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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
I first read the stories and novellas of HP Lovecraft in high school, backed by a soundtrack of Iron Maiden and Motorhead. In the many years since those halcyon days, I'd never re-read any Lovecraft until I picked up the nice collection put out by Library of America. I am happy to report that despite the passage of time Lovecraft's tales have lost none of their potency to frighten and frankly just creep me the fuck out! Truly classic American lit.
Well who can really argue with the master of oceanic horror? This was pretty tough to get through simply because of its age. Most stories felt laborious at the least, though the creepy nature of them made up for it, in most cases. Really just made me want to listen to some Metallica.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Slow, but classic eldritch horror. Reuses a lot of the same tropes and vocabulary, but overall compelling.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
I think my initial problem here is the constant comparison of Lovecraft to Poe (both in the intro to this book and by readers on Goodreads), which I think colored my expectations about what kind of stories I would be encountering. Poe is my absolute favorite author, so I'm a tough critic whenever any other author is compared with him. And while I can see where the similarities between the two exist, if Poe is your favorite, be warned that these stories probably will not live up to your expectations.
After reading the bulk of the work, however, it became clear that my main issue was that many of the stories have very similar plot-lines, themes, and characters. This may have been exaggerated because all of these similar stories were bundled together in this edition, but it made reading it a little bit tedious after 3 or 4 stories about a creepy cellar. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy reading some of them though. The Dunwich Horror, The Rats in the Walls, He, and Herbert West-Reanimator were among the most entertaining/scary.
After reading the bulk of the work, however, it became clear that my main issue was that many of the stories have very similar plot-lines, themes, and characters. This may have been exaggerated because all of these similar stories were bundled together in this edition, but it made reading it a little bit tedious after 3 or 4 stories about a creepy cellar. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy reading some of them though. The Dunwich Horror, The Rats in the Walls, He, and Herbert West-Reanimator were among the most entertaining/scary.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I cannot even begin to describe the feelings I have after finishing this book, nor do I have any recollection of how I got here.
I definitely feel like Lovecraft succeeded at making his own lore, and becoming a staple in horror for his gods, creatures, and landscapes.
However, I cannot stand his lack of descriptions through the use of "I cannot bear to describe", and so on, it felt like such a cop out for a lack of imagination or ability to write the scenes.
There was also a fair amount of repetition between the stories, with a few that stood out. I definitely enjoyed his shorter works compared to his longer ones.
I definitely feel like Lovecraft succeeded at making his own lore, and becoming a staple in horror for his gods, creatures, and landscapes.
However, I cannot stand his lack of descriptions through the use of "I cannot bear to describe", and so on, it felt like such a cop out for a lack of imagination or ability to write the scenes.
There was also a fair amount of repetition between the stories, with a few that stood out. I definitely enjoyed his shorter works compared to his longer ones.