'The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories' by H.P. Lovecraft
'The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories' by H.P. Lovecraft

The good

  • Powerful themes of “cosmic horror” or what is now called, not surprisingly, Lovecraftian horror. Instead of focusing on gore or shock, it’s all about the unknown, the unknownable, and the idea that the underlying reality of the universe, if we could truly see it, is appalling and horrifying. Man is not meant to know the truth, and those who discover it pay a heavy price.
  • A few of the tales are particularly memorable, dark, and haunting: “The Outsider,” “The Rats in the Walls,” and “Cool Air.”
  • Interesting, unique writing style, with a rich vocabulary.
  • Fun to see horror stories taking place in New England, including one directly in my small home town!

The not so good

  • The most famous of the stories in this collection, “The Call of Cthulhu,” was one of the least impressive. The idea of Cthulhu is fascinating, but the story itself wasn’t particularly well written, had weird pacing, and a disappointing conclusion. Cthulhu does re-appear in many of the other stories too, and I can see how this creature—who lives below the sea, is worshipped by cults, and stands hundreds of meters tall, with a human outline, dragon wings, and octopus tentacles on his face—captured the imagination of so many, but this particular story isn’t all that great.
  • Every story has a ton of build up, lots of suspense, a lot of “it’s so horrible I can barely stand to think of it,” but when you finally find out what “it” is, it’s a bit of a letdown.
  • The characters in most of the stories feel totally detached from humanity. They don’t act like any person in real life. The characters in “The Colour Out of Space” and “The Whisperer in Darkness” are especially ridiculous.
  • The stories can be repetitive. Lovecraft uses the same formula and approach in many of the stories, which inherently reduces the impact of the stories as you keep reading.
  • A few of the stories are dark, but by modern standards, also seem a bit amusing, perhaps unintentionally: e.g., “Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family.”

Rating: 3 stars