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travis_cunningham's review against another edition
4.0
While at times monotonously repetitive (especially at the end), this shit busted. The language was beautiful and there were plenty of genuinely eerie moments. The Colour out of Space and The Mound were two that really stuck out to me.
macthebrazen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Most of the stories are 3 stars for me. There are a couple 5 stars, with Shadow over Innsmouth and Haunter of the Dark being favorites of mine. But I think the collection as it's presented (with the ability to really nerd out on all the lore) as well as how badass the B&N cover is takes it from a 4 to a 4.5 in my book!
hotsake's review against another edition
3.0
This was my first deep dive into Lovecraftian lore. I really liked the Mythos and atmosphere that was presented but the writing was poor and the stories were very repetitive. Also at least half of the stories seemed to set things up and they left me wanting a third act, sometimes even a second act seemed to be missing.
kuroku's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
caidyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've read some Lovecraft before, but not like this. I enjoyed many of the stories, but they were so rather repetitive in the end. Still, a solid read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Mental illness
grantkeegan's review against another edition
5.0
If there is one thing that instantly comes to mind when people think of H.P. Lovecraft, it is Cthulhu. And not only Cthulhu, but the vast catalog of stories involving titanic creatures, and incomprehensible beings and gods that form part of the imagination and connected universe that he created long before the MCU. The Cthulhu Mythos could be considered the primary thing that made Lovecraft as famous and influential as he is today, and this volume collects all his most impressive and iconic stories in one place.
As the father of cosmic horror, Lovecraft was the first to write about creatures that play with the insignificance of human beings compared to these monsters. His stories follow people who discover forbidden secrets and situations that lead them down a path of inescapable horrors. Ideas that inspired countless horror writers over the last century from Stephen King to Junji Ito.
Some of my favorite works in this collection include The Colour Out of Space, The Whisperer in Darkness, among others. There are a few strange stories where Lovecraft loses his mark, but overall this is an author who paved the way for so many ideas and tropes in horror. His style is genuinely terrifying, and at the same time causes the reader to ponder existential questions. It is safe to say that Howard Phillips Lovecraft and his Cthulhu mythos live up to the hype.
As the father of cosmic horror, Lovecraft was the first to write about creatures that play with the insignificance of human beings compared to these monsters. His stories follow people who discover forbidden secrets and situations that lead them down a path of inescapable horrors. Ideas that inspired countless horror writers over the last century from Stephen King to Junji Ito.
Some of my favorite works in this collection include The Colour Out of Space, The Whisperer in Darkness, among others. There are a few strange stories where Lovecraft loses his mark, but overall this is an author who paved the way for so many ideas and tropes in horror. His style is genuinely terrifying, and at the same time causes the reader to ponder existential questions. It is safe to say that Howard Phillips Lovecraft and his Cthulhu mythos live up to the hype.
linorosa's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like Lovecraft. I slogged through long descriptions of gambrel roofs, churches, rocks, a gibbous moon here and there, cemeteries. All the while hoping to be rewarded at the end. But invariably I reached the climax of each story and the narrator either refused to describe it, or excused himself saying it was "impossible to describe".
Saying something is scary doesn't make it so, and it felt that's what Lovecraft is doing on each story, as in "believe me, something really scary was there". Maybe that worked in the 1920's, but not today, not for me at least.
Sometimes there are plot twists, or surprises at the end. But they're old-fashioned and not really surprising. Most are even somewhat funny when retold aloud to someone, as they have become clichés over the years.
Out of everything I've read, only 'The Colour out Of Space' is really good. 'The Call of Cthulhu' is alright too, but the rest bored me to death.
Saying something is scary doesn't make it so, and it felt that's what Lovecraft is doing on each story, as in "believe me, something really scary was there". Maybe that worked in the 1920's, but not today, not for me at least.
Sometimes there are plot twists, or surprises at the end. But they're old-fashioned and not really surprising. Most are even somewhat funny when retold aloud to someone, as they have become clichés over the years.
Out of everything I've read, only 'The Colour out Of Space' is really good. 'The Call of Cthulhu' is alright too, but the rest bored me to death.
sigurdas's review against another edition
5.0
Rather 4,5 stars, because not every included story is like the pearls of this book, which, of course, are "The Nameless City", "The Festival", "The Call of Cthulhu", "The Colour Out of Space", "The Dunwich Horror", "The Whisperer in Darkness", "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", or, of course, "At the Mountains of Madness".
Every Lovecraft-fan has to have this beautiful book. The Universe of evil gods is summoning us...
Every Lovecraft-fan has to have this beautiful book. The Universe of evil gods is summoning us...
lecturesbuissonnieres's review
1.0
*1,5
Lu en diagonale à partir de 75%
Long et chiant. Je ne suis que déception. Ces nouvelles avaient tout pour me plaire, mais l'exécution ne m'a pas transcendée. J'ignore si c'est le style ou la traduction mais c'était très pompeux, parfois même difficilement compréhensible (# disparition des apostrophes...)
Lu en diagonale à partir de 75%
Long et chiant. Je ne suis que déception. Ces nouvelles avaient tout pour me plaire, mais l'exécution ne m'a pas transcendée. J'ignore si c'est le style ou la traduction mais c'était très pompeux, parfois même difficilement compréhensible (# disparition des apostrophes...)