Review of “The Feast at the Abbey” by Robert Bloch: Halloween Countdown

For October 7

Plot:

Traveling through a forest to meet his brother, the narrator is caught in a storm and takes refuge in a monastery he happens across. A short, rotund abbot admits him and summons two servants (whom he refers to with the unfortunate term “blackamoors”) dressed in “great baggy trousers of red velvet and waists of cloth-of-gold, in Eastern fashion.” The narrator finds them out of place in a Christian monastery.

One servant sees to the narrator’s horse, and the other shows him to his room, which is “hung in Spanish velvets of maroon.” The narrator finds them lavish but in bad taste in a house of worship.

The abbot has arranged a set of dry clothes for the traveler that fit him perfectly. The abbot extends an invitation to dinner.

The dinner is lavish, far beyond what the narrator considers the usual monastery fare. The monks laugh. It’s a party. The narrator grows more uncomfortable.

The abbot tells him he’s fortunate to have found them. Others have not been so lucky.

Thoughts:

How many warning signs does this guy need to know that not all is well where he is? Sure, he’s caught in a storm in some pre-industrial society. Calling AAA if his horse breaks a leg is not an option, so he has to take what he’s offered. Nevertheless, outside of sniffing at the impropriety of the conduct of people around him, he does nothing until the big reveal at the very end.

Bloch was about 18 when he wrote this tale. He can be forgiven for things like not knowing an abbot would not answer a monastery door, for example. The writing is adjective-heavy, slowing it down a bit. Nevertheless, it is nicely atmospheric. The feeling of threat grows as the story progresses. The monks seem at first merry—perhaps a little indulgent—then outright gluttonous when dinner arrives, stuffing themselves. They laugh loudly, drink, and tell jokes. Near the end, they appear “wolfish.”

He steals some of his thunder, betraying the shocking ending before it arrives. At the same time, this is short and can be read in one sitting. I liked the atmosphere and waiting for the narrator to get a clue. Great literature it is not, but it is entertaining. Given Bloch’s age, it ain’t half bad.

Bio: Robert Bloch’s (1917-1994) best-known work is Psycho (1959), which Alfred Hitchcock made into an iconic movie of the same title in 1960. The writings of H. P. Lovecraft greatly influenced Bloch’s early career, but Bloch later branched out into crime, psychological horror, and a bit of science fiction. He also branched out into television and film, including The Twilight Zone and some Star Trek episodes. “The Feast in the Abbey” was among his first sales to Weird Tales.


The story can be read here:

The story can be listened to here:


Title: “The Feast in the Abbey”
Author: Robert Bloch (1917-1994)
First published: Weird Tales, January 1935