A nice little book of strange stories primarily of a melancholy nature. Many of the longer stories reminded me of an earthbound [a:Clark Ashton Smith|57720|Clark Ashton Smith|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1221279024p2/57720.jpg]. There is a great deal about regret here but also some pure whimsy. The centerpiece, which appears at the end of the book (think about that for a second), is The Orchid of Asia which could easily have appeared in Weird Tales. Tartarus calls it a novella but it is a slim read for a novella.

The introduction by the editor, S.T. Joshi, seems a bit dashed off, but in a few pages is enlightening about the late Ms. Underwood who in her time was a brilliant multilingual translator and writer. This little volume collects all her "weird" fiction for the first time. It contains a bibliography of Underwood's known published works, of all things.

A pleasant diversion, or entertainment if you will, once again beautifully produced by Tartarus Press with, of course, a lovely wood cut of an orchid on the dust jacket.

I upped my original rating by a star; I'm quite fond of this little book. ( )

This book was such a pleasant surprise. I bought it without knowing much about the author or her work–it was a publisher I was interested in, and this collection of stories fit one of my current projects-supernatural stories by women from the late 19th/early 20th century. In fact, this was Edna W. Underwood’s only collection of stories, although she wrote novels, plays and poetry and later focused on translations. She was a highly accomplished woman–although she had a spotty and nontraditional education, she undertook a course of self-instruction and eventually, with the help of a tutor, mastered 10 languages along with Latin. Originally from Maine, she attended college in Kansas and Michigan and taught for several years but was fired after she refused to stop reading “scandalous” yellow-bound foreign literature. She married and moved to New York and began publishing her works, which generally received favorable reviews. A planned trilogy of historical novels was never completed, and at some point, she decided to focus solely on translations.

I was expecting something with maybe windswept prairies and dark isolated houses with ghosts. But although there was at least one ghost, these stories are all set in Europe and various places farther afield and in different time periods. Underwood has baroquely gorgeous, decadent prose, although she can rein it in, as in “The King”. And the stories would probably be better classified as decadent than supernatural –the supernatural elements are often nonexistent or only a small part of the stories. Underwood creates striking, sumptuous images and frequently juxtaposes the sublimely beautiful with the horrific.

Underwood’s short story collection was published in 1911 and was originally called “A Book of Dear Dead Women”; this collection includes all the stories and one other with a similar feel, “An Orchid of Asia”. The title is certainly appropriate–several of the stories feature a man obsessed with a dead woman and others are tales about long-dead women. The title is particular relevant for the first story, “The Painter of Dead Women”. The narrator, an Englishwoman on her honeymoon with her Italian husband in Naples, notes the disappearance of the Contessa Fabriani, the latest in a long line of young, beautiful upper-class women who have gone missing. You can probably guess what happens next. This story has vivid prose and is surprisingly modern–probably because serial killers with decadent aesthetics and A Philosophy are de rigueur in current media. The supernatural element is present but understated here. A darkly lovely gem.

“The Mirror of La Granja” is another one where a man’s obsession is unhealthy, creepy and leads to despair. This one takes place in late 19th c. Spain (and further back). The narrator, a talented violinist, inherits his uncle’s estate and becomes fixated on the hall of mirrors. One of his ancestors was a mirror maker and believed they had mystical powers. The narrator soon sees a ghostly figure in one of the mirrors and begins an obsessive quest to try to draw the figure out.

“Liszt’s Concerto Pathetique” describes a vision of the narrator upon hearing the title piece about a nun caught between a heaven and hell. This one also features two common motifs in the stories–music and nuns. It might be a little aimless with a dream-like logic but has some nice imagery.

“Sister Seraphine” is a short, tidy tale that lacks the despair and horror of the other stories but has a suitably Gothic concept–a nun is tempted by the outside world. Here, however, she’s not attracted to a man or woman, longing for forbidden pleasures or tempted by demons–she’s temped by herself.

“The Sacred Relics of Saint Euthymius” is a terrific conte cruel–beautifully written with lavish historical details, some unexpected and nasty twists and a backstory for seemingly supernatural events. Elsbeth, born to a wealthy and noble family, is sent to a convent due to a vow her mother made. She’s lonely and unhappy, with only her lute for comfort, but is intrigued when she hears lute music coming from an unknown source.

“The Opal Isles” is another baroquely lovely and cruel piece about a man who first has a harrowing experience after being shipwrecked in the South Seas but then finds himself on an island paradise. He mentions Wagner’s opera Lohengrin at one point, and in some ways, his story parallel’s Elsa’s–he is in a hopeless and dangerous situation, but is rescued by a mysterious and ethereal savior. He makes a vow to be faithful but doubts, causing his own ruin; later, he wanders around searching for love and redemption, much like in The Flying Dutchman.

“The House of Gauze” follows the last days of Mozart. He exists in a dreamworld parallel to his poor life in the real world, which he hopes is the dream. However, in his dream, he is cruel and controlling, avidly pursuing Melodia, the embodiment of music. This one is similar to “Liszt’s Concerto Pathetique” with the somewhat random dream logic, although nicely written.

“The King” is different from the other stories. It’s a sad, hopeless tale about an unwanted, unloved girl raised in an abusive household. Rahel, living in the Hamburg ghetto, is abused by her grandfather, bullied and taunted by the other children due to her background (her runaway mother married a non-Jewish artist) and generally neglected. She finds some pleasure in art, which is forbidden by her family, and finds another obsession when she is sent outside the ghetto to beg.

“An Orchid of Asia” was the only story not published in Underwood’s original collection. Perhaps the dead woman is missing in this one because it’s about a man’s obsession and tortuous affair with an orchid instead. Apparently, Underwood made a study of orchids for this piece and her leisurely descriptions of all kinds of orchids are interesting to read. Jacques d’Entrecolles plans on relocating to an island south of India for his health, and he decides to take up orchid raising. He spends years collecting orchids from around the world–including one that gives off a fragrance that has a strange effect on people–and even then, there are some ominous signs about his relationship with the flowers.

Highly recommended for those interested in supernatural/decadent literature. ( )