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Benighted
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 circumstances, the benighted travellers drink, talk, and play games to pass the time while the storm rages outside. But as the night progresses and tensions rise, dangerous and unexpected secrets emerge. On the house's top floor are two locked doors; behind one of them lies the mysterious, unseen Sir Roderick Femm, and behind the other lurks an unspeakable terror. Which is more deadly: the apocalyptic storm outside the house or the unknown horrors that await within? And will any of them survive the night?
Benighted (1927), a classic 'old dark house' novel of psychological terror, was the second novel by J. B. Priestley (1894-1984), better known for his classics The Good Companions (1929), Angel Pavement (1930) and Bright Day (1946). The basis for James Whale's 1932 film The Old Dark House, Benighted returns to print for the first time in fifty years. This edition includes the unabridged text of the first British edition, a new introduction by Orrin Grey, and a reproduction of the rare jacket art of the 1927 Heinemann edition.
Benighted (1927), a classic 'old dark house' novel of psychological terror, was the second novel by J. B. Priestley (1894-1984), better known for his classics The Good Companions (1929), Angel Pavement (1930) and Bright Day (1946). The basis for James Whale's 1932 film The Old Dark House, Benighted returns to print for the first time in fifty years. This edition includes the unabridged text of the first British edition, a new introduction by Orrin Grey, and a reproduction of the rare jacket art of the 1927 Heinemann edition.
152 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1927
155 people are currently reading
1518 people want to read
About the author
J.B. Priestley
470 books288 followersJohn Boynton Priestley was an English writer. He was the son of a schoolmaster, 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
June 26, 2020
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 person's mind during the course of the evening adds empathy to a story that is leading into the shadows. This is a menacing dark house story rife with both fear and heart. I will not easily forget it.
July 31, 2018
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 bones stand up and don't give a damn . . . "
The story begins in the classic fashion with a group of people caught out in a sudden storm. The severity is such that sudden landslides begin to cover and wash away parts of the road they are traveling. Here we have Philip and his wife, Margaret Waverton, and friend, Roger Penderel.
". . . Mrs. Waverton, one of those pale and clear and terrifically educated women who knew everything and knew nothing, never actually breaking through into the real world . . . "
They spot some lights coming from an ancient looking, large edifice, and it is determined that they will need to ask for shelter there, despite the unsettling feeling they all have.
". . . it was in the nature of things to go wrong . . . "
Priestly sets this atmosphere with the utmost precision. Between the raging elements outdoors, and the unknown, yet somehow sinister, facade of the building in front of them, that is quickly arrived at. The looming structure conjures up all kinds of horrific images in the travelers, even before they get near it.
". . . Suppose the people inside were dead, all stretched out with the lights quietly burning above them . . ."
While the atmosphere is absolutely essential to this novel, so too are the personalities of the characters. You have your "everyday" people (the travelers), and the mysterious residents--the Femm family--in the gothic mansion. Their quirks, lack of social graces that most adhere to, and general "oddness" immediately have our visitors wondering if perhaps they might have been better off chancing the water-washed roads, instead.
". . . Perhaps this is the fire, and we're merely taking the bags out of the frying-pan . . . "
Eventually, the reluctantly-admitted trio finds themselves confronted by yet another couple seeking shelter from the storm, and it is at this junction that the real mysteries of the house begin to be revealed. Through cryptic comments, the jumpy, inhospitable hosts, and noises that do not come from the raging storm, the characters realize that there are more things to be frightened of "in" their supposed sanctuary . . .
". . . ordinary life's bad enough, but it's a prince to the stuff we spin out of our rotten unconsciousnesses every night . . . "
When you consider the year this book was first released, you can appreciate just how well it has stood the test of time. In between bought of misgiving and and uncertain terror, we have conversations and introspection on the society and behaviors of people, in general. Even the comic relief throughout the novel are about things we can still relate to.
". . . People wonder what's the matter with the world these days . . . They forget that all the best fellows, the men who'd be in their prime now, . . . are dead . . ."
Overall, this is an excellent example of a Gothic "Dark House" story. The atmosphere, in my opinion, is flawlessly set, as is the tension that escalates throughout the entirety of the novel. The banter between the characters has moments of humor interspersed between the apprehension and terror of their forced-upon situation, as it unfolds. Another great novel brought back to the attention of readers, through it's new publication by Valancourt Books.
Highly recommended.
". . . It's our flesh . . . the jellied stuff that rots so easily, which quivers and creeps, goes goose with fright; but our bones stand up and don't give a damn . . . "
The story begins in the classic fashion with a group of people caught out in a sudden storm. The severity is such that sudden landslides begin to cover and wash away parts of the road they are traveling. Here we have Philip and his wife, Margaret Waverton, and friend, Roger Penderel.
". . . Mrs. Waverton, one of those pale and clear and terrifically educated women who knew everything and knew nothing, never actually breaking through into the real world . . . "
They spot some lights coming from an ancient looking, large edifice, and it is determined that they will need to ask for shelter there, despite the unsettling feeling they all have.
". . . it was in the nature of things to go wrong . . . "
Priestly sets this atmosphere with the utmost precision. Between the raging elements outdoors, and the unknown, yet somehow sinister, facade of the building in front of them, that is quickly arrived at. The looming structure conjures up all kinds of horrific images in the travelers, even before they get near it.
". . . Suppose the people inside were dead, all stretched out with the lights quietly burning above them . . ."
While the atmosphere is absolutely essential to this novel, so too are the personalities of the characters. You have your "everyday" people (the travelers), and the mysterious residents--the Femm family--in the gothic mansion. Their quirks, lack of social graces that most adhere to, and general "oddness" immediately have our visitors wondering if perhaps they might have been better off chancing the water-washed roads, instead.
". . . Perhaps this is the fire, and we're merely taking the bags out of the frying-pan . . . "
Eventually, the reluctantly-admitted trio finds themselves confronted by yet another couple seeking shelter from the storm, and it is at this junction that the real mysteries of the house begin to be revealed. Through cryptic comments, the jumpy, inhospitable hosts, and noises that do not come from the raging storm, the characters realize that there are more things to be frightened of "in" their supposed sanctuary . . .
". . . ordinary life's bad enough, but it's a prince to the stuff we spin out of our rotten unconsciousnesses every night . . . "
When you consider the year this book was first released, you can appreciate just how well it has stood the test of time. In between bought of misgiving and and uncertain terror, we have conversations and introspection on the society and behaviors of people, in general. Even the comic relief throughout the novel are about things we can still relate to.
". . . People wonder what's the matter with the world these days . . . They forget that all the best fellows, the men who'd be in their prime now, . . . are dead . . ."
Overall, this is an excellent example of a Gothic "Dark House" story. The atmosphere, in my opinion, is flawlessly set, as is the tension that escalates throughout the entirety of the novel. The banter between the characters has moments of humor interspersed between the apprehension and terror of their forced-upon situation, as it unfolds. Another great novel brought back to the attention of readers, through it's new publication by Valancourt Books.
Highly recommended.
September 20, 2024
I'm trying to understand the logic of locking two scared women in a dark room for their own safety only to leave the key in the lock on the outside of the door where the threat lurks. My only gripe.
November 13, 2014
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 feeling of sadness when it ended, and only wished the best for the characters, who I grew to know and like very much in a matter of only 152 pages. I also greatly enjoyed Priestly's brand of dry British humour. His depiction of Rebecca Femm was particularly delightful! Thanks to Valancourt Books for re-issuing this and bringing it to my attention. Now I must seek out the 1932 Universal film THE OLD DARK HOUSE, that was based on this book, as well as more books by J.B. Priestly!
October 29, 2020
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.
"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.
May 6, 2013
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.
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.
June 4, 2013
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 being the book that The Old Dark House was adapted from, it's also amazing on its own merits, and has a surprising edge of what could almost be considered cosmic horror, in spite of not containing any actual supernatural or speculative elements.
And of course there's an introduction by me, in which I'm hopefully at least mildly more coherent than I am in this review, and in which I talk at length about things like the book's connection to the movie, which is, after all, one of my favorites of all time. I'm proud as punch to have this be the first book I was ever asked to write an introduction for, and I really couldn't think of a better one.
And of course there's an introduction by me, in which I'm hopefully at least mildly more coherent than I am in this review, and in which I talk at length about things like the book's connection to the movie, which is, after all, one of my favorites of all time. I'm proud as punch to have this be the first book I was ever asked to write an introduction for, and I really couldn't think of a better one.
November 2, 2024
The Old Dark House (1932)
November 30, 2020
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....)
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....)
September 10, 2018
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 Dark House," which I watched directly after reading this novel. Whale is good at creepiness and atmosphere, but he also plays parts of his adaptation for laughs, so the movie becomes a very mixed bag, sadly without the whole existential feel created by Priestley. Truth be told, the book is SO much better than the film.
Indeed, the first several pages into this novel, I was ecstatic to find all of the trappings of the 'old dark house' story: a horrific storm complete with blinding, torrential rain, flooded roads, mudslides and a completely impassable road that brings three people to the literal old dark house. This one happens to be in the Welsh countryside, a perfect setting, a house with some rather strange inhabitants. This wave of ahhhh just settled right over me.
There are some moments of mild terror and creepiness that come into this novel, but if you're expecting Whale's "The Old Dark House," forget about it. Much of Benighted had a sort of semi-Gothic, rather than horror-ish feel to it, and it seems to me that if you take the story as a whole, it works very nicely on an allegorical level. The house, with its locked doors, its secrets, its creepiness and its strange inhabitants provides a great setting for understanding how some people work up the resolve to confront their fears, while others choose to stay locked away from the rest of the world. Recommended, for sure.
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 Dark House," which I watched directly after reading this novel. Whale is good at creepiness and atmosphere, but he also plays parts of his adaptation for laughs, so the movie becomes a very mixed bag, sadly without the whole existential feel created by Priestley. Truth be told, the book is SO much better than the film.
Indeed, the first several pages into this novel, I was ecstatic to find all of the trappings of the 'old dark house' story: a horrific storm complete with blinding, torrential rain, flooded roads, mudslides and a completely impassable road that brings three people to the literal old dark house. This one happens to be in the Welsh countryside, a perfect setting, a house with some rather strange inhabitants. This wave of ahhhh just settled right over me.
There are some moments of mild terror and creepiness that come into this novel, but if you're expecting Whale's "The Old Dark House," forget about it. Much of Benighted had a sort of semi-Gothic, rather than horror-ish feel to it, and it seems to me that if you take the story as a whole, it works very nicely on an allegorical level. The house, with its locked doors, its secrets, its creepiness and its strange inhabitants provides a great setting for understanding how some people work up the resolve to confront their fears, while others choose to stay locked away from the rest of the world. Recommended, for sure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2015
VON DER NACHT ÜBERRASCHT beginnt atmosphärisch-klischeehaft damit, dass ein verheiratetes Paar und ein Bekannter während einer walisischen Unwetternacht Zuflucht in einem abgelegenen Haus suchen müssen. Man wird schon beim Lesen tropfnass und fürchtet um die Gesundheit angesichts der Fahrkünste des Gatten. Die Straßen werden überflutet und von Schlammlawinen unbefahrbar gemacht und kaum ist den drei Notleidenden widerwillig Einlass gewährt worden, finden sich zwei weitere Reisende schutzsuchend bei den Gastgebenern ein, einem hassenswerten ältlichen Geschwisterpaar mit einem gewalttätigen trunksüchtigen Koloss von Diener ("Sehr stark, sehr dumm und stumm") und einem verrückten Bruder, einstweilen noch eingeschlossen im Dachzimmer.
Die Reisenden finden sich in einer extrem klaustrophobischen Situation wieder mit ausgeprägter Symbolik des Unterbewussten, im Haus gibt es keinen Strom und nur wenige Kerzen; dafür aber eine Vielzahl an verschlossenen Türen und eine Treppe, die bedrohlich in Richtung Dachgeschoß und Wahnsinn führt:
"Die Treppe wand sich in der Dunkelheit weiter, es konnte nicht mehr lange dauern und sie würde oben angelangt sein. Endlich konnte sie schreien: "Philip! Philip!" und es hallte durch die oberen Zimmer und Gänge, in deren geheimnisvoller Finsternis er sein musste."
