The Great God Pan

Arthur Machen

Jan 1894 · Library of Alexandria

About this ebook

A scandalous novella during the time of its publication in 1894, Machen's The Great God Pan was viewed as a degenerate and horrific piece of literature because of its sexual content and gruesome scenes. Recounting the story of Mary, a young woman in Wales, and a strange scientist named Dr. Raymond, the novella begins with a horrible experiment gone awry. Dr. Raymond accidentally destroys Mary's mind while attempting to enable her to see the god of nature, Pan. While Mary is essentially a vegetable, Dr. Raymond goes into hiding in London to escape his horrible mistake. Years later, a woman named Helen Vaughan arrives in the city, seducing men, murdering some and driving others to commit suicide. Dr. Raymond uncovers that this woman is the offspring of the god Pan and Mary from his experiment years earlier.