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The Library of Death
The Library of Death begins at a leisurely pace, and a tone that seems to set the stage for a light romance. But then Ronald S.L. Harding deftly builds the mystery and from the moment we learn of the legend of a headless spectre that purportedly stalks the grounds and rumors of hereditary vampirism the novel undergoes another transformation with the light tone of the early chapters forgotten as horror is piled upon horror . . . So says John Pelan's introduction to this 1938 horror classic.
- GenresHorror
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 15, 2021
I simply can't think of a better kind of book for reading during a thunderstorm or on a Halloween eve. "The Library of Death" is a classic whodunit mystery in an old dark house with a supernatural twist of vampirism and a headless and armless ghost. And it all takes place on a dark and stormy night. How cliché, and how fun!
An unscrupulous baron tries to write his ward out of his will, because she has spurned his love for the attentions of his handsome secretary. But the next morning, the baron is found with his head blown off by a shotgun in his study, his hand still clutching an ancient manuscript that tells of a family curse that revives those in his line who have died from suicide or violence as the undead. His lawyer begs to have the body pinned through the heart with a stake, but the Scotland Yard detective won't hear of such nonsense, and refuses to let any potential suspect leave the old mansion. What follows could have made a great classic horror film.
In fact, the writing feels more like a movie script than a genuine novel, heavy with dialogue with the narrative primarily to indicate a character's description or action in a scene. The prose is therefore very pedestrian and easy for anyone to read in one night. That is not to say the writing and story are not thoroughly enjoyable. I do caution you to remember this was written in the 1930s, with all the awkward offhand racist and sexist comments that come with the times, though thankfully there is very little of that kind of thing here. The focus is purely on pop-culture romance and chills.
This book is sure to be a cozy delight for classic horror and mystery fans, and one you have been sure to miss, as it was a limited release at the time of original publication, and there are hardly any extant copies left. Thankfully, after years of being out of print, it is back as a trade paperback, so pick up a copy and your favorite beverage and enjoy.
An unscrupulous baron tries to write his ward out of his will, because she has spurned his love for the attentions of his handsome secretary. But the next morning, the baron is found with his head blown off by a shotgun in his study, his hand still clutching an ancient manuscript that tells of a family curse that revives those in his line who have died from suicide or violence as the undead. His lawyer begs to have the body pinned through the heart with a stake, but the Scotland Yard detective won't hear of such nonsense, and refuses to let any potential suspect leave the old mansion. What follows could have made a great classic horror film.
In fact, the writing feels more like a movie script than a genuine novel, heavy with dialogue with the narrative primarily to indicate a character's description or action in a scene. The prose is therefore very pedestrian and easy for anyone to read in one night. That is not to say the writing and story are not thoroughly enjoyable. I do caution you to remember this was written in the 1930s, with all the awkward offhand racist and sexist comments that come with the times, though thankfully there is very little of that kind of thing here. The focus is purely on pop-culture romance and chills.
This book is sure to be a cozy delight for classic horror and mystery fans, and one you have been sure to miss, as it was a limited release at the time of original publication, and there are hardly any extant copies left. Thankfully, after years of being out of print, it is back as a trade paperback, so pick up a copy and your favorite beverage and enjoy.
October 4, 2022
A classic Weird Terror novel.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews