Macarbre and Terrible Tales of Otherwordly Horror
Written: Oct 16 '06
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Fascinating, captivating tales of horror.
Cons: A few more stories would have been nice.
The Bottom Line: H.P. Lovecraft was a master of his genre.
|
|
|
| Bruguru's Full Review: H. P. Lovecraft - The Doom That Came to Sarnath |
It goes without saying that most authors have their own unique style, a particular way of writing that identifies them and separates them from other authors, even, if you will, a “feel” to their work that’s all their own. After all, who could ever mistake the stinging commentary delicately wrapped in artfully formed prose of Dickens, the mysterious and macabre poetry of Poe, the bizarre and exotic workings of the mind of Steven King?
Add to that list perhaps one of the most distinctive authors of all time, the master of eerie and ethereal tales of netherworlds and exotic forces outside man’s ken: H.P. Lovecraft. He was a native of Providence, Rhode Island, and lived there almost exclusively from his birth in 1890 to his death in 1937.
Lovecraft was a contemporary of Conan the Barbarian creator Robert E. Howard, and in many ways the two shared a flair for the exotic, creating exotic characters and supernatural forces that early twentieth century readers gobbled up with great gusto. Whereas Howard’s demons and gods were often bested by Conan, however, Lovecraft’s protagonists almost invariably suffered gruesome demises at the hands (or tentacles) of the author’s monstrous creations.
This is apparent for all to see in the short story collection The Doom That Came to Sarnath and Other Stories. At just a little over 200 pages, this is a quick but terrifying journey into a bone-chilling alternate reality that will keep the reader on the edge of his seat.
Of course, there is the title story, The Doom That Came to Sarnath, in which a proud warrior people conquers a hideous reptilian race, only to reap a terrible harvest a millennium later. The Cats of Ulthaar is equally chilling, and may leave you unable to ever look at your feline companion in the same way again.
Uncanny journeys into the unknown the likes of The Other Gods, The Tree, and Beyond the Wall of Sleep are best enjoyed read in the dead of night, though don’t be surprised if you feel the need to sleep with the light on after reading. But if you do feel the need to take a break from these bone-chilling tales of horror, just for sanity’s sake, you can always skip ahead to In The Walls of Eryx, a science fiction story Lovecraft wrote with Kenneth Sterling, or Imprisoned With the Pharaohs, a collaborative effort with the famed escape artist Harry Houdini.
Lovecraft’s stories are almost always told from the viewpoint of the protagonist. His surreal tales of horror sometimes leave the reader doubting the sanity of the narrator, but the author cleverly leaves little clues to reveal the verity of his character’s fantastic experiences behind. His characters often garner little sympathy from the reader, which is just as well; rarely are good things in store for the characters of H.P. Lovecraft.
Then too, Lovecraft was a master of the written word, and his beuatiful and complex prose is seemingly incongruous with the horrors that unfold in his stories. An admitted Anglophile, Lovecraft thought English society and culture the height of civilization, and his writing style reveals his love of the English language.
If you enjoy the works of Poe (who inspired Lovecraft) or Steven King (who was inspired by him), you’ll love the incredible and otherworldly tales of H.P. Lovecraft in The Doom That Came to Sarnath and Other Stories.
Also of interest:
Lovecraft’s friend and contemporary Robert E. Howard’s character Conan the Barbarian in The Coming of Conan .
Bram Stoker’s Dracula .
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.