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Taboo

Geoffrey Household

First published 1944
Type Short Fiction
Length Novelette

Synopsis

The psychiatrist Shiravieff is talking about the bad effects of not expressing one's emotions, and illustrates his thoughts with a story about a very restrained Englishman named Vaughan and an experience which Shiravieff and Vaughan shared a decade earlier. They met while vacationing in a remote Eastern European town. Local people had been disappearing. Talk in the inn turned to stories of werewolves. Vaughan's wife had ideas about humans who behave like werewolves. Shiravieff and Vaughan, both hunters, decided to keep watch in the forest and trap the killer-- one walking up and down in plain sight, the other in hiding, keeping a gun trained in readiness. Their plan succeeded but the solution of the mystery did not make matters any less disturbing. Vaughan's refusal to admit that he was disturbed had lingering psychological consequences.

Notes

First published in The Salvation of Pisco Gabar, London: Chatto, 1939.

Publications (32)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
1944 Cover Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Modern Library Anthology 259
1947 Cover Hold Your Breath: Stories of Suspense Dell Anthology 11
1947 Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Hammond, Hammond & Co. Anthology 215
1947 Cover Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Modern Library Anthology 259
1957 Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Hammond, Hammond & Co. Anthology 215
March 1957 Cover Stories for the Dead of Night Dell Anthology 57
1960 Cover The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories Pan Books Anthology 256
1963 Cover Striking Terror: A Selection of Great Horror Stories Arthur Barker Anthology 85
1966 The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories Pan Books Anthology 256
April 1967 Cover Stories for the Dead of Night Dell Laurel-Leaf Anthology 49
1969 Cover The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories Pan Books Anthology 256
1970 Cover The Dark of the Soul Tower Books Anthology 92
1971 Cover Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Hammond, Hammond & Co. Anthology 215
1972 Cover Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Hammond, Hammond & Co. Anthology 215
1973 The Second Pan Book of Horror Stories Pan Books Anthology 256
1977 Cover Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Book Club Associates Anthology 215
September 1977 Cover The Best Horror Stories Hamlyn Anthology 320
1982 Stories of Terror Ward, Lock Anthology 100
1982 Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Hutchinson Anthology 215
1984 Cover The Penguin Book of Horror Stories Penguin Books Anthology 415
1984 Cover The Best Horror Stories Hamlyn Anthology 320
1985 Cover Realms of Darkness Octopus Books Anthology 411
1985 Cover Realms of Darkness Octopus Books Anthology 411
1985 Cover The Penguin Book of Horror Stories Penguin Books Anthology 415
October 1985 The Penguin Book of Horror Stories Viking UK Anthology
October 1987 Cover The Penguin Book of Horror Stories Penguin Books Anthology 415
1988 Cover Realms of Darkness Chartwell Books Anthology 411
April 1990 Cover The Best Horror Stories (abridged) Mallard Press Anthology 199
September 1990 Cover The Best Horror Stories (abridged) Ivy Leaf Anthology 199
1991 Cover The Penguin Book of Horror Stories Bloomsbury Anthology
1994 Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Modern Library Anthology 249
October 1994 Cover Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural Modern Library Anthology 249