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Benighted

J.B. Priestley

3.75 · Rating details · 299 ratings · 53 reviews

Philip and Margaret Waverton and their friend Roger Penderel are driving through the mountains of Wales when a torrential downpour washes away the road and forces them to seek shelter for the night. They take refuge in an ancient, crumbling mansion inhabited by the strange and sinister Femm family and their brutish servant Morgan. Determined to make the best of the circums ...more

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Paperback, #SN1486

Published 1964 by Corgi Books (first published 1927)

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Jun 26, 2020 Janie C. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An immersive novel, Benighted easily captures the reader's attention with both psychological insight and dark humor. Forces of nature drive five travelers to a crumbling mansion to wait out a storm. The residents of the mansion are far from welcoming, and their manners are ominous. The stranded "guests" begin the long evening getting familiar with each other through conversational games, providing the reader with acute psychological perception. Discovering the thoughts running through each perso ...more

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Jul 25, 2018 Kimberly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, emotional, pages-read-challenge, thriller, atmospheric, dark, gothic-style, psychological-horror, valancourt

BENIGHTED, by J.B. Priestly, is a novel that was originally published in 1927, re-issued by Valancourt Books in 2013, and reprinted in 2018. This version includes an introduction by Orrin Grey. There is a film based on this novel entitled The Old Dark House, that was released by Universal Pictures in 1932--at the height of the "dark house" phase in literature and film.

". . . It's our flesh . . . the jellied stuff that rots so easily, which quivers and creeps, goes goose with fright; but our b ...more

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May 16, 2013 Sirensongs rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: valancourt-books

A quick read, and a very pleasant surprise! At turns funny, suspenseful, poignant and frightening, BENIGHTED kept me riveted until I reached the last page. Priestley's insight into the psyches of his characters is profound, and at times I marveled that this had been written in the 20s, some of the psychology seemed so modern, and yet so timeless simultaneously. So many of the characters' astute observations could be applied to the world as it is now nearly 90 years later. I was left with a feeli ...more

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May 06, 2013 Timothy Mayer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Old Dark House is one novel any horror literature fan should take the time to read. It's not that long and takes place in the course of one evening. Written by J.P. Priestly in 1927, it was published in the United States as The Old Dark House, but originally as Benighted (the title you can find it at through Valancourt Books). It was filmed as The Old Dark House in 1932 and can be purchased on Blu-Ray.

Philip Waverton, his wife Margaret and their friend Roger Penderel are traveling across Wal The Old Dark House is one novel any horror literature fan should take the time to read. It's not that long and takes place in the course of one evening. Written by J.P. Priestly in 1927, it was published in the United States as The Old Dark House, but originally as Benighted (the title you can find it at through Valancourt Books). It was filmed as The Old Dark House in 1932 and can be purchased on Blu-Ray.

Philip Waverton, his wife Margaret and their friend Roger Penderel are traveling across Wales in by car when they are beset by a thunderstorm. As the roads become impassable, their spot a house in the hillside and decide to make for it when a landslide buries the roads . They're greeted at the door by a huge, mute butler, whom we soon learn is named Morgan. Inside the house, which turns out to be a 16th century manor, they are greeted by two of the other inhabitants of it: Horace Femm and his sister Rebecca. They soon learn there is another member of the family, Sir Roderick Femm, who is too ill to leave his room. Later that evening, Sir William Porterhouse and his chorus girlfriend Gladys make an appearance, as they too are seeking shelter from the storm.

As the night drags on, strange things begin to happen. Morgan the butler starts drinking in the kitchen and becomes a very mean drunk. Rebecca Femm begins preaching hell-fire and damnation to anyone who bothers to listen, Horace Femm reveals he's wanted by the police and the travelers reveal interesting bits about their own backgrounds. Eventually the power fails and the Old Dark House is lit by candle lights and lamps. Then things become very strange.

The book is written in a very continental style. Long expository sentences and observations very typical of literature of this period. But the conversations are riveting in what you learn about the characters. At one point someone suggests they play Truth (as in Truth or Dare). Horace Femm mocking comments "Oh, its' a game now. About time". Sir Porterhouse who makes his stage entrance as a glad-handling money bags soon reveals he's not to the manor born. And Penderel, a veteran, is still suffering from seeing his comrades mowed down in WWI.

