The Great God Pan
Arthur Machen
Read by Ethan Rampton
"The Great God Pan" is a novella written by Arthur Machen. A version of the story was published in the magazine Whirlwind in 1890, and Machen revised and extended it for its book publication (together with another story, "The Inmost Light") in 1894. On publication it was widely denounced by the press as degenerate and horrific because of its decadent style and sexual content, although it has since garnered a reputation as a classic of horror. Machen’s story was only one of many at the time to focus on Pan as a useful symbol for the power of nature and paganism. The title was taken from the poem "A Musical Instrument" published in 1862 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, in which the first line of every stanza ends "... the great god Pan."
(via Wikipedia) (1 hr 59 min)
Chapters
| The Experiment | 17:48 | Read by Ethan Rampton |
| Mr. Clarke's Memoirs | 15:09 | Read by Ethan Rampton |
| The City of Resurrections | 16:28 | Read by Ethan Rampton |
| The Discovery in Paul Street | 12:47 | Read by Ethan Rampton |
| The Letter of Advice | 11:47 | Read by Ethan Rampton |
| The Suicides | 17:44 | Read by Ethan Rampton |
| The Encounter in Soho | 14:40 | Read by Ethan Rampton |
| The Fragments | 13:12 | Read by Ethan Rampton |
Reviews
Wonderfully Haunting
VixenWench
The narrator was fabulous. I loved this story. A cautionary tale of the consequences when one meddles with things beyond our ken.
Shelley Batten
Reviewed in 2020. I absolutely loved this story. Beautifully written and very excellently narrated. The narrator must have been trained in drama or acting. It was most brilliantly spoken. I will listen to this again. The story is intense and complex with many characters. A little macabre but as I have not the constitution for horror or thrillers, I was relieved the large volume of the story was inferred and not revealed to give me nightmares
Jahan
This recording is well done and easy to listen to, and the only mistake that I noted was at the end of chapter 7 where the reader says “end of chapter 6.” When chapter 8 starts one may think they have missed chapter 7 but all chapters are accounted for.
A LibriVox Listener
Wow. This is some seriously progressive material for the Era. If you're a true horror fan and enjoy being made uncomfortable., check this out.
Out of the Pan
Crikey!
Great story, but the best chapter is the first, and it gets worse as it goes on. The problem was that the protagonist and the antagonist were only tangentially related to one another. Therefore, Machen had to work quite hard to push them together, and it came across as forced. I think Machen could have preserved the mystery and interlinked the characters. For example, amalgamating Clarke and Lord Argentine, so that Clarke becomes Lord Argentine due to his elder brother's suicide. On the plus side, "The Great God Pan" was spooky, striking, and subtle. It draws attention to many things, such as the likeness of Pan and Satan, without overdoing them. Solid.
one of the best reading bags on librivox
joey furlan
One of the best readers Iâve ever heard. Great story. If you block Lovecraft, youâll love this story. One of the few that had a huge influence on H. P. L.
cautionary tale
Ashie
Very eloquent reader, a pleasure to listen to. The book verges on poetic, and reminds us of how limits.
So creepy! Enjoyed every minute
Hannah Doherty
just listen to it all ready - don't leave this master piece in your favorites forever.