Review of “The Undying Thing” by Barry Pain: Halloween Countdown

Plot:

Sir Edric murdered his wife, Alice, and sent their son away. He loves his present wife, Eve. For some unexplained reason, he began keeping wolves on his estate. Eve begged him to “destroy” the animals, but he liked them until they attacked Eve without biting her (huh?). He then shot them all himself.

Now that Eve is struggling in childbirth, he’s afraid he may lose her. He gets right with God, promising, “Whatsoever punishment Thou givest me to bear I will bear it; whatsoever Thou givest me to do I will do it. Whether Thou killest Eve or whether Thou keepest her in life—and never have I loved but her—I will from this night be good.”

Eve dies. Her child is born in such a state—no detail is given—that Dr. Dennison suggests holding a hand over its mouth and nose. Sir Edric refuses, but later, he and Dr. Dennison carry a bundle into an area known for caves. They return without the bundle.

Sir Edric has his son by his first wife brought back, educates him, and lives by the straight and narrow. Six years later, he dies. His last words are, “Wolves, wolves, wolves!”

Four generations later, at the end of the nineteenth century, the current baronet, another Sir Edric, is the “last surviving member of the race” and “a pleasant-spoken young man.” He’s about to be married and has stopped by to fix up the old family place. Yes, there’s this old curse, but it’s nonsense, right?

Thoughts:

The family curse in this story goes mostly unseen. It seems to rely on old folk wisdom that emotional trauma during pregnancy could disfigure a developing child. The townsfolk view the area known as Hal’s Planting, where the caves are that the first Sir Edric and Dr. Dennison once left a bundle, as haunted. More than one person ends up dead there without a mark of violence.

One local, John Marsh, likes to drink for free in the watering hole known as the Stag in exchange for stories of local history. He can tell you on good authority that your grandfather was hanged for larceny. And he knows far too much about the doings of Sir Edric’s line. With the exception of the current one, they were all miserable bastards.

All this adds to the idea of dread of the curse coming due, the sins of the fathers being passed on to the third and fourth generations, and so on. John Marsh’s mooching drinks might provide a bit of comic relief, but at the same time, all the stories he tells are dark and dreary. Is this meant to be satirical?

The ending struck me as abrupt, if logical. The reader never sees the monster/abandoned baby all grown up/werewolf (?), so the possibilities are endless. Leaving it all up to the reader’s imagination is perhaps more powerful than actually showing it, but it is also more disappointing.

The greatest weakness is that there are few surprises. It’s not a bad story, but there are better ones.



Bio: Barry Pain (1864-1928) was a UK journalist and writer best known during his lifetime for his humorous work. He contributed to magazines such as Punch and Granata. According to the Encyclopedia of Fantasy, his humorous work “grates now.” He is currently best known for his horror works, although he also wrote fantasy and some science fiction. Among his short story collections are Stories and Interludes (1892), Stories in the Dark (1901), Stories in Grey (1911), and The New Gulliver and Other Stories (1913).


This story can be read here:


This story can be listened to here: (29:04)


Title: “The Undying Thing”
Author: Barry Pain (1864-1928)
First published: Black and White, Christmas Number 1893
Length: short story