Here's a good example of how Priestly manages to take a character who might be a boob in any other story and give him depth:

‘Unless you’re very lucky,’ he began, ‘you only make money by wanting to make it, wanting hard all the time, not bothering about a lot of other things. And there’s usually got to be something to start you off, to give you the first sharp kick. After you’ve got really started, brought off a few deals and begun to live in the atmosphere of big money, the game gets hold of you and you don’t want any inducement to go on playing—d’you follow me? It’s the first push that’s so hard, when you’re still going round with your cap in your hand. It’s my experience there’s always something keeps a man going through that, puts an edge on him and starts him cutting, and it may be some quite little thing. A man I knew, a Lancashire man too, was an easy-going youngster, thought more about cricket than his business, until one day, having to see the head of a firm, he was kept waiting two hours, sitting there in the general office with the clerks cocking an eye at him every ten minutes. He’s told me this himself. “All right,” he said to himself, “I’ll show you.” He walked out when the two hours were up, and that turned him, gave him an edge. He did show ’em, too. I don’t say, of course, that every man who says something like that to himself brings it off, but some do. Well, it was the same with me.'

Of course, you can't discuss the book without mentioning the movie version which came out a few years later. An early talkie, it suffers a bit from sound recording and the problems of preservation. It was only through the efforts of filmmaker Curtis Harrington that a decent copy was found. Following the heels of director James Whales' Frankenstein it was the ignored by the public, who didn't seem to understand the mix of horror and comedy. But the movie is an excellent adaptation of the book with whole dialogue being taken from the original source. Although the upbeat "cold light of day" ending is absent in the book, I still highly recommend the film version. I've watched it many times. When I read the book I can't help but hearing Ernest Thesiger's voice every time Horace Femm speaks.

I must give a shout-out to Pretty Sinister Books for bringing this brilliant classic to my attention. Also to Valancourt Books who made an electronic version available. ...more

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Aug 02, 2013 Valancourt Books added it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-supernatural, movie-adaptation, literary-fiction, 2018-releases

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May 05, 2015 Nancy Oakes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: uk-fiction, valancourt-books, 1920s

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. just realized that I'd never posted about this here. Oops.

http://www.oddlyweirdfiction.com/2015...

When I picked up Benighted, by J.B. Priestley, I had absolutely no idea what I was about to read. As it turns out, it is one of the most claustrophobic novels I've ever read. In a good way, of course. The back cover blurb says it's a "classic 'old dark house' novel of psychological terror." And indeed, director James Whale in 1932 would adapt Priestley's story and create a movie called "The Old Dar ...more

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Oct 29, 2020 Warren Fournier rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This 1927 masterpiece of horror and suspense was perhaps the most influential of the "old dark house" subgenre, and in fact, the U.S. publication was titled "The Old Dark House," spawning the classic Universal horror film of the same name featuring Boris Karloff fresh off of his success with "Frankenstein." The influence of this novel on the horror genre in general, from haunted house stories to slashers, cannot be understated. It is fortuitous that I reviewed an 80s paperback original earlier t This 1927 masterpiece of horror and suspense was perhaps the most influential of the "old dark house" subgenre, and in fact, the U.S. publication was titled "The Old Dark House," spawning the classic Universal horror film of the same name featuring Boris Karloff fresh off of his success with "Frankenstein." The influence of this novel on the horror genre in general, from haunted house stories to slashers, cannot be understated. It is fortuitous that I reviewed an 80s paperback original earlier this month called "Evil," by Richard O'Brien, my surprise discovery of the year. Now I understand just how fully that novel was not only influenced by "Benighted," but was in a sense a more modern remake. Check out my review on Goodreads for more details. But now, on to the topic at hand...

"Benighted" is not so much a story about a spooky house as it is a novel about the first World War. Just like film and literature in the 70s examined how our culture changed post-Vietnam, so were similar sentiments explored in the 1920s. "Benighted" is perhaps one of the best psychological studies of post-war trauma, loss, and redemption I have ever read. You just have to read it to see what I mean.

It is all thinly veiled in a redemption story of a young and bitter war veteran named Penderel, who is the third wheel on a road trip across the Welsh countryside with his pal Phillip and Phillip's wife Margaret. Penderel is "as cynical as a taxi driver," scarred by the loss of his brother at the battle of Passchendaele and his own experiences in the so-called Great War, and frustrated by his own attempts to pick up the pieces of his life in a seemingly meaningless and loveless existence, taking to drink in order to feel something, anything other than the hopeless mundane.

"With us the whole thing has got to be so careful, so ordered, has become so conscious, asks for so much planning and safeguarding, that we never arrive at any real enjoyment or ease, to say nothing of sheer rapture. We’re like people walking on a tightrope, and the only real pleasure we get is when we say to ourselves, 'Well, that bit’s safely passed.'"

When a vicious thunderstorm blocks both their advancement and retreat along the washed out road, they seek shelter in a 17th Century country estate inhabited by the Femmes and their mute, hulking servant. We at first only meet an old, lonely couple, a brother and sister, two living ghosts of a bygone era. They are like animals being startled in their dark den, blinking and befuddled by the sudden light brought in by these strange young people who suddenly appear at their door. It is quite endearing to read about them bustling and scurrying to provide some meager shelter for their sodden guests. But there are evidently secrets in this house, as we discover there are other members of the household, but they remain upstairs and unseen behind great wooden doors.

