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sean67's review against another edition
2.0
Well I didn't feel the love for this craft - it never engaged me at all.
The title sounded somewhat intriguing, but that was as far as it goes.
A title alone does not make a good story, let that be my philosophical utterance from this book.
Maybe the next craft by Lovecraft will float in my general direction!
The title sounded somewhat intriguing, but that was as far as it goes.
A title alone does not make a good story, let that be my philosophical utterance from this book.
Maybe the next craft by Lovecraft will float in my general direction!
famel's review against another edition
1.0
It’s so elaborate. I think such genre as "poetry" isn't for Lovecraft. The story is just a lengthy boring stuff about poetry. The idea is prominent if convoluted.
lnewton's review against another edition
3.0
The first non-horror story I have read by Lovecraft, though there is still an element of unease throughout the tale. There's a large amount of references to Greek mythology within the work and is the basis for the tale.
keenan_crone's review
4.0
A poet's dream of a world where the paradise of the Gods could be achieved through writing.
"Before the laurel-draped mouth of the Corycian cave sat in a row six noble forms with the aspect of mortals, but the countenances of Gods. These the dreamer recognized from images of them which she had beheld, and she knew that they were none else than the divine Maeonides, the avernian Dante, the more than mortal Shakespeare, the chaos-exploring Milton, the cosmic Goethe and the musalan Keats. These were those messengers whom the Gods had sent to tell men that Pan had passed not away, but only slept; for it is in poetry that Gods speak to men."
The first of Lovecraft's collaborative efforts that I have read, it seems to do him well to have a woman's influence in his writing. I enjoyed the poetry that is included here; somewhat living up to the lofy purpose it so purposes:
Moon over Japan,
White butterfly moon!
Where the heavy-lidded Buddhas dream
To the sound of the cuckoo's call...
The white wings of moon butterflies
Flicker down the streets of the city,
Blushing into silence the useless wicks of sound-lanterns in the hands of girls
...
When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st
“Beauty is truth — truth beauty” — that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
The goings on about the gods would be more enjoyable if I was more familiar with their mythology. I loved the concept of the Messiah coming as a writer, but the way it is portrayed in the ending is a little lackluster.
It also taught me the word 'hie' which I must remember for scrabble.
I can only assume that such low ratings on Goodreads come from people expecting Lovecraftian horror and getting something entirely different. This just shows that Lovecraft could be a good collaberator and step out of his comfort zone. Too bad people aren't more open-minded, but you can apply that statement to every aspect of our society.
"Before the laurel-draped mouth of the Corycian cave sat in a row six noble forms with the aspect of mortals, but the countenances of Gods. These the dreamer recognized from images of them which she had beheld, and she knew that they were none else than the divine Maeonides, the avernian Dante, the more than mortal Shakespeare, the chaos-exploring Milton, the cosmic Goethe and the musalan Keats. These were those messengers whom the Gods had sent to tell men that Pan had passed not away, but only slept; for it is in poetry that Gods speak to men."
The first of Lovecraft's collaborative efforts that I have read, it seems to do him well to have a woman's influence in his writing. I enjoyed the poetry that is included here; somewhat living up to the lofy purpose it so purposes:
Moon over Japan,
White butterfly moon!
Where the heavy-lidded Buddhas dream
To the sound of the cuckoo's call...
The white wings of moon butterflies
Flicker down the streets of the city,
Blushing into silence the useless wicks of sound-lanterns in the hands of girls
...
When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st
“Beauty is truth — truth beauty” — that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
The goings on about the gods would be more enjoyable if I was more familiar with their mythology. I loved the concept of the Messiah coming as a writer, but the way it is portrayed in the ending is a little lackluster.
It also taught me the word 'hie' which I must remember for scrabble.
I can only assume that such low ratings on Goodreads come from people expecting Lovecraftian horror and getting something entirely different. This just shows that Lovecraft could be a good collaberator and step out of his comfort zone. Too bad people aren't more open-minded, but you can apply that statement to every aspect of our society.
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