The first half of this book really succeeds in building up tension, but I could barely stand reading it to the end. After a while Somersets prose gets incredibly repetitive and awkward, not to mention the apocalyptic heaps of adjectives - although the figure of Haddo is in fact a fascinating one. If one is in occultish novels and victorian morality, this is definitely the pick to choose.

A very good story. I specially enjoyed the Robinson-Crusoe-theme. The flow of time indeed seems somewhat irritating to me, though.