Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Penguin Classics (2013), 272 pages
Description
" Part of a new six-volume series of the best in classic horror, selected by award-winning director Guillermo del Toro. Filmmaker and longtime horror literature fan Guillermo del Toro serves as the curator for the Penguin Horror series, a new collection of classic tales and poems by masters of the genre. Included here are some of del Toro's favorites, from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Ray Russell's short story "Sardonicus," considered by Stephen King to be "perhaps the finest example of the modern Gothic ever written," to Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and stories by Ray Bradbury, Joyce Carol Oates, Ted Klein, and Robert E. Howard. Featuring original cover art by Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, these stunningly creepy deluxe hardcovers will be perfect additions to the shelves of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal aficionados everywhere. Haunted Castles Haunted Castles is the definitve, complete collection of Ray Russell's masterful Gothic horror stories, including the famously terrifying novella trio of "Sardonicus," "Sanguinarius," and "Sagittarius." The characters that sprawl through Haunted Castles are frightful to the core: the heartless monster holding two lovers in limbo; the beautiful dame journeying down a damned road toward depravity (with the help of an evil gypsy); the man who must wear his fatal crimes on his face in the form of an awful smile. Engrossing, grotesque, perverted, and completely entrancing, Russell's Gothic tales are the best kind of dreadful. "--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member veilofisis
Ray Russell’s Gothic work is absolutely the finest the latter half of the 20th Century has to offer in that genre. His tales are theatrical and atmospheric—remarkably macabre for all their sophistication and gloss. ‘Sardonicus,’ his most widely-known, is a grotesque and evocative
The stories collected in Haunted Castles are united principally by their Gothic thread and achieve a rare success: they are capable of standing as both cunningly original works in their own right and dramatic, effervescent pastiches of the likes of Poe, Walpole, or Wilde. They are bizarre at times, often disturbing, but never entirely revolting: they operate within a realm of shadow that Radcliffe would recognize, despite their excesses, utilizing the classically Gothic terror/horror distinction to underline moments of real dread; they are not ‘frightening,’ exactly (and much of the Gothic only seldom is), but they meander through musty corridors of unease with a charming sense of doom hanging about them like shrouds of stale smoke. Lovers of the twist ending are in for a real treat, too: each of these yarns ends with a decided jolt.
‘Sardonicus’ is the jewel in the crown. It is so utterly bizarre, though, that attempting to sketch any details of the plot would only rob it of its peculiar power—so I won’t try. It is certainly the most typically ‘Gothic’ of all of Russell’s work, but only because it exploits the familiar motifs with the greatest loyalty to its inspirations: and yet despite its use of the oft-encountered trappings of the Gothic school, it is a clever and nuanced story and cannot be classified as derivative despite its almost effortless appropriation of the old clichés. It manages to exist in a world that is both real and unreal, fleshed out and believable and yet absurd beyond reason; it carries off the kind of crepuscular and decadent atmosphere present in the finest of Poe’s work and yet is something entirely fresh: endlessly enchanting in its own dank and gloomy way.
Russell’s second most famous piece, ‘Sagittarius,’ is great fun, though it suffers from some serious flaws in its premise, and is probably most effective as an homage to its muses than as a stand-alone fiction. It is certainly full of mystery and imagination, but it needs polishing. Its twist (though we see it coming) is, however, one of the finest in the entire volume. Similar in style, ‘The Vendetta,’ ‘The Cage,’ and ‘The Runaway Lovers’ are feverishly macabre little gems that deserve a much wider audience than they have received: they are on par with ‘Sardonicus,’ though very different in their technique and trajectory. ‘Comet Wine’ is a wonderfully clever Faustian piece that builds slowly and still pays off despite a somewhat lackluster conclusion. ‘Sanguinarius’ is an exquisite and engrossing retelling of the Bathory horrors, at once erotic and entirely discomfiting, with a final twist so subtle and diabolical that I can almost promise it will catch any reader quite off his guard.
Several of the stories in Haunted Castles utilize shared characters and situations, particularly as framing devices through fictional correspondence; this adds further cohesiveness to the collection, which helps to present it not so much as a ‘collected’ work but as a whole that is, for the most part, greater than the sum of its parts: the presence of tales like ‘Sardonicus’ or ‘The Cage’ add legitimacy to the weaker stories and help to give them needed context. But any flaws in Russell’s work are minor and often attributable to personal taste; he is a master of his craft and a man of rare, if curious, talent. Like Jackson, Bowles, and Lovecraft, he has helped to define the darker regions of 20th Century American short fiction and has set a standard for the modern Gothic that will be exceedingly difficult to eclipse.
