Precious balms

Description

The pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria by of Alexandria Hero is a scientific treatise written in the ancient world. It likely explores the principles and applications of air, steam, and water pressure to create automata, fountains, siphons, and temple “miracles,” blending practical mechanics with wonder. The opening of this volume, however, is a wry, bibliophilic preface to a different kind of book: a limited-edition collection of Arthur Machen’s press notices. It begins with a limitation leaf and a playful letter apologizing for a joking prospectus line that Americans took literally, then lists contents for sections gathering reviews of his works. In the introduction, the author argues that only silence harms a writer, fondly savoring hostile critiques and recounting episodes where reviewers tried to damn or even efface him. The pages that follow sample early notices for “The Great God Pan” and “The Three Impostors” (largely scolding them as absurd, unscary, or derivative), then move into critiques of “Hieroglyphics” and “The House of Souls,” where reviewers dispute his “ecstasy” theory of literature and deride his occult tales—setting the tone for a sardonic anthology of criticism. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Subjects

• Machen, Arthur, 1863-1947 -- Criticism and interpretation
• PR