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The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales
The Cthulhu Mythos was H. P. Lovecraft's greatest contribution to supernatural literature: a series of stories that evoked cosmic awe and terror through their accounts of incomprehensibly alien monsters and their horrifying incursions into our world. The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales collects 23 of Lovecraft's greatest weird tales, including "The Call of Cthulhu," "The Colour out of Space," "The Dunwich Horror," "The Shadow over Innsmouth," and "The Shadow out of Time." It also features six collaborative "revisions" through which Lovecraft expanded the scope of his dark mythology.
In these stories, monstrous entities traverse the gulfs of time and space and humankind cowers in fright at the havoc they wreak. The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales is your passport to realms of unimaginable horror.
Contents:
1. Dagon
2. Nyarlathotep
3. The Nameless City
4. Azathoth
5. The Hound
6. The Festival
7. The Call of Cthulhu
8. The Colour out of Space
9. History of the Necronomicon
10. The Curse of Yig
11. The Dunwich Horror
12. The Whisperer in Darkness
13. The Mound
14. At the Mountains of Madness
15. The Shadow over Innsmouth
16. The Dreams in the Witch House
17. The Man of Stone
18. The Horror in the Museum
19. The Thing on the Doorstep
20. Out of the Aeons
21. The Tree on the Hill
22. The Shadow out of Time
23. The Haunter of the Dark
In these stories, monstrous entities traverse the gulfs of time and space and humankind cowers in fright at the havoc they wreak. The Complete Cthulhu Mythos Tales is your passport to realms of unimaginable horror.
Contents:
1. Dagon
2. Nyarlathotep
3. The Nameless City
4. Azathoth
5. The Hound
6. The Festival
7. The Call of Cthulhu
8. The Colour out of Space
9. History of the Necronomicon
10. The Curse of Yig
11. The Dunwich Horror
12. The Whisperer in Darkness
13. The Mound
14. At the Mountains of Madness
15. The Shadow over Innsmouth
16. The Dreams in the Witch House
17. The Man of Stone
18. The Horror in the Museum
19. The Thing on the Doorstep
20. Out of the Aeons
21. The Tree on the Hill
22. The Shadow out of Time
23. The Haunter of the Dark
593 pages, Leather Bound
First published January 1, 1940
About the author
H.P. Lovecraft
4,474 books17.9k followersHoward Phillips Lovecraft, of Providence, Rhode Island, was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction.
Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.
Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, his reputation has grown over the decades. He is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting widespread and indirect influence, and frequently compared to Edgar Allan Poe.
See also Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
— Wikipedia
Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.
Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, his reputation has grown over the decades. He is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting widespread and indirect influence, and frequently compared to Edgar Allan Poe.
See also Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
— Wikipedia
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January 23, 2021
Es una lastima que esta edición sólo trajera tres relatos de Lovecraft porque ahora quiero leer toda su obra.
Algo que quiero aplaudirle a Lovecraft es esa capacidad que tiene para crear misterio desde un comienzo y mantenerlo en todo el trayecto de la narración, tal vez sea porque uno ya sabe la clase de monstruo con la que trabaja este autor, o porque él, simplemente, es un genio.
Todos los tres relatos poseían un eje que sostenía el suspenso: en la Llamada de Cthulhu era la muerte de un familiar del protagonista (no es spoiler); en el Horror de Dunwich era Wilbur, su familia y los secretos que guardaban; y en la Sombra sobre Innsmouth era todo ese pueblo costero (Este último fue mi favorito, tiene un final que me dejó impactado.) El primer cuento es toda una introducción al mundo Lovecraftniano.
Quiero confesar el terror que produjo la Llamada de Cthulhu en mí, jajaja, por unas horas le tuve una gran fobia al océano y todo lo que sus profundidades pueden resguardar, vi al mismo océano como una gran bestia dormida, y, lo juro, sentí el mismo susto que me provocan las películas de terror, aunque menos duradero.
Cómo dije en el primer párrafo, me molestó terminar este libro y sentirme insatisfecho por la escasa variedad de relatos. Aunque debo aceptar que la portada es de mis favoritas y la letra es enorme, es común en esta editorial así como también lo son algunas fallas gramaticales. Pero, bueno, me sirvió para comenzar con este autor, el cual se ve muy, muy plasmado es las novelas de Stephen King.
Sin dar más molestias quiero calificar de forma individual cada una de las obras.
La Llamada de Cthulhu: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ cuatro estrellas que podrían aumentar en un futuro.
El Horror de Dunwich: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ cuatro estrellas fijas.
La Sombra sobre Innsmouth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ cinco estrellas bien merecidas.
"No está muerto lo que puede yacer por siempre, sin fin, y tras extraños eones la muerte aun puede morir."
Algo que quiero aplaudirle a Lovecraft es esa capacidad que tiene para crear misterio desde un comienzo y mantenerlo en todo el trayecto de la narración, tal vez sea porque uno ya sabe la clase de monstruo con la que trabaja este autor, o porque él, simplemente, es un genio.
Todos los tres relatos poseían un eje que sostenía el suspenso: en la Llamada de Cthulhu era la muerte de un familiar del protagonista (no es spoiler); en el Horror de Dunwich era Wilbur, su familia y los secretos que guardaban; y en la Sombra sobre Innsmouth era todo ese pueblo costero (Este último fue mi favorito, tiene un final que me dejó impactado.) El primer cuento es toda una introducción al mundo Lovecraftniano.
Quiero confesar el terror que produjo la Llamada de Cthulhu en mí, jajaja, por unas horas le tuve una gran fobia al océano y todo lo que sus profundidades pueden resguardar, vi al mismo océano como una gran bestia dormida, y, lo juro, sentí el mismo susto que me provocan las películas de terror, aunque menos duradero.
Cómo dije en el primer párrafo, me molestó terminar este libro y sentirme insatisfecho por la escasa variedad de relatos. Aunque debo aceptar que la portada es de mis favoritas y la letra es enorme, es común en esta editorial así como también lo son algunas fallas gramaticales. Pero, bueno, me sirvió para comenzar con este autor, el cual se ve muy, muy plasmado es las novelas de Stephen King.
Sin dar más molestias quiero calificar de forma individual cada una de las obras.
La Llamada de Cthulhu: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ cuatro estrellas que podrían aumentar en un futuro.
El Horror de Dunwich: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ cuatro estrellas fijas.
La Sombra sobre Innsmouth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ cinco estrellas bien merecidas.
"No está muerto lo que puede yacer por siempre, sin fin, y tras extraños eones la muerte aun puede morir."
November 4, 2019
Se siete alla ricerca di una lettura “felice” vade retro, qui si respira a pieni polmoni un’aria cupa.
In questo volume così corposo si raggiunge l'apoteosi del genere weird come lo conosciamo oggi.
Fu proprio grazie a questa mitica figura – Cthulhu - che l'autore ha lasciato un segno indelebile e concreto nella letteratura dell’orrore e del soprannaturale guadagnandosi un aggettivo tutto suo: “lovecraftiano”, col quale descrivere appieno un universo (da qui la definizione di “orrore cosmico”) ben articolato che tracima misticismo, delirio e angoscia ed è popolato da questo pantheon di entità ctonie che si manifestano a loro piacimento.