Die düsteren Orakelsprüche der Bewohner des Hauses werfen bald die Frage auf, ob es im Haus wirklich sicherer ist als im landschaftsverzehrenden Unwetter. Man kennt dieses Setting aus Horrorfilmen mit Lugosi und Karloff, und tatsächlich ist auch BENIGHTED (so der Originaltitel dieses Romans) 1932 mit Karloff verfilmt worden.
"Es gab einmal eine Zeit, da wären sie stolz gewesen, bei uns eingeladen zu werden. Damals hätten sie meinen Bruder, Sir Roderick, für einen großen Mann gehalten, was er in gewissem Sinne auch war. Wenn auch nicht in Gottes Sinn. Keiner war das. Jetzt verfaulen sie alle, zerfallen und ersticken im Staub, wie dieses Haus hier. Wir haben mit dem Leben abgeschlossen oder mit dem, was man so Liebe nennt" (ein wenig lässt das an Poes USHER denken).
Wie so oft im Genre sind es Spannungen in der Ehe, auf deren Nährboden das Unheil so gut gedeihen kann, und in dieser Schreckensnacht wird sich das Ehepaar trotz zunehmender Entfremdung zusammenraufen müssen, es wird Helden und Opfer brauchen, und allen steht eine sehr, sehr lange Nacht bevor.
BENIGHTED zählt vom Setting zu den Weird Tales, die in den Groschenheften der späten 20er und 30er Jahre aufkamen und sich großer Beliebtheit erfreuten. Aber Priestley gibt sich nicht mit einem Schauergeschichte zufrieden, und wie heißt es im Klappentext:
„Die nicht ungefährlichen Bewohner des Hauses, das Wüten der Naturgewalten und die willkürlich zusammengewürfelte Gesellschaft sind für Priestley das Mittel, um die Menschen in dem Augenblick der Bewährung zu zeigen, wie sie wirklich sind.“
Ich muss zugeben, dieser Anspruch klingt in meinen Ohren irgendwie altbacken und wenig attraktiv.
Tatsächlich verbindet Priestley in BENIGHTED zwei sehr unterschiedliche Komponenten: da sind ungemein atmosphärische Schilderungen einer Unwetternacht und die unterschwellig dauernd drohende Todesgefahr durch Feuer und Wahnsinn im Albtraumhaus; es gibt aber auch langgezogene existentialistische Dialoge und Monologe, die den Bühnenautor Priestley verraten. In ihnen entwickeln sich Biographien und Lebensansichten der Personen, stoßen Schicksale und Charakterzüge aufeinander. Diese Gespräche konnte ich leider nicht sehr genießen, sie wirkten teils pathetisch, teils oberflächlich und sind lange nicht so bedeutsam, wie es wohl in der Absicht lag. Das mag an zwei Faktoren liegen, zum einen sind die vorgetragenen Lebensansichten und Probleme schlichtweg veraltet, zum andere beeindruckt die Übersetzung aus dem Englischen von Egon Strohm nicht.
Im Fazit stellt sich hier wieder meine alte Frage, ob Horrorgeschichten einen intellektuellen Anspruch vertragen, ohne zu welken. VON DER NACHT ÜBERRASCHT ist lesenswert, gerade und vor allem bei Sturm und Regen, wenn man Lust auf klassische Horrorstimmung hat. Der gesellschaftliche Anspruch, den Priestley in den Roman eingearbeitet hat, ist aus heutiger Sicht allerdings ohne große Relevanz und mithin verzichtbar.
Die Reisenden finden sich in einer extrem klaustrophobischen Situation wieder mit ausgeprägter Symbolik des Unterbewussten, im Haus gibt es keinen Strom und nur wenige Kerzen; dafür aber eine Vielzahl an verschlossenen Türen und eine Treppe, die bedrohlich in Richtung Dachgeschoß und Wahnsinn führt:
"Die Treppe wand sich in der Dunkelheit weiter, es konnte nicht mehr lange dauern und sie würde oben angelangt sein. Endlich konnte sie schreien: "Philip! Philip!" und es hallte durch die oberen Zimmer und Gänge, in deren geheimnisvoller Finsternis er sein musste."
Die düsteren Orakelsprüche der Bewohner des Hauses werfen bald die Frage auf, ob es im Haus wirklich sicherer ist als im landschaftsverzehrenden Unwetter. Man kennt dieses Setting aus Horrorfilmen mit Lugosi und Karloff, und tatsächlich ist auch BENIGHTED (so der Originaltitel dieses Romans) 1932 mit Karloff verfilmt worden.
"Es gab einmal eine Zeit, da wären sie stolz gewesen, bei uns eingeladen zu werden. Damals hätten sie meinen Bruder, Sir Roderick, für einen großen Mann gehalten, was er in gewissem Sinne auch war. Wenn auch nicht in Gottes Sinn. Keiner war das. Jetzt verfaulen sie alle, zerfallen und ersticken im Staub, wie dieses Haus hier. Wir haben mit dem Leben abgeschlossen oder mit dem, was man so Liebe nennt" (ein wenig lässt das an Poes USHER denken).
Wie so oft im Genre sind es Spannungen in der Ehe, auf deren Nährboden das Unheil so gut gedeihen kann, und in dieser Schreckensnacht wird sich das Ehepaar trotz zunehmender Entfremdung zusammenraufen müssen, es wird Helden und Opfer brauchen, und allen steht eine sehr, sehr lange Nacht bevor.
BENIGHTED zählt vom Setting zu den Weird Tales, die in den Groschenheften der späten 20er und 30er Jahre aufkamen und sich großer Beliebtheit erfreuten. Aber Priestley gibt sich nicht mit einem Schauergeschichte zufrieden, und wie heißt es im Klappentext:
„Die nicht ungefährlichen Bewohner des Hauses, das Wüten der Naturgewalten und die willkürlich zusammengewürfelte Gesellschaft sind für Priestley das Mittel, um die Menschen in dem Augenblick der Bewährung zu zeigen, wie sie wirklich sind.“
Ich muss zugeben, dieser Anspruch klingt in meinen Ohren irgendwie altbacken und wenig attraktiv.
