A review by grrr8_catsby
Great Tales of Horror by H.P. Lovecraft
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Great Tales Of Horror is a collection of 20 short stories and novellas from author H.P. Lovecraft.
Undoubtedly, Lovecraft's skill and craft as an author cannot be understated, delivering beautifully articulated passages of description while establishing a pervasively haunting atmosphere. Written nearly 100 years ago, Lovecraft's works still influence popular culture today.
Unfortunately, Lovecraft's works remind me of perhaps my least favorite book of all-time, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Both works have beautiful prose and surprisingly contemporary tone and accessibility, but fall short in regards to content.
Again, to his credit, Lovecraft has crafted truly haunting creatures of eldrich horror, but the execution of the storytelling falters more often than not. Perhaps his most famous (or, at least, most recognized) work The Call Of Cthulhu is one of the most average, underwhelming short stories I have ever read. While his prose and descriptive writing should be praised, it often distracting, and noticeably slows down the tempo.
While Lovecraft's content is the crux of his work, the content itself does require examination. Mental illness (or rather, "madness and insanity") tend to be the root of all his character's problems, and actively undermine true mental health disorders. Lovecraft's short stories tend to be told in the first person, and the characters are so generic that they are essentially all interchangeable; little to no character development is even sniffed at. Finally, Lovecraftian story-telling is a product of it's time; multiple instances of racism can be found throughout this volume (one of the protagonists even names his house cat a slur).
Lovecraftian horror elements persist to this day, and even influenced a Lovecraftian nightmare that I experienced, something no other piece of literature has been able to do up to this point. Lovecraft's writing style and horror contributions should be cherished, but do not result in an enjoyable reading experience for the average reader.
Undoubtedly, Lovecraft's skill and craft as an author cannot be understated, delivering beautifully articulated passages of description while establishing a pervasively haunting atmosphere. Written nearly 100 years ago, Lovecraft's works still influence popular culture today.
Unfortunately, Lovecraft's works remind me of perhaps my least favorite book of all-time, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Both works have beautiful prose and surprisingly contemporary tone and accessibility, but fall short in regards to content.
Again, to his credit, Lovecraft has crafted truly haunting creatures of eldrich horror, but the execution of the storytelling falters more often than not. Perhaps his most famous (or, at least, most recognized) work The Call Of Cthulhu is one of the most average, underwhelming short stories I have ever read. While his prose and descriptive writing should be praised, it often distracting, and noticeably slows down the tempo.
While Lovecraft's content is the crux of his work, the content itself does require examination. Mental illness (or rather, "madness and insanity") tend to be the root of all his character's problems, and actively undermine true mental health disorders. Lovecraft's short stories tend to be told in the first person, and the characters are so generic that they are essentially all interchangeable; little to no character development is even sniffed at. Finally, Lovecraftian story-telling is a product of it's time; multiple instances of racism can be found throughout this volume (one of the protagonists even names his house cat a slur).
Lovecraftian horror elements persist to this day, and even influenced a Lovecraftian nightmare that I experienced, something no other piece of literature has been able to do up to this point. Lovecraft's writing style and horror contributions should be cherished, but do not result in an enjoyable reading experience for the average reader.