Cthulhu e i suoi simili sono degli “esseri superiori”, infatti, l’autore ha dato origine ad una mitologia a se stante; tralascia volutamente di delinearli con dovizia di particolari, per sottolineare che l’imperfezione insita nella condizione umana limita le capacità descrittive pertanto - l’uomo che è perfettibile e non perfetto - non ha gli strumenti necessari per coglierne l’interezza. La loro maestosità è avvolta nel mistero e i culti a loro dedicati, presenti nei racconti, rasentano la blasfemia.
Howard Phillips Lovecraft – il solitario di Providence - mette nero su bianco il palpabile disagio nei confronti del mondo in cui ha vissuto trasferendolo in una successione di storie immaginifiche e angoscianti.
Il malcapitato protagonista di turno è soggetto ad alienazione e\o inadeguatezza ed il lettore suo malgrado si troverà a trattenere il fiato nell’attesa di un epilogo quasi sempre imprevedibile. Un tomo esauriente e senza tempo alla quale non manca nulla; fantastico e orrorifico, paradosso e occulto con un tocco di alchimia formano una combinazione vincente che può essere definita “proto-fantascienza” quindi i grandi cultori del genere non possono perderselo.
La scrittura di Lovecraft – per chi non è avvezzo ai classici - potrebbe essere considerata macchinosa mentre, in realtà, egli è in grado di elaborare scene cariche di tensione che non hanno nulla da invidiare agli autori del nostro tempo, anzi direi che in molti hanno colto a piene mani dalle sue opere.
Il voto è dettato dall’entusiasmo e dal forte coinvolgimento che questi racconti mi hanno suscitato, non si tratta di un punteggio pieno perché ho fatto l’errore di leggerli uno di seguito all’altro e non sono riuscita a godermeli come si deve. Mi domando soltanto il perché ho aspettato tutti questi anni prima di affrontare con serietà Lovecraft … Forse era solo il timore di guardare dritto negli occhi un orrore senza nome. E qui necessito delle parole del filosofo nichilista Friedrich Nietzsche:
In questo volume così corposo si raggiunge l'apoteosi del genere weird come lo conosciamo oggi.
Fu proprio grazie a questa mitica figura – Cthulhu - che l'autore ha lasciato un segno indelebile e concreto nella letteratura dell’orrore e del soprannaturale guadagnandosi un aggettivo tutto suo: “lovecraftiano”, col quale descrivere appieno un universo (da qui la definizione di “orrore cosmico”) ben articolato che tracima misticismo, delirio e angoscia ed è popolato da questo pantheon di entità ctonie che si manifestano a loro piacimento.
Cthulhu e i suoi simili sono degli “esseri superiori”, infatti, l’autore ha dato origine ad una mitologia a se stante; tralascia volutamente di delinearli con dovizia di particolari, per sottolineare che l’imperfezione insita nella condizione umana limita le capacità descrittive pertanto - l’uomo che è perfettibile e non perfetto - non ha gli strumenti necessari per coglierne l’interezza. La loro maestosità è avvolta nel mistero e i culti a loro dedicati, presenti nei racconti, rasentano la blasfemia.
Howard Phillips Lovecraft – il solitario di Providence - mette nero su bianco il palpabile disagio nei confronti del mondo in cui ha vissuto trasferendolo in una successione di storie immaginifiche e angoscianti.
Il malcapitato protagonista di turno è soggetto ad alienazione e\o inadeguatezza ed il lettore suo malgrado si troverà a trattenere il fiato nell’attesa di un epilogo quasi sempre imprevedibile. Un tomo esauriente e senza tempo alla quale non manca nulla; fantastico e orrorifico, paradosso e occulto con un tocco di alchimia formano una combinazione vincente che può essere definita “proto-fantascienza” quindi i grandi cultori del genere non possono perderselo.
La scrittura di Lovecraft – per chi non è avvezzo ai classici - potrebbe essere considerata macchinosa mentre, in realtà, egli è in grado di elaborare scene cariche di tensione che non hanno nulla da invidiare agli autori del nostro tempo, anzi direi che in molti hanno colto a piene mani dalle sue opere.
Il voto è dettato dall’entusiasmo e dal forte coinvolgimento che questi racconti mi hanno suscitato, non si tratta di un punteggio pieno perché ho fatto l’errore di leggerli uno di seguito all’altro e non sono riuscita a godermeli come si deve. Mi domando soltanto il perché ho aspettato tutti questi anni prima di affrontare con serietà Lovecraft … Forse era solo il timore di guardare dritto negli occhi un orrore senza nome. E qui necessito delle parole del filosofo nichilista Friedrich Nietzsche:
“E se tu scruterai a lungo in un abisso, anche l'abisso scruterà dentro di te.”
June 2, 2023
Lovecraftian Horror
August Derleth is a great fan of Lovecraft. He wrote this book as a tribute to him.
Names of locations are written about as though they actually exist. He also did this for places and things.
He did this throughout this book. And he had characters who appear in a story, show up, again, in other stories.
Nearly seven hundred pages of Lovecraftian horror that will put the fear of the Old Ones in you.
The stories are all interlocking and that helps make the book more interesting.
Lovecraft fans will definitely enjoy this book and place it in their Lovecraft collection. Read it and you’ll see.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
August Derleth is a great fan of Lovecraft. He wrote this book as a tribute to him.
Names of locations are written about as though they actually exist. He also did this for places and things.
He did this throughout this book. And he had characters who appear in a story, show up, again, in other stories.
Nearly seven hundred pages of Lovecraftian horror that will put the fear of the Old Ones in you.
The stories are all interlocking and that helps make the book more interesting.
Lovecraft fans will definitely enjoy this book and place it in their Lovecraft collection. Read it and you’ll see.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
December 14, 2022
Mi limito a giudicare l'edizione poiché i racconti in essa contenuti non hanno nessun bisogno di presentazioni o commenti dopo quasi 100 anni di indiscusso successo.
Sono presenti una ventina tra i migliori racconti del solitario di Providence, tutti incentrati sul ciclo cosmico e il suo aspetto minaccioso lascia senza parole.
Dopo aver provato sulla vostra pelle le claustrofobiche atmosfere pessimiste e senza speranza create da Lovecraft, i vostri problemi appariranno ben poca cosa e le vostre giornate saranno più luminose.
Una gemma da avere!
Sono presenti una ventina tra i migliori racconti del solitario di Providence, tutti incentrati sul ciclo cosmico e il suo aspetto minaccioso lascia senza parole.
Dopo aver provato sulla vostra pelle le claustrofobiche atmosfere pessimiste e senza speranza create da Lovecraft, i vostri problemi appariranno ben poca cosa e le vostre giornate saranno più luminose.
Una gemma da avere!
Read
April 29, 2022HOT AS FAKK！
July 27, 2017
Premetto che adoro Lovecraft e questa raccolta è fatta benissimo, un volume da centellinare titolo per titolo, così da gustarlo meglio. Contiene quasi tutti i suoi racconti migliori (almeno secondo me) che sono legati non ‘da un’ tema ma ‘dal’ tema per eccellenza del solitario di Providence, l’aspetto esteriore poi: tra copertina, pagine dal filo nero, illustrazioni grottesche… lo trovo particolarmente suggestivo. L’unica pecca, se così la si vuole chiamare, dell’opera è che essendo appunto composta da svariati lavori non tutti sono al top (ecco perché il mio voto finale è stato di 4 stelle e non 5).
Quando questo scrittore dà vita ad un’avventura strutturata - spesso tramite bocca/diari di qualcuno che se l’è vista davvero brutta e ora o è schiattato malamente o è ridotto al terrore sul baratro della follia - il suo stile riesce a caricare la storia di una tale inquietudine ed angoscia (e lo dico in senso positivo) che il risultato è una perla di rara bellezza del mystery nel campo dell’insolito.
Quando invece fondamentalmente una storia di base vera e propria non c’è e tutto viene costruito ad uso e consumo degli ambienti o delle creature inventate da H.P., quelle stesse articolate descrizioni che nel giusto contesto mi fanno entusiasmare, paradossalmente, fini a sé stesse si trasmutano in verbose litanie che non vedo l’ora di finire.
Non fraintendetemi però, forse sono io ad essere un po’ pretenzioso, è che da lui mi aspetterei sempre (e soltanto) il massimo essendo uno degli autori che maggiormente apprezzo. Personalmente lo ritengo il migliore nel suo campo e sono abbastanza convinto che altri la pensino come me, molti altri.
Quando questo scrittore dà vita ad un’avventura strutturata - spesso tramite bocca/diari di qualcuno che se l’è vista davvero brutta e ora o è schiattato malamente o è ridotto al terrore sul baratro della follia - il suo stile riesce a caricare la storia di una tale inquietudine ed angoscia (e lo dico in senso positivo) che il risultato è una perla di rara bellezza del mystery nel campo dell’insolito.
Quando invece fondamentalmente una storia di base vera e propria non c’è e tutto viene costruito ad uso e consumo degli ambienti o delle creature inventate da H.P., quelle stesse articolate descrizioni che nel giusto contesto mi fanno entusiasmare, paradossalmente, fini a sé stesse si trasmutano in verbose litanie che non vedo l’ora di finire.
Non fraintendetemi però, forse sono io ad essere un po’ pretenzioso, è che da lui mi aspetterei sempre (e soltanto) il massimo essendo uno degli autori che maggiormente apprezzo. Personalmente lo ritengo il migliore nel suo campo e sono abbastanza convinto che altri la pensino come me, molti altri.
May 28, 2016
I had no idea that this book previously existed as 2013 trade paperback, which is ye edition that has been review'd here. This new hardcover edition is in ye Barnes & Noble leatherbound series, and it is half the size (594 pages) of the previous edition from B&N, THE COMPLETE FICTION (1098 pages). This is one of ye loveliest editions of H. P. Lovecraft's weird fiction that I have seen, beautifully design'd and with great art by John Coulthart (including a 16 x 20 inches poster, "Cthulhu Rising"). The endpapers feature Coulthart's exquisite illustration of "R'lyeh" on pale green paper.
Contents:
Introduction by S. T. Joshi
Dagon
Nyarlathotep
The Nameless City
Azathoth
The Hound
The Festival
The Call of Cthulhu
The Colour out of Space
History of the Necronomicon
The Curse of Yig
The Dinwich Horror
The Whisperer in Darkness
The Mound
At the Mountains of Madness
The Shadow over Innsmouth
The Dreams in the Witch House
The Man of Stone
The Horror in the Museum
The Thing on the Doorstep
Out of the Aeons
The Tree on the Hill
The Shadow out of Time
The Haunter of the Dark
Original Dates of Publication
I like that the book includes some of the rarely published "revisions & collaborations" works that Lovecraft wrote "with" other writers. It has now been determined that HPL wrote most of the text for such tales as "The Curse of Yig" and "The Mound". The story of the snake god remains one of Lovecraft's most powerful creations, and it exhibits his able use of characterization (the complaint of many that Lovecraft was poor at portraying character is nonsense). Lovecraft was an excellent writer, and his timeless tales will remain in print for all of mortal time. It's fantastic to have them presented in such a handsome format with this new publication. Publication date is set for August (I received an early review edition from ye publisher). Highly recommended, and this would be a superb edition with which to introduce friends to the fiction of E'ch-Pi-El.
Contents:
Introduction by S. T. Joshi
Dagon
Nyarlathotep
The Nameless City
Azathoth
The Hound
The Festival
The Call of Cthulhu
The Colour out of Space
History of the Necronomicon
The Curse of Yig
The Dinwich Horror
The Whisperer in Darkness
The Mound
At the Mountains of Madness
The Shadow over Innsmouth
The Dreams in the Witch House
The Man of Stone
The Horror in the Museum
The Thing on the Doorstep
Out of the Aeons
The Tree on the Hill
The Shadow out of Time
The Haunter of the Dark
Original Dates of Publication
I like that the book includes some of the rarely published "revisions & collaborations" works that Lovecraft wrote "with" other writers. It has now been determined that HPL wrote most of the text for such tales as "The Curse of Yig" and "The Mound". The story of the snake god remains one of Lovecraft's most powerful creations, and it exhibits his able use of characterization (the complaint of many that Lovecraft was poor at portraying character is nonsense). Lovecraft was an excellent writer, and his timeless tales will remain in print for all of mortal time. It's fantastic to have them presented in such a handsome format with this new publication. Publication date is set for August (I received an early review edition from ye publisher). Highly recommended, and this would be a superb edition with which to introduce friends to the fiction of E'ch-Pi-El.
April 30, 2024
Me encantó esta relectura.
No todos los relatos me fascinan, pero es, sin duda, excelente y amé reencontrarme con cada uno.
Absolutamente recomendada si quieren conocer una excelente selección de autores icónicos dentro del género y, obviamente, Los mitos.
No todos los relatos me fascinan, pero es, sin duda, excelente y amé reencontrarme con cada uno.
Absolutamente recomendada si quieren conocer una excelente selección de autores icónicos dentro del género y, obviamente, Los mitos.
August 17, 2023
Una raccolta di racconti che rappresenta una discesa nella paura, nell'inquietudine. La scrittura di Lovecraft è intensa e non permette di prendere fiato, in un bisogno continuo di saperne di più.
Come in ogni raccolta di racconti, alcuni sono migliori di altri. Quelli che ho preferito: "il Caso di Charles Dexter Ward", "l'Orrore di Dunwich", "il Colore venuto dallo spazio", "la Casa delle streghe", "l'Abitatore del Buio". Non ho apprezzato molto, invece, "le Montagne della Follia": ho fatto molta fatica a proseguire con la lettura, dati i troppi tecnicismi che ne appesantiscono l'esperienza.
