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aceinit's review against another edition
5.0
Since I don't think this novel is readily available in the US as of this posting, I shall try to make this review as vague and spoiler-free as possible.
I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews regarding this installment, so I was a little wary going into it. Johannes Cabal has quickly becomes one of my favorite ongoing series, and I had felt an enormous sense of disappointment after the second installment (“The Detective”) failed to live up to its predecessor.
“Fear Institute,” for me, was a delightfully, hauntingly perfect novel, and I may have come to love it even more than the first. Strangely enough, one of the things I most disliked about the second book (it’s sudden break from reality with the warring of three ridiculously-named fictional nations) was one of my favorite parts about this installment. After the first chapter or so, Cabal is taken completely out of this world, and into the skewed and Lovecraftian Dreamlands. Acting as a guide of sorts for a trio of men intent on destorying the Phobic Animus (their name for the physical manifestation that causes all fear), Cabal is very much out of his element.
What I loved most is how Cabal reacts to these changes, particularly as the world around him grows more and more bizarre. From the moment an act of desperation on Cabal’s part creates catastrophic consequences for an entire race of beings, this book grabbed hold of me and refused to let go. Seeing how Cabal reacts to and deals with the devastating results of his actions makes the horror of the act itself more real and profound for the reader. I was left in awe.
There are two more scenes towards the end of the book, where Cabal meets first with the devastations of success in his ultimate quest (the one revealed to readers in the final pages of “The Necromancer) and, later, profound failure as a result of his experimentations, that are also exceedingly well-written. When Cabal is shown what his life would be like should all his dreams come true, the readers are deeply reminded of how futile Cabal’s ultimate quest will inevitably prove. After reading the last sentence of the chapter, I had to set the book down for a while and simply gape at it. All I will say is that I am grateful the novel didn’t end on that chapter, as it would have been the mother of all cliffhangers….or one hell of a way to end the series.
Though the ultimate solution to Cabal’s trials and tribulations in this novel is a bit far-fetched and convoluted, it does not detract from the overall narrative. Howard has also become an author who saves the best for last and, as with “The Necromancer,” “The Fear Institute” closes with a scene that will leave its readers (myself included) anxiously awaiting the next installment.
I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews regarding this installment, so I was a little wary going into it. Johannes Cabal has quickly becomes one of my favorite ongoing series, and I had felt an enormous sense of disappointment after the second installment (“The Detective”) failed to live up to its predecessor.
“Fear Institute,” for me, was a delightfully, hauntingly perfect novel, and I may have come to love it even more than the first. Strangely enough, one of the things I most disliked about the second book (it’s sudden break from reality with the warring of three ridiculously-named fictional nations) was one of my favorite parts about this installment. After the first chapter or so, Cabal is taken completely out of this world, and into the skewed and Lovecraftian Dreamlands. Acting as a guide of sorts for a trio of men intent on destorying the Phobic Animus (their name for the physical manifestation that causes all fear), Cabal is very much out of his element.
What I loved most is how Cabal reacts to these changes, particularly as the world around him grows more and more bizarre. From the moment an act of desperation on Cabal’s part creates catastrophic consequences for an entire race of beings, this book grabbed hold of me and refused to let go. Seeing how Cabal reacts to and deals with the devastating results of his actions makes the horror of the act itself more real and profound for the reader. I was left in awe.
There are two more scenes towards the end of the book, where Cabal meets first with the devastations of success in his ultimate quest (the one revealed to readers in the final pages of “The Necromancer) and, later, profound failure as a result of his experimentations, that are also exceedingly well-written. When Cabal is shown what his life would be like should all his dreams come true, the readers are deeply reminded of how futile Cabal’s ultimate quest will inevitably prove. After reading the last sentence of the chapter, I had to set the book down for a while and simply gape at it. All I will say is that I am grateful the novel didn’t end on that chapter, as it would have been the mother of all cliffhangers….or one hell of a way to end the series.
Though the ultimate solution to Cabal’s trials and tribulations in this novel is a bit far-fetched and convoluted, it does not detract from the overall narrative. Howard has also become an author who saves the best for last and, as with “The Necromancer,” “The Fear Institute” closes with a scene that will leave its readers (myself included) anxiously awaiting the next installment.
stepriot's review
5.0
A fun retelling of Dreamlands of Unknown Kadath with the proper respect for Nyarlathotep, my personal favorite of Lovecraft's monsters.
rui_leite's review against another edition
5.0
All right... it’s time I stop procrastinating and put down my opinion of “Johannes Cabal, The Fear Institute” into words, even though I still have a few things running back and forth in my mind...
First, an advice: getting acquainted with a few of Lovecraft’s Dream Cycle stories before reading this - at least “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath” and “The Silver Key”- is not essential but might be very useful to fully appreciate the awesomeness of what’s being done here, as Cabal will be, indeed, traveling through Lovecraft’s “Dreamlands” and subverting many of the original stories along the way in an absolutely brilliant manner. Noticing it is not very important on the whole but will add yet another layer of enjoyment to the book.
On to “The Fear Institute”... the story begins with Cabal being visited by three rather ordinary men, members of the aforementioned institute, with a very unordinary proposition: to travel to the exoterical realm of “The Dreamlands”, find the personification of irrational fear and kill it, ridding humanity of that burden.
And this was when I first began fearing... I mean it sounded like a neat idea and all, but what had it all to do with Cabal? Even though the project of killing fear was a very big and noble one, yes, it wasn’t as interesting as... let’s say... having to gather one hundred souls in order to beat the Devil on a bet for personal interest. Indeed one thing I loved in the first book and felt was rather missing in the second was the way in which we were kept trying to decide if Cabal was a villain or not; if “The Fear Institute” was going to be all about that particular quest of killing fear...well... I could very much say goodbye to that.
But was I wrong.
As soon as I realized the manner in which the entrance to the Dreamlands had to be gained I saw we were back to good old moral ambiguity at its best. And I wasn’t disappointed. The scene of the opening of the Gate was one of those moments that, despite being quite, quite funny, left me wondering whether I should be rooting for Cabal or not (but...well... I still was).
And after the group enters The Dreamlands, a realm of thinkers and dreamers, ruled not by reason or physics but by artistic notions, superstition, lore and general aesthetic nonsense I slowly began understanding what really was at stake. That was not a story about a hunt for some weird creature, but instead a story about Cabal’s struggle to keep his mind and sanity in a place where those things could very well not be assets.
To make things worst, early on, in another brilliant scene that goes from hilarious to heartbreaking in a blink, Johannes catches the eye of a god of chaos... and... well... let’s just say that is not a good thing at all. This will also haunt him throughout the story.
And, as the quest goes into full swing, I began noticing that, interesting enough, seeing Cabal in charge of three people, inferior to him and that he very much dislikes, placed him in some of the most interesting moral dilemmas in the series. By the last third of the book you will know just what kind of man Cabal really is, and how he justifies that to himself at every step (and I dare say you’ll like him a bit more for that - I know I did).
…and then there’s the twist…
…and then there’s chapter 14…
…and then there’s the other heartbreaking, wibbly wobbly timey wimey kind of twist…
…and then there’s the cruel cliffhanger…
And throughout it all, I laughed, I laughed like mad, and I ranted and I held the book tight, shouting at the pages in disbelief… and, very often, I did all these things in the space of a few lines…
In short, just like the first book, this played merry hell with my mind and heart… and I loved every moment of it for that.
So now all is left to say is… HURRY UP WITH THE FOURTH BOOK MR JONATHAN L. HOWARD BECAUSE I BLOODY WELL NEED TO KNOW IF THAT THING IS…er… THAT OTHER THING…argh…
(You’ll see)
First, an advice: getting acquainted with a few of Lovecraft’s Dream Cycle stories before reading this - at least “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath” and “The Silver Key”- is not essential but might be very useful to fully appreciate the awesomeness of what’s being done here, as Cabal will be, indeed, traveling through Lovecraft’s “Dreamlands” and subverting many of the original stories along the way in an absolutely brilliant manner. Noticing it is not very important on the whole but will add yet another layer of enjoyment to the book.
On to “The Fear Institute”... the story begins with Cabal being visited by three rather ordinary men, members of the aforementioned institute, with a very unordinary proposition: to travel to the exoterical realm of “The Dreamlands”, find the personification of irrational fear and kill it, ridding humanity of that burden.