Penderel manically bounds into this scene eager for the chance at a little adventure, for something different, like an addict seeking novelty. And such begins his story. Playwright Priestley treats his arc like a stage production, even going so far as to say, "What a pity people didn’t really think of life as a play, taking care to come on properly, to say and do no more than was necessary, and then to make a good clean exit."

Little explanation is given for what follows, but we do not need it. It is only the ensuing drama that matters, and we know that it will not be pleasant thanks to Priestley's darkly delicious sense of dread with which he paints his literary canvas, a technique which will inform the later work of Lovecraft.

Things start picking up when later on they are joined by another stranded couple, Gladys and Sir William. There is little to do but to sit around the fire and wait out the storm, forcing our protagonists to spend time with each other. They share drinks and stories about their pasts, their ambitions, and their regrets. Though some readers may feel that the narrative was too often broken by these moments of dialogue and waxing philosophic, the real meat of the marrow is in these bones. Because it is within the human connection that evolves in the face of horror where the themes of the novel really shine. "...it seemed strange that people whose hearts were empty could meet on such a night and talk through this darkness without loving."

And we do grow to appreciate and love all these characters by the end as real and complex human beings. People don't often know what they have until threatened with loss. This is one of the therapeutic qualities of reading horror literature, to appreciate where you may find yourself and to never take anything for granted. Outside, a raging thunderstorm tears down trees and levees, washes away roads, and with thunder and pounding meant to evoke the sounds of war, five benighted people find refuge in an old dark house, and for a moment, isolated from the distractions of daily life around them, they are able to spend time making real connections to each other, meaningful connections that could last a lifetime would it not be for the cruel hand of chaos.

And for this reason, the horror becomes all the more palpable. One of the most poignant scenes involves Gladys and Margaret locked in a dark room while awful things are happening in the house. They can't help. They can't intervene. They can't even see. They can only hear. The small room where they are confined is reminiscent of the strictures of time and space for women of the era whose loved ones were off fighting in the trenches--future hopes and plans suspended in a type of purgatory, their fates completely tentative on who should coming knocking on that door once the battles are over.

So many thanks to Valancourt Books once again for bringing a masterpiece back into print for a new generation of horror fans and lovers of good literature alike. "Benighted" receives my highest recommendation. ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Sandy rated it really liked it

While growing up in the 1960s, I used to love whenever one of the local TV channels would show one of British director James Whale's Big 3 horror movies, all from Universal Studios: "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Invisible Man" (1933) and, perhaps best of all, the eternal glory that is "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). What I was unaware of back then was the fact that there was a fourth Universal horror film directed by Whale, and that bit of youthful ignorance was not entirely my fault. Whale's "The While growing up in the 1960s, I used to love whenever one of the local TV channels would show one of British director James Whale's Big 3 horror movies, all from Universal Studios: "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Invisible Man" (1933) and, perhaps best of all, the eternal glory that is "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). What I was unaware of back then was the fact that there was a fourth Universal horror film directed by Whale, and that bit of youthful ignorance was not entirely my fault. Whale's "The Old Dark House" (1932) was, for many years, considered a lost film, and it was not until 1968 that Curtis Harrington (himself the director of such horror gems as "Queen of Blood," "What's the Matter With Helen?" and "Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?") discovered a neglected print in the Universal vaults. Today, of course, "The Old Dark House" is a breeze to see, although this viewer had only experienced it once until quite recently. Making this even more problematic for horror fans over the years was the fact that the film's source novel itself had long been out of print, an oversight that was rectified by the Richmond, Virginia-based publisher Valancourt Books, whose 2013 edition marked the novel's first appearance in almost 75 years!

That novel, by the way, first saw the light of day as a 1927 hardcover from the British publisher William Heinemann, under the equally appropriate title "Benighted"; when released in the U.S. a year later, it bore its more familiar name. This was only the second novel written by Yorkshire-born author J.B. Priestley (1894 - 1984), who would go on to become one of England's most respected novelists/critics/playwrights. His first book, "Adam In Moonshine," had been released earlier that year, and he would ultimately go on to create some 30 novels before his death, one month shy of his 90th birthday. "Benighted" would be reprinted a few times before its 1945 Armed Services edition, after which it was almost completely unavailable for 73 years, until Valancourt chose to resurrect it for a new generation. Often referred to as the quintessential "old dark house" story (a popular genre in the early decades of the 20th century, on the printed page, the stage and big screen, and which usually involved a group of strangers coming together in a creepy, isolated abode for one reason or another), Priestley's book is a beautifully written affair, oftentimes thrilling and touching, that this reader found perfect company during a few recent stormy days in late October. Though wholly lacking in supernatural elements, the novel will surely manage to chill the modern-day reader.

In the book, we encounter Philip and Margaret Waverton, a middle-aged couple that is currently undergoing some (never clearly defined) problems in their marriage. While driving through the Welsh countryside one remarkably stormy night, accompanied by their friend Roger Penderel, a younger, disillusioned, WW1 veteran, their journey becomes impossible when the roads both in front of them and behind are submerged by both flood and landslides. The trio stops at the only house in the area, and they go knocking on the decrepit pile's front door, seeking shelter. And what a household it is that they are admitted to! As it turns out, they have entered the residence of the Femm family, three very strange brothers and one very odd sister. Rebecca Femm is a mostly deaf, religious zealot who screeches incessantly. Horace is a nervous and tentative old coot. Meanwhile, the oldest of the bunch, Sir Roderick, is said to be confined to his bed upstairs. And then there is Saul, who we only learn of later...a raving, pyromaniac lunatic whose bedroom door must always be kept bolted from the outside. Oh...we also have the butler, Morgan, a massive, bearded mute who is said to be quite savage when he drinks, which he apparently does quite often. Before long, two other stranded travelers come knocking on the Femms' door, seeking shelter: Sir William Porterhouse, a wealthy captain of industry, and his youngish companion, a chorus girl named Gladys Du Cane. (Her real name, it is later revealed, is Gladys Hoskiss.) During the course of Priestley's book, this quintet of benighted travelers undergoes some truly horrifying experiences in the Femm household, as the storm outside worsens, Morgan becomes quite besotted, and Saul is set free to wreak murderous havoc....

"Benighted," as it turns out, is a marvelously written book, and the reader will continually be stunned to realize that it was only Priestley's sophomore effort. The author evinces a great knack for creating mood and atmosphere with simply written yet elegant prose, and his dialogue often sparkles with wit and wisdom. The Femm fatales, as shown here, are reminiscent of the later Addams family of TV fame, although without the latter's charm, cuteness and humor, and Priestley makes all his oddball Femm characters convincingly realistic and quite within the bounds of credibility. Who needs ghosts when you've got a bunch of living fossils like the Femms? Into his book, Priestley injects any number of memorable scenes, some of the finest being the game of Truth that most of the characters play early on, during which we learn much about what makes them tick; the scene in which the drunken Morgan tries to rape Margaret, and then battles her husband at the top of a stairway; Roger and Gladys' conversation as they sip whiskey in the house's garage, and realize their love for one another; Margaret and Philip's entering the bedroom of the incredibly ancient Sir Roderick and conversing with him; and the climactic dukeout between Roger and the madman, Saul. Throughout, the characters alternately perceive their predicament as being a nightmare, a film and a staged play, a testament to the unreal nature of the proceedings, with Roger realizing early on that "these Femms, perched remotely on their hill, seemed to have gone queer, all maggot-brained...." And indeed, the author does mention, of the Femms, that "these people might have been living in another world...."

As for the film, which I just watched for the second time, immediately after finishing "Benighted," it is a remarkably faithful adaptation, with many scenes depicted precisely as I'd imagined them, and with passages of dialogue plucked verbatim from Priestley's book. The film, however, does make some minor changes to the author's original conception, some of them quite inexplicable. Gladys' last name, for example, is changed from Hoskiss to Perkins. Why? The scene in which the characters reveal much about themselves in that game of Truth has been excised, replaced by a not-nearly-as-enlightening general conversation. Sir Roderick, strangely enough, is said to be the other Femms' father, not eldest brother, and his age (never mentioned in the novel) is said to be 102. The entire sequence with Saul in the film--his maniacal conversation with Roger--has been invented whole cloth, and the character of Morgan has been softened a bit. Most glaringly, the film gives the viewer no sense of the troubled patch that the Wavertons are going through in their marriage, is devoid of the weighty and philosophical discussions present in the book, and changes the novel's tragic conclusion in favor of a "Hollywood happy ending." As regards that last, Orrin Grey, in his fine introduction to the Valancourt edition, tells us "...The movie originally ended just as the book does, but it was re-shot after preview screenings determined that audiences wouldn't respond as well to the book's more tragic climax...." A pity, says me.

