A supposedly random incident, a more or less vague but suspicious rumour, a somewhat strange article, a peculiar fluctuation—an unease in the air, an unexpected shade, an imperceptible movement, and countless other unusual minor details form the mural of Horror, a mural that serves as the backdrop for the unexplained deaths of residents of a provincial town in Wales.
Arthur Machen manages, through plot, mystery, and suspense, to deliver an impressive commentary and offer another dimension on the meaning and power of hatred.
In The Great Return, a poetic, fantastic short story, Machen describes the return of the Grail, the Holy Grail, to Wales, succeeding in conveying to us as well his awe at the miracle.