Tatsächlich verbindet Priestley in BENIGHTED zwei sehr unterschiedliche Komponenten: da sind ungemein atmosphärische Schilderungen einer Unwetternacht und die unterschwellig dauernd drohende Todesgefahr durch Feuer und Wahnsinn im Albtraumhaus; es gibt aber auch langgezogene existentialistische Dialoge und Monologe, die den Bühnenautor Priestley verraten. In ihnen entwickeln sich Biographien und Lebensansichten der Personen, stoßen Schicksale und Charakterzüge aufeinander. Diese Gespräche konnte ich leider nicht sehr genießen, sie wirkten teils pathetisch, teils oberflächlich und sind lange nicht so bedeutsam, wie es wohl in der Absicht lag. Das mag an zwei Faktoren liegen, zum einen sind die vorgetragenen Lebensansichten und Probleme schlichtweg veraltet, zum andere beeindruckt die Übersetzung aus dem Englischen von Egon Strohm nicht.
Im Fazit stellt sich hier wieder meine alte Frage, ob Horrorgeschichten einen intellektuellen Anspruch vertragen, ohne zu welken. VON DER NACHT ÜBERRASCHT ist lesenswert, gerade und vor allem bei Sturm und Regen, wenn man Lust auf klassische Horrorstimmung hat. Der gesellschaftliche Anspruch, den Priestley in den Roman eingearbeitet hat, ist aus heutiger Sicht allerdings ohne große Relevanz und mithin verzichtbar.
November 4, 2021
Review upon second reading, 2021:
As a modern gothic novel, Priestley does a pretty good job with "Benighted" in evoking the requisite elements of age, decay, unnatural mental states and palpitating fear. These were the elements I particularly noticed on my first reading in 2013, inspired by my prior exposure to James Whale's classic film adaptation. The quieter moments of relationship between the characters, interesting though they were, felt something of a distraction from the genre-trappings. I realise now that, in the way Priestley used the detective genre in An Inspector Calls to examine the English class structure, he was doing a similar thing in "Benighted" through a gothic lens.
Written fewer than ten years after the horrors of the Great War, the old dark house in the wasteland becomes a metaphor of the crumbling decay at the heart of the Empire, storm-battered, assaulted, threatened with annihilation, and occupied by a degenerate aristocracy, represented in the frayed insanity of the Femm household, in equal measure served upon and terrified by the lumpenproletariat that is Morgan, their dumb and brutish manservant.
Priestley brings into this feverish household the Wavertons, a bourgeois married couple, too concerned with appearances to be able to live freely and love each other openly, and their cynical, irreverent acquaintance, Penderel, a traumatised survivor of the trenches subject to sudden bouts of depression. These three are later joined on set by a petty bourgeois provincial who has crawled up the capitalist greasy pole to become as rich as he is greedy, and, representing the working class, his East End chorus-girl escort.
So far, so awful, but in a few short scenes, Priestley exposes his characters flaws, motivations and their tender humanity. They become people as well as allegorical types, and I found myself caring for them all. They're tested together in the crucible of existential horror, all required to put aside pretence and meet each other genuinely.
I didn't warm to what seems to be a patriarchal thread Priestley had woven through the story in using the name 'Femm' for the ruling class presiding over a nation emasculated by war, together with a swipe at male writers of women's books being presented as a sign of an effeminate degeneracy of 'healthy masculinity', nor to instances of ableism and antisemitism.
Those infrequent blemishes aside, the febrile build-up to crisis and aftermath draws to a wearied end which is brilliant in being simultaneously dark, hopeful and ambivalent. There is a poignancy in being able to look back from the vantage of almost a century at the darker horrors about to be unleashed on Priestley's generation, which he had glimpsed and unavailingly warned of.
Review upon first reading, 2013:
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 to do, and this is where it steps ahead of the film. Also, the ending is much darker than the Hollywood version (though the introduction to my edition says that Whale shot Priestley's ending, but the studio made him change it).
I read Benighted during a week of Autumnal rains and storms: a perfect read, providing you're safely indoors with a hot cup of tea and a biscuit.
As a modern gothic novel, Priestley does a pretty good job with "Benighted" in evoking the requisite elements of age, decay, unnatural mental states and palpitating fear. These were the elements I particularly noticed on my first reading in 2013, inspired by my prior exposure to James Whale's classic film adaptation. The quieter moments of relationship between the characters, interesting though they were, felt something of a distraction from the genre-trappings. I realise now that, in the way Priestley used the detective genre in An Inspector Calls to examine the English class structure, he was doing a similar thing in "Benighted" through a gothic lens.
Written fewer than ten years after the horrors of the Great War, the old dark house in the wasteland becomes a metaphor of the crumbling decay at the heart of the Empire, storm-battered, assaulted, threatened with annihilation, and occupied by a degenerate aristocracy, represented in the frayed insanity of the Femm household, in equal measure served upon and terrified by the lumpenproletariat that is Morgan, their dumb and brutish manservant.
Priestley brings into this feverish household the Wavertons, a bourgeois married couple, too concerned with appearances to be able to live freely and love each other openly, and their cynical, irreverent acquaintance, Penderel, a traumatised survivor of the trenches subject to sudden bouts of depression. These three are later joined on set by a petty bourgeois provincial who has crawled up the capitalist greasy pole to become as rich as he is greedy, and, representing the working class, his East End chorus-girl escort.
So far, so awful, but in a few short scenes, Priestley exposes his characters flaws, motivations and their tender humanity. They become people as well as allegorical types, and I found myself caring for them all. They're tested together in the crucible of existential horror, all required to put aside pretence and meet each other genuinely.
I didn't warm to what seems to be a patriarchal thread Priestley had woven through the story in using the name 'Femm' for the ruling class presiding over a nation emasculated by war, together with a swipe at male writers of women's books being presented as a sign of an effeminate degeneracy of 'healthy masculinity', nor to instances of ableism and antisemitism.
Those infrequent blemishes aside, the febrile build-up to crisis and aftermath draws to a wearied end which is brilliant in being simultaneously dark, hopeful and ambivalent. There is a poignancy in being able to look back from the vantage of almost a century at the darker horrors about to be unleashed on Priestley's generation, which he had glimpsed and unavailingly warned of.