As for the rest of it, the film version was, unsurprisingly, marvelously directed by Whale (Whale's in Wales?), and featured that mostly faithful script by Benn W. Levy, as well as beautifully creepy cinematography from Arthur Edeson, who also worked on "Frankenstein" and "The Invisible Man." And my goodness, what a terrific international cast was assembled for this production! American actor Melvyn Douglas (in his sixth film) plays Roger Penderel; Canadian actor Raymond Massey (in his fifth film) and American actress Gloria Stuart (in her third film; Gloria would later star in "The Invisible Man" and, many decades later, in "Titanic") portray the Wavertons; English actor Charles Laughton (here in his first American film) plays Sir William; and English actress Lilian Bond plays Gladys. As for the Femm clan, they are all portrayed by English performers: The great Boris Karloff, top billed here, plays Morgan, a huge scar across his nose added for the sake of shudders (Boris would appear in "The Mask of Fu Manchu" and "The Mummy" later that same year); Eva Moore digs her teeth into the role of Rebecca; Brember Wills plays the maniacal Saul; and, perhaps most appropriately cast, the marvelously eccentric Ernest Thesiger perfectly inhabits the role of Horace (Ernest and Boris, of course, would be reunited three years later in "Bride of Frankenstein"). As for Sir Roderick, he is played by a woman, namely Elspeth Dudgeon; apparently, the filmmakers could not find any male who looked as convincingly ancient in Otto Lederer and Jack Pierce's wonderful makeup job as this actress! All the players do very fine work in this film adaptation, a concise and compact affair that moves along briskly...perhaps too briskly. As I say, a most faithful filmization (William Castle's 1963 film "The Old Dark House," by the way, is supposed to be not at all faithful to the book), but one that sadly lacks the novel's internal thoughts of its myriad characters. But isn't that the way these things usually go? Isn’t the book usually fuller, richer, deeper? Oh...one more thing. How could the filmmakers have possibly misspelled Priestley's name in the opening credits, rendering it instead as "J. B. Priestly"? Gadzooks!

And speaking of typos, I might add how impressed I was at Valancourt's presentation of this long-overdue reprint. It is a book with not a single typo to be found in its entire length, which in a reasonable world would not be occasion for comment, but after my two recent experiences with typo-riddled modern books, this came to me as a pleasant surprise. I would make another purchase from this fine publisher anytime. And a good thing, too! I see that Valancourt has a number of other Priestley books available, and based on how much fun "Benighted" was, am curious to read more. His 1938 novel "The Doomsday Men" is supposed to contain some fantastic content, and that is where this reader would be headed next. Stay tuned....

(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of spooky literature such as this....) ...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Orrin Grey rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

My early review of this was lame, and this one ain't like to get much lamer, but I felt I should say a little something about it. In the time since I first read this book, it was acquired for reissue by the fine folks at Valancourt Books, who were kind enough to ask me to do the introduction for it, which I was more than happy to do. That's the edition that this review should be linking to now, and it's the edition that I recommend you pick up, and I do recommend picking it up, because, besides ...more

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Dec 30, 2015 Charles Dee Mitchell rated it really liked it

Shelves: horror

Although little read today, J.B. Priestley was one of the most prolific and popular British literary figures of the 20th century. He began to make his mark as a theater critic before publishing his first two novels in 1927. One of those was Benighted, his entry into the then popular genre of the Old Dark House horror story. The novel was retitled The Old Dark House for U.S. publication and filmed under that name by James Whale in 1932.

In an Old Dark House story, a group of mismatched characters, Although little read today, J.B. Priestley was one of the most prolific and popular British literary figures of the 20th century. He began to make his mark as a theater critic before publishing his first two novels in 1927. One of those was Benighted, his entry into the then popular genre of the Old Dark House horror story. The novel was retitled The Old Dark House for U.S. publication and filmed under that name by James Whale in 1932.

In an Old Dark House story, a group of mismatched characters, friends or strangers, finds themselves stranded in a large, spooky structure, usually during a storm. Terrifying and possibly supernatural events occur. The genre is still with us, although it has migrated mostly to the movies. Read through the sentence summaries of the Chiller Channel film lineup on any weekend and half of them will be variations on this motif. It underlies a film like Alien, and recently reached its postmodern apotheosis with A Cabin in the Woods.

The young Priestley created a classic setup. Three people are trapped in the wildest reaches of Wales during a storm that is literally bringing down a mountainside. There is a young couple whose marriage is in crisis. Their friend is a returning WWI veteran who we today would diagnose with PTSD. (Priestly himself suffered both a shrapnel wound and a gas attack before being declared unfit for active service in 1918.) They find refuge in a massive stone house inhabited by the creepiest cast of characters the budding dramatist could dream up: a gigantic, brutish servant (mute); an aging, fearful old man; his obese, religious fanatic sister; a dying invalid; and, a madman in a locked room. They are soon joined by other refuges of the storm: a blustering industrialist and a London chorus girl.

I don’t know what other, popular ODH novels may have been like, but I doubt that many could have been as psychologically acute as Preistley’s. He tells each chapter from a different character’s perspective, a modernist technique that provides depth to the lurid developments and allows the author to stage manage the suspense. The novel ages well. It’s an entertaining melodrama, something of a hoot, filled with characters who become both increasingly interesting and sympathetic. Read the novel, watch the movie. Both are classics of the genre.
...more

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Oct 01, 2014 Michael rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-macabre, film-and-tv

I bought this book because I enjoyed the James Whale film adaptation, The Old Dark House. Atmospheric and amusing as the film is, the book (naturally) is better.

