels were more about atmosphere and the supernatural. They take a lot of patience.