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Review of An Inhabitant of Carcosa and Haita the Shepherd
Carcosa is a perfect short tale. The first time I read it, I wasn’t sure where it was going. Then it got there, and boom smacked me in the face. I think if it had lasted another two or five pages, I would have had enough time to question everything, but I didn’t because of how short it was – brilliant.
It’s a well-written tale, as the words used perfectly describe the story. You can tell that each word does the work of ten. His precision of language is breathtaking. I wish he had written more and critiqued less. As it is, he is my favorite worker of words. Some authors may be more imaginative, but when it comes to sheer craft, he is at the top. This was published in 1886 in a newspaper and in book form in 1891.
5 outta 5 for Carcosa
Haita is not a horror story, it’s a tale written like a legend. It appears to come right out of a textbook on Greek Mythology or something. It has the didactic story-telling of the great epics, and its peopled with characters and a world which breathes the old style of story. It’s almost like an Aesopian Fable, but without the moral at the bottom.
Haita does have some horror conventions in it, particularly the surprise ending that reshapes what you thought happened in the story. It’s not a horror tale, and it’s not Bierce’s best. I think Bierce is best at stories that surprise you – An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Carcosa, and many others. Published in 1893, this story is another solid entry by Bierce, but nothing outrageous or anything.
4 stars out of 5
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