Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
The start of this - the books around the King in Yellow of the title are mysterious, engaging and creepingly terrifying in a way that feels unnerving modern. I would read this collection for those alone.
The later half is just some unrelated work from Chambers that I found a little uninvolving.
The later half is just some unrelated work from Chambers that I found a little uninvolving.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
In truly one of the biggest plot twists of my career, this book that entered the public domain went from an interesting collection of horror short stories to some absolutely heart-wrenching Parisian romance in the back half. I'm trying to read a little more horror this year and I thought short stories would be a nice way to back into the genre, the stories that deal with the titular King in Yellow are good and have a little bit of the "glimpse the Necronomicon and go insane" trope to them. I enjoyed them. THE DEMOISELLE D'YS is really good and a little spooky, and then the last 4 stories are beautifully written, I mean top of the line prose, romance. There's also a twinge of bittersweet sadness to them all, I didn't expect it and it blew me away how good it was. This is free on Gutenberg, if you're interested you should definitely pick it up.
5/5 stars, unexpected fave of the year so far
5/5 stars, unexpected fave of the year so far
Non so tanto che dire. Cominciamo con il fatto che solo i primi quattro racconti fanno riferimento a Il Re Giallo, il volume che non deve essere letto perché conduce alla follia. Poi comincia una antologia di racconti più sentimentali, dei quali gli ultimi quattro ambientati a Parigi tra aspiranti artisti americani che si barcamenano tra le atelier e i vizi del Quartiere Latino.
Interessanti i richiami tra un racconto e l'altro, anche appartenenti ai due filoni: nomi che ricorrono, riferimenti, accenni che fanno intendere che ci fosse un pensiero unico dietro, un panorama comune.
Ma mi aspettavo di più. Molto di più.
• Il riparatore di reputazioni - 4
• La maschera - 4
• Nella Corte del Drago - 3
• Il segno giallo - 3,5
• La Demoiselle d'Ys - 3
• Il Paradiso del Profeta - 2
• Via dei Quattro Venti - 3,5
• Via della Prima Bomba - 3,5
• Via di Nostra Signora dei Campi - 2,5
• Rue Barré - 2,5
Interessanti i richiami tra un racconto e l'altro, anche appartenenti ai due filoni: nomi che ricorrono, riferimenti, accenni che fanno intendere che ci fosse un pensiero unico dietro, un panorama comune.
Ma mi aspettavo di più. Molto di più.
• Il riparatore di reputazioni - 4
• La maschera - 4
• Nella Corte del Drago - 3
• Il segno giallo - 3,5
• La Demoiselle d'Ys - 3
• Il Paradiso del Profeta - 2
• Via dei Quattro Venti - 3,5
• Via della Prima Bomba - 3,5
• Via di Nostra Signora dei Campi - 2,5
• Rue Barré - 2,5
To start,the hardback edition of this book is SO much more appealing to the eye than the paperback! Aesthetics aside I really enjoyed reading these four short stories - all connected by one play titled 'the King in Yellow' which upon reading sends people into a strange state of lunacy.
Its easy to see how Lovecraft was unfluenced by these tales, the style of narrative takes a little getting used to but i was enthralled and excited to finish one story and get onto the next.
Its easy to say that I enjoyed Chambers more than Lovecraft and i'd definitely recommend it for fans of weird and twisted fiction.
Its easy to see how Lovecraft was unfluenced by these tales, the style of narrative takes a little getting used to but i was enthralled and excited to finish one story and get onto the next.
Its easy to say that I enjoyed Chambers more than Lovecraft and i'd definitely recommend it for fans of weird and twisted fiction.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The fact that you only get to peek through the veil enhances everything. Also, as demonstrated, if you read this book, you will go mad.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked the first few short stories, the ones that included The King in Yellow. It dropped off for me, although it was still engaging, when it came to the remaining short stories. I was expecting more horror, not necessarily love stories. However, the horror in the early stories holds up so well, I would recommend for those.
This is the third or fourth time I’ve read this book. I actually read the Project Gutenberg version rather than this one as it was better formatted and didn’t have the glaring typos.
The main King in Yellow stories are still great, but they’re not as impactful on rereading. They’re touchstones for several gaming lines like Pelgrane Press’s “The Yellow King” RPG and Arc Dream’s “Delta Green - Impossible Landscapes” so I’d wanted to revisit. I like the slightly weird and twisted visions in them.
The other books about life in Paris never rose above okay; I found them a bit tedious and needed to work at them to finish.
The main King in Yellow stories are still great, but they’re not as impactful on rereading. They’re touchstones for several gaming lines like Pelgrane Press’s “The Yellow King” RPG and Arc Dream’s “Delta Green - Impossible Landscapes” so I’d wanted to revisit. I like the slightly weird and twisted visions in them.
The other books about life in Paris never rose above okay; I found them a bit tedious and needed to work at them to finish.
Like everyone else who read The King in Yellow in 2014, I came across this book because of True Detective, a show that makes frequent references to the Yellow King and Carcosa. It turns out you don't get a huge amount of new insight into the TV show by reading The King in Yellow, but there are some great stories in this collection, so I have no regrets about finding my way to this book!
There are ten stories in this collection - an initial cycle of four loosely connected stories, two standalone pieces, and then another cycle of four loosely connected stories. The first cycle is the reason to read this book; they're the only stories in the collection that have to do with the collection's title, and they're far stronger and more creepy than anything else in the book.
The first four stories all have to do with a play called The King in Yellow that drives anyone who reads it insane. The content is apparently so compelling that if you even encounter an open copy of the book and glance at a page, you will be unable to walk away without reading the whole book. It has, unsurprisingly, been banned, but all four stories deal with characters who read or are about to read the play and the psychological horrors and unrealities they are plunged into.
The other stories aren't bad but aren't really worth seeking out - there's a ghost story, a weird little poetry cycle, and four stories about artists in Paris, but the collection is worth it just for those first four stories. The King in Yellow is in the public domain, and you can find it for free on Project Gutenberg, so there's no investment to pick up a copy and no loss if you stop reading after the first four!
There are ten stories in this collection - an initial cycle of four loosely connected stories, two standalone pieces, and then another cycle of four loosely connected stories. The first cycle is the reason to read this book; they're the only stories in the collection that have to do with the collection's title, and they're far stronger and more creepy than anything else in the book.
The first four stories all have to do with a play called The King in Yellow that drives anyone who reads it insane. The content is apparently so compelling that if you even encounter an open copy of the book and glance at a page, you will be unable to walk away without reading the whole book. It has, unsurprisingly, been banned, but all four stories deal with characters who read or are about to read the play and the psychological horrors and unrealities they are plunged into.
The other stories aren't bad but aren't really worth seeking out - there's a ghost story, a weird little poetry cycle, and four stories about artists in Paris, but the collection is worth it just for those first four stories. The King in Yellow is in the public domain, and you can find it for free on Project Gutenberg, so there's no investment to pick up a copy and no loss if you stop reading after the first four!