And this was when I first began fearing... I mean it sounded like a neat idea and all, but what had it all to do with Cabal? Even though the project of killing fear was a very big and noble one, yes, it wasn’t as interesting as... let’s say... having to gather one hundred souls in order to beat the Devil on a bet for personal interest. Indeed one thing I loved in the first book and felt was rather missing in the second was the way in which we were kept trying to decide if Cabal was a villain or not; if “The Fear Institute” was going to be all about that particular quest of killing fear...well... I could very much say goodbye to that.
But was I wrong.
As soon as I realized the manner in which the entrance to the Dreamlands had to be gained I saw we were back to good old moral ambiguity at its best. And I wasn’t disappointed. The scene of the opening of the Gate was one of those moments that, despite being quite, quite funny, left me wondering whether I should be rooting for Cabal or not (but...well... I still was).
And after the group enters The Dreamlands, a realm of thinkers and dreamers, ruled not by reason or physics but by artistic notions, superstition, lore and general aesthetic nonsense I slowly began understanding what really was at stake. That was not a story about a hunt for some weird creature, but instead a story about Cabal’s struggle to keep his mind and sanity in a place where those things could very well not be assets.
To make things worst, early on, in another brilliant scene that goes from hilarious to heartbreaking in a blink, Johannes catches the eye of a god of chaos... and... well... let’s just say that is not a good thing at all. This will also haunt him throughout the story.
And, as the quest goes into full swing, I began noticing that, interesting enough, seeing Cabal in charge of three people, inferior to him and that he very much dislikes, placed him in some of the most interesting moral dilemmas in the series. By the last third of the book you will know just what kind of man Cabal really is, and how he justifies that to himself at every step (and I dare say you’ll like him a bit more for that - I know I did).
…and then there’s the twist…
…and then there’s chapter 14…
…and then there’s the other heartbreaking, wibbly wobbly timey wimey kind of twist…
…and then there’s the cruel cliffhanger…
And throughout it all, I laughed, I laughed like mad, and I ranted and I held the book tight, shouting at the pages in disbelief… and, very often, I did all these things in the space of a few lines…
In short, just like the first book, this played merry hell with my mind and heart… and I loved every moment of it for that.
So now all is left to say is… HURRY UP WITH THE FOURTH BOOK MR JONATHAN L. HOWARD BECAUSE I BLOODY WELL NEED TO KNOW IF THAT THING IS…er… THAT OTHER THING…argh…
(You’ll see)
anzz26's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
anxious_undertaker's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
is_book_loring's review against another edition
3.0
The weakest installment yet, the plot hangs too much on the jokes and the witty lines. Nevertheless, it's Johannes Cabal and the last chapter is some good stuffs.
trex121's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
grayjay's review
4.0
I was excited when I realized that Cabal was making an expedition into The Dreamlands, because I've read all of Lovecraft's major stories about The Dreamlands, and it's fun reading a story when you've already read its influences.
As you might expect from a Dreamlands story, I found the plot secondary to the overall atmosphere.The end in particular, I admit I didn't follow very closely. It got a little "paradoxical".
As you might expect from a Dreamlands story, I found the plot secondary to the overall atmosphere.The end in particular, I admit I didn't follow very closely. It got a little "paradoxical".
amybraunauthor's review
4.0
Another positively insane journey with Johannes Cabal. But what are you supposed to expect from someone traveling to the Dreamlands? Given just how trippy everything was in the setting, I found this one a little harder to follow than the last couple books. Still, it was everything I expected from the series, and had some really good, unexpected twists. Not to mention lots– and I mean LOTS– of Cthulu mythos. Good thing I have the fourth book, because I wouldn't be able to leave it with that cliffhanger hovering over me!
chemwitch's review
2.0
Alright, folks! I have finished the series and I guess I can no longer put off explaining myself to you, my non-existent audience. I know what you're thinking. After the glowing review of the last book, how could you rate this one so poorly? You signed off last time calling yourself a newly minted Jonathan L. Howard fan, and then this? Well, my friends, I agree with you.
I desperately wanted to like this book, but fate had other plans.