Tutti gli amanti dei generi gotico, weird e horror dovrebbero leggere i miti di Chtulhu. Lovecraft è un vero maestro ed è stato di ispirazione per molti scrittori, tra tutti King. Le similitudini si sprecano, ma sono davvero contenta di aver riscontrato questo parallelismo, che mi ha permesso di apprezzare ancora di più il volume. Una delle cose che, invece, non ho gradito è il razzismo sbandierato dallo scrittore in tutti i racconti: capisco che sia anche dovuto alla morale della sua epoca, ma mi ha infastidita e potrebbe fare lo stesso effetto a chi è sensibile a questa tematica. Per il resto è un acquisto consigliatissimo e merita di spiccare in qualsiasi libreria.
Come in ogni raccolta di racconti, alcuni sono migliori di altri. Quelli che ho preferito: "il Caso di Charles Dexter Ward", "l'Orrore di Dunwich", "il Colore venuto dallo spazio", "la Casa delle streghe", "l'Abitatore del Buio". Non ho apprezzato molto, invece, "le Montagne della Follia": ho fatto molta fatica a proseguire con la lettura, dati i troppi tecnicismi che ne appesantiscono l'esperienza.
Tutti gli amanti dei generi gotico, weird e horror dovrebbero leggere i miti di Chtulhu. Lovecraft è un vero maestro ed è stato di ispirazione per molti scrittori, tra tutti King. Le similitudini si sprecano, ma sono davvero contenta di aver riscontrato questo parallelismo, che mi ha permesso di apprezzare ancora di più il volume. Una delle cose che, invece, non ho gradito è il razzismo sbandierato dallo scrittore in tutti i racconti: capisco che sia anche dovuto alla morale della sua epoca, ma mi ha infastidita e potrebbe fare lo stesso effetto a chi è sensibile a questa tematica. Per il resto è un acquisto consigliatissimo e merita di spiccare in qualsiasi libreria.
February 26, 2020
Το 2015 κυκλοφορεί για το PlayStation το παιχνίδι Bloodborne. Ένα παιχνίδι όπου από τότε μέχρι σήμερα έχω αφιερώσει ΠΟΛΛΕΣ ώρες. Είτε παίζοντας το, είτε βλέποντας ��λλους να παίζουν, είτε διαβάζοντας για αυτό, είτε ζωγραφίζοντας/σχεδιάζοντας εικόνες εμπνευσμένες από αυτό.
Ο κύριος λόγος είναι η σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα του. Η αίσθηση που σο�� προκαλεί το γοτθικό του περιβάλλον και η μαυρίλα του εικαστικού του. Θυμάμαι να σταματάω το παιχνίδι και απλά να κοιτάω τον κόσμο του. Την αρχιτεκτονική του. Την γεωμετρία του. Ήμουν ένας τουρίστας σε έναν εικονικό κόσμο γεμάτο κοσμικό τρόμο.
Αναζητώντας τα κρυφά νοήματα του παιχνιδιού και κυρίως την πηγή έμπνευσης των δημιουργών και του σκηνοθέτη του, ερχόμουν συνέχεια απέναντι με ένα όνομα... H.P. LOVECRAFT...οπότε ήταν θέμα χρόνου.
...
...
...
Έχοντας πλέον τελειώσει την συγκεκριμένη συλλογή οφείλω να ομολογήσω ότι δεν απογοητεύτηκα καθόλου.
Αν και απέχει πολύ από τα συνηθισμένα μου αναγνώσματα, η γραφή του Lovecraft με κέρδισε.
Δεν τρόμαξα αλλά ανατρίχιασα. Δεν ούρλιαξα αλλά σίγουρα γούρλωσα τα μάτια σε μερικά σημεία. Ήξερα ότι διαβάζω ιστορίες με πλαστά φαντάσματα και τέρατα ΑΛΛΑ υπήρχε μια αληθοφάνεια στον τρόπο αφήγησης του Lovecraft όπου όσο διάβαζες, το κείμενο σε έκανε να πιστέψεις σε αυτό.
Εκτίμησα λίγο παραπάνω και ξεχώρισα την απόγνωση που υπάρχει στον λόγο του, το λεξιλόγιό του, το συντακτικό του, τις εκφράσεις του... Έκρυβαν μια μελαγχολία, μια μαυρίλα σαν αυτή του Bloodborne, μια αγωνία και ταυτόχρονα μια παραίτηση.
Δεν είναι τόσο τα κυκλώπεια τέρατα ή τα ανατριχιαστικά πλοκάμια όπου θα σε τρομάξουν. Είναι η ασημαντότητα του ανθρώπου. Η αδυναμία του να πράξει. Η αδυναμία του να ακουστεί και να πιστέψουν τα λεγόμενα του. Η αίσθηση της μοναξιάς και της εγκατάλειψης.
Οι περισσότερες ιστορίες, μετά την κορύφωση και την αποκάλυψη κάποιου τέρατος ή παραφυσικού στοιχείου, εστίαζαν ξανά στον Άνθρωπο. Έναν άνθρωπο πλέον αδύναμο και παραιτημένο από τη ζωή. Έναν άνθρωπο στεγνό.
Οι ιστορίες σε αγγίζουν γιατί αν αντικαταστήσεις ή αφαιρέσεις τα τέρατα και την όλη μυθοπλασία του συγγραφέα, τα ανθρώπινα συναισθήματα που μένουν είναι αληθινά. Άνθρωποι βιώνουν και αισθάνονται απόγνωση, παραιτούνται από την ζωή, στεγνώνουν, χωρίς την απειλή του Cthulhu...
...
Κάθε του ιστορία μου επιβεβαίωνε ότι ο Lovecraft είναι όντως ο πατέρας του Cosmic Horror.
Σε πολλά σημεία εντόπισα ιστορίες και σκηνικά τα οποία συνειδητοποιούσα ότι αποτελούν την πηγή έμπνευσης για πρόσφατες ιστορίες σε media όπως ηλεκτρικά παιχνίδια (Bloodborne) και ταινίες (Annihilation).
...
Η έκδοση που έχω (Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classic Collection) είναι εκπληκτική και προτείνεται άφοβα αν και οι ιστορίες του είναι εύκολο να βρεθούν και δωρεάν στο διαδίκτυο με μια απλή αναζήτηση για όσους θέλουν να τον δοκιμάσουν. Κάτι το οποίο προτείνω σε όλους τους λάτρεις του είδους και όχι μόνο.
Ο κύριος λόγος είναι η σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα του. Η αίσθηση που σο�� προκαλεί το γοτθικό του περιβάλλον και η μαυρίλα του εικαστικού του. Θυμάμαι να σταματάω το παιχνίδι και απλά να κοιτάω τον κόσμο του. Την αρχιτεκτονική του. Την γεωμετρία του. Ήμουν ένας τουρίστας σε έναν εικονικό κόσμο γεμάτο κοσμικό τρόμο.
Αναζητώντας τα κρυφά νοήματα του παιχνιδιού και κυρίως την πηγή έμπνευσης των δημιουργών και του σκηνοθέτη του, ερχόμουν συνέχεια απέναντι με ένα όνομα... H.P. LOVECRAFT...οπότε ήταν θέμα χρόνου.
...
...
...