There are no gruesome shocks in the way of modern horror but, if you let your imagination put you in the shoes of the lonely travellers who find themselves stranded in the strange old Femm house, it is really creepy and horripilating.

Priestley is able to go inside his characters thoughts and history in much more depth than Whale was able ...more

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May 01, 2013 Frances rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Frances by: Orrin Grey

Shelves: horror, contemporary, owned, novel

Of all things, I'm reminded of Of Human Bondage; there's a certain compelling unhappiness to Penderel and the Wavertons, a mannerly sorrow. It felt like watching classic horror/suspense, but there's a lot of development that I wouldn't expect to be given the same weight on film; I'm curious to see the movie, now, and may catch it for the Feast of the Long Shadows.

I found the denouement a bit abrupt, but I think if it had actually been played out I would have found it dragged on (actually, if it ...more

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Aug 06, 2018 Michael Adams rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Far less overtly horrific than I expected, but expertly written character drama, featuring some extraordinarily insightful dialogue, and hauntingly tense plotting make this a classic of the old, dark house sub-genre. Excellently done.

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Oct 24, 2020 Natalie aka Tannat rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, fiction, ebook, read-in-2020, halloween-bingo

2.5 stars

Something just didn't click with me with this story. It seemed to take forever to actually get going despite things happening with the storm quite early on, and I felt let down by the ending. ...more

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May 09, 2020 Dan Myatt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: spring-reads, 2020-reading-challenge

A wonderfully atmospheric read.

You could feel the rain, the damp and the claustrophobic darkness of the Old Dark House!

A brilliant book!

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Aug 19, 2013 Jim Dooley rated it it was amazing

Back in 2003, I first saw the original 1932 film THE OLD DARK HOUSE, and I desperately wanted to read the original source material, BENIGHTED. This proved to be quite a problem because the book had been out of print for many years and buying a collector's copy would prove very expensive. So, for the past ten-years, this has been my Holy Grail book. Imagine my excitement when I learned that it had recently been returned to the publication list.

Suffice it to say that it proved worth the wait.

I Back in 2003, I first saw the original 1932 film THE OLD DARK HOUSE, and I desperately wanted to read the original source material, BENIGHTED. This proved to be quite a problem because the book had been out of print for many years and buying a collector's copy would prove very expensive. So, for the past ten-years, this has been my Holy Grail book. Imagine my excitement when I learned that it had recently been returned to the publication list.

Suffice it to say that it proved worth the wait.

I had imagined that the meaning of "benighted" was cursed. I learned upon checking through the Kindle that it was defined as "existing in a state of intellectual, moral or social darkness."

That is an incredibly apt description of the travelers in the book. In fact, in another incarnation, they might equally be at home on the island in the television series, LOST. They are purposeless and unable to understand why as they come to seek shelter in an old, dark house, indeed. All of the trappings of the murder mansion are there, complete with unsettling residents who make cryptic pronouncements.

The story parts company with the cliched versions when a game of Truth allows them to reveal depths of reflection to each other that have remained in the shadows for years. As the mystery of the house comes to a head, the ideal of who they want to be plays into the resolution.

Although fans of the classic motion picture will find much to enjoy...in fact, much of the dialogue and most of the situations from the book appeared on screen...the novel provides a number of surprises (including a more realistic ending) and a very welcome fleshing out of the characters. It is easy to see why the book was so popular upon its initial release, and fascinating to realize that it was only the second published work from the author.

BENIGHTED was a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience for me and I looked forward to each session with it. It's both short and satisfying, and my latest "must read" recommendation for those looking for a treat in the classic mystery genre of the 30's. ...more

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Mar 13, 2020 Alex rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-movie-was-better

The opening is excellent. Love the snappy pacing of the first couple chapters and all the details of early motoring. There’s also a very effective—almost cinematic—use of light and dark throughout the book. Also the introduction of the looming butler who lurches was delightful! There are straight lines that can be drawn between this and the Addams Family. And then Addams apparently drew and animated the title sequence for the remake of The Old Dark House in the 60’s.

Priestley again delivers a p ...more

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Jul 12, 2020 Bryan Ball rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a fantastic— funny, scary and suspenseful read, dripping with atmosphere. I’ve long loved the film adaptation, James Whale’s “The Old Dark House.” The movie is a gem of creepy house atmosphere— complete with Boris Karloff and Charles Laughton.

