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Reviews
H. P. Lovecraft: He Who Wrote in the Darkness: A Graphic Novel by Alex Nikolavitch, Gervasio-Aon-Lee
hastyentreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
dina_b's review against another edition
4.0
Um olhar sobre a vida adulta de H.P. Lovecraft até á sua morte, as suas dificuldades e as pesssoas que giravam a sua volta. Nunca li nada de Lovecraft mas é uma falha que espero colmatar este ano.
morgandante's review against another edition
5.0
Very well-designed work that made me pretty emotional. There were a few typos ("Edgar Allen Poe" and "dairy of my soul") and inconsistencies, as well as some creative liberties (Lovecraft never had servants). Overall, though, I enjoyed this complicated portrayal of Lovecraft with beautiful art.
midnightbookgirl's review against another edition
4.0
A little hard to rate, but the artwork was great and I learned a lot about Lovecraft.
I've never been a fan of his stories, mostly I know of him because authors I read were inspired by him. His life was sad and lonely and although some of his personal views were abhorrent (racism and anti-Semitism), his short life is depressing as hell. He had some really great contemporaries, and has inspired horror writers for years.
I've never been a fan of his stories, mostly I know of him because authors I read were inspired by him. His life was sad and lonely and although some of his personal views were abhorrent (racism and anti-Semitism), his short life is depressing as hell. He had some really great contemporaries, and has inspired horror writers for years.
firyar's review against another edition
3.0
The graphic novel was quite ok in order to get a glimpse into the life of H.P.Lovecraft. It's better than reading a biography or wikipedia. But I found the artwork and the short panels that tell parts of Lovecraft's stories rather boring. (To be honest I'm not a fan of Lovecraft's original works). So, ok if you want a glimpse into Lovecrafts life but not a must-read for fans of cosmic horror.
otterno11's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Interest in the idiosyncratic horror works of H.P. Lovecraft appears to be only growing in awareness and popularity in recent years, with the life of the troubled writer himself also being exposed to greater scrutiny (and for good reason). For the most part, though, most biographical accounts sanitize Lovecraft’s more disturbing beliefs and present him as an endearing eccentric with a few unfortunate quirks.
This graphic novel biography by Alex Nickolovitch attempts to balance the “warts and all approach” with Lovecraft’s more quirky habits but ends up feeling ephemeral and shallow. While the art style brings the early twentieth century period to life, the comic, following H.P. Lovecraft from 1925 to his death in 1937, was mostly fragmented and unfocused. In attempting to tell the story of the last decade or so of Lovecraft’s life, Nickolvitch goes for a broad overview, touching on some important themes such as Lovecraft’s virulent racism and xenophobia without really confronting them.
The dialog throughout often feels stilted and merely expository in nature, though whether this is a result of the translation from the original French or a generally simplistic presentation is unclear. Mostly recounting various anecdotes from Lovecraft’s meetings and correspondence with various friends and acquaintances, including Harry Houdini and Robert E. Howard, much of the comic would seem opaque to those with less knowledge of Lovecraft’s biography. While there is background information on these people in the notes section, I’m not sure if I could even find where certain more obscure acquaintances like Donald Wandrei or Henry McNeil even appeared in the comic. Well, I know where Wandrei shows up, but only because I was aware of the story from other accounts (the time Lovecraft ate all 28 flavors at the local ice cream parlor), but his name does not actually appear in the scene. This accentuates the major issue with this comic, how it jumps from scene to scene lacking much structure, which perhaps is an issue of Lovecraft’s life being generally uneventful.
In the end, H.P. Lovecraft: He Who Wrote In Darkness does not really succeed either as an introduction to the writer or as any deeper examination of his life and work.
This graphic novel biography by Alex Nickolovitch attempts to balance the “warts and all approach” with Lovecraft’s more quirky habits but ends up feeling ephemeral and shallow. While the art style brings the early twentieth century period to life, the comic, following H.P. Lovecraft from 1925 to his death in 1937, was mostly fragmented and unfocused. In attempting to tell the story of the last decade or so of Lovecraft’s life, Nickolvitch goes for a broad overview, touching on some important themes such as Lovecraft’s virulent racism and xenophobia without really confronting them.
The dialog throughout often feels stilted and merely expository in nature, though whether this is a result of the translation from the original French or a generally simplistic presentation is unclear. Mostly recounting various anecdotes from Lovecraft’s meetings and correspondence with various friends and acquaintances, including Harry Houdini and Robert E. Howard, much of the comic would seem opaque to those with less knowledge of Lovecraft’s biography. While there is background information on these people in the notes section, I’m not sure if I could even find where certain more obscure acquaintances like Donald Wandrei or Henry McNeil even appeared in the comic. Well, I know where Wandrei shows up, but only because I was aware of the story from other accounts (the time Lovecraft ate all 28 flavors at the local ice cream parlor), but his name does not actually appear in the scene. This accentuates the major issue with this comic, how it jumps from scene to scene lacking much structure, which perhaps is an issue of Lovecraft’s life being generally uneventful.
In the end, H.P. Lovecraft: He Who Wrote In Darkness does not really succeed either as an introduction to the writer or as any deeper examination of his life and work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, and Cancer
Minor: Death of parent