The Secret Glory

The Secret Glory is a supernatural novel by Welsh horror writer Arthur Machen.

A novel of schoolboy rebellion and the quest of the holy grail.

This book depicts the ghastly utilitarian world of the Christian public schools, obsessed with team spirit and spiced with sadism, and contrasts it with true spirituality, exemplified by the voices of nature and the survival of ancient traditions in the obscure hill of Wales.

Ambrose, the young hero, survives his appallingly materialistic and sadistic public school. Eventually he escapes from his repressive school in search of a deeper meaning to life and to become a mystic in the Celtic tradition of his forefathers.

Ambrose finds himself intensely drawn toward the old traditions, and we follow him on his journey toward a spiritual coming of age.

The Secret Glory was written in 1907, but first published in 1922. E-Book: ePUB, 66,300 words, average reading time 5 hours, 30 min. Unabridged full version. 

Arthur Machen (1863-1947) was a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. His novella "The Great God Pan" (1890; 1894) has garnered a reputation as a classic of horror (Stephen King has called it "Maybe the best [horror story] in the English language"). He is also well known for his leading role in creating the legend of the Angels of Mons.