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The B&W photo of the elderly man is of course this month's author, Seabury Quinn. In the masthead can be found three of Virgil Finlay's six drawings that accompany the story. The color panels include a rare cover of a hard to find edition of the book, a Santa picture that was used in a Spanish translation, and the cover of the January 1938 Weird Tales issue Quinn's story featured in.
I have just finished this novella and loved it! My review of it is here, light spoilers at worst: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....I'm really proud of having nominated this story. I think any member of this group will enjoy it. Maybe even a few will love it as much as me!
I am going to read your review and maybe I will change my mind. I kept expecting some dark twist and for things to turn into something. This comes way too cloyingly close to the Soviet tales of Grandfather Lenin. Baby Jesus turns a Barbarian onto the path to Santaclausing. Maybe it's the acquired allergies to the Soviet like propaganda that ruin the learning experience for me here...
I read your review and I am surprised. I think this is the first time you evaluate something higher than I did. Did I overlook great writing once I typecast this in my mind?...
I always thought of Soviet propaganda as being literature that extolls the virtues of the hard-working farmer or tireless industrial factory worker who puts society and the needs of others above his own. Never complaining, patriotic, simple and forbearing in all things. At least that's the way the propaganda comes across in East German literature, which I've read more of (when I can find it translated) than Soviet literature, but always figured they were basically the same.I'm curious about what comes across as propagandistic to you in Quinn's work. I mean, it's not really proselytizing Christianity. I think overly serious Christians would detest the inclusion of Santa and Jesus in the same story. Is it maybe that he seems to be trying too hard to make barbarian life look unrealistically wonderful? If so, then I suspect you would not like any sword and sorcery novel. They all do glamorize the barbarian lifestyle, short as it may be. That's so ridiculous it's sort of fun to snicker at. Well, for me. Adolescent boys back in the day probably thought it was really cool. There's still a huge Howard following even here at GoodReads; here's a group devoted to that one long dead dude: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/....
The quality of the writing for me is mostly in Quinn's syntax, word choices, and tight, terse, masculine writing. Not that his sentences are short; he is no Hemingway. Quinn's word lengths are what's short. He's using the Anglo-Saxon side of English's word horde, with many of them less used words, rather than the Latin side of our language. This is an appealing (to me) and subtle aesthetic. I can maybe give half a dozen examples of some of his best prose, and why I think it is, later. Headed for bed now.
Thanks as always for sharing your impressions, Zina. I hope the reading wasn't a complete waste of your time.
It's the baby Jesus somehow. And the whole thing being a biblical story. I think I was just expecting something else. I forgot this discussion and only remembered that this book came via this group, and all of a sudden there is this detailed crucifixion thing and baby Jesus blessing Santa Claus.When I was very young, everything was about Grandfather Lenin. Like Baby Jesus. I will look at it again tomorrow I think.
Yeah most likely it is the fact I was surprised by this. Should have paid attention to your synopsis! Also I somehow mostly missed the sword and sorcery behind the morality tale of Baby Jesus tasking the warrior who saved him with the role of Santa.
Thanks for the clarification, Zina. I get it now.In my review I said two groups of people would dislike the story. I see that was too limiting. I need to add a third. I forgot about the group that won't like any portrayal of the Nativity if it's a sympathetic (with Christian religion) one, however sacrilegious devout Christians might find that portrayal to be. I need to update my review to include that third group.
Wow! We keep shrinking Quinn's audience, don't we? No wonder this story has so many low ratings. I begin to understand how that happened now.
You know, looking back, I reconsider though. I think my problem was more in being unprepared for it. I get your points about the more Germanic language. I was thinking about it and I think my original reaction lead me in the wrong direction. I typecast it in my mind, didn't like the type and reacted. I am by no means opposed to Christianity either. The story is actually quite good!
Would you care to join in the fun next month and find out? We have discussed good old Seabury previously in our group: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/.... Yet we have never formally read anything of his as a group. Until now!
This novella is only $2.99 as a Kindle file on Amazon, or if you're really economical (meaning cheap) I guess you could pull up the January 1938 issue of Weird Tales and read the unrevised version there. From what I understand, the Kindle version is the 1948 Arkham Press version, of which only 2,137 copies (why not 2,138 I wonder) were originally made, a collector's item to be sure. A 1948 copy will run you $56 and up, depending on condition. A facsimile reproduction of the 1948 book, complete with the Virgil Finlay illustrations of the time, can be had brand new for just $23. Me, I will Kindle it for $2.99.