The Great God Pan and The Hill of Dreams

"The Great God Pan" is a classic horror tale, though pretty dated in its Victorian approach to sexuality. The Hill of Dreams is more interesting, an autobiographical tale of the dreams, frustrations and alienation of a sensitive young man and aspiring writer. Machen's introduction, where he details the sometimes frustrating process of creating the novel, is worth a read on its own.

Any lover of Lovecraft can clearly see the influence such stories as The Great God Pan by Welsh author Arthur Machen had on the style and content of Lovecraft's works, and for this reason it was an interesting read. However, the greater part of this book is taken up by the second story, The Hill of Dreams which, frankly, was tedious in the extreme with its long winded descriptions of rural Gwent, Victorian London and the inner wranglings of a boring protagonist.