A review by tacochelle
The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The first 4 stories and the poem are solid eldritch/cosmic horror, all centered around a cursed play of the same title. Other than mentions from the characters and quotes at the start of each story, you don't actually know what the play is about. You only see how it drives the readers to madness. It also takes place in this alternate 1920s America, which was the future when the stories were written. It was really interesting. The latter ones are all romance, nothing to do with the first half of the book, which I didn't know going into it. The time travel one was neat. The last 3 are interconnected and well written, but the whole time, I was just waiting for the eldritch horror to come in.
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