Book Cover of The White People

The White People

by Arthur Machen

A discussion between two men on the nature of evil leads one of them to reveal a mysterious Green Book he possesses. It is a young girl's diary, in which she describes in ingenuous, evocative prose her strange impressions of the countryside in which she lives as well as conversations with her nurse, who initiates her into a secret world of folklore and black magic. Throughout, the girl makes cryptic allusions to such topics as "nymphs", "Dôls", "voolas," "white, green, and scarlet ceremonies", "Aklo letters", the "Xu" and "Chian" languages, "Mao games", and a game called "Troy Town". The girl's tale gradually develops a mounting atmosphere of suspense, with suggestions of witchcraft, only to break off abruptly just at the point where a supreme revelation seems imminent. In a return to the frame story, the diary's custodian reveals that the girl's body was later found dead near a seemingly pagan statue in the woods. He adds that she had "poisoned herself—in time", making the analogy of a child finding the key to a locked medicine cabinet.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1890

Authors

Arthur Machen image

Arthur Machen

United Kingdom

Arthur Machen, pseudonym of Arthur Llewellyn Jones, Welsh novelist and essayist, a forerunner of 20th-century Gothic science fiction.    Machen’s work was deeply influenced b...

Books by Arthur Machen

Download eBooks

Unfortunately, no ebooks exist for this book, yet...

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 12 September 1896 Cover image

Black Cat Vol. 01 No. 12 September 1896 by Various

The Black Cat was a monthly literary magazine that published original short stories, often about uncanny or fantastical topics. Many of the magazine's...

Lady of the Barge Cover image

Lady of the Barge by W. W. Jacobs

''Lady of the Barge'' is a collection of short stories by W. W. Jacobs, known for their blend of humor and unsettling twists. The stories often featu...

The Wishing Well Cover image

The Wishing Well by Mildred A. Wirt Benson

In the quaint town of Willow Springs, a forgotten wishing well holds the key to secrets untold. Mildred Augustine Wirt Benson, renowned for her Nancy...

Gerrard Street Mystery and Other Weird Tales Cover image

Gerrard Street Mystery and Other Weird Tales by John Charles Dent

John Charles Dent, the author of the following remarkable stories, was born in Kendal, Westmorland, England, in 1841. His parents emigrated to Canada...

Studies of Death Cover image

Studies of Death by Count Stanislaus Eric Stenbock

It is a collection of seven short stories, first published in 1894. The stories are all set in the late 19th century, and they explore the themes of d...

Frankenstein oder der moderne Prometheus Cover image

Frankenstein oder der moderne Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Frankenstein oder Der moderne Prometheus erzählt die Geschichte des jungen Wissenschaftlers Victor Frankenstein, der ein menschliches Wesen aus Einzel...

Buffalo Bill Entrapped Cover image

Buffalo Bill Entrapped by Prentiss Ingraham

This novel, set in the American West, follows the exploits of Buffalo Bill, a renowned scout, who finds himself captured by a treacherous adversary. T...

The Phantom of the Opera Cover image

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

A masterly mix of romance, drama, mystery, suspense, love and jealousy, The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux will haunt you long after you've tur...

A Woman Of Yesterday Cover image

A Woman Of Yesterday by Caroline Atwater Mason

Anna is the daughter of a clergyman in a small town in Vermont. She is very happy with her lot. But when she goes to nurse a woman in the big city, sh...

Romance of the Forest Cover image

Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe

Published in 1791, "The Romance of the Forest" is a Gothic novel by Ann Radcliffe, a prominent figure in the genre. The story follows Adeline, a young...

Reviews for The White People

No reviews posted or approved, yet...