THE PLOT
In this book, we see everyone's favorite anti-hero facing off against the Dreamlands. We're introduced to three new side characters who will accompany him on this journey. These side characters do not matter, and I've forgotten their names entirely. They belong to The Fear Institute, a secret society that wants to enter the Dreamlands and destroy what they refer to as the Phobic Animus - that is, the embodiment of fear.
At this point, I was tracking. I was ready. I'm not always a fan of Lovecraftian works, but after that second book I was up for anything.
But this book was BORING. Most of the time is spent trudging around from place to place, doing... nothing? Ostensibly they're tracking the Phobic Animus. But at the end of the book you find out that this was just a fun game courtesy of Nyarlathotep, and the whole thing was essentially a waste of time. Both Cabal's time and mine. So, that was pointless.
And, as I've already admitted, the whole "Old Gods" thing never really works for me. So that was a drawback.
Also, after Cabal discovers that Nyarlathotep was behind it, there's this weird ghoul sub-plot? The book essentially ends, and then there's another plot after that. It was a weird set-up. The ghoul plot was probably my favorite part of the book, so I'm not complaining, but also I'm complaining because what? I get that it set up the next book, but it made the ending feel weirdly disjointed from the rest of the book.
THE CHARACTERS
Here's the thing about the characters: they were the best part of the second novel and the worst part of this one. We have Cabal and his three traveling companions. We briefly meet Miss Smith, a different necromancer who is trapped in the Dreamlands. We meet ghouls. None of these side characters matter in the slightest. A few of them die, some don't have enough page time to matter, the only interesting ghoul turns out to be Cabal himself, and most of them are bumbling idiots who are constantly getting roasted by Cabal. It gets old quick.
TL;DR: this book might work if you tend to get into the "Old Gods" Lovecraftian thing and if you don't care about having the one memorable character be a dick to the other not memorable characters for 300 pages. These are not things I enjoy?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well THAT was a massive disappointment.
Rtc when I can stop screeching out of white-hot fury that this book was such a letdown in comparison to Johannes Cabal the Detective. It might be a while.
I desperately wanted to like this book, but fate had other plans.
THE PLOT
In this book, we see everyone's favorite anti-hero facing off against the Dreamlands. We're introduced to three new side characters who will accompany him on this journey. These side characters do not matter, and I've forgotten their names entirely. They belong to The Fear Institute, a secret society that wants to enter the Dreamlands and destroy what they refer to as the Phobic Animus - that is, the embodiment of fear.
At this point, I was tracking. I was ready. I'm not always a fan of Lovecraftian works, but after that second book I was up for anything.
But this book was BORING. Most of the time is spent trudging around from place to place, doing... nothing? Ostensibly they're tracking the Phobic Animus. But at the end of the book you find out that this was just a fun game courtesy of Nyarlathotep, and the whole thing was essentially a waste of time. Both Cabal's time and mine. So, that was pointless.
And, as I've already admitted, the whole "Old Gods" thing never really works for me. So that was a drawback.
Also, after Cabal discovers that Nyarlathotep was behind it, there's this weird ghoul sub-plot? The book essentially ends, and then there's another plot after that. It was a weird set-up. The ghoul plot was probably my favorite part of the book, so I'm not complaining, but also I'm complaining because what? I get that it set up the next book, but it made the ending feel weirdly disjointed from the rest of the book.
THE CHARACTERS
Here's the thing about the characters: they were the best part of the second novel and the worst part of this one. We have Cabal and his three traveling companions. We briefly meet Miss Smith, a different necromancer who is trapped in the Dreamlands. We meet ghouls. None of these side characters matter in the slightest. A few of them die, some don't have enough page time to matter, the only interesting ghoul turns out to be Cabal himself, and most of them are bumbling idiots who are constantly getting roasted by Cabal. It gets old quick.
TL;DR: this book might work if you tend to get into the "Old Gods" Lovecraftian thing and if you don't care about having the one memorable character be a dick to the other not memorable characters for 300 pages. These are not things I enjoy?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well THAT was a massive disappointment.
Rtc when I can stop screeching out of white-hot fury that this book was such a letdown in comparison to Johannes Cabal the Detective. It might be a while.