A review by timgarris
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft

4.0

Lovecraft's style is definitely iconic. As I was reading, I really became aware of how much this has influenced other authors that I've read. He has a very unique way of drawing you into characters and situations, and while I've seen parts of it imitated here before, it's nothing like seeing it from the beginning in pure, elemental form. It's a shame that Lovecraft didn't write any true full novels, because I found that my enjoyment of his works in this collection rose with the length of the story. The Colour Out of Space, The Whisperer in Darkness and The Shadow over Innsmouth were all highlights for me, while brief pieces like Nyarlathotep or The Hound left me scratching my head a bit. At his best, Lovecraft does this wonderfully subtle trick where he starts off in very manageable circumstances, and in the end leaves you pondering things you don't like to think about. It's like a miniature version of the descent into madness that the main character often suffers, and a fantastic read every time even if it does become a bit formulaic after awhile. I'm really looking forward to picking up more of his work, and I feel like I now have a whole new perspective on much of the fantasy and horror literature that came after him.