The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadeth

[Fried Egg]

Wow, this is heavy going. A hundred pages of solid dunsanian dream like narrative and exposition without chapter pauses or breaks. This must be the culmination of his efforts, his pièce de résistance, of dunsanian writing. It is a kaleidescope of imagery, an assult on the senses, requiring constant use of the imagination to keep up.

I'm only about two thirds of the way through so far but what do others think of this work? Is it too long or could you not get enough?

 

[j d worthington]

Well, it was both his final tribute to and repudiation of the Dunsanian mode. It was also, in many ways, his "spiritual autobiography", both symbolically and literally (appearances of such things as the night-gaunts and the ghouls, etc.; and their changing roles).

Personally, it has always been among my favorite Lovecraft pieces, since I first read it in At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels, from Arkham House. I would agree that it should be taken (at least first time around) in smaller doses, rather than all at one sitting, as this particular type of tale can overwhelm by the nature of the voice, or with the procession of "wonder" after "wonder", so that each begins to lose its effect (for some, at any rate) -- a problem that Lovecraft himself was concerned with, which is one of the reasons he never attempted to even type it up, let alone submit it for publication.

There are certain problems with the book (for me), such as some of the names for various types of beings encountered, which have something of a juvenile flavor. One can (quite plausibly) argue that this is fitting with the absurdist nature of a dream narrative at times, or with the fact that some of these do come from Lovecraft's own early childhood dreams and the like; but for me, the tone of these names still forms a flaw (albeit a minor one, sort of like Eddison's "Demons", "Witches", "Pixies", and so forth, for his different peoples in The Worm Ouroboros).

Nonetheless, I've always found this one to be a superb work of the imagination, one which -- as with so much of Lovecraft -- grows ever larger with each reading, and one which in many ways is a very moving tale (especially the ending).

(On the other hand James Blish, among others, gave the novel very short shrift indeed....)

I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts once you're done....

 

[Toby Frost]

I really enjoyed this story when I first read it ten years ago. I must admit, JD, that the succession of wonders really worked with me: it was a delight back then to read some epic fantasy that was not set in an elves-and-orcs sub-Tolkein world. It seemed to me to show a different side to Lovecraft and his world – less neurotic and less about running screaming than sitting back and taking in the sights. Now the fantasy market has widened somewhat – or perhaps I have read more widely – and I wonder how it would stand up. Much like with John Brunner’s Traveller in Black, I don’t really want to re-read the Dream-Quest in case doing so spoils my memory of it.

 

[Fried Egg]

One thing that helps I think is having read most of the stories that this story refers to. It helps give the reader a sense of familiarity with an otherwise otherworldly universe.

I would defintely recommend reading "Celephaïs", "Nyarlathotep", "Pickman's Model", "The Cats of Ulthar" and "The Other Gods" before embarking upon this story.

 

[j d worthington]

One thing that helps I think is having read most of the stories that this story refers to. It helps give the reader a sense of familiarity with an otherwise otherworldly universe.

I would defintely recommend reading "Celephaïs", "Nyarlathotep", "Pickman's Model", "The Cats of Ulthar" and "The Other Gods" before embarking upon this story.

Oddly, I had not read any of those stories the first time I read Dream-Quest -- though I had read At the Mountains of Madness, which also has a connection to this tale, although it was written nearly five years later. I read these (with the exception of "Pickman's Model") very shortly thereafter, though, in the two Ballantine Adult Fantasy series volumes, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath and The Doom That Came to Sarnath. However, I knew the basic outline of "Pickman's Model", so that may also count.

(The contents of the Ballantine Dream-Quest are: The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, "Celephaïs", "The Silver Key", "Through the Gates of the Silver Key", "The White Ship", and "The Strange High House in the Mist". The contents of Sarnath can be found at the link below.)

The Doom that Came to Sarnath and Other Stories - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Tobytwo -- I can well understand your caution, but in this case, I'd suggest going ahead and rereading it, if you feel a desire to do so. It's a strong enough work to withstand it, I'd say (and more than); and -- so far, at any rate -- I've not come across anyone who has read and liked it who was disappointed on a later rereading....

 

[Fried Egg]

Phew, finally finished it and, I must say, with a sense of relief. It was like going on one of those "hell rides" (as Corwin of Amber might say).

Started out as an dreamland adventure and gradually degenerated into nightmare and cosmic horror. And with quite a strong moral message at the end. Without wanting to reveal any spoilers, I guess this is what is meant by a "repudiation of the Dunsanian mode"?

 

[j d worthington]

Well, what I meant was his rejection of the more dreamlands, fantasy sort of writing, and basing his work in a more realistic (even regional) mode, solidly grounded in his knowledge of New England and its past; but yes, the changing of tone in Dream-Quest also could apply there as well. That ending, with its reaffirmation of his connection to New England and its importance to him, is a very important point in Lovecraft -- and the description itself is quite lyrical, I find....

 

[Fried Egg]

Well, what I meant was his rejection of the more dreamlands, fantasy sort of writing, and basing his work in a more realistic (even regional) mode, solidly grounded in his knowledge of New England and its past; but yes, the changing of tone in Dream-Quest also could apply there as well. That ending, with its reaffirmation of his connection to New England and its importance to him, is a very important point in Lovecraft -- and the description itself is quite lyrical, I find....

There is definitely a changing tone as the story goes on then? It's not merely my imagination that the story seemed to become less "Dunsanian" as it went on.

 

[j d worthington]

There is definitely a changing tone as the story goes on then? It's not merely my imagination that the story seemed to become less "Dunsanian" as it went on.

No, I don't think so. Though I don't recall seeing comments on it elsewhere before (albeit, as tired as I am, my memory could be dropping a few thousand stitches right now), I would agree that it becomes more "Lovecraftian" and less "Dunsanian" as it progresses, though the change is gradual and the transition smooth. But, in this instance it was, I think, Lovecraft fully finding his own voice with such material and finally melding that powerful synthesis of dream and reality which is so much a hallmark of his very best work. There are numerous earlier examples of this blending, of course, but I think it was at this juncture that the final steps were made in becoming very much his own writer who, from this point on, would assimilate his influences much more quickly and successfully than had been the case with Dunsany (or Poe) originally; and I think his work is all the better for it.

(Mind you, I have an enormous fondness for his Dunsanian pieces, and I think they are quite often very good, and repay numerous readings and serious pondering. But they do show their influence much more nakedly than do his later works, for all that.)