Want to read some Lovecraft, where should I start?

[Pyan]

Heh...be interesting. For a very short time, mind you.....

 

[UnderTheOath]

Back on topic for a sec, I just finished The Colour Out Of Space, and I'd suggest that the thread-starter should do that too. AWESOME.

 

[j d worthington]

Back on topic for a sec, I just finished The Colour Out Of Space, and I'd suggest that the thread-starter should do that too. AWESOME.

Certainly one of his best tales -- a beautiful atmospheric and regional study that is intensely controlled and very powerful....

 

[Fried Egg]

For a specific story on which to start on, depending on the person's tastes, I would recommend something like "Rats in the Walls" or "Shadows over Innsmouth". Perhaps "Wisperer in the Darkness".

 

[Nesacat]

Am personally very fond of Innsmouth and all the stories by other writers that it spawned. Have always been drawn to idea of something in the blood that is somehow irresistible. It's one of his stories that I read over and over again.

 

[j d worthington]

For a specific story on which to start on, depending on the person's tastes, I would recommend something like "Rats in the Walls" or "Shadows over Innsmouth". Perhaps "Wisperer in the Darkness".

My main hesitation on "Innsmouth" and "Whisperer" is length. Esioul mentioned time constraints, and both those tales really are best read in one sitting; yet their length, plus their textual denseness, would make that difficult for someone having to do a lot of the academic work at the same time. However, I strongly recommend reading them when she has the time....

 

[Connavar]

Any of these stories you mention longer than 7 pages ?

When i tried to read my omnibus with his stories. I found on the first story i read which i think was Dagon way too short to get anything out of it.

Im gonna read The Call of Cthulhu,The Colour Out of Space to see if they are a good sample of HPL.

 

[Nesacat]

Call of Cthulhu, Shadow Over Innsmouth and The Colour Out Of Space are definitely much longer. So are Mountains of Madness and The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Dagon might do with a re-read after you have read The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

Shadow Over Innsmouth is a novella and so is Dexter Ward so they are much, much longer.

 

[UnderTheOath]

Cthulhu, Colour and Innsmouth for sure. I enjoyed Dagon, but yeah definitely start with CThulhu

 

[Connavar]

I read Rats in The Walls late last night. Didnt finish it yet cause it was very late i didnt have the energy to read when i was sleepy.

Unlike Dagon the writing was impressing.

I also read the introduction with backround info about HP Lovecraft. Is it only me who thought if he wasnt so keen of writing letters he would have now many more stories to be famous for ?


The name de la Poer made me smile if it is as its said that its stands for Poe.

 

[Nesacat]

The one greatly influenced the other but whether or it is does refer to Poe you might have to wait until JD or Ningauble arrives. They'll likely know.

Goodness yes ... I suspect we've all thought that at one time or another. That there'd be more stories if there had been less letters but then he would not have been the person he was without the letters. The letters were his way of living in the world. Those people were his friends and because of him many went on to become wonderful writers in their own right. We in turn, have those letters to read and they are almost as good as his tales.

 

[Connavar]

The one greatly influenced the other but whether or it is does refer to Poe you might have to wait until JD or Ningauble arrives. They'll likely know.

Goodness yes ... I suspect we've all thought that at one time or another. That there'd be more stories if there had been less letters but then he would not have been the person he was without the letters. The letters were his way of living in the world. Those people were his friends and because of him many went on to become wonderful writers in their own right. We in turn, have those letters to read and they are almost as good as his tales.

The edition im reading is edited by T. Joshi who is famous for this kind of thing it appears.

He explained in the explaination notes about the connection. Something to do with Poe's fiancee cousin claiming thier family connection with old family named De La Poer.

I must say his life remind me so much of Edgar Allan Poe's. Both not being nearly as famous,important writers during their lifetime. Both dying young in their 40's.

Will be interesting to read the letters beteween him and REH since i admire REH so much.

