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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
I encountered The King in Yellow as part of a flailing book club experiment in an online Board Games community. What surprised me most upon its choosing was how ubiquitous it was among the group. The verbal shorthand, the casual referencing. The book was written in 1895, well over a hundred years ago, and I, a 36-year-old, seemed to be the only one who had never heard of it. C'est la me.
Granted, I don't think I seek out this genre. I read very little Poe and Ligotti, and the only Lovecraft I've read was also for a book club just a year before. Still, with the universality of Cthulhu (especially a few years ago, where Lovecraft as a theme was at its all-time high), it seemed like something I would have bumped into, or had pointed out to me, despite my lack of interest.
The first story in the bunch, The Repairer of Reputations is pretty much the cornerstone of the whole work. The Yellow Sign is also striking. I don't think I'd be argued against if I said that when people think of—and draw inspiration from—this collection, they think of these stories, and almost none of the rest.
Overall, the writing is top notch. It handles atmosphere and tone wonderfully, while still painting a world that also feels tangible and meaningfully descriptive. The plots vary from good to not very interesting, especially as the collection progresses away from the horror-centric strengths of the author and more towards the purely romantic.
I suggest it for a few of the stories, and if those don't tickle your fancy, then don't bother with the rest. But if you are in love with the style and flavor, go ahead and read it all, why not? It's a short collection, and the author has a clean, expressive voice that is enjoyable even in the lesser tales.
Granted, I don't think I seek out this genre. I read very little Poe and Ligotti, and the only Lovecraft I've read was also for a book club just a year before. Still, with the universality of Cthulhu (especially a few years ago, where Lovecraft as a theme was at its all-time high), it seemed like something I would have bumped into, or had pointed out to me, despite my lack of interest.
The first story in the bunch, The Repairer of Reputations is pretty much the cornerstone of the whole work. The Yellow Sign is also striking. I don't think I'd be argued against if I said that when people think of—and draw inspiration from—this collection, they think of these stories, and almost none of the rest.
Overall, the writing is top notch. It handles atmosphere and tone wonderfully, while still painting a world that also feels tangible and meaningfully descriptive. The plots vary from good to not very interesting, especially as the collection progresses away from the horror-centric strengths of the author and more towards the purely romantic.
I suggest it for a few of the stories, and if those don't tickle your fancy, then don't bother with the rest. But if you are in love with the style and flavor, go ahead and read it all, why not? It's a short collection, and the author has a clean, expressive voice that is enjoyable even in the lesser tales.
dark
mysterious
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Didn't realize it was "interconnected" short stories and the first handful were deeply unsettling, but as the book progressed the stories became less scary and less about the titular King in Yellow. Good read nonetheless.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“I pray God will curse the writer, as the writer has cursed the world with this beautiful, stupendous creation, terrible in its simplicity, irresistible in its truth - a world which now trembles before the King in Yellow.”
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Pretty weird, so expect that going into it. It definitely changes quite a bit after the final one truly tied to the play. I do enjoy the contrast of this uneasy and unknown situation to the romantic focused latter half, although it's still not my favorite.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
mysterious
medium-paced
The first four stories are some of the best in the cosmic horror genre. If those stories were the only ones present, I would have given The King in Yellow a 5/5 rating. But after the fourth, Robert Chambers seemingly lost interest in the King in Yellow storyline and devoted the remaining book to his boring Bohemian romance. One of the most disappointing ends of a short story collection yet.