A review by kelialql
The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft

4.0

Yet again I find myself wishing for the option of giving half-stars, for this book truly deserves 4.5 stars instead of 4. Okay, 4.25. Despite the fact that the author, himself, expressed displeasure at many of the tales included in this collection, it still demonstrates quite distinctly Lovecraft's affinity for the grotesque and uncanny. He clearly reveled in prickling our primal fears with loathsome, sinister, and (dare I say) “Cyclopean” fiends and freaks which roam everywhere from the backwoods and cityscapes of New England to the uncharted heights of the Antarctic. And he obviously understood the breathtaking terror that grips even the stoutest of hearts when the lights go out and one finds oneself crawling on hands and knees to escape the unspeakable horrors just around the corner... It's rare that the written word manages to truly frighten me, yet I gleefully admit that I found myself tense and jumpy more than once. (Granted, I am among the more easily frightened – but then, that's where the fun is.)

So why not a full five stars? Sadly, Lovecraft's regrettable and distasteful ethnocentricity (if not outright bigotry) rears its ugly head numerous times throughout the collection. In some cases, it's little more than a mention of a seedy character's ethnic background – irritating (especially for those of us who happen share that particular ethnic background) but fleeting. At other times, though, Lovecraft's heavy-handed defamations actually distract from the story itself, breaking the delicately woven spell – and reminding the reader that the worst evils lurk not in ocean depths or frozen wastelands but in petty human hearts everywhere.