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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
Camilla: You, sir, should unmask.
Stranger: Indeed?
Cassilda: Indeed it's time. We have all laid aside disguise but you.
Stranger: I wear no mask.
Camilla: (Terrified, aside to Cassilda.) No mask? No mask!
Stranger: Indeed?
Cassilda: Indeed it's time. We have all laid aside disguise but you.
Stranger: I wear no mask.
Camilla: (Terrified, aside to Cassilda.) No mask? No mask!
(3.5) Exactly what people told me it would be like. Incredible first half of short stories, mediocre second batch. The first four stories are cosmic horror gold though and I already took many notes from it for inspiration. Very happy I read this!
I've read this because I've also heard it's what inspired Lovecraft. And the connection really seems obvious - from the narrative style to the used themes. There even is a forbidden boook, but unlike the horrible Necronomicon, this one is a screenplay called the King in Yellow, which also serves as an element connecting the first four stories.
But as the book progresses, the themes also shift from supernatural suspense to generic-seeming romance. And most of the latter ones just weren't that good.
But as the book progresses, the themes also shift from supernatural suspense to generic-seeming romance. And most of the latter ones just weren't that good.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is probably the most bipolar book I have ever read or listened too. I went into this novel with the expectations of maybe one scary story, but I soon learned 2 things. One this books is a short story collection, and two half of it is romance! I was definitely not expecting that last part. To start I think The Repairer of Reputations is a extremely strong start to the book as it hooks the reader right away with this very vain man who is willing to kill for what may or may not be a delusion. I think it’s one of the better stories in this collection because it’s atmospheric and intriguing. This was what I was expecting when I heard of the book. Then we get to The Mask and it kinda breaks my expectations </spoiler it ends with the love interest alive> It was my first hint that this book was not what it seemed. It also introduced a element that I will come to know Very well thought this books and that is Chambers absolutely undying love of French girls. I need to emphasize this point! You may think this is hyperbole but 60% of the stories in this book are about the main character being in love with a French woman. Now I know that Chambers spent his time in Paris so the man is writing what he knows, but it is kinda outrageous when at least 3 out of those 6 star an American who is new to the city falling for these women. This also makes the stories feel very similar at times, I was fully checked out of Rue Barrée because if literally felt like I was listening to the same story.
I think now that I have explained my biggest problem with the book I really want to talk about what I liked. I absolutely love the Yellow Sign it is by far my favorite story in this. That’s because I think it combines the two biggest strengths of both sections of the book the romance, and the horror. I think how invested you are in the romance makes the ending hit that much harder. Ultimately I definitely think this is a book people should read, it’s a time capsule of both romance and horror as well as a highly influential book but ultimately misunderstood by the wider public. I thought about this weeks after I have finished it.
Update: I have now much like the characters have grown obsessed with this book. It’s still the strangest this I have ever read and I think about it once a week. I may just give it a 5/5 as I think about this book a-lot more then even some 5 stars I have read.
Update: I have now much like the characters have grown obsessed with this book. It’s still the strangest this I have ever read and I think about it once a week. I may just give it a 5/5 as I think about this book a-lot more then even some 5 stars I have read.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
DEFINITELY a product of its time but I can see why it inspired so many things after it.
The King in Yellow is generally celebrated as a precursor to Lovecraft's work, the inspiration for his unique brand of cosmic horror. This small collection of short stories is indeed memorable, though only for the concept of horror within rather than their execution. Chambers writes with a very basic prose, and three of his four short stories have incredibly simple plot lines and story beats (The Repairer of Reputations being the lone quality story of the group). There's something unfair about looking back on horror written in the late 1800s and offering that criticism, but the modern reader will find the plotting and writing rather trite at this point.
Where these stories shine is in their proto-cosmic horror, the titular play inflicting insanity or unbearable psychological torment on whoever reads it, and death or worse swiftly follows them. Chambers' descriptions of a horrible other world yawning out to them, of the king himself paying a visit, or the feelings of dread or insanity conjured are gripping, and the cosmic horror blueprint is plain to see. While it is enjoyable to read these moments, they are brief and fleeting, much in line with the collection as a whole which is hardly 150 pages long.
On the whole The King in Yellow is a quick read with a small handful of well done moments that are enjoyable to witness as something of a horror lineage into the 20th century. Don't expect anything on a level even near Lovecraft himself, whose work blows these stories out of the water in plotting, prose, and exploration of cosmic horror as a genre itself. For those interested in seeing his roots, these short stories are a decent enough curiosity.
Where these stories shine is in their proto-cosmic horror, the titular play inflicting insanity or unbearable psychological torment on whoever reads it, and death or worse swiftly follows them. Chambers' descriptions of a horrible other world yawning out to them, of the king himself paying a visit, or the feelings of dread or insanity conjured are gripping, and the cosmic horror blueprint is plain to see. While it is enjoyable to read these moments, they are brief and fleeting, much in line with the collection as a whole which is hardly 150 pages long.
On the whole The King in Yellow is a quick read with a small handful of well done moments that are enjoyable to witness as something of a horror lineage into the 20th century. Don't expect anything on a level even near Lovecraft himself, whose work blows these stories out of the water in plotting, prose, and exploration of cosmic horror as a genre itself. For those interested in seeing his roots, these short stories are a decent enough curiosity.
challenging
slow-paced
I'm not going to rate this one because I'm honestly not sure how much of my negative reaction is caused by the narration rather than the book itself. For the most part, I just really did not understand the point of most of the stories. I like the first half alright. There were linking themes between the stories and I could see the connections. The second half lost me completely. And most of the stories were rather unsatisfactory, although I'd guess that was the point.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide