Let me start by saying I am a big fan of Maugham, and have gotten great enjoyment from his work.

The Narrow Corner continues many of Maugham's themes from his much admired short stories, including sea voyages, 19th Century British imperialism and the need to find one's own path in the world, with a strong undercurrent of homosexuality which is presented more favorably than any of the heterosexual relationships in the book. More than most of his stories, it is easy to see Maugham himself in Dr. Saunders, the chief observer/storyteller. Dr. Saunders like Maugham had medical training in London at the end of the 19th century. Saunders is middle aged, nearing the end of a long and fruitful career where he reached the pinnacle of his chosen field. Saunders, also shows genuine affection for only one person, his long time Chinese houseboy, with whom he displays complete devotion, including a nightly opium session. The boy's motives may be more transactional, but Saunders (Maugham) clearly looks on the boy as his only true friend and partner in the world. It's also interesting to consider Maugham's take on the 2 young men, who build a strong and deep bond only to torn apart by a selfish young woman. In fact, all the women in the book are seriously flawed and manipulative. I found the overall plot line quite predictable, following many of Maugham's other novellas. The comic relief ending is visible from miles away to anyone who has seen TV sitcoms. The writing, however, is up to his usual high and eloquent standand, which make his stories such a joy to lose yourself in. Overall a enjoyable read, if not overly-enlightening.

Maugham writes about a British doctor who lives in the South Pacific. At the outset of this book, Dr. Saunders must travel to China to help out a wealthy man. Once there, he completes his task and must wait for a boat to take him back to his home. During the waiting process, he runs into a pair of traders, who offer to take him back part of the way. The traders, Captain Nichols, and his associate Fred Blake, are two very interesting characters who aren't what they seem to be. During their travels, Dr. Saunders learns more about the pair. Nichols is a scoundrel and has problems holding a job. Fred Blake, a young and handsome man, hides his past, but the reader is given clues that he had to flee from Sydney to avoid the authorities(which is later revealed). During a storm, the trio befriend fellow British people on a beautiful island. They learn some of the history and are introduced to Louise; a beautiful girl who is smitten by Blake. They have a one night fling, which causes the story's tension to begin -- Blake is haunted by his past and Louise's fiancée (who she loves, but not with her heart) commits suicide over the incident. Dr. Saunders is a spectator for the most part in this story. His life's philosophy is take what one can from life and learn to deal with it. He watches the various characters interact -- and Maugham does a great job with the characters. The writing is almost like Hemingway and the reader is drawn into the feeling of the South Pacific. The book is fairly deep -- with hints of Buddhism / Hinduism, karma, and detachment. The book was very slow to start (took about half way before any plot developed) but the writing hooked me and the ending was a gold mine.

Although this book was met with less than glowing reviews and is little known today, it probably best exemplifies the expresson, "That (It) was right out of Somerset Maugham." It has all the trappings that we think of when we think of Maugham. If there is a "Greeneland" (Graham Greene) then this novel is most assuredly, Maughamland. It takes place in the East Indies and has the string of colorful characters, an Opiem taking Doctor, A broken down sea captain and a women who finds herself liberated by the death of a man she is attached to. Probably Maugham's fifth most important novel, it is rather like taking many of his short story themes and elongating them into one novel. The lead character, Dr. Sanders finally resigns himself to a lazy mans view of Buddhist Non-atachment and it becomes a theme Maugham would explore more deeply in the "Razor's Edge." Like most of Maugham it is a alot of fun to read. Even, or maybe especially, today.

Prior to reading "And Afterward, the Dark", I had read a couple of Copper's horror novels and his treatise on vampires and was none too impressed. But it is clear that Copper excells in the short horror tale, writen in the tradition of the 19th century English tale of weird fiction, placed in a 20th century context.

While neither as subtle as Blackwood or Arthur Machen, nor as definitive in detail as Lovecraft, Copper manages yet to capture the mood and the portrayal of believable otherworldliness thrust into an ordinary situation that those writers were masters of.

In "Afterward", Copper clearly proves he is in a league with such modern masters of English horror as Ramsey Campbell and Brian Lumley.

Of the best of the tales in this short Arkham House collection is "Camera Obscura", admirably filmed as an episode in Rod Serlings' "Night Gallery". Clearly, this now becomes one of my alltime favorite Horror tales, excelling in mood -- the essence of the horror tale -- the best of Lovecraft while standing with such greats as Machen's "White People" and Blackwood's "The Willows."

There are other gems as well, including a sci-fi Lovecraftian tale of an unseen alien menance plaguing Earth colonists on another planet.

This book is not a bad introduction to the topic of vampires. The author does a very good job pulling together a lot of information. The only complaint I have with this book is that the author is continuosly slamming Bram Stoker's "Dracula" as a poorly written novel, and is also very critical of Christopher Lee. His opinions in themselves are not troublesome, but it seems to me that he is including them in the book because he is uncomfortable with the academic legitimacy of his topic.

Voices of Doom is a collection of short stories, with the near-entire book of "From Evil's Pillow" within it. Some of the stories are simply sentimental jaunts, like "Charon" or the paranoid retiree "A Very Pleasant Fellow." "The Stranger" is basically Kafka. You only get a few stories that are the real prime of the book, which is classic horror in the Bloch/Lovecraft vein.

"The House on the Tarn" sets the mood nicely and has things going nicely up until the end-- and you feel jilted by the unsatisfying ending. Aickman-ish.

The two best stories are the riveting "The Gossips" which is probably one of the top 30 horror short stories I have ever read. It is about ghastly statues and the horror the befalls the scholars that venture about it. A rather weak plot, but it is brilliantly told.

"The Grey House" has an even weaker plot that borders on collapse with its characters that act ridiculously foolish; nevertheless it is well told.

Overall, the striking horror elements of this book are good, but you don't need to read it unless you have an abundance of time on your hands.