A Prisoner in Fairyland

A Prisoner in Fairyland (1913) is a novel by Algernon Blackwood. Having already established himself as a promising short story writer, Blackwood began publishing novels at the age of 40. A lifelong occultist, Blackwood was interested in the fine line between the human and spiritual realms, often incorporating supernatural elements into his work. A Prisoner in Fairyland is a story of a wealthy retiree's return to the wonderful imaginative world of his youth. Hoping to spend the rest of his life in service of others, he gets the old Starlight Express up and running again. "For, from boyhood up, a single big ambition had ever thundered through his being-the desire to be of use to others. To help his fellow-kind was to be his profession and career." Henry Rogers has always been a dreamer. On the brink of retirement, he plans to use his carefully accumulated wealth to fulfill his philanthropic destiny. Initially unsure of the shape of his charitable contribution to society, a trip to his childhood home changes everything. There, he finds the old train carriage where he would spend days at a time immersed in a world of fantasy and adventure. Back on the Starlight Express, Rogers plans to take deserving passengers to the wondrous realm of Fairyland. He soon discovers, however, that his impassioned beliefs-however well-intentioned-risk condemnation and persecution from those whose investments on Earth prevent them from indulging in imaginative excursions into the unknown. A Prisoner in Fairyland is a story for children and adults alike, a novel that poses timeless questions regarding the nature of our existence, both upon earth and beyond. This edition of Algernon Blackwood's A Prisoner in Fairyland is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.
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About the author

English born in 1869, Algernon Blackwood, a journalist and broadcast narrator, was one of the most prolific writers of ghost stories in the history of the genre. His short story collection Incredible Adventures (1914) is categorized by paranormal buffs as "weird fiction" but many of his stories belong to the Gothic genre where he mixes elements of horror and romance. A Haunted Island, The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary in New York, and Skeleton Lake: An Episode in Camp are enough to send shivers down your spine! Blackwood's stories typically induce a sense of awe, rather than horror. As quoted in Peter Penzoldt's The Supernatural in Fiction (1952) Blackwood sums up his writing this way: My fundamental interest, I suppose, is signs and proofs of other powers that lie hidden in us all; the extension, in other words, of human faculty. So many of my stories, therefore, deal with extension of consciousness; speculative and imaginative treatment of possibilities outside our normal range of consciousness. ... Also, all that happens in our universe is natural; under Law; but an extension of our so limited normal consciousness can reveal new, extra-ordinary powers etc., and the word "supernatural" seems the best word for treating these in fiction. I believe it possible for our consciousness to change and grow, and that with this change we may become aware of a new universe. Gothic and horror fans will wish to read The Willows (1907), one of Blackwood's most famous short stories (it's a long short story, and I have categorized it under the Novella rather than Short Story section). The Wendigo is his other famous classic. It's based on a creature from Algonquian folk myth, it was written after Blackwood returned from a remote hunting trip in Canada. I also adore his short story, The Olive. This story is more about chance, circumstance and what might be made of them than it is about anything supernatural. It is highly recommended. Blackwood passed away in December 1951, after suffering a series of strokes.

Summary

A Prisoner in Fairyland (1913) is a novel by Algernon Blackwood. Having already established himself as a promising short story writer, Blackwood began publishing novels at the age of 40. A lifelong occultist, Blackwood was interested in the fine line between the human and spiritual realms, often incorporating supernatural elements into his work. A Prisoner in Fairyland is a story of a wealthy retiree’s return to the wonderful imaginative world of his youth. Hoping to spend the rest of his life in service of others, he gets the old Starlight Express up and running again. “For, from boyhood up, a single big ambition had ever thundered through his being—the desire to be of use to others. To help his fellow-kind was to be his profession and career.” Henry Rogers has always been a dreamer. On the brink of retirement, he plans to use his carefully accumulated wealth to fulfill his philanthropic destiny. Initially unsure of the shape of his charitable contribution to society, a trip to his childhood home changes everything. There, he finds the old train carriage where he would spend days at a time immersed in a world of fantasy and adventure. Back on the Starlight Express, Rogers plans to take deserving passengers to the wondrous realm of Fairyland. He soon discovers, however, that his impassioned beliefs—however well-intentioned—risk condemnation and persecution from those whose investments on Earth prevent them from indulging in imaginative excursions into the unknown. A Prisoner in Fairyland is a story for children and adults alike, a novel that poses timeless questions regarding the nature of our existence, both upon earth and beyond. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Algernon Blackwood’s A Prisoner in Fairyland is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

Product details

• Authors: Algernon Blackwood, Blackwood Algernon
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 15.02.2022
• EAN: 9781513132440
• ISBN: 978-1-5131-3244-0
• No. of pages: 350
• Illustrations: Illustrationen, nicht spezifiziert
• Series: Mint Editions; Mint Editions—Fantasy and Fairytale; Mint Editions (Fantasy and Fairytale)
• Subjects: Fiction > Science fiction, fantasy; FICTION / Classics, FICTION / Magical Realism, Historical fantasy, Magical Realism, FICTION / World Literature / England / 20th Century, Classic fiction: general and literary