The Man Whom the Trees Loved

Description

A prolific English novelist and short story writer, Algernon Henry Blackwood was a pioneer in the ghost story genre as has been an inspiration for future generations of writers such as H.P. Lovecraft. His book “The Man Whom the Trees Loved” is a masterful portrayal of nature and a man’s obsession with it.

The story is about an elderly couple, David and Sophia Bittacy, who have spent decades living in a small cabin at the edge of a huge forest. Their relationship is apparently more about politeness than shared interest, as David has a passion for trees, a passion not shared by his religious wife. He subsequently hides his passion for years, living with his wife in a sterile environment.

The situation changes with the arrival of Sanderson, an artist and a painter. Sanderson is invited to spend some time in the cabin, and it is there that he shows David his portraits of trees. It appears that the artists enjoys depicting single trees in majestic shadows and great detail. This stirs the deep-buried interest of David.

Thus, the two men start exploring the forest, and the husband becomes more and more estranged from his wife. With her Christian values and religious mindset, she cannot comprehend this passion for trees, and as with any other Christian, what she does not understand, she fears. Things start taking weird turns, and the atmosphere becomes darker and scarier for the wife who thinks that her mind is starting to slip due to the isolation and the increasing impression that the forest is very much alive.

The Man Whom the Trees Loved is a masterfully-crafted story about nature, interests, as well as the occult and its clash with Christian values in the early 20th century world.
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