My love, she sleeps! Oh, may her sleep
As it is lasting, so be deep!
Soft may the worms about her creep!
Far in the forest, dim and old,
For her may some tall vault unfold-
Some vault that oft has flung its black
And winged panels fluttering back,
Triumphant, o’er the crested palls,
Of her grand family funerals-
Some sepulchre, remote, alone,
Against whose portal she hath thrown,
In childhood, many an idle stone-
Some tomb from out whose sounding door
She ne’er shall force an echo more,
Thrilling to think, poor child of sin!
It was the dead who groaned within.
(Edgar Allan Poe – excerpt from “The Sleeper”)
I’ve been waiting for this event to start for months now, but when I saw Carl’s post this rainy morning I still could not believe it. Surely, it’s not September yet, I said to myself and rushed to check the calendar. It may not be September but this doesn’t mean we can’t start early. This makes me very, very happy, because I’ve been choosing my books all year and watched them lovingly, wondering which I should read first. So I sat down to write this post to the sound of Sister of Night by Depeche Mode which is a dark, dark song, and perfect for the occasion.
If you’re new to this, R.I.P. is short for R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril, a reading event which takes place every year from September 1st to October 31st. During this time you can read anything from these categories:
Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.
You can also watch movies that fall into these categories and there’s even a read-along of “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson hosted by The Estella Society. I’m hoping to join if I find a copy of the book this weekend.
Many thanks to Carl for hosting this event – in its 9th year now, and may it go on for many more – and to Abigail Larson, the artist who created the gorgeous badges.
These are the books I would like to read, plus Frankenstein by Mary Shelley which I found on projectguttenberg.com and so I’ll be reading it on my tablet. I’m probably not going to be able to read them all, considering that two of them are short story collections (and quite chunky, too) but one can only hope.
Now, the question is, which should be first? Any suggestions?
Are you taking part in R.I.P. this year? What are you planning to read?
I loved Miss Peregrine’s I read that two years ago, and I know I should read the second book, but I do not want to spoil this first.
There’s a second book? I didn’t know that. I looked through the edition I have, there are some weird pictures in it. Glad to see you loved it.
I have two of these books on my list too — This House is Haunted and The Monsters. I think that second book (and the fact that lots of other people seem to be reading it) will make me do a Frankenstein reread. It’s a great classic! You’re going to have a good reading season. 🙂
(Also Sister of Night is a wonderful song. Good choice!)
Hi Kristen,
That’s the reason I want to read “Frankenstein” first, so I can appreciate “Monsters better”. I’m very excited about it.
I look forward to your review of “This House is Haunted”, I started on my copy last night. Maybe we can read it at the same time. 🙂
(It is! So nice to see somebody else who likes it. I love the darkness in it.)
I too can hardly believe that it is that time again.
I really enjoyed this event last year, both in reading everyone’s reviews and in posting.
I will try to join in with a couple of posts this year myself.
I look forward to reading your entries.
Hi Brian,
It’s always so sudden, isn’t it, the passing of summer.
Great to see you’re on board this year as well. I’m curious to see what you’ll be reading.
The only one of those I’ve read is Miss Peregrine which I really enjoyed. I’ve never read a complete collection of Edgar Allen Poe but have read single stories in mixed anthologies. I’ll be interested to hear about what you read and have followed your blog accordingly. Good luck!
Hi Cath,
It looks like Miss Peregrine is quite the popular book. I can’t wait to get to it.
I’ve read a short collection of Poe’s stories, “The Telltale Heart and Other Stories”, but never all of his stories. Not sure if I’ll manage to do it now but I’m glad to have them all in one book.
Thanks for the follow and good luck to you, too!
I have the sequel to Miss Peregrine that I need to add to my list for this year’s event.
I love your post. I had to laugh because your opening with Poe and then your thoughts about the challenge excite me more about this time of year than my own post. Love it!
So psyched that it is finally here, thanks for making me appreciate it all the more.
Hi Carl,
I love Poe, every time I think of R.I.P. I think of him. I may even make it a point to read him during this event every year. Now that’s a thought!
I’m very happy to get to read my favorite genre during this time. I know I can read it all year round if I want to, but just knowing there are other people out there doing the same makes me feel part of something special. So thank YOU.
Wonderful post, Delia! Can’t believe that it is that time of the year already – a time to read ghost stories and spooky horror stories. So nice to know that you have got the complete collection of Edgar Allan Poe stories. So awesome! That collection of ghost stories also looks very enticing. I also love the title ‘House of Small Shadows’. Listening to a dark song, while reading ‘dark’ books – that is perfect! I can’t wait to read your thoughts on the books you choose to read. Happy reading!
Hi Vishy,
I love this challenge, it’s yet another reason for me to read more horror & Gothic and it’s so much fun looking for books! Well, it’s even better if I find them. 🙂
The House of Small Shadows reminds me of Zafon’s Marina, but I hope it’s more intense. And Poe…just today I saw another edition that had his complete stories and poems, a gorgeous Gothic hardcover….it made me want to buy it but I resisted the temptation… Maybe I’ll mention it in a letter to Santa this year. 🙂
Have you started on any books for this event? I look forward to seeing your posts.
I love Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I hope you get round to that one first. Good luck and enjoy the event!
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely get to Frankenstein this R.I.P., but it won’t be the first, as I’ve already finished one book for this event and am halfway through another. It’s good to see you liked it, though, I can’t wait to read it.
Ahh, Frankenstein. One of my favorites and one I need to return to soon. I love this challenge, and each and every year I get more and more excited waiting for the big reveal of the artwork. I am still compiling my list, and can’t seem to decide which books to dive into.
Hi Natalie,
Another vote for Frankenstein, that’s good!
I love this event too, and the artwork gets better every year, doesn’t it?
Good luck with your list, I’m sure you’ll find something you like.
I think you will have fun with This House Is Haunted. I also enjoyed Miss Peregrine. What’s cool is that the author actually collected all those photos at yard sales and in thrift stores and then built the story around them. Very imaginative!
I’m watching a drama series on television with my mother called The Following. Have you seen it? Given your love of Poe, I wondered. It features a serial killer/cult leader fixated on Poe. Kevin Bacon is the consulting investigator. Your opening with the excerpt was creepily delicious!
Hi Deb,
The book is good so far. I’m hoping for more creepy, though.
I didn’t know that tidbit about Miss Peregrine. Very imaginative, indeed!
Thanks for telling me about The Following, I’ll look into it.
“The Sleeper” is my favorite of Poe’s poems. It’s perfect for R.I.P.
I will second those above who suggested Miss Peregrine’s. I enjoyed it a lot, although I haven’t gotten around to reading Hollow City yet.
Thanks for your comment, Grace. I really want to read Miss Peregrine’s, I even looked for the sequel at the bookstore. I wonder why they don’t keep the sequels together with the first books, at least you can get them all at once.