Έχοντας πλέον τελειώσει την συγκεκριμένη συλλογή οφείλω να ομολογήσω ότι δεν απογοητεύτηκα καθόλου.
Αν και απέχει πολύ από τα συνηθισμένα μου αναγνώσματα, η γραφή του Lovecraft με κέρδισε.
Δεν τρόμαξα αλλά ανατρίχιασα. Δεν ούρλιαξα αλλά σίγουρα γούρλωσα τα μάτια σε μερικά σημεία. Ήξερα ότι διαβάζω ιστορίες με πλαστά φαντάσματα και τέρατα ΑΛΛΑ υπήρχε μια αληθοφάνεια στον τρόπο αφήγησης του Lovecraft όπου όσο διάβαζες, το κείμενο σε έκανε να πιστέψεις σε αυτό.
Εκτίμησα λίγο παραπάνω και ξεχώρισα την απόγνωση που υπάρχει στον λόγο του, το λεξιλόγιό του, το συντακτικό του, τις εκφράσεις του... Έκρυβαν μια μελαγχολία, μια μαυρίλα σαν αυτή του Bloodborne, μια αγωνία και ταυτόχρονα μια παραίτηση.
Δεν είναι τόσο τα κυκλώπεια τέρατα ή τα ανατριχιαστικά πλοκάμια όπου θα σε τρομάξουν. Είναι η ασημαντότητα του ανθρώπου. Η αδυναμία του να πράξει. Η αδυναμία του να ακουστεί και να πιστέψουν τα λεγόμενα του. Η αίσθηση της μοναξιάς και της εγκατάλειψης.
Οι περισσότερες ιστορίες, μετά την κορύφωση και την αποκάλυψη κάποιου τέρατος ή παραφυσικού στοιχείου, εστίαζαν ξανά στον Άνθρωπο. Έναν άνθρωπο πλέον αδύναμο και παραιτημένο από τη ζωή. Έναν άνθρωπο στεγνό.
Οι ιστορίες σε αγγίζουν γιατί αν αντικαταστήσεις ή αφαιρέσεις τα τέρατα και την όλη μυθοπλασία του συγγραφέα, τα ανθρώπινα συναισθήματα που μένουν είναι αληθινά. Άνθρωποι βιώνουν και αισθάνονται απόγνωση, παραιτούνται από την ζωή, στεγνώνουν, χωρίς την απειλή του Cthulhu...
...
Κάθε του ιστορία μου επιβεβαίωνε ότι ο Lovecraft είναι όντως ο πατέρας του Cosmic Horror.
Σε πολλά σημεία εντόπισα ιστορίες και σκηνικά τα οποία συνειδητοποιούσα ότι αποτελούν την πηγή έμπνευσης για πρόσφατες ιστορίες σε media όπως ηλεκτρικά παιχνίδια (Bloodborne) και ταινίες (Annihilation).
...
Η έκδοση που έχω (Barnes & Noble Leatherbound Classic Collection) είναι εκπληκτική και προτείνεται άφοβα αν και οι ιστορίες του είναι εύκολο να βρεθούν και δωρεάν στο διαδίκτυο με μια απλή αναζήτηση για όσους θέλουν να τον δοκιμάσουν. Κάτι το οποίο προτείνω σε όλους τους λάτρεις του είδους και όχι μόνο.
May 17, 2023
This was a wild ride.
Some of the stories were, indeed, terrifying - i am still of the opinion that The Shadow out of time is the absolute best. But then again, I recently developed a liking towards sci-fi so my opinion can't be trusted just yet. Rtc.
Some of the stories were, indeed, terrifying - i am still of the opinion that The Shadow out of time is the absolute best. But then again, I recently developed a liking towards sci-fi so my opinion can't be trusted just yet. Rtc.
December 27, 2016
Completing Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos is a nice accomplishment for me this year. I had never read much of his work in the past, and made a goal to try and get through something large in 2016; never an easy task with two little ones running around. After a slow start with shorter tales like Dagon, Azathoth and The Festival, Lovecraft seemed to find a good stride beginning with The Call of Cthulhu and using that story as a way to begin the creation of his larger universe. I appreciated that story more after I had made my way through much of these tales. As a standalone it didn't offer much, but as a history lesson for what Lovecraft means to say as a whole, it is essential. One of my favorite stories comes close after that titled The Colour Out of Space. It's here where Lovecraft begins to show the horror side of his writing, thoroughly chilling me with the tale of a farmer's family fighting a losing battle with an all-powerful entity. The closing section of this story is reminiscent of Poe, though more macabre, something I didn't think possible. At the Mountains of Madness was a story I was most looking forward to, but ultimately found a bit underwhelming. I can see why filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro has sought to make this into a movie for years, and would still enjoy seeing the attempt, but for me it dragged after the initials chapters. The Whisperer in Darkness again tapped into a bit of Poe, but what Lovecraft was able to do by the time I consumed this story was deftly weave in the Elder Ones without sacrificing the uniqueness of the story. I found myself recalling this one fondly many times in later tales. Another high point near the collection's conclusion was The Thing On the Doorstep. The ominous knocking and cadence identified with the main character's friend gave me a shiver or two reading well into the night. What Lovecraft excelled at with the Cthulhu mythos was the ability to weave sci-fi with horror into a large tapestry, while still presenting each story as a unique tale. I admire the complexity that goes along with that, and even if the stories do get a bit repetitive, I appreciate what they mean to American literature.
October 19, 2020
I know, I know. How could I rate something so classic so low?
H. P. Lovecraft admittedly has some really cool and interesting ideas. I'm glad that these elements continued to affect our culture even into the modern day. I would say they do this despite his writing style.
He has cool ideas, but he is adept at burying them under a frustratingly large pile of bullcrap. I want to experience existential horror, read forbidden knowledge, not read excessive, dry, repetitive descriptions of bleak, desolate landscapes. I don't to read lengthy and uninteresting monologues, sometimes written in very hard to decipher dialects. I don't want constant measurements of every single building or lifeform that these characters encounter.
These stories are also all the exact same. They follow the same beats, have the same setup, mystery, and conclusion. Every single story here has some long foreseen twist or edgy declarative at the end. It gets really tiring after a while. The characters are repetitive too. They change name, occupation, but all thats just descriptive. Nothing substantial or integral to any of the characters or stories ever changes.
Lovecraft is also completely incapable of writing down a verb or noun without attaching some thesaurus grade adverb or adjective onto it. Sometimes less is more, which is really sad to say when I'm talking about short stories.
Tangents about nothing abound. He repeats the same little catchphrases and motifs every story.
This collection was just really boring and repulsive. And I didn't even mention the disgusting racist elements which everyone is familiar with nowadays. There are authors that do Lovecraftian horror much better than Lovecraft does. Go check them out.
H. P. Lovecraft admittedly has some really cool and interesting ideas. I'm glad that these elements continued to affect our culture even into the modern day. I would say they do this despite his writing style.
He has cool ideas, but he is adept at burying them under a frustratingly large pile of bullcrap. I want to experience existential horror, read forbidden knowledge, not read excessive, dry, repetitive descriptions of bleak, desolate landscapes. I don't to read lengthy and uninteresting monologues, sometimes written in very hard to decipher dialects. I don't want constant measurements of every single building or lifeform that these characters encounter.
