The Complete Works Of H.P. Lovecraft (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Well, I'm as finished as I'm going to be with this 1,200-page monster. I read everything whose title I mostly recognized or was recommended. Overall, I enjoyed it. His later works - 1929 or so - are noticeably more readable than the earlier ones. Generally found it much more readable than I had anticipated; he draws you in and makes you want to find out what comes next. Tales I liked best: - The Dunwich Horror - The Colour out of Space - At the Mountains of Madness - The Horror at Red HookGood, but less so: - The Other Gods - The Dreams in the Witch House - The Call of ChthluI would avoid "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath." Tedious, chock full of dei ex machina, total let-down ending (reviewed in more detail elsewhere).I was surprised at being just OK with "The Call of Cthulu." Cthulu is nowhere near as big a deal as I anticipated - nothing to compare with Nyarlathotep. Or the Old Ones, for that matter, or even The Other Gods. Found Lovecraft audio books on youtube after watching a documentary about classic sci-fi authors. Have to say, I've never 'read' anything quite like it. After exhausting the available stories, I looked for more Lovecraft-like books, and found M.R. Adams, who preceded Lovecraft and was a significant influence. However, after listening to Adams, I learned why I enjoyed Lovecraft. Yes, the scholarly gentleman visiting the old scary estate was probably borrowed from Adams, but the writing itself, the rich descriptions, the atmosphere; Lovecraft could have written romance novels and they would have been creepy-amusing. One of a kind.
What do You think about The Complete Works Of H.P. Lovecraft (2011)?
Brilliant, atmospheric, exciting, frightening, thought-provoking. Right up there with Poe.
—Emily
Fantastic book at an awesome price. Just buy it....!!
—asta
How can I not? I'm a horror book / flick fan.
—BlackVerone