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masterpiece well-deserving its fame; it is featured here with two further novellas and four shorter pieces, ranging from the lurid to the cerebral and beyond.The stories collected in Haunted Castles are united principally by their Gothic thread and achieve a rare success: they are capable of standing as both cunningly original works in their own right and dramatic, effervescent pastiches of the likes of Poe, Walpole, or Wilde. They are bizarre at times, often disturbing, but never entirely revolting: they operate within a realm of shadow that Radcliffe would recognize, despite their excesses, utilizing the classically Gothic terror/horror distinction to underline moments of real dread; they are not ‘frightening,’ exactly (and much of the Gothic only seldom is), but they meander through musty corridors of unease with a charming sense of doom hanging about them like shrouds of stale smoke. Lovers of the twist ending are in for a real treat, too: each of these yarns ends with a decided jolt.
‘Sardonicus’ is the jewel in the crown. It is so utterly bizarre, though, that attempting to sketch any details of the plot would only rob it of its peculiar power—so I won’t try. It is certainly the most typically ‘Gothic’ of all of Russell’s work, but only because it exploits the familiar motifs with the greatest loyalty to its inspirations: and yet despite its use of the oft-encountered trappings of the Gothic school, it is a clever and nuanced story and cannot be classified as derivative despite its almost effortless appropriation of the old clichés. It manages to exist in a world that is both real and unreal, fleshed out and believable and yet absurd beyond reason; it carries off the kind of crepuscular and decadent atmosphere present in the finest of Poe’s work and yet is something entirely fresh: endlessly enchanting in its own dank and gloomy way.
Russell’s second most famous piece, ‘Sagittarius,’ is great fun, though it suffers from some serious flaws in its premise, and is probably most effective as an homage to its muses than as a stand-alone fiction. It is certainly full of mystery and imagination, but it needs polishing. Its twist (though we see it coming) is, however, one of the finest in the entire volume. Similar in style, ‘The Vendetta,’ ‘The Cage,’ and ‘The Runaway Lovers’ are feverishly macabre little gems that deserve a much wider audience than they have received: they are on par with ‘Sardonicus,’ though very different in their technique and trajectory. ‘Comet Wine’ is a wonderfully clever Faustian piece that builds slowly and still pays off despite a somewhat lackluster conclusion. ‘Sanguinarius’ is an exquisite and engrossing retelling of the Bathory horrors, at once erotic and entirely discomfiting, with a final twist so subtle and diabolical that I can almost promise it will catch any reader quite off his guard.
Several of the stories in Haunted Castles utilize shared characters and situations, particularly as framing devices through fictional correspondence; this adds further cohesiveness to the collection, which helps to present it not so much as a ‘collected’ work but as a whole that is, for the most part, greater than the sum of its parts: the presence of tales like ‘Sardonicus’ or ‘The Cage’ add legitimacy to the weaker stories and help to give them needed context. But any flaws in Russell’s work are minor and often attributable to personal taste; he is a master of his craft and a man of rare, if curious, talent. Like Jackson, Bowles, and Lovecraft, he has helped to define the darker regions of 20th Century American short fiction and has set a standard for the modern Gothic that will be exceedingly difficult to eclipse.
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LibraryThing member Nickidemus
The Basics
A collection of gothic-horror short stories as reissued by Penguin Books as part of their horror series. The most famous of which is “Sardonicus”, the tale of a man who cannot stop smiling. That sounds pleasant, but it’s a rictus smile, large and grotesque and frozen on his face. In
My Thoughts
Ray Russell. Anyone else never heard of this guy? I hadn’t, and I want to personally thank Penguin right here and now for putting this collection in with their horror series. Every other book was one I was entirely too familiar with, and it seemed more an exercise in recollecting favorite books for horror aficionados. Except for this one, which stood out for that reason. I had to see why Penguin deigned this good enough to dwell among the ranks of Lovecraft and Jackson and Shelley. And good thing I did.
I’ve never seen anyone in contemporary writing sound so downright old-school gothic. It was seamless. I could’ve been reading Poe or Lovecraft, as mentioned above. Only with even more envelope pushing, more of a modern sensibility, but not enough to interrupt that perfectly period voice.
As for the stories, this volume contains a very loose trilogy (“Sardonicus”, “Sagittarius”, and “Sanguinarius”), all of which were well worth the time. I say loosely because other than their titles sharing a theme, they’re all dark gothic stories with little else to connect them. Well, an argument could be made that they all had a similar tone and they all sought to create monsters similar to Mr. Hyde or Count Dracula to haunt us. And the other stories are equally worthy, though shorter, quicker jabs.