These stories are also all the exact same. They follow the same beats, have the same setup, mystery, and conclusion. Every single story here has some long foreseen twist or edgy declarative at the end. It gets really tiring after a while. The characters are repetitive too. They change name, occupation, but all thats just descriptive. Nothing substantial or integral to any of the characters or stories ever changes.
Lovecraft is also completely incapable of writing down a verb or noun without attaching some thesaurus grade adverb or adjective onto it. Sometimes less is more, which is really sad to say when I'm talking about short stories.
Tangents about nothing abound. He repeats the same little catchphrases and motifs every story.
This collection was just really boring and repulsive. And I didn't even mention the disgusting racist elements which everyone is familiar with nowadays. There are authors that do Lovecraftian horror much better than Lovecraft does. Go check them out.
April 3, 2023
Finito ieri "Il caso di Charles Dexter Ward" e... non ci avevo capito poi così tanto XD XD XD
February 26, 2018
I have read some of Lovecraft's stories in the past on the internet, but it was much more fun to read this collection of his stories related to his Cthulhu mythos. I want to take a moment to talk about the Barnes and Noble edition of this book that I read. It's nice and hefty, it has a great smell (am I the only one who loves the smell of certain new books?), and it's gilt edged pages are a nice touch. Above all, I love the leather binding which made me feel at times like I was actually reading from the dread Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred, or the Unaussprechlichen Kulten of Friedrich von Junzt, or even the Pnaktoic Manuscripts themselves.
Aside from the aesthetic pleasures of the book, I like the way it was organized. The stories are roughly organized chronologically in the order Lovecraft wrote them. Reading through the book you can see the slow development of his mythos over the course of 13 years. Personally, I think that there was a point near the middle of this period when his stories are the best. His earlier stories are a bit clumsy and vague, his later stories spend too much time explaining things. The best stories convey the sense of cosmic horror and helplessness without revealing too much information about the alien antagonists. Some of my favorites were "The Curse of Yig," "The Dunwich Horror," "The Whisperer in Darkness," and "The Shadow over Innsmouth". I think his best story in this collection is "The Dreams in the Witch House" which I had read before.
Aside from the aesthetic pleasures of the book, I like the way it was organized. The stories are roughly organized chronologically in the order Lovecraft wrote them. Reading through the book you can see the slow development of his mythos over the course of 13 years. Personally, I think that there was a point near the middle of this period when his stories are the best. His earlier stories are a bit clumsy and vague, his later stories spend too much time explaining things. The best stories convey the sense of cosmic horror and helplessness without revealing too much information about the alien antagonists. Some of my favorites were "The Curse of Yig," "The Dunwich Horror," "The Whisperer in Darkness," and "The Shadow over Innsmouth". I think his best story in this collection is "The Dreams in the Witch House" which I had read before.
March 5, 2024
Eine nette kleine Sammlung von H. P. Lovecrafts Texten und welchen, die von ihm inspiriert sind. Weder seine stärksten Geschichten, noch haben mich die anderen besonders gereizt, aber man bekommt wohl die typische kosmische Horrorware.
March 5, 2024
Ja, ist alles ganz ok, aber möglicherweise mehr aus Literaturhistorischem Blickwinkel. Mir war ehrlich gesagt nach ein paar Geschichten bereits etwas langweilig. Was die Spannung betrifft, ist nahezu jeder halbwegs gelungene Stephen King Roman deutlich überzeugender. Ein Problem ist halt auch die 100 Jahre alte Sprache und die etwas erhabene Erzählweise. Man muss sich erst auf das Antiquierte einlassen und dann darauf, dass das, was damals möglicherweise als ur-gruselig erlebt wurde, heute etwas harmlos wirkt. So ähnlich wie man selbstverständlich eine Faszination für die ersten Wählscheibentelefone haben kann, aber naja, wenn man weiß was danach noch alles kommt, hält meine Faszination eben nur über kurze Strecke an.
August 23, 2024
4 stelle perché alcune delle novelle incluse creano un'atmosfera di tensione e lento decadimento che ho apprezzato, considerando quanto sia difficile incutere paura attraverso il mezzo della scrittura (ma dopotutto, se Lovecraft è considerato un maestro, un motivo ci sarà).
Punti bonus per l'edizione in inglese che:
- non ha modificato i termini originali, quindi i personaggi sono descritti come "queer" perché sono "strani" - anche se mi piace pensare che sono tutti gay, inclusi il cielo e l'erba e le case delle città sperdute che vengono caratterizzate con questo termine;
- ha mantenuto gli aggettivi razzisti e tutto il disdegno che traspare dai racconti dove sono coinvolte persone non caucasiche (La Maschera di Innsmouth è il romanzo breve che meglio dettaglia la "paura dei diversi", poiché basata interamente sulla xenofobia mostrata per gli uomini pesce, i quali potrebbero però essere benissimo sostituiti con persone di qualsiasi etnia diversa dalla propria)
- mi ha permesso di leggere i dialoghi dei personaggi redneck che parlano tutti con l'accento da campagnoli americani: "it'll git her ef we ain't keerful".
Comunque io confermo tutto, ero la moglie che diventa fosforescente prima di morire.
Punti bonus per l'edizione in inglese che:
- non ha modificato i termini originali, quindi i personaggi sono descritti come "queer" perché sono "strani" - anche se mi piace pensare che sono tutti gay, inclusi il cielo e l'erba e le case delle città sperdute che vengono caratterizzate con questo termine;
- ha mantenuto gli aggettivi razzisti e tutto il disdegno che traspare dai racconti dove sono coinvolte persone non caucasiche (La Maschera di Innsmouth è il romanzo breve che meglio dettaglia la "paura dei diversi", poiché basata interamente sulla xenofobia mostrata per gli uomini pesce, i quali potrebbero però essere benissimo sostituiti con persone di qualsiasi etnia diversa dalla propria)
- mi ha permesso di leggere i dialoghi dei personaggi redneck che parlano tutti con l'accento da campagnoli americani: "it'll git her ef we ain't keerful".
Comunque io confermo tutto, ero la moglie che diventa fosforescente prima di morire.
October 30, 2021
First of all, a small rent: "OMG LOVECRAFT WAS A RACIST!!111!!"
You should just stop judging his stories only due to this, because of course he was racist - particularly in the first half of his life - because he was BORN IN THE FREAKING TWENTIES!!!
Stop judging 100 years old authors with today morality!
And in addition to this, growing up he pretty much changed his ideas and did go beyond many racial prejudices common for white men in his time.
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DISCLAIMER: I didn't read actually this particular edition, but I had on Kindle unlimited a collection with every Lovecraft story, and I read only the Mythos stories that are present in also this edition - with the exception of the Mountain of Madness, that I read years ago and that was too long to re-read before my Kindle unlimited subscription expired.
Lovecraft is just so an important author of the horror genre, and he may be considered hand down the father of modern horror, being an inspiration of a lot of contemporary authors.