 

[j d worthington]

Yes, the de la Poer/Poe/Power (the person who brought up the fact was the woman he was courting, the poetess Sarah Helen (Power) Whitman) connection was known to HPL, who had read quite a bit on Poe's life over the years; he was, as I've mentioned elsewhere, more than a bit of a Poe scholar himself, resolving some puzzles for Poe students that had remained since the earlier writer's death.

As for the letters/stories controversy... it's actually rather unlikely that we would have much more fiction from him. He wrote when (as Godwin put it) he was seized by "the afflatus"; if something didn't fire him up, he found it near impossible to work with any material -- the two major exceptions being the series now known as "Herbert West -- Reanimator" and "The Lurking Fear", both of which are among his poorer works.

Also, his letters were vital to his growth as a writer and thinker, as he discussed and debated so much with various people from all over the world, honing his critical faculties and his writing skills in doing so, as well as expanding his literary horizons and giving his work more depth. This is one of the reasons why his work still provides such a rich experience today, whereas so many of the professional writers for the magazines of his time, though often great fun, are rather shallow in comparison in so many ways.

 

[Ningauble]

I also read the introduction with backround info about HP Lovecraft. Is it only me who thought if he wasnt so keen of writing letters he would have now many more stories to be famous for ?

He would certainly have had the time to write more stories. But remember, the creative process was very difficult to him, and he refused to do hackwork, so having more time does not necessarily mean he would have written more stories.
We'll have to make do with the 100 or so he did write (and then I'm counting from "The Little Glass Bottle" to "The Night Ocean" which he revised slightly for Barlow).

And I might add that his letters are remarkable. I recently read O Fortunate Floridian, his letters to Barlow, and it's one of the best letter collections I've read, covering a wide range of subjects, and fun to read as well.

 

[Ningauble]

Yes, the de la Poer/Poe/Power (the person who brought up the fact was the woman he was courting, the poetess Sarah Helen (Power) Whitman) connection was known to HPL, who had read quite a bit on Poe's life over the years; he was, as I've mentioned elsewhere, more than a bit of a Poe scholar himself, resolving some puzzles for Poe students that had remained since the earlier writer's death.

Also remember that the mother of his uncle-in-law, Dr. Clark, knew Mrs. Whitman personally and apparently prejudiced her son against Poe, so that young Howard had to defend his idol constantly against his uncle.

 

[Ningauble]

Will be interesting to read the letters beteween him and REH since i admire REH so much.

In the latest newsletter from Hippocampus Press, Derrick announced that there will be "a very exciting development concerning the H. P. Lovecraft &
Robert E. Howard correspondence" in the next newsletter. It seems that this book (or books, since it must be more than one volume) is moving again.

 

[j d worthington]

Also remember that the mother of his uncle-in-law, Dr. Clark, knew Mrs. Whitman personally and apparently prejudiced her son against Poe, so that young Howard had to defend his idol constantly against his uncle.

Indeed, yes. For that matter, there was, iirc, some controversy about the naming of Poe Street in Providence at one point, as well. Poe, being the often irascible figure he was, certainly left more than a few enemies behind....

 

[Fried Egg]

I read Rats in The Walls late last night. Didnt finish it yet cause it was very late i didnt have the energy to read when i was sleepy.

Unlike Dagon the writing was impressing.

I love "Rats in the walls". I had to re-read it (and have J.D. explain some things to me) to help me get my head around it though.

 

[sacateca]

Poe, being the often irascible figure he was, certainly left more than a few enemies behind....

Sadly enough, always true with real people who don't care about "politics" but are open and speak their minds.

 

[Nesacat]

Am personally very glad that Lovecraft had such a huge correspondence as they seem to shed the most light into a fairly reclusive life. I have been re-reading Lovecraft: A Life and much of the information appears to come from his letters. It's almost as if he's telling us about himself. It makes the reading so much more personal.

He was an amazing correspondent maintaining deep friendships without having met many of the people. It's sometimes hard to do that even when you regularly see someone, especially in todays text speak world.

Fried Egg ... Yes. A lot of his work does better for being re-read and I too have JD to thank for setting me along that path. Re-reading helps tremendously and stories like The Mound have grown on me with each reading.