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Title: The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) |
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Review of The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)
- An unparalleled selection of fiction from H. P. Lovecraft, master of the American horror tale
Long after his death, H. P. Lovecraft continues to enthrall readers with his gripping tales of madness and cosmic terror, and his effect on modern horror fiction continues to be felt-- Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Clive Barker have acknowledged his influence. His unique contribution to American literature was a melding of Poe's traditional supernaturalism with the emerging genre of science fiction. Originally appearing in pulp magazines like Weird Tales in the 1920s and 1930s, Lovecraft's work is now being regarded as the most important supernatural fiction of the twentieth century.
Lovecraft's biographer and preeminent interpreter, S. T. Joshi, has prepared this volume of eighteen stories--from the early classics like "The Outsider" and "Rats in the Wall" to his mature masterworks, "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Shadow Over Innsmouth." The first paperback to include the definitive corrected texts, The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories reveals the development of Lovecraft's mesmerizing narrative style, and establishes him as a canonical--and visionary--American writer.
"I think it is beyond doubt that H. P. Lovecraft has yet to be surpassed as the twentieth century's greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale." --Stephen King
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Comments for The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)
- Posted on 2008-04-06
Free SF Reader
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.
4.5 out of 5
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-02-02
for old school fright-mongers
Having never before read any H.P. Lovecraft, I held a deeply geeky shame. This was an author that was supposed to have helped define modern horror, helped define weird fiction and the truly-out-there sci-fi. The "Cthulhu Mythos" was something that I referenced frequently and yet ignorantly. All this time it was as if I had been brandishing a phony R'lyeh passport, muttering incoherently in the Elder Gods' tongue without any authority.
And since Great Cthulhu was the fulcrum here, the pivotal point of contention, I was certain to identify the Lovecraft collection at the library that actually held that short story. (Only doubling my shame for having imagined it to be a full-fledged novel for all these years...)
Working through this collection, I could see why Lovecraft became so well-known as a father-figure in modern sci-fi and horror. He seemed to have an odd relationship with his vocabulary. Reading his prose, I get the impression that Lovecraft latched onto a handful of peculiarly "advanced" words and significant mythological/literary images and then milked them for every atom of their worth. It is a shame that he died as young as he did; it would have been interesting to see what may have happened had he had another 20-30 years to develop his werk. As is, while his prose was far from high literature, he did manage some curiously well-executed pieces with respect to pacing and imagery.
What I was not prepared for (however) was some of the -- how shall I put this? -- ideological artifacts of his era. I posed the question to some friends: Was Lovecraft a racist? Or was he just exploiting the overt physical differences between European-descended and African-descended peoples for the sake of otherness? Take "Herbert West -- Reanimator", for example; simply peppered with what we would consider racists perspectives! Meanwhile (I had a friend point out) many of these perceptions and opinions were quite commonplace for the period. As my friend remarked: "He lived in a United States that was toying with the idea of eugenics, phrenology still hadn't been fully dismissed, and decades before desegregation." Fair enough -- but I still was not fully prepared to encounter some of the expressions kicked around in the text.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2007-12-21
the haunted world of H.P. Lovecraft
If you don't want to spring for the more expensive Library of America anthology, this volume from Penguin is sure to impress both long-term Lovecraft fans and those unfamiliar with his work. I would recommend starting first with this volume, as it contains many of Lovecraft's creepiest and most memorable stories, before moving on to the other Penguin anthologies if you so desire.
Looking at the stories themselves, the highlight of this volume is definitely "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". One of Lovecraft's longer pieces, the story concerns a shadowy, decaying New England fishing village and it's not-quite-human inhabitants. Equally impressive is "The Call of Cthulhu", in which Lovecraft describes a malevolent pantheon of demigods (which reappear in other works), sinister cults, and mankind's cosmic/spiritual insignificance. Also, I highly recommend "The Outsider", an early Lovecraft tale with a creepy premise and a surprise ending reminiscent of Shirley Jackson.
I would call Lovecraft's work "horror fiction for those who don't necessarily enjoy horror". Lovecraft used the genre (and in some sense reinvented it) to create a richly-detailed, fantastic universe filled with demons, monsters, and evil forces which defied human reason and challenged some of our most basic beliefs about the world. As many know, Lovecraft's world-view was deeply pessimistic and extremely dark. Furthermore, he was a lonely, reclusive, neurotic racist who looked at the world of man and saw nothing to be impressed with. These traits are clearly reflected in his work, which continues to fascinate, inspire and repulse readers to this day. Whether you love or hate him, there has never been another writer quite like H.P. Lovecraft.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2007-10-01
Skillfully anthologized and skillfully written. Haunting tales that encompass the Cthulhu mythos. Highly recommended
NOTE: This review is specific to "The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)".
As one of the three Penguin Classic Lovecraft anthologies, The Call of Cthulhu collects the stories that lead up to and include the Cthulhu Mythos, arranged in chronological order with introduction and explanatory notes for each story from the anthologizer, S.T. Joshi. Joshi does an exceptional job selecting stories that create a coherent narrative through Lovecraft's early work, developing themes, and final strong stories; his annotations are interesting and useful both to the casual and studious reader. Lovecraft's writing itself is also exceptional: in this wide selection of short stories, he explores issues of miscegenation, scientific exploration, and the discoveries of the great beyond--from the reaches out outer space to the depths of the sea, wherein ancient inhuman forces lurk, threatening those that come too close to the truth. Skill and quality differs from story to story but is universally high, and Lovecraft's tones are delightfully dark and threatening, occasionally humorous, and always otherworldy. This collection is greatly enjoyable and I highly recommend it.
The Penguin Classics anthologies divide Lovecraft's work into three collections, all edited by S.T. Joshi, all collecting short stories that address central themes in Lovecraft's work. Obviously, this compilation focuses on the Cthulhu Mythos, beginning with Dagon and moving through stories of life beyond death (Herbert West--Reeanimator), miscregation (The Shadow over Innsmouth), life from space (The Whisperer in the Dark), and life from the depths (The Call of Cthulhu). The collection is complete, with a clear focus, and indicates an active development of the theme as Lovecraft's writing matures. Joshi's additions are skillful: each story is given an introduction in the notes, mentioning its place in Lovecraft's career, relevant information, and present themes; the annotations (through numbered footnotes) are removed to the end of the text, maintaining the coherency of the printed stories and giving the reader the option of ignoring them altogether. The annotations run a bit overly-detailed and even off topic at times, but on the whole they are both interesting and useful. In short, Joshi's editing is exceptional, making this an accessible anthology as well as a useful resource.
More important than Joshi's editing is of course Lovecraft's writing. Lovecraft is a true artist of the horror genre; his work is considered classic for a reason. And perhaps none of it is more famous than the Cthulhu mythos, making this a true classic of the genre and a wonderful read. But my recommendation does not rest on how famous Lovecraft or these stories happen to be; rather, it rests on the fact that the writing is exceptional, enjoyable, and haunting. Some of the tropes become repetitive, and not all of the stories match others in quality or lasting impact, but on the whole this is an impressive collection of consistently high quality. The forces present in Lovecraft's writing are dark and insidious, hidden on the edges and in the crevices of human consciousness; those that seek them out find more than they bargain for--some are killed, some driven to madness or suicide. Lovecraft's stories move accordingly, building up auras of suspense, slowly revealing more ominous information, and often climaxing in names, entities, and fates that are all the more frightening for our own inability to comprehend them, pronounce, or describe them. Lovecraft uses words to introduce concepts that are beyond words, concepts that escape description. His writing is atmospheric, haunting, and skillful, and a true delight to read.
I came upon this text as a curious reader that had heard much about Lovecraft but never read his work and did not know where to begin. I was exceptionally pleased with this book, and believe it was an ideal introduction. The combination of Joshi's superb selections and editing and Lovecraft's exceptional writing make this a wonderful starting place, introducing some of Lovecraft's strongest themes, exploring them through his career, and including all number of classic stories. I was impressed with and greatly enjoyed this text, and I highly recommend it.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2007-08-15
Great intro to HPL
This volume is the perfect introduction to the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The Shadow Over Insmouth which was the inspiration for the movie Dagon is worth buying the entire volume. These stories chill you to the bone without being graphic and going for the cheap scare like modern horror tales. Lovecraft lets you use your imagination to let the tension build, and it leaves you thinking of fantastic possibilities long after you put the book down. I highly recommend this volume and the 2 additional Penguin Classic volumes which take in almost all of Lovecrafts major writings.
Score: 5