I found him not so easy to read (but easier than Poe without a doubt), since his stories never focus on characters, but more on the cosmic horror and the madness surrounding them.
From one side, it was charming to see how Lovecraft portrayed the human uselessness in front of ancient horrors of the universe that nobody can imagine, from the other side this thing made his narration much more harder to follow - at least for me, since I generally prefer character-based stories.
My favourite stories were the big ones: "Call of Cthulhu", "The Dunwich Horror", "The Mound", "The Whisperer in the Darkness" and my favourite of all is "The Shadow over Innsmouth".
Other long stories didn't hook me up like others, while really short ones were interesting but nothing really memorable, since many are also commissions and not 100% made by Lovecraft himself.
You should just stop judging his stories only due to this, because of course he was racist - particularly in the first half of his life - because he was BORN IN THE FREAKING TWENTIES!!!
Stop judging 100 years old authors with today morality!
And in addition to this, growing up he pretty much changed his ideas and did go beyond many racial prejudices common for white men in his time.
--------------------------------
DISCLAIMER: I didn't read actually this particular edition, but I had on Kindle unlimited a collection with every Lovecraft story, and I read only the Mythos stories that are present in also this edition - with the exception of the Mountain of Madness, that I read years ago and that was too long to re-read before my Kindle unlimited subscription expired.
Lovecraft is just so an important author of the horror genre, and he may be considered hand down the father of modern horror, being an inspiration of a lot of contemporary authors.
I found him not so easy to read (but easier than Poe without a doubt), since his stories never focus on characters, but more on the cosmic horror and the madness surrounding them.
From one side, it was charming to see how Lovecraft portrayed the human uselessness in front of ancient horrors of the universe that nobody can imagine, from the other side this thing made his narration much more harder to follow - at least for me, since I generally prefer character-based stories.
My favourite stories were the big ones: "Call of Cthulhu", "The Dunwich Horror", "The Mound", "The Whisperer in the Darkness" and my favourite of all is "The Shadow over Innsmouth".
Other long stories didn't hook me up like others, while really short ones were interesting but nothing really memorable, since many are also commissions and not 100% made by Lovecraft himself.
April 15, 2020
Lovecraft était vraiment un raciste. Et un piètre écrivain.
Sa technique est simple :
> les personnages sont des enquêteurs/historiens, pour donner une part de mystère inhérente à la recherche d'un mystère.
> les évènements commencent toujours par la découverte d'une secte de nègres/ou autres ethnies, qui font des choses bizarres. Tout ça pour profiter du dégoût qu'avait à l'époque la classe blanche américaine à l'égard des étrangers, et ainsi inspirer la peur facilement.
> l'utilisation systématique et clairement pénible des adjectifs "immonde" "affreux" "indescriptible" "horrible"... C'est facile de ne jamais décrire les créatures, de simplement les qualifier de "horribles" et de se prétendre être le maitre de l'horreur ...
Sa technique est simple :
> les personnages sont des enquêteurs/historiens, pour donner une part de mystère inhérente à la recherche d'un mystère.
> les évènements commencent toujours par la découverte d'une secte de nègres/ou autres ethnies, qui font des choses bizarres. Tout ça pour profiter du dégoût qu'avait à l'époque la classe blanche américaine à l'égard des étrangers, et ainsi inspirer la peur facilement.
> l'utilisation systématique et clairement pénible des adjectifs "immonde" "affreux" "indescriptible" "horrible"... C'est facile de ne jamais décrire les créatures, de simplement les qualifier de "horribles" et de se prétendre être le maitre de l'horreur ...
February 6, 2024
I wished for this book almost 10 years ago, and it was one of the few books that I have started reading, but never finished. It was just not the vibe I was looking for. It is a collection of short stories, and the first few stories were too short to get into, like the atmosphere did not catch on before they ended. Now, many years later I got back to it after familiarizing myself a lot more with the characters and Lovecraftian horror. Still, after so much growing in between, I still cannot truly appreciate this collection of short stories as a whole. There are some great stories here like The Call of Cthulhu and The Shadow Over Innsmouth, however, for every one of those, there are two boring and convoluted stories like The Mound, which are so tedious to get through, so formulaic and ultimately boring stories. Lovercraft's writing style does not help either. He loves to describe things, yet there is so much undescribable horror here, that it felt impossible for me to get into the atmosphere most of the time. The protagonists of Lovercraft's stories are mere vessels for his undescribable horror to be not described through. They find notes or artifacts that they tell the stories off, just second hand stories. I would have loved to enjoy this nearly 600 page collection, but I cannot stop thinking that Lovecraft's greatest gift was not his stories, but his characters and that the world that did not appreciate his stories on release, made them better by adapting these public domain works into other stories.
January 7, 2021
Los mitos de Cthulhu 4 estrellas y media
¿Existe algo más horrendo que el miedo a lo desconocido, al conocimiento que puede sacarte la cordura, a una dimensión que juega con los límites del razonamiento? Todo esto y más me produce Lovecraft, en estos 4 relatos presentes en está edición hay varios nombre, citas y referencias a otros escritores como blackwood, Lord dunsany, Artur machen. Muchas citas clásicas que remarque, mucha reflexión a nivel filosófico, aparte del horror, creo que Lovecraft está de un lado oscuro incomprensible de su mente y su raciocinio, y llevarte a ese mundo oscuro para comprender las historias más allá de la ficción es lo que aterroriza y lo que muchas personas más racionales no pueden llegar a creer y comprender. Si bien está edición no es de las mejores que tengo la disfrute, releei relatos como el color que cayó del cielo y la ciudad sin nombre. Siempre recomendable Lovecraft mí relato favorito (aunque fue difícil decidir) fue "el horror de Dunwich"
🐙 Ph'nglui wglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wglw'nafh fthagn 🌊☄️🌠🦑 Negotium perambulans in tenebris
¿Existe algo más horrendo que el miedo a lo desconocido, al conocimiento que puede sacarte la cordura, a una dimensión que juega con los límites del razonamiento? Todo esto y más me produce Lovecraft, en estos 4 relatos presentes en está edición hay varios nombre, citas y referencias a otros escritores como blackwood, Lord dunsany, Artur machen. Muchas citas clásicas que remarque, mucha reflexión a nivel filosófico, aparte del horror, creo que Lovecraft está de un lado oscuro incomprensible de su mente y su raciocinio, y llevarte a ese mundo oscuro para comprender las historias más allá de la ficción es lo que aterroriza y lo que muchas personas más racionales no pueden llegar a creer y comprender. Si bien está edición no es de las mejores que tengo la disfrute, releei relatos como el color que cayó del cielo y la ciudad sin nombre. Siempre recomendable Lovecraft mí relato favorito (aunque fue difícil decidir) fue "el horror de Dunwich"
🐙 Ph'nglui wglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wglw'nafh fthagn 🌊☄️🌠🦑 Negotium perambulans in tenebris
January 9, 2024
My definition of Love to the way pf writing 🤣✨❤️❤️🤞🏾
October 25, 2017
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn
This is the first time i have read anything from Lovecraft, which is kinda weird, since i'm surrounded by Lovecraft fans... But anyway, this month, in the bookclub i'm in, we decided to read Lovecraft's "The Colour out of Space", and "Call of Cthulhu" because Halloween, and Horror seemed like an obvious great choice for this month's book.