One thing I will say: you should be able to appreciate classic horror in some way if you’re going to approach this. Good and evil are black and white here. Many of the old tropes apply, like someone’s looks being proof of their character. The bad guys here are punished sinners. There are damsels to be rescued. Things like that. Things that might rub some readers the wrong way, but I found it charming, Pulpy. I have a real weakness for pulp.
It saddens me that Russell has been lost in the shuffle when it comes to horror. So much of his other work is out of print, and I’m hoping that Penguin will turn their eye that way again the next time they decide to expand their horror series.
Final Rating
5/5
A collection of gothic-horror short stories as reissued by Penguin Books as part of their horror series. The most famous of which is “Sardonicus”, the tale of a man who cannot stop smiling. That sounds pleasant, but it’s a rictus smile, large and grotesque and frozen on his face. In
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the tradition of Dracula, our innocent narrator is brought in to deal with this man’s complaint and finds something much darker than he wagered.My Thoughts
Ray Russell. Anyone else never heard of this guy? I hadn’t, and I want to personally thank Penguin right here and now for putting this collection in with their horror series. Every other book was one I was entirely too familiar with, and it seemed more an exercise in recollecting favorite books for horror aficionados. Except for this one, which stood out for that reason. I had to see why Penguin deigned this good enough to dwell among the ranks of Lovecraft and Jackson and Shelley. And good thing I did.
I’ve never seen anyone in contemporary writing sound so downright old-school gothic. It was seamless. I could’ve been reading Poe or Lovecraft, as mentioned above. Only with even more envelope pushing, more of a modern sensibility, but not enough to interrupt that perfectly period voice.
As for the stories, this volume contains a very loose trilogy (“Sardonicus”, “Sagittarius”, and “Sanguinarius”), all of which were well worth the time. I say loosely because other than their titles sharing a theme, they’re all dark gothic stories with little else to connect them. Well, an argument could be made that they all had a similar tone and they all sought to create monsters similar to Mr. Hyde or Count Dracula to haunt us. And the other stories are equally worthy, though shorter, quicker jabs.
One thing I will say: you should be able to appreciate classic horror in some way if you’re going to approach this. Good and evil are black and white here. Many of the old tropes apply, like someone’s looks being proof of their character. The bad guys here are punished sinners. There are damsels to be rescued. Things like that. Things that might rub some readers the wrong way, but I found it charming, Pulpy. I have a real weakness for pulp.
It saddens me that Russell has been lost in the shuffle when it comes to horror. So much of his other work is out of print, and I’m hoping that Penguin will turn their eye that way again the next time they decide to expand their horror series.
Final Rating
5/5
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LibraryThing member pgmcc
This is an entertaining collection of stories, some set in medieval times and others set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As with many collections I found some to be better than others. There are three tales in the order of forty pages long and four of about ten pages each. I present
While I have some issues with a number of the stories they are all image rich and Russell has managed to create a world in my mind that transported me to the scenes involved.
Sardonicus
In the early parts of this story I felt the author was trying too hard to express himself in a fashion suitable to the period and also believed the story was too stereotypical or clichéd in how it engineered the conveyance of the main character to the remote castle where God knew what horrors were to befall him. My feelings abated however, when the villain of the piece told the story of a Polish family and the actions of the family’s youngest son. At that stage my interest was piqued and I was intrigued to find out what Russell had in store for me and how he was going to integrate the story of the family with the protagonist’s circumstances.
The rest of the story captured my imagination and it had many aspects that satisfied me. It explored motivation from many angles including rewards, both financial and of the flesh, and the cruelty of indirect threats towards an innocent victim. It provoked thoughts about the power of the mind while it used the mind to not only release the villain from a self created affliction but also had his mind punish him. Did the villain subconsciously punish himself from some sense of guilt for his crimes?
The twists in this story reminded me of the dénouement of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca with the reader left wondering whether justice was served and who was the victor and who the victim.
Sardonicus is the strongest story in the collection.
Sagittarius
This tale steps down a pace from the colourful imagery and fast pace of Sardonicus. We are allowed to eavesdrop on a conversation in a gentleman’s club between an elderly English lord and his much younger guest.
Lord Terry tells his young companion a tale and then discusses some issues that he pulls from the story and weaves a tapestry of thoughts that, if true, present a horrifying prospect. While the ending is very low key it does leave our young gentleman with food for thought and a sudden realisation that his host’s hypotheses could be credible.
I enjoyed this tale but was distracted by a few incongruities, such as the English lord referring to a policeman’s truncheon as a nightstick. This and a number of other word choices that immediately identify the story as having been written by an American detracting from the story’s verisimilitude. This is only likely to happen to a reader the eastern side of the Atlantic.
Sanguinarius
This story was too much of a pastiche for me to enjoy. Russell was too clever for his own good and while trying to use language that he obviously thought appropriate to the time setting of the tale he used language that was totally inappropriate for the geographic location of the events portrayed.
I do think, however, that Sanguinarius carries a very important message relating to the privilege enjoyed by the rich an powerful and how they can often be excused transgressions while less well off people have to suffer the full rigour of the law. Russell points out that he used historical details as the basis for his story. The message is, however, one that applies throughout history and is very applicable to the events involved in the recent global economic disaster caused by the banking system.
Comet Wine
I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy this story too much. I felt it was an excuse for the author to inform the reader how much he knew about Russian composers.
The Runaway Lovers
This tale was enjoyable. He painted his characters well and their interaction was credible. I believe the best horror is the horror created in one’s own mind and I think Russell did a very good job of demonstrating this point with The Runaway Lovers.
In addition, the conclusion of the story was a mystery up to the end. I know I had at least three possible endings in my mind as I read it.
The Vendetta
Another interesting and enjoyable tale but I think it could have followed the advice I read some time ago about where a short story should start, i.e. half way down the second page.
The Cage
This is probably my favourite story in the collection. It constructs a frightening predicament in a concise fashion and builds vivid images in the mind of the reader.
(For the sake of clarification I must point out that the author of this book was the American author and not Ray Russell, the British author who runs Tartarus Press.)
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comments on the stories below. (My comments deal with tone, message, language, etc… but not specific plot details. Don’t worry, there are no spoilers.)While I have some issues with a number of the stories they are all image rich and Russell has managed to create a world in my mind that transported me to the scenes involved.
Sardonicus
In the early parts of this story I felt the author was trying too hard to express himself in a fashion suitable to the period and also believed the story was too stereotypical or clichéd in how it engineered the conveyance of the main character to the remote castle where God knew what horrors were to befall him. My feelings abated however, when the villain of the piece told the story of a Polish family and the actions of the family’s youngest son. At that stage my interest was piqued and I was intrigued to find out what Russell had in store for me and how he was going to integrate the story of the family with the protagonist’s circumstances.
The rest of the story captured my imagination and it had many aspects that satisfied me. It explored motivation from many angles including rewards, both financial and of the flesh, and the cruelty of indirect threats towards an innocent victim. It provoked thoughts about the power of the mind while it used the mind to not only release the villain from a self created affliction but also had his mind punish him. Did the villain subconsciously punish himself from some sense of guilt for his crimes?
The twists in this story reminded me of the dénouement of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca with the reader left wondering whether justice was served and who was the victor and who the victim.
Sardonicus is the strongest story in the collection.
Sagittarius
This tale steps down a pace from the colourful imagery and fast pace of Sardonicus. We are allowed to eavesdrop on a conversation in a gentleman’s club between an elderly English lord and his much younger guest.
Lord Terry tells his young companion a tale and then discusses some issues that he pulls from the story and weaves a tapestry of thoughts that, if true, present a horrifying prospect. While the ending is very low key it does leave our young gentleman with food for thought and a sudden realisation that his host’s hypotheses could be credible.
I enjoyed this tale but was distracted by a few incongruities, such as the English lord referring to a policeman’s truncheon as a nightstick. This and a number of other word choices that immediately identify the story as having been written by an American detracting from the story’s verisimilitude. This is only likely to happen to a reader the eastern side of the Atlantic.
Sanguinarius
This story was too much of a pastiche for me to enjoy. Russell was too clever for his own good and while trying to use language that he obviously thought appropriate to the time setting of the tale he used language that was totally inappropriate for the geographic location of the events portrayed.
I do think, however, that Sanguinarius carries a very important message relating to the privilege enjoyed by the rich an powerful and how they can often be excused transgressions while less well off people have to suffer the full rigour of the law. Russell points out that he used historical details as the basis for his story. The message is, however, one that applies throughout history and is very applicable to the events involved in the recent global economic disaster caused by the banking system.
Comet Wine
I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy this story too much. I felt it was an excuse for the author to inform the reader how much he knew about Russian composers.
The Runaway Lovers
This tale was enjoyable. He painted his characters well and their interaction was credible. I believe the best horror is the horror created in one’s own mind and I think Russell did a very good job of demonstrating this point with The Runaway Lovers.
In addition, the conclusion of the story was a mystery up to the end. I know I had at least three possible endings in my mind as I read it.
The Vendetta
Another interesting and enjoyable tale but I think it could have followed the advice I read some time ago about where a short story should start, i.e. half way down the second page.
