H.P. Lovecraft’s Fantastic World of Horror

Annabel D

Thoughts on H.P. Lovecraft’s Fantastic World of Horror

Horror is a broad genre of writing, which produces mixed reviews with many people. Some people love horror, and some people dislike it for various reasons. When it comes to this genre, I have had few successes, perhaps due to my inherent wimpiness. As a sci-fi and fiction lover, I decided to try H.P. Lovecraft’s Great Tales of Horror, a collection of the 20th century horror writers greatest works. I was immediately captivated, the writing style and edge of your seat quality of the stories resonated deeply with me. I recommend this book to any long time horror reader, or anyone willing to give it a try. It boasts a moderate balance of terror and the supernatural without being too aggressive, so it will interest you without making the more skittish afraid to wander upstairs. Maybe.

Lovecraft has a unique writing style which was one of the first things that attracted me to his stories. Most of his stories involve a single narrator, speaking about an occurrence that happened to him (yes they are always male, this is the early 20th century), or someone else he knows in the past. Because of this, you get the sense that something extremely traumatic has happened to the narrator, which draws you in so that you can find out exactly what this experience was. More often than not, the story is conveyed when the narrator is telling the reader their experiences in notes, or that the reader is taking the form of a friend or family member. Because of this, it is easy for the reader to become connected to the writing, and truly feel that they are a part of the story.

Another aspect of Lovecraft’s stories that I found interesting was the universe he created for his characters and their experiences. Even though each of his stories are decidedly different, they are all connected, which you discover more and more as you read through his works. Underneath all of his stories is a sense that something is not quite right in people’s everyday lives, and his tales are told about those who have become closer to this hidden darkness then others. As such, even though the narrator's experiences vary from story to story, you eventually find a way to connect them all. It helps tie them together into one book, with the differentiating stories helping to keep the reader’s interest.

Though I would highly recommend these stories, there are a few things I would warn prospective readers about. Though most of the stories are of a manageable length, a few are quite long and repetitive, and can drag you through almost 100 pages of the same information. In these stories, it seems like Lovecraft is trying to drag the stories out instead of shortening them to a more appropriate length. Also, even though they are short stories, they are complicated reads filled with grammar from almost one hundred years ago, and riddled with odd spellings. If you are looking for a short read that is still complex enough to make you think, these stories are amazing, however if not these may not be for you.

Overall, I think everyone should read Lovecraft’s stories. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential American Horror writers, and his works display this accurately. You will find yourself swept up in a world of supernatural horror that you can’t get enough of. I couldn’t wait to finish each story and discover the terrifying conclusion, and always felt excited to start another story. High school has made it hard for me to find time to read, but thanks to Lovecraft I had no trouble making it through such a long book, and for a school assignment no less.