Reviews
Solomon Kane by Salvador Sanz, Robert E. Howard, Elvio E. Gandolfo, Gary Gianni, H.P. Lovecraft
gelatinousdessert's review against another edition
3.0
Solomon Kane is the wrong hero for these stories. Introduced as solemn and fanatical in his beliefs, Kane hardly ever talks about religion. He also associates with a "juju man" who gives him a black magic staff, which Kane gladly uses with the excuse that evil can defeat evil. He also frequently goes into a murderous rage unbecoming a stoic Puritan. The villains are one-dimensional pulp charicatures and, with a few noteworthy exceptions, the stories don't have much in the way of innovation. That being said, there are a few stand-out stories here that break away from the pack, and the art is excellent.
joshuafr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jeremyjfloyd's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
some_okie_dude27's review against another edition
“He was . . . a strange blending of Puritan and Cavalier, with a touch of the ancient philosopher, and more than a touch of the pagan. . . . A hunger in his soul drove him on and on, an urge to right all wrongs, protect all weaker things. . . . Wayward and restless as the wind, he was consistent in only one respect—he was true to his ideals of justice and right. Such was Solomon Kane.”
In discussions of weird fiction, most would know of the names of HP Lovecraft or Robert E Howard. They are, after all, probably the most well known writers from the pulp era. But I still find it rather mystifying that it is Lovecraft, and not Howard, who is celebrated as the master and the best of the pulp weird writers, despite the fact that Howard surpassed Lovecraft in terms of tone, character, and plot.
Now that's not to say that Howard hasn't found his place. He's certainly gained cult status among the fantasy community as one of its innovators and its finest writers, but he hasn't been fully given his due and it's quite a damn shame as he's proven himself to be capable of writing moody, atmospheric stories that also have a sense of adventure and wonder to it as well. It had been a while since I last read Howard, I read a few of the Conan stories as well as some of Solomon Kane's stories when I first started trying to broaden my fantasy tastes and try to move away from the Tolkien/Lewis model, as much as I enjoy them and many people were pointing towards Howard as a rival for Tolkien (in fact, Tolkien said he 'rather liked' the Conan stories) as well as the greatest writer of fantasy asides from him, so I decided to give him a shot. It's safe to say that I was pleasantly surprised to find a writer with a command of mood and atmosphere, and though he can admittedly get repetitive, he proves himself to be a phenomenal writer of the fantastic.
I always found Solomon Kane to be a more interesting character than Conan, not that Conan isn't meticulously developed or not interesting, but it's more for personal taste. I like enigmatic characters, characters that have a sense of danger to them and are unpredictable, again not saying that Conan isn't all of that. If I could compare the Puritan to anyone, it would be The Punisher, though unlike Frank Castle, there's no underlying motive that defines his cause, no family that he lost, though in Howard's superbly written Solomon Kane's Homecoming, we capture a glimpse of the man underneath the force of nature, which suggests that perhaps he began his quest to vanquish evil because of a lost loved one. But, instead of usually marking it as a flaw in the book, I'd say that this mystery regarding Kane's motivations in fact enhances Kane's character, it would be a bit of a let down if we were given a full on explanation on who or even what Kane is and why he acts the way he acts, it's like he's a heroic version of Judge Holden, though he's not a demon and not as evil as the judge. We can only wonder who Kane is and why he decided to do what he does, and I think that enhances the stories.
Howard's poetry also proves to be quite good, while I wouldn't say that I'm that into poetry, Howard does show a knack for it. He's not quite as lyrical as Clark Ashton Smith, nor as frustratingly verbose as Lovecraft, but Howard's poetry is very much in his own voice, bringing a sense of melancholy and sensitivity, while also having an aura of mystique and suspense revolving around it as well.
Gianni's art remains delightful to the eye, he brings a scratchy, almost sketch-like style to the book while also bringing the sense of verve and adventure that befits Howard's style. I do wish that he did more of the Del Ray Howard books, because he brings his characters to life in the way that Howard had envisioned them, but oh well, I'll count my blessings on the books that he did illustrate under the Del Ray label.
There are flaws in the book, as there's no such thing as a perfect work. Howard's stories, especially by the end, do begin to feel tedious and repetitive and some of his depictions of other cultures can be rather insensitive at best, though to Howard's credit, he does make sympathetic minority and women characters, such as his show stealer character and the closest thing that Kane has to a friend in N'Longa, who often serves as a foil for Kane, with his signature wit and witticisms to be opposite of Kane's Byronic moodiness, though I will say that Howard's work isn't for the politically correct, now I'm not one of those snowflakes who gets offended by everything, so it doesn't particularly bug me. But if it bugs you, and it pains me to say it, just don't read it. But if you can grow a spine, have fun reading it. That also brings me to another plus to Howard's work, that even his negatives can be looked at as positives, such as how his stories can be tedious or repetitive, it doesn't mean that they're bad by any means, and even with his questionable portrayal of minorities, he does make sympathetic characters that are minorities.
At the end of the day, I still see that Howard is the best of the pulp writers, but it's not even that he's a great pulp writer, he's just a great writer in general.
In discussions of weird fiction, most would know of the names of HP Lovecraft or Robert E Howard. They are, after all, probably the most well known writers from the pulp era. But I still find it rather mystifying that it is Lovecraft, and not Howard, who is celebrated as the master and the best of the pulp weird writers, despite the fact that Howard surpassed Lovecraft in terms of tone, character, and plot.
