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A review by ravenousbibliophile
The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft
4.0
Rating: 4.5/5
Blurb: A call that must be answered
As a reader, it is often the case that one tries to become worthy of a particular genre or an author and thereby devotes oneself to acquiring and reading better, more elaborate stories in order to increase comprehension of what separates the bad from the good and the good from the great. H.P. Lovecraft, to me, was an author that I wanted to become worthy of. And The Call of Cthulu I'm happy to say, rightfully occupies it's place among that collection of stories that are called 'Great'.
My preconceived notion of the story was that it contains chilling environments, grotesque descriptions, repugnant characters and that it shall send many a shiver down my spine. Happily, most of my preconception proved correct. What I didn't expect however, was the level of comfort I felt in reading Lovecraft's narrative. He eases you into the story like a haunted house eases in it's unsuspecting tenants. And when you're finally confronted with the being that is Cthulu, you feel no sense of shock or awe, but only the slightest sense of worry with a tinge of fear. You want to get on the story and learn of what comes next for the characters rather than spend too much time pondering upon the monstrous structure of Cthulu and the mystic origins of his people.
The story does what it's supposed to do. It introduces a universe to the readers in a manner that piques their curiosity more than it frightens them. By the end of the tale, the Cthulu Mythos seems like that ominous looking door which leads into the dark-basement. Even though it frightens you, you'd still want to know what lurks within.
Blurb: A call that must be answered
As a reader, it is often the case that one tries to become worthy of a particular genre or an author and thereby devotes oneself to acquiring and reading better, more elaborate stories in order to increase comprehension of what separates the bad from the good and the good from the great. H.P. Lovecraft, to me, was an author that I wanted to become worthy of. And The Call of Cthulu I'm happy to say, rightfully occupies it's place among that collection of stories that are called 'Great'.
My preconceived notion of the story was that it contains chilling environments, grotesque descriptions, repugnant characters and that it shall send many a shiver down my spine. Happily, most of my preconception proved correct. What I didn't expect however, was the level of comfort I felt in reading Lovecraft's narrative. He eases you into the story like a haunted house eases in it's unsuspecting tenants. And when you're finally confronted with the being that is Cthulu, you feel no sense of shock or awe, but only the slightest sense of worry with a tinge of fear. You want to get on the story and learn of what comes next for the characters rather than spend too much time pondering upon the monstrous structure of Cthulu and the mystic origins of his people.
The story does what it's supposed to do. It introduces a universe to the readers in a manner that piques their curiosity more than it frightens them. By the end of the tale, the Cthulu Mythos seems like that ominous looking door which leads into the dark-basement. Even though it frightens you, you'd still want to know what lurks within.