Reading this novel is much like the film, but experiencing the story in a deeper way. This novel is more than a group of strangers being stranded at an old, desolate and dark house in Wales one rainy and flooding stormy night. It’s a poignant expl ...more

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Dec 01, 2017 Debra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror-supernatural

This old book surprisingly does little to date itself and has great messages, in addition to being quite entertaining. it is easy reading, but has quite a bit of depth. There is nothing supernatural going on, just an evil/disturbed family in a old house, with 5 unwelcome guests seeking shelter from a terrible storm, flooding, and landslides. If I were you, I'd read the book first, then rent/buy the movie with Boris Karloff. Movie/book spoiler: (view spoiler) ...more

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Apr 14, 2020 David added it

Shelves: new-in-2020

On one level it functions simply as a thriller, your classic tale of a bizarre isolated house with a strange, diseased, deranged, family living in it, during a storm. All those elements are there. But it is also a talky book, suggested to be about post-World War I disillusionment as represented by the fact that none of the protagonists is really happy despite one being extremely rich, another two being more or less contentedly married etc. There is a lot in this “simple thriller” about honesty i ...more

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Oct 04, 2019 Adam Carson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: spooky-october-tales

Five lost travellers trapped on a stormy Welsh hillside , you can pretty much guess the tone of the book from there!

This is an excellently written, atmospheric and spooky tale. It really should be read by a fire in a big country house...

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Aug 12, 2017 Michael rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, horror

Benighted is quite well-written and timeless in many ways. It tends toward philosophy, psychology, and introspection more than I was expecting, and as a result, it is also relatively slow-moving, though it's such a short novel, that's less of an issue than it might have been. Sometimes characters act in maddening ways-- repeatedly splitting up, for instance. (There's one example of this that I found particularly annoying, but it's a major spoiler, so I'll put that behind a spoiler warning, furth Benighted is quite well-written and timeless in many ways. It tends toward philosophy, psychology, and introspection more than I was expecting, and as a result, it is also relatively slow-moving, though it's such a short novel, that's less of an issue than it might have been. Sometimes characters act in maddening ways-- repeatedly splitting up, for instance. (There's one example of this that I found particularly annoying, but it's a major spoiler, so I'll put that behind a spoiler warning, further down the page.)

Much of the novel is atmospheric, mysterious, and otherworldly-- but when the chief "menace" is revealed, I found it something of a let-down. I'm not sure what else it could/should have been, instead, but nevertheless, I was slightly disappointed.

Overall, this is a more serious, nuanced book than you often find in the genre and period. Recommended for fans of mysterious light horror with a psychological bent. I'd probably give this 3.5 stars, but since half-stars aren't available, I'm rounding up to four.

SPOILERS:
--The way the men sometimes try to protect the women may ruffle some modern feathers. I personally find it very irritating when (view spoiler)

--This isn't technically a spoiler, but I'll tack it here at the end, anyway. I adore the original cover art-- the black and white depiction of a house looming in a rainstorm. It's so evocative-- so beautifully simple and effective. The font choice, too. Very representative of the art of its time. (So much nicer than modern stuff, to be completely honest.) Actually, I like the cover better than the book itself. Five diamond-studded stars. ...more

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May 28, 2016 Wayne Craske rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is the third book by Priestley I have read- the others being the novel 'the magicians' and the collection of short stories 'the other place'. I have never been disappointed by his writing- his style, use of language, plotting and characterization are all excellent.
This short novel is no exception. I couldn't keep from reading it- it was compulsively well written. It is an early novel by Priestley, and a 'old dark house' tale: a group of travellers take shelter in a mysterious house, possess ...more

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Sep 12, 2018 Mike rated it liked it

I've read a lot of Golden Age crime fiction recently and thought I'd give this one a go, JBP having the extra attraction of being a 'real writer'.

I wasn't impressed. The writing is slow and descriptive, unsuitable for the type of story it was trying to tell. I'm well-used to the writing style of the period but this story took things to a new level, interrupting what could have been exciting, rollicking scenes to examine the inner world of the protagonists. Really takes you out of the story. This ...more

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Oct 16, 2018 Hugo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A beautifully written and charmingly amusing, and perhaps definitive, 'old dark house' tale, with viewpoint chapters allowing for a Freudian depth of character which underpins the post-war allegory and social comment which was Priestley's intent, accentuated by the climax, which avoids the somewhat clumsier happy ending of the film. ...more

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Nov 01, 2017 Atom Bezecny rated it it was ok

"This is yet another book which I have spent my precious reading time on this year which features a Party of Roving Twits. You probably know the kind, even if you haven't read any of the abominable thrillers of the '20s and '30s which feature the archetype (and which I keep reading because I'm an idiot with high hopes). Everyone who isn't a pretentious asshat is foppish and disengaged to the point of inducing aneurysm. I tried to find conversations between the protagonists that were both interes ...more

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Nov 19, 2018 Cathy Cole rated it it was ok · review of another edition

J. B. Priestley was an extremely popular author in the late 1920s and the 1930s, and when someone told me about Benighted, I had to read it. I love stories about old, scary houses, and this book inspired a 1930s film, "The Old Dark House," which gave birth to a whole genre of movies.

