The Return

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: I first encountered Walter de la Mare through his story 'Seaton's Aunt' in an anthology. This novel was my next read and it solidified my opinion of de la Mare as a tragically forgotten author of immense ability.

Though the blurb about the book sounds like a rather standard 'weird' narative, what stands out most about this novel is how deeply you are plunged into issues of emotion, psychology, philosophy, and spirituality. De la Mare's chief concern is the unseen world that is impossible to directly describe in words, and he demands careful reading and attention to every word, but rewards with a deep and grand vision that is rarely even attempted at, nevermind accomplished.

Being a fairly inexpensive paperback, and a relatively short novel, it's a great introduction to the world of de la Mare before tackling his short story collections.