A collection of short stories by a pre-war Polish horror author. Most of them are railway-related. The action takes place in railway stations, small stations, and train compartments. Grabiński expertly combines a touch of light horror with folk beliefs and superstitions.
The stories were written 100 years ago, which is evident in the author’s language. There are many archaic elements, unused phrases, and strange-sounding place names and surnames. The main characters are often railway workers: conductors, train drivers, and clerks. Grabiński’s stories are not scary in the way Lovecraft’s (a similar period of his work) is. Grabiński’s narrative is slow and patient, using highly poetic language. The atmosphere is rather romantic and unsettling, and the railway atmosphere is complemented by very dense descriptions of locomotives and train movements, as well as technical terminology. The author was clearly fascinated by railways, not only from a technical perspective but also by their impact on people.
It’s a broad collection of short stories, and of course, some of them were more enjoyable to read, while others were dull and less successful. However, I enjoyed the variety of topics the author explored. Some are more horror-oriented, others parapsychology, metaphysics, philosophy, occultism, futurism, and even a touch of eroticism. I enjoy revisiting Grabiński’s stories every few years. His work is unique and written in beautiful, archaic Polish. If you enjoy the literature of, for example, Edgar Allan Poe, Grabiński is a must-read.