Review upon first reading, 2013:
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 to do, and this is where it steps ahead of the film. Also, the ending is much darker than the Hollywood version (though the introduction to my edition says that Whale shot Priestley's ending, but the studio made him change it).
I read Benighted during a week of Autumnal rains and storms: a perfect read, providing you're safely indoors with a hot cup of tea and a biscuit.
September 25, 2025
3.5, rounded up.
So I came to this via a convoluted route. I read this article online: https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/i-..., which led me to watch the 1932 film adaptation, The Old Dark House. The film was so interesting and provocative, I thought I MIGHT want to read the book it was based on ... when I learned it was by J.B. Priestley, whose work as a playwright I know and admire (his 'An Inspector Calls' is a classic!) - I was sold!
The book is nearly 100 years old and was only the author's 2nd published work, so one must make allowances for some quaintness and clunkiness here and there - but, as would be expected from a playwright, the dialogues are terrific. Oddly, since Preistley was hetero and had 3 wives and 5 children, there IS a definite 'queer' aspect to the book and film - in fact the word 'queer' itself is somewhat overused, appearing 47 times in a fairly short book (thank you, Kindle search feature!!) (... and yes, I DO realize it didn't have the same connotation in 1927!!)
Anyway, the book utilizes many familiar Gothic tropes, concerning two groups of travelers who seek shelter in a dilapidated old house in the boonies when a storm and flood destroy the roads (surely the inspiration for the opening of Rocky Horror!).
The distinctly odd Femm (sic) family are the inhabitants, which includes timid 'femme' Horace, his deaf and dykey sister Rebecca (who paws guest Margaret at one point!), the bedridden and near-death patriarch Sir Roderick (played by an actress in the film!), the insane pyromaniac Saul, locked in the attic for everyone's safety (see:
Jane Eyre) ... and the huge, mute, brutish servant Morgan (think Lurch in the Addams Family!). The latter was played by Boris Karloff in the film, fresh off his triumph in Frankenstein for the same director, gay icon James Whale - he got top billing even though he has no lines!
The film faithfully follows the book for the most part, although several incidents were excised as the film only runs 72 minutes. The only major departure was that one character who survives the film is actually killed off in the book. The film was considered lost for decades and a print was actually only found and restored in 2017. As you can see in the trailer below, the cinematography is incredible.
There was also a remake of the film in 1963, but played mainly for laughs, and seems to veer quite far from the original.
Anyway, both the OG film and book are a campy hoot and make perfect fodder for the Hallowe'en season. Check out the two trailers for the film versions below - and both films are also available in their entirety on YouTube also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqhzh...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBalK...
So I came to this via a convoluted route. I read this article online: https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/i-..., which led me to watch the 1932 film adaptation, The Old Dark House. The film was so interesting and provocative, I thought I MIGHT want to read the book it was based on ... when I learned it was by J.B. Priestley, whose work as a playwright I know and admire (his 'An Inspector Calls' is a classic!) - I was sold!
The book is nearly 100 years old and was only the author's 2nd published work, so one must make allowances for some quaintness and clunkiness here and there - but, as would be expected from a playwright, the dialogues are terrific. Oddly, since Preistley was hetero and had 3 wives and 5 children, there IS a definite 'queer' aspect to the book and film - in fact the word 'queer' itself is somewhat overused, appearing 47 times in a fairly short book (thank you, Kindle search feature!!) (... and yes, I DO realize it didn't have the same connotation in 1927!!)
Anyway, the book utilizes many familiar Gothic tropes, concerning two groups of travelers who seek shelter in a dilapidated old house in the boonies when a storm and flood destroy the roads (surely the inspiration for the opening of Rocky Horror!).
The distinctly odd Femm (sic) family are the inhabitants, which includes timid 'femme' Horace, his deaf and dykey sister Rebecca (who paws guest Margaret at one point!), the bedridden and near-death patriarch Sir Roderick (played by an actress in the film!), the insane pyromaniac Saul, locked in the attic for everyone's safety (see:
Jane Eyre) ... and the huge, mute, brutish servant Morgan (think Lurch in the Addams Family!). The latter was played by Boris Karloff in the film, fresh off his triumph in Frankenstein for the same director, gay icon James Whale - he got top billing even though he has no lines!
The film faithfully follows the book for the most part, although several incidents were excised as the film only runs 72 minutes. The only major departure was that one character who survives the film is actually killed off in the book. The film was considered lost for decades and a print was actually only found and restored in 2017. As you can see in the trailer below, the cinematography is incredible.
There was also a remake of the film in 1963, but played mainly for laughs, and seems to veer quite far from the original.
Anyway, both the OG film and book are a campy hoot and make perfect fodder for the Hallowe'en season. Check out the two trailers for the film versions below - and both films are also available in their entirety on YouTube also:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqhzh...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBalK...
January 9, 2020
"Νύχτα καταιγίδας", εκδόσεις ΒΙΠΕΡ.
Πρώτο βιβλίο του Τζ. Μπ. Πρίστλεϊ που πέφτει στα χέρια μου και δηλώνω αρκετά ικανοποιημένος. Ουσιαστικά πρόκειται για ένα ψυχολογικό θρίλερ με στοιχεία γοτθικού τρόμου, βασικά προσόντα του οποίου είναι το σκηνικό του παλιού και απομονωμένου σπιτιού στο οποίο βρίσκουν καταφύγιο πέντε άνθρωποι, η όλη κλειστοφοβική και σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα που κυριαρχεί από την πρώτη μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα, καθώς επίσης και η πολύ ωραία και οξυδερκής γραφή του συγγραφέα. Η πλοκή κινείται με αργούς ρυθμούς και διαθέτει λίγες μονάχα στιγμές έντασης και αγωνίας (στο τέλος, βέβαια, γίνεται ένας μικρός χαμός), με τον συγγραφέα να δίνει έμφαση στη σκιαγράφηση των χαρακτήρων του και στο πώς η διαμονή τους στο σκοτεινό σπίτι με τους παράξενους ενοίκους, θα τους αλλάξει μια για πάντα. Προσωπικά μου άρ��σε το βιβλίο, κατευχαριστήθηκα την ατμόσφαιρα και το όλο σκηνικό, ασχέτως αν υπήρξαν λίγες στιγμές εδώ και κει, που με κούρασαν. Είναι από τα βιβλία που διαβάζεις ένα κρύο βράδυ του χειμώνα, δίπλα σε κάποιο τζάκι. Σ'αυτό το βιβλίο βασίζεται η ταινία "The Old Dark House" (1932).
