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The White People and Other Weird Stories (Penguin Classics) Kindle Edition

by Arthur Machen (Author), S. T. Joshi (Editor, Introduction), Guillermo del Toro (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 147 ratings
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Classic tales of the fantastic, creepy and weird, with a foreword from the award-winning director of The Shape of Water Guillermo Del Toro 

Machen's weird tales of the creepy and fantastic finally come to Penguin Classics. With an introduction from S.T. Joshi, editor of American Supernatural Tales, The White People and Other Weird Stories is the perfect introduction to the father of weird fiction. The title story "The White People" is an exercise in the bizarre leaving the reader disoriented and on edge. From the first page, Machen turns even fundamental truths upside-down, as his character Ambrose explains, "there have been those who have sounded the very depths of sin, who all their lives have never done an 'ill deed'" setting the stage for a tale entirely without logic.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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  1. Print length
    420 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Penguin Classics
  5. Publication date
    September 27, 2011
  6. Reading age
    18 years and up
  7. Grade level
    12 and up
  8. File size
    1166 KB
  9. Page Flip
    Enabled
  10. Word Wise
    Enabled
  11. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  12. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005ERIK2Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Classics (September 27, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 27, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1166 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 420 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 147 ratings

About the author

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Arthur Machen

Arthur Machen

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Discover the masterful storytelling of one of the most influential horror and fantasy writers of the 20th century - Arthur Machen.

In this collection of Machen's most renowned works, readers will be transported to eerie, otherworldly landscapes where ancient legends and occult forces come to life. From the spine-tingling horror of "The Great God Pan" to the dreamlike fantasy of "The White People," Machen's tales are sure to delight fans of the supernatural, the weird, and the macabre.

This book includes some of Machen's most beloved stories, such as "The Red Hand," "The Hill of Dreams," and "The Novel of the Black Seal," as well as lesser-known gems that are sure to become favorites. Whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer to Machen's work, this collection is a must-read for anyone who loves spine-tingling tales of horror and the supernatural.

So come explore the strange and fascinating world of Arthur Machen, and see why his influence can be felt in the works of such writers as H.P. Lovecraft, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen King.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
147 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reinold F.
5.0 out of 5 stars A dark fantasy.
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
Is inevitable to think in Murakami's 1Q84: strange "people" from secret worlds invading the reality of those able to see the former or get captured in the latter. Of course both are different books.
The story opens with a conversation about pure good and pure evil with a mad man. Then we read the memories of a special person that since a baby has been contacted by mysterious beings... she is one of the few that can connect to a powerful, but banishing in oblivion, world. The journey we witness is surreal and unique, is like falling in madness along the protagonist.
5 people found this helpful
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J is the Name
3.0 out of 5 stars Was looking for Weird Lit and found it
Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2024
Verified Purchase
though it was not quite what I was expecting. I was lead to believe it would be more horror adjacent. It is not. I think I would have to read it again to fully grasp what I’ve just read but I don’t think I’d want to, sadly. 3 stars.
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Pumpjack
4.0 out of 5 stars “Sorcery and Sanctity … these are the only realities.”
Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
I read The White People, by Arthur Machen in advance of Halloween, trying to get in the mood for the macabre. It was a good choice. The White People, a short story, was first published in 1904, and Machen crammed a lot of creepy into the 50 or so pages.

It’s an odd set up. Two men are discussing the nature of good and evil, and one of them tells the other about the “Green Book,” a diary purportedly written by a young girl as she wandered deeper into an occult world of strange creatures, forgotten races, eerie rituals and witchcraft. We, the readers, are then able to read directly from the diary.

The power of the story lies in tension between the rich, terrifying supernatural world hidden just beneath the surface of everyday life — revealed to the young girl by her nurse who is familiar with all the old legends — and the childish, wonder and naiveté of the diarist as she is drawn deeper and into the world of the White People. The almost casual, earnest descriptions of the scenes of wonder revealed to her are especially unnerving.

“But I made up my mind I would try again, so I went to the wood where the pool was, where I saw the white people, and I tried again. The dark nymph, Alanna, came, and she turned the pool of water into a pool of fire…”

Machen is a Welsh writer, and ably brings to life the legends and magic of Wales dating back hundreds of years. It’s an era I enjoy, not the least because the thought of a world behind this world is so appealing.

It was a fun, unsettling read and I enjoyed it enough to purchase another one of his books, the Great God Pan.
8 people found this helpful
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virgil barton
5.0 out of 5 stars The Nature of Unnatutal Evil
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2016
Verified Purchase
It's my thing, admittedly .
It's not for everyone.
especially if you aremore accustomed to the popular fiction today.

It's ironic, somewhat misleading, as in the theme is not quite what the reader is led to believe.
3 people found this helpful
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John Rinaldi
3.0 out of 5 stars If I only knew then...
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
Story – 3.0 Stars

The White People by Arthur Machen may have been something else 110 years ago but, then again, so were airplanes. The only reason I’m happy I listened to this story is that it’s over with.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled by stronger stuff but I so no reason why this story is referred to as something to be referred to!

Recommendation – if I only knew then what I know now…
3 people found this helpful
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Katherine Daley-Bailey
4.0 out of 5 stars Bizarre if slow moving mysteries
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2018
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I can definitely see how this author influenced Lovecraft. The story the Terror especially has a haunted feel. Enjoyable read.
3 people found this helpful
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Spyros Drivas
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2014
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This book is fantastic it gives you a great example of his writing skills and the stories will blow you away anyone who loves suspense horror and action will love the stories.
8 people found this helpful
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Frank C. McNerney
2.0 out of 5 stars THE STORY.
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2018
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I KEEPED READING HOPING IT WOULD GET BETTER. IT DID"ENT.I JUST LEARNED NEVER GO BY THE TITLE....
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Sol
3.0 out of 5 stars Inquietante
Reviewed in Spain on January 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
Si no te gustan las historias de miedo, no es una lectura agradable (ese fue mi caso), sin embargo si disfrutas con viejas leyendas de espíritus malignos y supersticiones es un libro ideal.
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EdinburghMayhem
2.0 out of 5 stars Short story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2018
Verified Purchase
I was a bit disappointed by this book. Very Victorian in its writing but lacking in horror and a tad boring.
One person found this helpful
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