Now that's not to say that Howard hasn't found his place. He's certainly gained cult status among the fantasy community as one of its innovators and its finest writers, but he hasn't been fully given his due and it's quite a damn shame as he's proven himself to be capable of writing moody, atmospheric stories that also have a sense of adventure and wonder to it as well. It had been a while since I last read Howard, I read a few of the Conan stories as well as some of Solomon Kane's stories when I first started trying to broaden my fantasy tastes and try to move away from the Tolkien/Lewis model, as much as I enjoy them and many people were pointing towards Howard as a rival for Tolkien (in fact, Tolkien said he 'rather liked' the Conan stories) as well as the greatest writer of fantasy asides from him, so I decided to give him a shot. It's safe to say that I was pleasantly surprised to find a writer with a command of mood and atmosphere, and though he can admittedly get repetitive, he proves himself to be a phenomenal writer of the fantastic.
I always found Solomon Kane to be a more interesting character than Conan, not that Conan isn't meticulously developed or not interesting, but it's more for personal taste. I like enigmatic characters, characters that have a sense of danger to them and are unpredictable, again not saying that Conan isn't all of that. If I could compare the Puritan to anyone, it would be The Punisher, though unlike Frank Castle, there's no underlying motive that defines his cause, no family that he lost, though in Howard's superbly written Solomon Kane's Homecoming, we capture a glimpse of the man underneath the force of nature, which suggests that perhaps he began his quest to vanquish evil because of a lost loved one. But, instead of usually marking it as a flaw in the book, I'd say that this mystery regarding Kane's motivations in fact enhances Kane's character, it would be a bit of a let down if we were given a full on explanation on who or even what Kane is and why he acts the way he acts, it's like he's a heroic version of Judge Holden, though he's not a demon and not as evil as the judge. We can only wonder who Kane is and why he decided to do what he does, and I think that enhances the stories.
Howard's poetry also proves to be quite good, while I wouldn't say that I'm that into poetry, Howard does show a knack for it. He's not quite as lyrical as Clark Ashton Smith, nor as frustratingly verbose as Lovecraft, but Howard's poetry is very much in his own voice, bringing a sense of melancholy and sensitivity, while also having an aura of mystique and suspense revolving around it as well.
Gianni's art remains delightful to the eye, he brings a scratchy, almost sketch-like style to the book while also bringing the sense of verve and adventure that befits Howard's style. I do wish that he did more of the Del Ray Howard books, because he brings his characters to life in the way that Howard had envisioned them, but oh well, I'll count my blessings on the books that he did illustrate under the Del Ray label.
There are flaws in the book, as there's no such thing as a perfect work. Howard's stories, especially by the end, do begin to feel tedious and repetitive and some of his depictions of other cultures can be rather insensitive at best, though to Howard's credit, he does make sympathetic minority and women characters, such as his show stealer character and the closest thing that Kane has to a friend in N'Longa, who often serves as a foil for Kane, with his signature wit and witticisms to be opposite of Kane's Byronic moodiness, though I will say that Howard's work isn't for the politically correct, now I'm not one of those snowflakes who gets offended by everything, so it doesn't particularly bug me. But if it bugs you, and it pains me to say it, just don't read it. But if you can grow a spine, have fun reading it. That also brings me to another plus to Howard's work, that even his negatives can be looked at as positives, such as how his stories can be tedious or repetitive, it doesn't mean that they're bad by any means, and even with his questionable portrayal of minorities, he does make sympathetic characters that are minorities.
At the end of the day, I still see that Howard is the best of the pulp writers, but it's not even that he's a great pulp writer, he's just a great writer in general.
inferiorwit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.0
scarfin_and_barfin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
carmelitasita's review against another edition
2.0
I find short story collections some of the hardest books to read. It's hard to get into a rhythm, and the impetuous to continue on is not there. This book was no exception. Solomon Kane is a fantastical man who sees only right and wrong and goes around the world defeating evil. I found the stories to be rather gothic in emotion and style, and I really had a hard time caring what happened next to this character. Overblown, dramatic, and boring. Not a good combination.
betarayblake's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Racism
tbr_the_unconquered's review against another edition
4.0
Simple straightforward action, that seems to be the style of Robert Howard. No questions asked, in your face action sequences and characters. Solomon Kane for the uninitiated among you is a wanderer, a puritan, a fanatic who believes himself to be the right hand of a wrathful god.
The stories are very enjoyable provided you switch your brains off and enjoy the roller coaster ride on the offering. It has all the marks of a racist writing wherein the dwellers of Africa are called as nothing but savages and cannibals, the white man's burden of old.Solomon Kane goes from adventure to adventure in the moors of england, the jungles of Africa and on terrains so fantastic that it could only have come from a hyper charged imagination like Howard's.
The most interesting parts are where Howard describes the action scenes whether Kane fights with blade or bullet, whether he battles men or beasts Howard describes them in unmistakable splendor. I was in fact enthralled with the action scenes in a book written so long ago, showing us why Howard was the master of the craft.
Recommended for those who love quick,wild reads...don't insert logic and spoil the fun though !!!
The stories are very enjoyable provided you switch your brains off and enjoy the roller coaster ride on the offering. It has all the marks of a racist writing wherein the dwellers of Africa are called as nothing but savages and cannibals, the white man's burden of old.Solomon Kane goes from adventure to adventure in the moors of england, the jungles of Africa and on terrains so fantastic that it could only have come from a hyper charged imagination like Howard's.
The most interesting parts are where Howard describes the action scenes whether Kane fights with blade or bullet, whether he battles men or beasts Howard describes them in unmistakable splendor. I was in fact enthralled with the action scenes in a book written so long ago, showing us why Howard was the master of the craft.
Recommended for those who love quick,wild reads...don't insert logic and spoil the fun though !!!