The William Hope Hodgson thread

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

And Lo! The Prodigious Hodgson thread!
He's the first writer I ever fell in love with.

william hope hodgson | A blog about the writer of THE NIGHT LAND and HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND
The Night Land - Home


Here's what I said on the Lovecraft/Octavia Butler thread

Quote Originally Posted by Robert Adam Gilmour

A book of Hodgson's complete poetry is coming out at the end of the year. I think I'm only missing a few poems but it'd be nice to have them all. I want to say something about The Night Land that people would probably advise I keep secret: I loved the romance parts with Mirdath/Nani. People tend to regard this as one of the most obnoxious parts but I found it really moving, infectious and it increased my appreciation of adorable cutesy petite girls by a hundred times. Reading him describe her is like listening to someone make high pitched squee sounds when they see something unbelievably cute. I love that and I feel like it changed my life in an odd way. There are sexist, prudish and annoying old soul-mate ideas wrapped up in the romance though. People often mention the attempt at archaic language being the main flaw but I don't know why more people don't recognise that the main flaw is how much he repeats himself and even acknowledges several times that he is repeating himself! He keeps going over his daily routines and reminding you about things in case you had forgotten. I would have liked more monsters too. I don't think there was quite enough. I haven't read the Dream Of X version yet but I have a feeling it won't contain everything good about the original.

The complete poetry book isn't coming out because of a lack of interest. I've just read the four main novels but I've got all the Night Shade collections, Lost Poetry, Voice Of The Ocean and the Wandering Soul biography. Aside from a few poems, I think that's everything.

James on the Lovecraft tribute anthologies thread in which I mentioned the 2 Night Land tribute anthologies and a Carnacki one.

Quote Originally Posted by James Sucellus

I wouldn't mind reading an anthology of tales set in Hodgson's The Night Land universe. I never knew a badly written book could be so amazing until I read that novel. And lo! I would be curious to see that setting tackled without the most preposterously repetitive prose I have encountered, as you will keep in mind. And lo! As you will keep in mind, it is a book that continues, as you will keep in mind, to live regularly within my imaginings, despite My Beloved Hodgson seeming to not realise he repeats himself so often, as you will keep in mind. And lo, as you will keep in mind, this book was awe inspiring to the highest degree, whilst pushing my patience as a reader beyond its uttermost limits in the second half, as you will keep in mind! And lo! And lo!

Quote Originally Posted by Robert Adam Gilmour

You mean the ones I listed on page 2?

Quote Originally Posted by James Sucellus

Aye, I remembered some had been referenced in this thread which was why I brought it up. I really do love The Night Land, despite how badly written it often is. If I didn't love it, I wouldn't even have finished it. Memories of the amazing descriptions of the Watchers or the House of Silence or the strange lights earlier in the book were all that got me through the giggling, flirting, whipping and compass checking madness later on. I could complain about it forever, and yet I struggle to think of a weird fiction novel I have ever found that involving. The meticulously chronicled tedium somehow made it hypnotic and therefore more involving. The repetition put me in a trance that made the awe sequences even more powerful. As a piece of literature it is often almost unbelievably hokey, but as a literary experience it is incredible.

Quote Originally Posted by Robert Adam Gilmour

I'm fairly sure I wouldn't miss the tedium and repetition. James Stoddard remade the book. This book would certainly benefit from a remake but I don't think I'd trust anyone's judgement to keep all the things I liked. While I acknowledge the unpleasant sexism, unlike most fans, I think the giggly cute love story parts is one of the best parts.

Quote Originally Posted by James Sucellus

I think in some way the very limited, small pool of repetitive language used over and over ('brooding', 'steadfast') actually helps show how useless it is when describing incomprehensible matters of the infinite with the blunt instrument of English. The second half of the book could stand substantial editing, but on revisiting the book, I didn't have much issue with the first half. It is the journey back when things become tough to read for me, though the book does pick up substantially once the House of Silence area is reached. I have been interested in purchasing the Stoddard vesion, but I am concerned that in the process of re-writing it many of my favourite parts will be made inferior as I do think chapter two in particular is very well executed. The romance adds a certain impetus to the story, and the escort mission aspect lends the novel suspense in the final half as it does feel like she could die, but it is really the worst written thing in the book. I find the sexism of the novel gross and the justification of violence against 'Mine Own' to be particularly awful. The foot fetish stuff is funny though, I guess. As I said before, it is a testament to how bold, brilliant and unique Hodgson's fiction was that that so many criminally bad elements can be overlooked in order to see its significant merit. The House on the Borderland and The Night Land are flawed masterpieces, but I'd take a flawed masterpiece over a book that is easier to read but merely copies what has been done many times before in an acceptable manner.