I really liked the style and the themes that Lovecraft uses, bad thing is that i read this in Spanish, and something tells me that a lot is lost in translation, as usual, but mostly in cases like this, where the atmosphere needs to be felt in a more personal and close way than with other book genres.
More than the tales themselves, i loved the lore that Lovecraft created on his universe, the idea of Cosmic Horrors that affect us only by existing, beings that are in such a different plane of existence that our minds can't even comprehend them, we can't process them, and being in contact with them leads to insanity, and probably death.
This edition i found had those 2 tales, and also "The Dunwich Horror" and "The Nameless City". I liked all of the stories, but my favorite out of this 3 was by far The Dunwich Horror. Probably because of the structure of the tale and the pace in which the story flowed.
Having read this, i think i need to buy an anthology with all his books, stories, etc
This is the first time i have read anything from Lovecraft, which is kinda weird, since i'm surrounded by Lovecraft fans... But anyway, this month, in the bookclub i'm in, we decided to read Lovecraft's "The Colour out of Space", and "Call of Cthulhu" because Halloween, and Horror seemed like an obvious great choice for this month's book.
I really liked the style and the themes that Lovecraft uses, bad thing is that i read this in Spanish, and something tells me that a lot is lost in translation, as usual, but mostly in cases like this, where the atmosphere needs to be felt in a more personal and close way than with other book genres.
More than the tales themselves, i loved the lore that Lovecraft created on his universe, the idea of Cosmic Horrors that affect us only by existing, beings that are in such a different plane of existence that our minds can't even comprehend them, we can't process them, and being in contact with them leads to insanity, and probably death.
This edition i found had those 2 tales, and also "The Dunwich Horror" and "The Nameless City". I liked all of the stories, but my favorite out of this 3 was by far The Dunwich Horror. Probably because of the structure of the tale and the pace in which the story flowed.
Having read this, i think i need to buy an anthology with all his books, stories, etc
November 22, 2013
A lot of fun stories, but they have the pace and subtlety of pulp. The two Lovecraft stories, on the other hand, are masterful, and the stark contrast between HP and his imitators shows why Lovecraft, in his sweeping imagination and incredible technical skill, has become the cultural touchstone that he is.
If you're interested in Lovecraft's influence beyond simple engrossing entertainment value, you may find this collection more interesting. It's a worthy case study for understanding how Lovecraft fits into his own world in the imaginations of his fans and imitators: in these stories, he is represented as an ill-understood horror author (a fair imitation of his real-world persona), but then he's elevated into a sort of scholar mystic prophet, whose horror stories become a sort of clandestine bible of the cosmic apocalypse and humanity's ill-fated destiny.
From serious to twisted to amusing, they're stories worth reading, but it's Lovecraft's singular talent that really holds the circle together.
If you're interested in Lovecraft's influence beyond simple engrossing entertainment value, you may find this collection more interesting. It's a worthy case study for understanding how Lovecraft fits into his own world in the imaginations of his fans and imitators: in these stories, he is represented as an ill-understood horror author (a fair imitation of his real-world persona), but then he's elevated into a sort of scholar mystic prophet, whose horror stories become a sort of clandestine bible of the cosmic apocalypse and humanity's ill-fated destiny.
From serious to twisted to amusing, they're stories worth reading, but it's Lovecraft's singular talent that really holds the circle together.
February 8, 2024
the summary
The collection of short stories and novellas from Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. Each one is different from the last, with only a thin line that may tie everything together in its own unique way.
the review
Lovecraft has always had a way of creating a world that seemed so benign on the surface that could be easily brushed away to show a horrifying world of madness. A madness that has lasted nearly a century in retellings and horror giants taking cues from his works. He helped open a door to a new kind of terror and I couldn't be more grateful to be able to read those works.
the recommendation
Wishfully, I would say everyone, however, it can't be the case. Lovecraft takes an open mind and the ability to take everything in. There are of course the people who can't read outside of their current time, their mindset ruins any works before the 1980s. So I suppose, my recommendation would be to anyone with an open mind and enjoyment of the strange and unusual.
The collection of short stories and novellas from Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos. Each one is different from the last, with only a thin line that may tie everything together in its own unique way.
the review
Lovecraft has always had a way of creating a world that seemed so benign on the surface that could be easily brushed away to show a horrifying world of madness. A madness that has lasted nearly a century in retellings and horror giants taking cues from his works. He helped open a door to a new kind of terror and I couldn't be more grateful to be able to read those works.
the recommendation
Wishfully, I would say everyone, however, it can't be the case. Lovecraft takes an open mind and the ability to take everything in. There are of course the people who can't read outside of their current time, their mindset ruins any works before the 1980s. So I suppose, my recommendation would be to anyone with an open mind and enjoyment of the strange and unusual.
April 9, 2017
I discovered this book in a library book sale, not knowing much of anything about Lovecraft's works. It was an old edition without a slipcover, and the letters on the spine had weathered to read "CTHULHU MYTHOS DEPLETH." Since I'm always on the lookout for weird stuff, I picked it up and read it through, and not until I was fairly far into it did I learn that this was by someone named Derleth who was supposed to be derivative of Lovecraft. Not knowing that context, I did enjoy the weird stuff I read here significantly.
April 15, 2022
I've got mixed feelings about this one.
Some stories were amazing, some were super repetitive and plain boring...
I hate the fact that he used expressions such as “I would be unable to describe this”, “inexprimable”, “inexplicable” all the time. Seems like a very easy device to use when you run out of ideas.
At the same time, I find it fascinating that this guy was writing about aliens, the outer space, outwardly gods, the feeling of being small in the universe and what not a hundred years ago!
Some stories were amazing, some were super repetitive and plain boring...
I hate the fact that he used expressions such as “I would be unable to describe this”, “inexprimable”, “inexplicable” all the time. Seems like a very easy device to use when you run out of ideas.
At the same time, I find it fascinating that this guy was writing about aliens, the outer space, outwardly gods, the feeling of being small in the universe and what not a hundred years ago!
November 11, 2022
What a slog-goth!
Because I'm a very silly person, I decided to read the Lovecraft compendium prior to diving into more contemporary works based on the Cthulhu mythos. I discovered that Lovecraft's strong suit is in world building and decidedly not in the narrative craft. As it turns out, you can jump into the derivative works without suffering anything from the horse's mouth in this case. In fact, it might save you some moments of anguish and cringe to skip the original lore.
Because I'm a very silly person, I decided to read the Lovecraft compendium prior to diving into more contemporary works based on the Cthulhu mythos. I discovered that Lovecraft's strong suit is in world building and decidedly not in the narrative craft. As it turns out, you can jump into the derivative works without suffering anything from the horse's mouth in this case. In fact, it might save you some moments of anguish and cringe to skip the original lore.
March 23, 2017
4.3/5
Ojalá los siguientes libros que lea en el año sean igual de buenos que este.
Ojalá los siguientes libros que lea en el año sean igual de buenos que este.
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