The Cage
This is probably my favourite story in the collection. It constructs a frightening predicament in a concise fashion and builds vivid images in the mind of the reader.
(For the sake of clarification I must point out that the author of this book was the American author and not Ray Russell, the British author who runs Tartarus Press.)
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LibraryThing member datrappert
Story-by-story review in progress
Sardonicus *****
Perfect, a masterpiece. Doctor travels to Bohemia at the behest of a woman he had a strong affection for some years earlier. But it is her husband, the title character, whose face is frozen into a horrible grin, who dominates the tale. His story and
Sagittarius
Sanguinarius
Comet Wine
The Runaway Lovers
The Vendetta
The Cage
Sardonicus *****
Perfect, a masterpiece. Doctor travels to Bohemia at the behest of a woman he had a strong affection for some years earlier. But it is her husband, the title character, whose face is frozen into a horrible grin, who dominates the tale. His story and
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his fate are not to be forgotten.Sagittarius
Sanguinarius
Comet Wine
The Runaway Lovers
The Vendetta
The Cage
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LibraryThing member Coach_of_Alva
Ray Russell wrote these modern Gothic tales in an entertaining literate style that gilded his sadism and perversity. I enjoyed them but I felt guilty about enjoying them.
LibraryThing member unclebob53703
I bought this book for the story "Sardonicus," which is the basis of a horror movie I saw as a boy and loved. It did not disappoint. That said, if I had to pick a word to describe these stories it would be "quaint," Not to say there aren't some horrors afoot, but the prose style is so mannered it
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sometimes seems like a dirty joke being told by a very pious person. Each story ends with a surprise twist, and though I was able to guess what it was several times, it generally made for a satisfying ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member williemeikle
I decided to revisit some Gothic melodrama for Halloween.
Firstly, this is a delightful new hardcover edition from Penguin's new series, but having Del Toro's intro be the same in them all is a definite cheat and a big let down.
But as for the stories themselves, Sardonicus retains its power even all
There is a streak of wicked humor throughout that is rarely seen these days, mixed equally with a cruel streak that some might find objectionable but which I thoroughly enjoyed.
It makes a nice addition to the shelves, sitting well alongside these other new Penguin additions. I hope there are more to come.
Firstly, this is a delightful new hardcover edition from Penguin's new series, but having Del Toro's intro be the same in them all is a definite cheat and a big let down.
But as for the stories themselves, Sardonicus retains its power even all
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these years later and is the highlight of the book. Sagittarius is also rather wonderful, and a fine unreliable narrator tale. The others I found to be lesser work, although Comet Wine has a nice alternate take on the Faust story.There is a streak of wicked humor throughout that is rarely seen these days, mixed equally with a cruel streak that some might find objectionable but which I thoroughly enjoyed.
It makes a nice addition to the shelves, sitting well alongside these other new Penguin additions. I hope there are more to come.
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LibraryThing member TobinElliott
I didn't mind the first book I'd read from Ray Russell, The Case Against Satan, and it's how the author landed on my radar. Well, that and the striking Penguin covers.
When I saw this one, to be honest, the title kind of put me off. Haunted castles? Meh.
Still, great cover, and an author I'd enjoyed.
The three novellas that open this collection, Sardonicus, Sagittarious, and Sanguinarious, are just a blast, with the second and third exploring the Jekyll and Hyde and Elizabeth Bathory myths.
The shorter stories that round out the collection bring back characters from the first of the novellas, and present some finely-wrought, gruesome little gothic horrors.
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the gothic horror story, but Russell has the writing chops and the ability to turn a wonderful phrase, and toss in a neat little twist right at the end, to make each one of the stories in this collection an absolute keeper. There isn't a stinker in the lot.
When I saw this one, to be honest, the title kind of put me off. Haunted castles? Meh.
Still, great cover, and an author I'd enjoyed.
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Sure, I'd give it a shot. Glad I did.The three novellas that open this collection, Sardonicus, Sagittarious, and Sanguinarious, are just a blast, with the second and third exploring the Jekyll and Hyde and Elizabeth Bathory myths.
The shorter stories that round out the collection bring back characters from the first of the novellas, and present some finely-wrought, gruesome little gothic horrors.
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the gothic horror story, but Russell has the writing chops and the ability to turn a wonderful phrase, and toss in a neat little twist right at the end, to make each one of the stories in this collection an absolute keeper. There isn't a stinker in the lot.
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LibraryThing member JBD1
A compilation of Russell's excellent creepy modern gothic short stories. Del Toro's foreword in the edition I read doesn't add much, but the stories themselves are delightfully dreadful.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2013-10-01
Physical description
272 p.; 8.5 inches
ISBN
0143124013 / 9780143124016