Benighted is the tale of people stranded by a horrendous storm and flooding in a remote corner of Wales. Their place of refuge is an ancient, dark, creepy old manor house inhabited by four of the strangest people you ...more

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Jul 21, 2020 AlexF rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 24, 2020 Clangsy Laurea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

It has been raining a lot when I began reading this. I wanted a quick horror read that could get me started on another scarier book. I was looking through horror paperbacks from way back. And I don't know why but this immediately caught my eye.

This story is about a group of travelers who got caught up in a storm. They see a house in the middle of the moors and asked for shelter from the sinister Femms. As the night wears on, creepy and terrible things happen to the group...

Anyway, I'm going to ...more

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Dec 26, 2018 Janet rated it liked it

I really wanted to enjoy this book more. The story is everything I love -- strangers brought together by dire circumstances, forced to seek asylum in a haunted, isolated house with its creepy, possibly dangerous inhabitants… My inclination is to give it 2 stars but out of fairness I am giving it 3 (and if I had read it attentively, I may have given it 4). Reading during the holidays is difficult and perhaps short stories would have been a better choice to accommodate the distractions. So alas, a ...more

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About J.B. Priestley

J.B. Priestley

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John Boynton Priestley, the son of a schoolmaster, was born in Bradford in September 1894, and after schooling he worked for a time in the local wool trade. Following the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Priestley joined the British Army, and was sent to France --in 1915 taking part in the Battle of Loos. After being wounded in 1917 Priestley returned to England for six months; then, after going John Boynton Priestley, the son of a schoolmaster, was born in Bradford in September 1894, and after schooling he worked for a time in the local wool trade. Following the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Priestley joined the British Army, and was sent to France --in 1915 taking part in the Battle of Loos. After being wounded in 1917 Priestley returned to England for six months; then, after going back to the Western Front he suffered the consequences of a German gas attack, and, treated at Rouen, he was declared unfit for active service and was transferred to the Entertainers Section of the British Army.
When Priestley left the army he studied at Cambridge University, where he completed a degree in Modern History and Political Science. Subsequently he found work as theatre reviewer with the Daily News, and also contributed to the Spectator, the Challenge and Nineteenth Century. His earliest books included The English Comic Characters (1925), The English Novel (1927), and English Humour (1928). His breakthrough came with the immensely popular novel The Good Companions, published in 1929, and Angel Pavement followed in 1930. He emerged, too, as a successful dramatist with such plays as Dangerous Corner (1932), Time and the Conways (1937), When We Are Married (1938) and An Inspector Calls (1947).
The publication of English Journey in 1934 emphasised Priestley's concern for social problems and the welfare of ordinary people.
During the Second World War Priestley became a popular and influential broadcaster with his famous Postscripts that followed the nine o'clock news BBC Radio on Sunday evenings. Starting on 5th June 1940, Priestley built up such a following that after a few months it was estimated that around 40 per cent of the adult population in Britain was listening to the programme.
Some members of the Conservative Party, including Winston Churchill, expressed concern that Priestley might be expressing left-wing views on the programme, and, to his dismay, Priestley was dropped after his talk on 20th October 1940.
After the war Priestley continued his writing, and his work invariably provoked thought, and his views were always expressed in his blunt Yorkshire style.
His prolific output continued right up to his final years, and to the end he remained the great literary all-rounder. His favourite among his books was for many years the novel Bright Day, though he later said he had come to prefer The Image Men.
It should not be overlooked that Priestley was an outstanding essayist, and many of his short pieces best capture his passions and his great talent and his mastery of the English language. He set a fine example for any would-be author. ...more

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Quotes from Benighted

“A grey tide, engulfing all colour and shape of things that had been or were to be, rushed across his mind, sweeping the life out of everything and leaving him all hollow inside. Once again he sat benumbed in a shadow show. Yet as ever—and this was the cruel stroke—there was something left, left to see that all the lights were being quenched, left to cry out with a tiny crazed voice in the grey wastes. This was what mattered, this was the worst, and black nights and storms and floods and crumbling hills were not to be compared with this treachery from within. It wasn’t panic nor despair, he told himself, that made so many fellows commit suicide; it was this recurring mood, draining the colour out of life and stuffing one’s mouth with ashes. One crashing bullet and there wasn’t even anything left to remember what had come and gone, to cry in the mind’s dark hollow; life could then cheat as it liked, for it did not matter; you had won the last poor trick. Having conjured the malady into a phrase or two, Penderel felt better, came out of his reverie and looked about for entertainment.” — 0 likes

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