H. G. Wells' The Red Room is a horror story about a supposedly haunted room in an old manor house, said to be trod by the ghost of an earl's wife who died of fright, but actually home to the 'spirit of darkness' that killed her. Architectural and structural details are sparse; three main areas are described, the manor caretakers' house, the halls and stairways leading to the red room, and the red room itself. Lighting is critical in this story, as candles and fireplaces are devoured by the spirit, driving the protagonist almost to madness with fear.
Wells' The Magic Shop is far less sinister than The Red Room, a seemingly lighthearted story of a father and son discovering a shop that sells 100% genuine magic. The shopkeeper takes the pair through his old, cramped shop, showing off wonders and marvels as he goes, and then into his showroom, where even more magnificent things can be found. While the shop and showroom seem whimsical, there are a few scattered hints that all is not quite as it seems. The shopkeeper mentions the price paid for magic, although he says it is not so steep as people might think, while the boy's father at the end ponders the bill for the toys his son comes away with. As such, while the locations themselves seem harmless and playful, I would like to include a few hints at something a little darker.
No comments:
Post a Comment