![]() In Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows" (1907) the first person narrator and his friend are canoeing down the Danube through Eastern Europe when they camp on a sandy island in a vast marshy region populated by innumerable willows. It's this clever technique that hooks the audience and makes this a story just as good today, as the day it was written. ![]() ![]() You'll question if the narrator is reliable or perhaps under some other world influence. Through the first person narrative we are not only told the story but unease sets in. It's at this point that the author brings his real talents to bear. After the river floods, the pair find themselves riding along on a raging torrent and have to draw up the canoe on an island in mid-stream. It's supposed to be a relaxing holiday.Īlas for them it does not remain that way. Stopping in towns they pass to pick up and food, and pitching a tent wherever they choose to stop for the night. The story follows two friends who are on a simple, relaxing canoe trip down the Danube. It's not blood and gore based horror, but rather a story that works on the mind. Although his writings do not focus on horror, he has in this case created an outstanding work in that genre. Algernon Blackwood is probably best known for this story and another classic "The Wendigo". ![]() It is today, just as creepy and unnerving as it was in its own time. This story written in 1907 has stood the test of time. FNH Audio presents a full reading of The Willows by Algernon Blackwood. ![]()
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