Πρώτο βιβλίο του Τζ. Μπ. Πρίστλεϊ που πέφτει στα χέρια μου και δηλώνω αρκετά ικανοποιημένος. Ουσιαστικά πρόκειται για ένα ψυχολογικό θρίλερ με στοιχεία γοτθικού τρόμου, βασικά προσόντα του οποίου είναι το σκηνικό του παλιού και απομονωμένου σπιτιού στο οποίο βρίσκουν καταφύγιο πέντε άνθρωποι, η όλη κλειστοφοβική και σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα που κυριαρχεί από την πρώτη μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα, καθώς επίσης και η πολύ ωραία και οξυδερκής γραφή του συγγραφέα. Η πλοκή κινείται με αργούς ρυθμούς και διαθέτει λίγες μονάχα στιγμές έντασης και αγωνίας (στο τέλος, βέβαια, γίνεται ένας μικρός χαμός), με τον συγγραφέα να δίνει έμφαση στη σκιαγράφηση των χαρακτήρων του και στο πώς η διαμονή τους στο σκοτεινό σπίτι με τους παράξενους ενοίκους, θα τους αλλάξει μια για πάντα. Προσωπικά μου άρ��σε το βιβλίο, κατευχαριστήθηκα την ατμόσφαιρα και το όλο σκηνικό, ασχέτως αν υπήρξαν λίγες στιγμές εδώ και κει, που με κούρασαν. Είναι από τα βιβλία που διαβάζεις ένα κρύο βράδυ του χειμώνα, δίπλα σε κάποιο τζάκι. Σ'αυτό το βιβλίο βασίζεται η ταινία "The Old Dark House" (1932).
September 10, 2022
Recensione originale: https://sonnenbarke.wordpress.com/202...
Valancourt Books è una casa editrice americana che mi piace tantissimo e che ho scoperto grazie a Goodreads. In particolare si dedica a riscoprire classici dimenticati della letteratura horror, weird, gotica e vittoriana, ma pubblica anche libri a tematica LGBT. Se vi iscrivete alla loro newsletter potrete scoprire non solo le ultime novità, ma anche quale/i ebook mettono in promozione su Amazon ogni mese. A settembre trovate questo libro a 3 euro e vi consiglio di farci un pensierino. Quando ho letto la trama mi ha subito incuriosito e non ho potuto fare a meno di comprarlo e leggerlo subito.
Il filone a cui si ascrive questo libro non è tanto quello delle case infestate (haunted houses), quanto quello delle case sinistre che, come mi insegna la prefazione, era all'epoca un genere a sé, chiamato "old dark house". Non ci sono strane presenze, ma è proprio la casa in sé, e in particolare i suoi abitanti, ad essere sinistra. Un aggettivo che ricorre spesso nel corso del libro è "putrido": l'atmosfera della casa è descritta come putrida, a un certo punto si dice che uno dei personaggi sembra qualcosa in putrefazione. Naturalmente non bisogna prendere alla lettera questa aggettivazione: non stiamo parlando dell'aria che si respira in senso letterale, ma in senso lato. Un'atmosfera, una sensazione.
Il romanzo potrebbe sembrare ai nostri occhi pieno di cliché, ma dobbiamo ricordarci che è stato scritto quasi cento anni fa, nel 1927. All'epoca, si dice nella prefazione, questo della "old dark house" era un filone molto in voga, ma sicuramente (secondo me) era comunque un filone più "fresco" di quanto non sia adesso, quando ormai il cinema e la letteratura ci hanno abituato fino allo sfinimento alle case sinistre.
L'inizio del libro mi ha ricordato molto The Rocky Horror Picture Show, che infatti viene anche citato nella prefazione come una parodia del genere. Tre persone (marito e moglie più un loro amico) si sono perse nella campagna del Galles, sotto una pioggia torrenziale che arriva ad essere un'alluvione e a causare frane insuperabili. A un certo punto vedono le luci di una casa e, come nella migliore tradizione horror, ingenuamente decidono di chiedere riparo per la notte. Non vengono accolti bene dai tre abitanti della casa. Il maggiordomo o servitore o quel che è, Morgan, è un uomo muto e bestiale che mi ha ricordato molto il mostro di Frankenstein, e non sembra neppure capire cosa vogliano quegli estranei. Il signor Femm li accoglie in maniera estremamente riluttante, ma la sorella, Rebecca Femm, una vecchia quasi sorda, grassa e infernale nella sua mania religiosa, dice che i tre non possono restare. Tuttavia finiranno per restare.
L'atmosfera è sinistra, opprimente, gli inquilini della casa sono stranissimi ognuno a suo modo, e chiaramente nascondono qualcosa. I tre sfortunati protagonisti sono a loro volta bizzarri, in particolare Penderel, l'amico della coppia: da poco tornato dalla guerra, non ha trovato il suo posto in una società profondamente cambiata e ormai privata di quegli uomini che la rendevano vivibile e bella, morti in guerra e ormai sepolti. Penderel ogni tanto è preso da momenti di acuta depressione, o meglio da un senso di vuoto incolmabile: «uno stato d'animo ricorrente, che toglieva tutto il colore dalla vita e riempiva la bocca di cenere». Vediamo bene che lo stato d'animo di tutti quelli che si trovano nella casa non è dei più rosei e necessariamente le stranezze degli abitanti e della casa stessa finiscono per avere il sopravvento.
Non me la sento di dire molto di più sulla trama, è un libro molto breve (appena 182 pagine) e succedono diverse cose che sarebbe peccato svelare, anche se, oltre agli avvenimenti, a farla da padrona è l'atmosfera di sospetto, menzogna, non detto, oppressione.
Il romanzo mi è piaciuto enormemente e cercherò altri libri di Priestley. Chiaramente, giova ripeterlo, per apprezzare questo libro è necessario ricordarsi ad ogni pagina che è stato scritto quasi cent'anni fa, altrimenti si finirà per essere sopraffatti da quelli che al giorno d'oggi sono ormai cliché. Se siete in grado di fare questo, ve lo consiglio moltissimo, in particolare se siete amanti del genere.
Valancourt Books è una casa editrice americana che mi piace tantissimo e che ho scoperto grazie a Goodreads. In particolare si dedica a riscoprire classici dimenticati della letteratura horror, weird, gotica e vittoriana, ma pubblica anche libri a tematica LGBT. Se vi iscrivete alla loro newsletter potrete scoprire non solo le ultime novità, ma anche quale/i ebook mettono in promozione su Amazon ogni mese. A settembre trovate questo libro a 3 euro e vi consiglio di farci un pensierino. Quando ho letto la trama mi ha subito incuriosito e non ho potuto fare a meno di comprarlo e leggerlo subito.
Il filone a cui si ascrive questo libro non è tanto quello delle case infestate (haunted houses), quanto quello delle case sinistre che, come mi insegna la prefazione, era all'epoca un genere a sé, chiamato "old dark house". Non ci sono strane presenze, ma è proprio la casa in sé, e in particolare i suoi abitanti, ad essere sinistra. Un aggettivo che ricorre spesso nel corso del libro è "putrido": l'atmosfera della casa è descritta come putrida, a un certo punto si dice che uno dei personaggi sembra qualcosa in putrefazione. Naturalmente non bisogna prendere alla lettera questa aggettivazione: non stiamo parlando dell'aria che si respira in senso letterale, ma in senso lato. Un'atmosfera, una sensazione.
Il romanzo potrebbe sembrare ai nostri occhi pieno di cliché, ma dobbiamo ricordarci che è stato scritto quasi cento anni fa, nel 1927. All'epoca, si dice nella prefazione, questo della "old dark house" era un filone molto in voga, ma sicuramente (secondo me) era comunque un filone più "fresco" di quanto non sia adesso, quando ormai il cinema e la letteratura ci hanno abituato fino allo sfinimento alle case sinistre.
L'inizio del libro mi ha ricordato molto The Rocky Horror Picture Show, che infatti viene anche citato nella prefazione come una parodia del genere. Tre persone (marito e moglie più un loro amico) si sono perse nella campagna del Galles, sotto una pioggia torrenziale che arriva ad essere un'alluvione e a causare frane insuperabili. A un certo punto vedono le luci di una casa e, come nella migliore tradizione horror, ingenuamente decidono di chiedere riparo per la notte. Non vengono accolti bene dai tre abitanti della casa. Il maggiordomo o servitore o quel che è, Morgan, è un uomo muto e bestiale che mi ha ricordato molto il mostro di Frankenstein, e non sembra neppure capire cosa vogliano quegli estranei. Il signor Femm li accoglie in maniera estremamente riluttante, ma la sorella, Rebecca Femm, una vecchia quasi sorda, grassa e infernale nella sua mania religiosa, dice che i tre non possono restare. Tuttavia finiranno per restare.
L'atmosfera è sinistra, opprimente, gli inquilini della casa sono stranissimi ognuno a suo modo, e chiaramente nascondono qualcosa. I tre sfortunati protagonisti sono a loro volta bizzarri, in particolare Penderel, l'amico della coppia: da poco tornato dalla guerra, non ha trovato il suo posto in una società profondamente cambiata e ormai privata di quegli uomini che la rendevano vivibile e bella, morti in guerra e ormai sepolti. Penderel ogni tanto è preso da momenti di acuta depressione, o meglio da un senso di vuoto incolmabile: «uno stato d'animo ricorrente, che toglieva tutto il colore dalla vita e riempiva la bocca di cenere». Vediamo bene che lo stato d'animo di tutti quelli che si trovano nella casa non è dei più rosei e necessariamente le stranezze degli abitanti e della casa stessa finiscono per avere il sopravvento.
Non me la sento di dire molto di più sulla trama, è un libro molto breve (appena 182 pagine) e succedono diverse cose che sarebbe peccato svelare, anche se, oltre agli avvenimenti, a farla da padrona è l'atmosfera di sospetto, menzogna, non detto, oppressione.
Il romanzo mi è piaciuto enormemente e cercherò altri libri di Priestley. Chiaramente, giova ripeterlo, per apprezzare questo libro è necessario ricordarsi ad ogni pagina che è stato scritto quasi cent'anni fa, altrimenti si finirà per essere sopraffatti da quelli che al giorno d'oggi sono ormai cliché. Se siete in grado di fare questo, ve lo consiglio moltissimo, in particolare se siete amanti del genere.
January 10, 2016
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.
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.
August 10, 2021
This was Priestley’s second of his almost thirty novels, published in 1927, and arguably, the most famous of them - because we all know the scenario, it’s been used in short stories, novels, and so many movies since…
A torrential rainstorm, roads impassable due to flooding and landslides, a car breakdown, three terrified travellers trapped by the storm, and an old gated house in the middle of nowhere to ask for shelter in. And what’s more, it’s set in the Snowdonia mountains of Wales.
Despite the fact that for much of the middle of the novel nothing much happens other than talk about the weather, this is a whole pile of fun.
The beginning is the novel’s strength. That large middle section could be shorter, but there is some good humour dotted about. Though the ending is predictable, it is nonetheless exciting to read.
It’s been made into a movie twice, in 1932 and 1963, as The Old Dark House. The first features the great Boris Karloff, the second the also great Robert Morley, as well as Fenella Fielding and Joyce Grenfell. By the sounds of it, the second was played more for laughs, but I will try and catch both.
A torrential rainstorm, roads impassable due to flooding and landslides, a car breakdown, three terrified travellers trapped by the storm, and an old gated house in the middle of nowhere to ask for shelter in. And what’s more, it’s set in the Snowdonia mountains of Wales.
Despite the fact that for much of the middle of the novel nothing much happens other than talk about the weather, this is a whole pile of fun.
The beginning is the novel’s strength. That large middle section could be shorter, but there is some good humour dotted about. Though the ending is predictable, it is nonetheless exciting to read.
It’s been made into a movie twice, in 1932 and 1963, as The Old Dark House. The first features the great Boris Karloff, the second the also great Robert Morley, as well as Fenella Fielding and Joyce Grenfell. By the sounds of it, the second was played more for laughs, but I will try and catch both.
May 21, 2013
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 had played out, that bit alone would have been a fairly standard modern horror movie except so many people survived).
Lovely writing, characters I liked, tension, creepiness, hope, sorrow. What's not to like?
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 had played out, that bit alone would have been a fairly standard modern horror movie except so many people survived).
Lovely writing, characters I liked, tension, creepiness, hope, sorrow. What's not to like?
August 8, 2024
Ever since I read An Inspector Calls for GCSE English, I'd wanted to read more by J.B. Priestley. After seeing a couple of reviews of Benighted, I decided it would be a good place to start.
On a stormy night, a married couple and their bachelor friend arrive at a decidedly spooky house in need of shelter after experiencing landslides and floods. The Femm family who own the house are obnoxious and strange. They all seem slightly on edge, as if they're hiding something.
The characters were interesting, but I wish the book were longer so the reader could get to know them better. The Femm's were very creepy, probably because the reader knows so little about them.
The tension really ramps up in the last forty pages, and the pacing keeps the story interesting.
I love Priestley's writing style, and I love how unpredictable this book was. I really didn't know what to expect, which is probably the best way to experience any work of fiction.
This is wonderful writing and a tense, gothic story.
On a stormy night, a married couple and their bachelor friend arrive at a decidedly spooky house in need of shelter after experiencing landslides and floods. The Femm family who own the house are obnoxious and strange. They all seem slightly on edge, as if they're hiding something.
The characters were interesting, but I wish the book were longer so the reader could get to know them better. The Femm's were very creepy, probably because the reader knows so little about them.
The tension really ramps up in the last forty pages, and the pacing keeps the story interesting.
I love Priestley's writing style, and I love how unpredictable this book was. I really didn't know what to expect, which is probably the best way to experience any work of fiction.
This is wonderful writing and a tense, gothic story.
June 4, 2024
Gothic novel that was the basis for the 1932 movie The Old Dark House.
November 1, 2025
Priestley is een meester in sfeerschepping en naar het einde toe werd het nog eens echt spannend ook: goed boek voor de tijd van het jaar!
August 22, 2013
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.
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.
December 1, 2017
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:
May 9, 2020
A wonderfully atmospheric read.
You could feel the rain, the damp and the claustrophobic darkness of the Old Dark House!
A brilliant book!
You could feel the rain, the damp and the claustrophobic darkness of the Old Dark House!
A brilliant book!
March 15, 2023
This novel displays an author who is a master at writing about things that go bump-in-the-night by depicting an appropriately desolate macabre setting with a theme of a group of people thrown together in an eerie, haunted old mansion that they cannot leave because of a terrible storm raging outside. A setting which since this novel was written in 1927 has been imitated so often both in books and moves as to become one of the great clichés of mystery novels.
August 7, 2018
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.
October 25, 2020
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.
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.
December 14, 2025
3.5⭐️
An extra half a ⭐️ for sheer gothickyness and importance to the stranded travellers-foreboding dark house trope.
An extra half a ⭐️ for sheer gothickyness and importance to the stranded travellers-foreboding dark house trope.
March 14, 2020
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 parable exploring the collapse of the British gentry with a dash of the rise of the lower and middle classes (with the lower classes making the greatest sacrifices.)
Now, mood happens and happens well. But there is a lack of events – there’s a synopsis of what actually happened in Chapter 14 that sucks all the tension out by showing how thin the menace actually was. There’s an awful lot of page-count spent on philosophy and shopgirl romance, none of which contribute to the tension and cause the middle to drag. Also, Chapter 14 was a decision – portraying the climax from the perspective of the two girls locked up in a separate room for their own good might be forgivable in a film, but I am struggling to find a good reason in a book. Also their handwringing made me desiring a feminist take on this whole chapter and the decisions that were made. The saggy middle knocked off a star for me, and Chapter 14 knocked off another. Chapter 15 was the unsatisfying denouement and conclusion.
While the book is—for the most part—a nicely crafted gothic, I have to give the edge to the film. The movie adaptation does an excellent job of portraying all the character development in the book, while keeping the pacing snappy and tension high. Quite an accomplishment to do everything effective in a more compact space.
Priestley again delivers a parable exploring the collapse of the British gentry with a dash of the rise of the lower and middle classes (with the lower classes making the greatest sacrifices.)
Now, mood happens and happens well. But there is a lack of events – there’s a synopsis of what actually happened in Chapter 14 that sucks all the tension out by showing how thin the menace actually was. There’s an awful lot of page-count spent on philosophy and shopgirl romance, none of which contribute to the tension and cause the middle to drag. Also, Chapter 14 was a decision – portraying the climax from the perspective of the two girls locked up in a separate room for their own good might be forgivable in a film, but I am struggling to find a good reason in a book. Also their handwringing made me desiring a feminist take on this whole chapter and the decisions that were made. The saggy middle knocked off a star for me, and Chapter 14 knocked off another. Chapter 15 was the unsatisfying denouement and conclusion.
While the book is—for the most part—a nicely crafted gothic, I have to give the edge to the film. The movie adaptation does an excellent job of portraying all the character development in the book, while keeping the pacing snappy and tension high. Quite an accomplishment to do everything effective in a more compact space.
November 26, 2018
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'd never hope to meet. Little do they realize that it will be a severe test of their mental and physical fortitude just to survive the night.
Priestley excelled in his depiction of the ancient house and its inhabitants. There is a decided scare factor when reading about them that I enjoyed. Where the book fell flat for me was in the amount of time it spent inside each of the stranded characters' heads. I can see what Priestley was trying to do: the house had such an effect on these people that their attitudes began to change about what they wanted from their lives, but it was just too much-- especially since I didn't particularly like any of them in the first place. By book's end, there's also a question I'd dearly love to have answered, a question that Priestley really didn't want readers to ask.
Benighted gave me a glimpse of Priestley's talent, but it failed to hit the bulls-eye.
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