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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Maybe it was because I listened to it instead of reading it, but I just didn’t love this book. The writing style was just a narrator talking with maybe 2 monologues throughout the entire book, and the “accents” were terrible.
The idea of “horror” didn’t really strike me until the last 20 minutes or so. And even then, it was very Edgar Allan Poe like with the tapping on the door at the darkest part of night.
The ending was fairly good, gave a little twist that could definitely be predicted but nonetheless was built up really well. Just a meh book.
The idea of “horror” didn’t really strike me until the last 20 minutes or so. And even then, it was very Edgar Allan Poe like with the tapping on the door at the darkest part of night.
The ending was fairly good, gave a little twist that could definitely be predicted but nonetheless was built up really well. Just a meh book.
God, Lovecraft is great at being super creepy. I actually would have liked a bit more from this book - the first part is incredibly atmospheric and eerie, and the second part is super tense, but I could have done with a third part. I feel like the appearance of the Deep Ones was unfortunately short. Which I suppose means I just have to read a whole lot more Lovecraft.
It's definitely a bit jarring - between this and the Call of Cthulhu - to see as much latent and explicit racism as there is in some of his stories. I know he was a eugenicist and a racist, but the use of terms like "half-caste" and "mongrel," not to mention entire themes based on "tainted blood" are always kind of alarming to see in print, especially in the middle of a story you happen to be quite enjoying at the moment. It's impossible to separate the art from the artist though, I suppose. Still worth a read. The ending is particularly spectacular.
It's definitely a bit jarring - between this and the Call of Cthulhu - to see as much latent and explicit racism as there is in some of his stories. I know he was a eugenicist and a racist, but the use of terms like "half-caste" and "mongrel," not to mention entire themes based on "tainted blood" are always kind of alarming to see in print, especially in the middle of a story you happen to be quite enjoying at the moment. It's impossible to separate the art from the artist though, I suppose. Still worth a read. The ending is particularly spectacular.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-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:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Racist Language from the 19th and 20th centuries
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Rating 4 out of 5| Grade B+; Thalassophobia & ichthyophobia at its glorious worst
Enough with the 'Fishy Smell' for Shaggoth's Sake !
When one treads through the vast collection of Lovecraftian literature, a disturbing picture begins to emerge. One in regards to its sheltered & neurotic author. One who was afraid of, pretty much everything. From racist fears like fear of other ethnicities & race-mixing, to frankly hilarious ones, such as fear of non-Euclidean geometry, gelatinous structures & the color gray.
Nowhere is this more apparent, than in one of the author's more enduring tales, 'The Shadow over Innsmouth'. The premise of the story is, as usual, a gaunt depressed white guy, a stand in for the author, living in Arkham (God's gift to the world), who goes searching for his roots in the mysterious town of Innsmouth, filled with its distinct looking populace.
And in typical Lovecraftian fashion, all the necessary details to unravel the mystery is given to him, and us as the readers through an extended flashback by some crazy person. Which tells a tale of how, the founder of the town had struck a deal with sinister gods & fish people, for children to be sacrificed to them, in exchange for prosperity & riches. The townfolk, in time, even went as far as interbreeding with the fish people from the depths, in a bid for immortality. Resulting in the odd, slimy, fish like features of the local denizens, as well their pupil less haunting Innsmouth Look.
More than the story in itself, which is OK, I suppose what stands out is the blatant representation of Lovecraft's own prejudices which are put on paper. From his fear of other races & ethnicities, whom he sees as being less than the civilized people (hence the fish folk), as well as his fear of race mixing and thus corrupting the pure blood of 'normal' people.
Although the end of the story, does show the protagonist, having himself discovered his heritage of being a Innsmouth descendant, slowly devolving into a creature with the Innsmouth look. You can look at this as a negative, or under the assumption that, underneath all that childhood trauma, racism and disturbing mental issues, Lovecraft had begun to accept the absurdity of his own views, subconsciously trying to redeem himself. His later works, which are less overt when it comes to the racism & phobia were a step in the right direction. Though time and tide were not on the man's side. Fated to die painfully and unrecognized, his life's work would live on in the minds of readers.
Enough with the 'Fishy Smell' for Shaggoth's Sake !
When one treads through the vast collection of Lovecraftian literature, a disturbing picture begins to emerge. One in regards to its sheltered & neurotic author. One who was afraid of, pretty much everything. From racist fears like fear of other ethnicities & race-mixing, to frankly hilarious ones, such as fear of non-Euclidean geometry, gelatinous structures & the color gray.
Nowhere is this more apparent, than in one of the author's more enduring tales, 'The Shadow over Innsmouth'. The premise of the story is, as usual, a gaunt depressed white guy, a stand in for the author, living in Arkham (God's gift to the world), who goes searching for his roots in the mysterious town of Innsmouth, filled with its distinct looking populace.
And in typical Lovecraftian fashion, all the necessary details to unravel the mystery is given to him, and us as the readers through an extended flashback by some crazy person. Which tells a tale of how, the founder of the town had struck a deal with sinister gods & fish people, for children to be sacrificed to them, in exchange for prosperity & riches. The townfolk, in time, even went as far as interbreeding with the fish people from the depths, in a bid for immortality. Resulting in the odd, slimy, fish like features of the local denizens, as well their pupil less haunting Innsmouth Look.
More than the story in itself, which is OK, I suppose what stands out is the blatant representation of Lovecraft's own prejudices which are put on paper. From his fear of other races & ethnicities, whom he sees as being less than the civilized people (hence the fish folk), as well as his fear of race mixing and thus corrupting the pure blood of 'normal' people.
Although the end of the story, does show the protagonist, having himself discovered his heritage of being a Innsmouth descendant, slowly devolving into a creature with the Innsmouth look. You can look at this as a negative, or under the assumption that, underneath all that childhood trauma, racism and disturbing mental issues, Lovecraft had begun to accept the absurdity of his own views, subconsciously trying to redeem himself. His later works, which are less overt when it comes to the racism & phobia were a step in the right direction. Though time and tide were not on the man's side. Fated to die painfully and unrecognized, his life's work would live on in the minds of readers.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A