Happiness and Misadventures

Book Review: Damnable Tales

Last year, one of the Christmas gifts I’ve received was Damnable Tales, a collection of horror short stories based on British folklore.

I can’t tell it in other ways: I. LOVE. IT.

Since when I started writing, I’ve started making research on folklore. Needless to say, this one in particular is the most renowned because of the mixture among Celts, Romans, Christians,… and the previous inhabitants, sadly obscure. What we know about them is what they left: barrows, chromlechs (the stone circles as Stonehenge), mystical burial mounds, and some traditions we can’t truly understand.

I still have to read one or two tales from the book, but at least 80% of the content is pure gold if you, as me, like the English countryside. Lush soft hills, misty trails on rock cliffs, scattered farmhouses, stone cottages,… They all are in those pages, and they are particularly valuable because they are from writers from XIX and XX centuries: they feel genuine. There are also some big names as Algernon Blackwood!

The topics vary from ancient gods, fairies, monsters, ghosts, witches, curses,… Almost always supernatural, and super-entertaining. Also, there are lots of references of the famous fire rituals I’ve written about on Godsip Club.

What I love most, though, is the feeling you get while reading: if you’ve been in the the British countryside for a few days, you’ll feel familiar sensations. So, if you can relate, make yourself a gift and get this book – one of the best, unexpected gifts I had.

A photograph of the book cover taken in a green park, with trees and blue sky in the background

🎮 Played a bit with Tunic, seems cute and nice

🎧 Ufomammut’s new album ❤️

📖 …I think you guessed it


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