A review by chezler24
H.P. Lovecraft's Book of the Supernatural: Classic Tales of the Macabre by Stephen Jones

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I kept bouncing back and forth between 3 and 4 stars depending on how much I liked whichever short story I was reading. I was intrigued by the idea of this book. Creating a collection of short stories based on one of H.P. Lovecraft's essays is an intriguing exercise. I got to see some work from authors I was aware of and others to whom I had not been previously exposed. Because these pieces were written in the earlier part of the 20th century, some of the works seemed a bit dated when I read them thus making them a bit harder to connect with. Nonetheless, there were some pieces that I really gravitated towards and enjoyed. It was a mixed bag for me but what can one expect from a collection of short stories. In the future, I'll probably revisit this book for a select few entries rather than reading it straight through as I did this time.