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desarroi's review
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Chronic illness, Classism, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, and Antisemitism
frater's review against another edition
5.0
The biography of Lovecraft by S.T. Joshi is not a book for the meek or semi-committed. It is a hefty tome whose density of text is truly astounding; don't be fooled by it's length of 700+ pages, it feels much much longer.
It is not often that I find a book that is both incredibly interesting and a challenge to work through. There is just so much information compiled by Joshi on Lovecraft's life, combined with astute analysis of his works, philosophy and even a brief examination of the field of analysis of his work and events in publication following his death; evens that led to his being misrepresented and misunderstood for more than thirty years.
It is not a happy read. Lovecraft's philosophy is sobering and his lifestyle is, quite frankly, heart-breaking. From his disastrous marriage and residence in New York to his impoverished last years in Providence, where he subsisted on 30c for food a day - worrying even during the great depression.
Joshi provides a sympathetic view of this complex and misunderstood giant of 20th century literature whilst pulling no punches whatsoever. In particular his racism, which has been well documented in the past, is examined many times throughout the biography without apology, but also without the overblown hysteria common to much of the earlier commentary.
This biography supersedes and perhaps makes irrelevant the earlier work by L. Sprague de Camp, but it is difficult to conceive of any biography replacing this one, at least without some major new evidence being unearthed. Any fan of Lovecraft who wishes to understand the work and life of the man can do no better; the analysis of his work alone with change the way you forever read the stories of Lovecraft.
It is not often that I find a book that is both incredibly interesting and a challenge to work through. There is just so much information compiled by Joshi on Lovecraft's life, combined with astute analysis of his works, philosophy and even a brief examination of the field of analysis of his work and events in publication following his death; evens that led to his being misrepresented and misunderstood for more than thirty years.
It is not a happy read. Lovecraft's philosophy is sobering and his lifestyle is, quite frankly, heart-breaking. From his disastrous marriage and residence in New York to his impoverished last years in Providence, where he subsisted on 30c for food a day - worrying even during the great depression.
Joshi provides a sympathetic view of this complex and misunderstood giant of 20th century literature whilst pulling no punches whatsoever. In particular his racism, which has been well documented in the past, is examined many times throughout the biography without apology, but also without the overblown hysteria common to much of the earlier commentary.
This biography supersedes and perhaps makes irrelevant the earlier work by L. Sprague de Camp, but it is difficult to conceive of any biography replacing this one, at least without some major new evidence being unearthed. Any fan of Lovecraft who wishes to understand the work and life of the man can do no better; the analysis of his work alone with change the way you forever read the stories of Lovecraft.
stevem's review
3.0
This was a frustrating book in many respects. It's a must-read for Lovecraft fans (or anyone who wants to know more about Lovecraft the person). It's exhaustive and authoritative. It presents Lovecraft's many flaws forthrightly and yet successfully portrays him as not only an important cultural figure but an interesting thinker and complex human being. But it's at times awkwardly over-written, and Joshi inserts his opinions freely and intrusively, in both cases channeling Lovecraft perhaps more than is wise. Oddly, many of these distracting asides are effectively collected and repeated in the final chapter. I'm glad I read it, would think twice about recommending it, and look forward to not seeing the word "piquant" in print again for a long, long time.
ronweston's review
5.0
Short but informative. A good way to start to understand Lovecraft as an individual and as a writer.
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