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A review by kelamity_reads
Medusa's Coil by H.P. Lovecraft
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.0
WARNING: This story contains repeated use of the N*word and is racist as all heck!!!
Look, we all know Lovecraft is racist and there's no use trying to pretend otherwise, and it's important to call out problematic authors even if we enjoy their works. But this story was much more than his usual racist crap. Literally, the idea that a woman being of African decent is made out to be more horrific and terrifying than the fact that she is a FREAKING MONSTER!
Yeah, nah.
The atmosphere in this story is better built than most Lovecraft stories, but the ending is just too much.
No way am I going to pretend that portraying African heritage as being the most awful thing imaginable in a world where unnameable and unimaginable insanity-causing horrors exist is excusable or acceptable and anyone who enjoyed this story (even "despite the ending") needs to ask themselves why the heck they're so comfortable with such unacceptable and blatant racism. Not even the excuse that "it's a product of its time" can be used here.
I'm glad that Lovecraft never copyrighted his works because I would hate to give his estate any of my money.
Look, we all know Lovecraft is racist and there's no use trying to pretend otherwise, and it's important to call out problematic authors even if we enjoy their works. But this story was much more than his usual racist crap. Literally, the idea that a woman being of African decent is made out to be more horrific and terrifying than the fact that she is a FREAKING MONSTER!
Yeah, nah.
The atmosphere in this story is better built than most Lovecraft stories, but the ending is just too much.
No way am I going to pretend that portraying African heritage as being the most awful thing imaginable in a world where unnameable and unimaginable insanity-causing horrors exist is excusable or acceptable and anyone who enjoyed this story (even "despite the ending") needs to ask themselves why the heck they're so comfortable with such unacceptable and blatant racism. Not even the excuse that "it's a product of its time" can be used here.
I'm glad that Lovecraft never copyrighted his works because I would hate to give his estate any of my money.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism