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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
I've resisted reading Lovecraft for years because horror isn't really my thing. Now I know I was missing out on a pretty great book. Sure, the adventurers had mural interpreting abilities that stretched passed anyone's suspension of disbelief, but on the whole I thought it was a brilliantly paced sci-fi thriller.
It’s not that this is good, but that there are so many worst books.
It’s interesting that this was written in 1931. I’m sure an alien monster was novel at the time, and felt very different from Victorian Gothic Horror.
A warnings for future readers:
This book is mostly superlatives, and descriptions with esoteric terms.
Things like:
“Mountains beyond anything in imagination.”
“no architecture known to man or human imagination...”
It felt like the author found a science book and tried to use as many technical words as possible ignoring all rhythm or reader comprehension.
Many of his descriptions are indecipherable.
The author often can’t decide if he wants to describe things in detail or keep it a dark ambiguous mystery so he tries to do both.
It reminds me of 20,000 leagues under the sea, but just the descriptions without the story.
It reminds me of Tolkien mythology, but without any details or plot.
We finally get some tension around the 95% mark, so it takes a while to get through all the info-dumps and exaggerations.
I liked the last 5%. We finally have a conflict.
I think you’ll enjoy it if you go into it with a low expectation of any story and without the expectation of horror.
If you like the promise of something amazing, but never showing, then this is for you.
If you want Horror, you’ll do better reading Poe.
It’s interesting that this was written in 1931. I’m sure an alien monster was novel at the time, and felt very different from Victorian Gothic Horror.
A warnings for future readers:
This book is mostly superlatives, and descriptions with esoteric terms.
Things like:
“Mountains beyond anything in imagination.”
“no architecture known to man or human imagination...”
It felt like the author found a science book and tried to use as many technical words as possible ignoring all rhythm or reader comprehension.
Many of his descriptions are indecipherable.
The author often can’t decide if he wants to describe things in detail or keep it a dark ambiguous mystery so he tries to do both.
It reminds me of 20,000 leagues under the sea, but just the descriptions without the story.
It reminds me of Tolkien mythology, but without any details or plot.
We finally get some tension around the 95% mark, so it takes a while to get through all the info-dumps and exaggerations.
I liked the last 5%. We finally have a conflict.
I think you’ll enjoy it if you go into it with a low expectation of any story and without the expectation of horror.
If you like the promise of something amazing, but never showing, then this is for you.
If you want Horror, you’ll do better reading Poe.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
When I pick up a book, I want to do one of three things:
1) learn something real and/or
2) read a story and/or
3) look at pictures.
I do not pick up a book solely to have someone describe to me what sculptures or landscapes look like. Now, detailed descriptions of things' appearances can make a good story great, but there needs to be a story.
And a story is what this book lacks.
1) learn something real and/or
2) read a story and/or
3) look at pictures.
I do not pick up a book solely to have someone describe to me what sculptures or landscapes look like. Now, detailed descriptions of things' appearances can make a good story great, but there needs to be a story.
And a story is what this book lacks.
Nope. I was going to finish, just to finish, but i just can’t do it. This book could have been half its length, easily. You weren’t building suspense, Howard, you were dragging your feet. Being vague only builds so much unease. After a while, it’s lazy or unimaginative writing. And get a fucking thesaurus! Cyclopean, eons dead, and the phrase “mountains of madness” lose impact when you use them all the time. Also, “I hesitate to tell...” followed by vague descriptions that take 5-10 minutes of narration to reach the point? Come on!
Kudos to William Roberts, the narrator, for surviving that ordeal. Also, no offense, the right pompous voice for the job.
Kudos to William Roberts, the narrator, for surviving that ordeal. Also, no offense, the right pompous voice for the job.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
3.5
Me gustó la narración de los pensamientos del prota, y que estuviera ambientada en la Antártida me fascinó, la verdad no me lo esperaba. Amplía mucho el lore del autor, mucho más que los otros que he leído de él. Me gustó saber sobre los "old ones" o como se llamaran y como fue su final, aunque el vocabulario hacía que me perdiera en ocasiones y no resultara tan impactante como en mi imaginación podría haber sido.
Me gustó la narración de los pensamientos del prota, y que estuviera ambientada en la Antártida me fascinó, la verdad no me lo esperaba. Amplía mucho el lore del autor, mucho más que los otros que he leído de él. Me gustó saber sobre los "old ones" o como se llamaran y como fue su final, aunque el vocabulario hacía que me perdiera en ocasiones y no resultara tan impactante como en mi imaginación podría haber sido.
This was fun. Arguably poor writing in places (I lost count of the number of times particular words and phrases were repeated; favourites of Lovecraft in this were ‘aeon-dead’, ‘opalescent’, ‘decadent’, and ‘Roerrich’). And it was laughable that the narrator was able to determine so much of the history of the Old Ones by the carvings found (not to mention the negative impact this had on the mystery/fear aspect). However the story was enjoyable with a slight twist I’d not foreseen (maybe a poor reflection on me!).
It made me wish I lived in the days of the much more unexplored world.
It made me wish I lived in the days of the much more unexplored world.
Two Disclaimers -
1) I love the Lovecraftian Mythos
2) I have never read a single H.P. Lovecraft story
Ok, how does that work? Well, here's the thing. When I was little my dad used to tell me abbreviated versions of Lovecraft stories at bedtime. So, I always *felt* like I knew them. As an adult I've played about every board game, card game, and RPG associated with the genre and it actually didn't occur to me to actually read a *real* story until this year. Dumb, I know.
But here's the deal. I loved it and reading this story brought back great memories of being scared to death as a kid. If you're new to Lovecraft, I highly recommend starting with At The Mountains Of Madness. Its a great introduction to the mythos and sets you up for the slow creeping horror that Lovecraft is known for. If you're not a sci-fi person and you are pretty sure you won't dig this type of thing, just give it a try. It's short. It will take you less than a weekend to read if you put your mind to it.
1) I love the Lovecraftian Mythos
2) I have never read a single H.P. Lovecraft story
Ok, how does that work? Well, here's the thing. When I was little my dad used to tell me abbreviated versions of Lovecraft stories at bedtime. So, I always *felt* like I knew them. As an adult I've played about every board game, card game, and RPG associated with the genre and it actually didn't occur to me to actually read a *real* story until this year. Dumb, I know.
But here's the deal. I loved it and reading this story brought back great memories of being scared to death as a kid. If you're new to Lovecraft, I highly recommend starting with At The Mountains Of Madness. Its a great introduction to the mythos and sets you up for the slow creeping horror that Lovecraft is known for. If you're not a sci-fi person and you are pretty sure you won't dig this type of thing, just give it a try. It's short. It will take you less than a weekend to read if you put your mind to it.
Effective book though stylistically Lovecraft does better with short stories. The repetitive descriptions were distracting from the otherwise well crafted sense of building dread.