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The Annotated Supernatural Horror in Literature
H. P. Lovecraft's "Supernatural Horror in Literature," first published in 1927, is widely recognized as the finest historical survey of horror literature ever written. The product of both a keen critical analyst and a working practitioner in the field, the essay affords unique insights into the nature, development, and history of the weird tale. Beginning with instances of...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
January 1st 2000
by Hippocampus
(first published 1927)
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Read this rad, free, typoriffic eBook accessible through goodreads, which led to downloading a dozen ePub files for books listed available via the Gutenberg Project. Not sure how many I'll actually read but, like Bolano's Between Parentheses, this explodes your to-read queue (out of respect for others' update streams, I only added one book I couldn't find at the Gutenberg Project site). Also I found this interesting in terms of going though 2666 again recently and noting bits apparently influenc...more
Sometimes called 'the most important piece of literary criticism in the Horror genre', Lovecraft's essay on the history and method of supernatural horror is a great resource for readers and writers alike, as it mostly consists of a list of his favorite authors and their most notable and unusual stories. Really, an editor should go through the text, collect all the stories and authors Lovecraft mentions, and then make them into a shot story collection, with this essay as an introduction--hard to...more
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This started as a historical essay on weird fiction that was published in 1927 in a magazine called The Recluse. The edition I was able to find is a 1973 reprint of a 1945 reprint. Interesting that no one since has taken on the task of writing about writers, and that Lovecraft's thoughts have stood the test of time.
I've pulled some names out of this edition. Perhaps I can even find some of the novels mentioned and thereby see into the past in order to more understand supernatural horror today...
I've pulled some names out of this edition. Perhaps I can even find some of the novels mentioned and thereby see into the past in order to more understand supernatural horror today...
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É um ensaio histórico fabuloso sobre horror sobrenatural feito por H. P. Lovecreft, que abrange um alargado príodo da história da literatura de terror de relatos, contos e romances desde contos populares, baladas e mitos da antiguidade e da Idade Média, passando pela época do Renascimento e pelos romances góticos, as histórias de fantasmas Vitorianas e escritores americandos pulp, e, dando vários exemplos de alguns autores e histórias mais conhecidas.
É um registo sobre autores como Edgar Allan P...more
É um registo sobre autores como Edgar Allan P...more
You could hardly hope for a better guide to the horror genre than H. P. Lovecraft. Not only is he near-universally acknowledged as the 20th century's greatest horror-story author, he seems to have read an impossible volume of the stuff. His knowledge is encyclopedic: generally with a survey written 80+ years ago, the writer's idea of what was most important doesn't line up with modern anthologists, critics, etc.; but with Lovecraft even "The Yellow Wallpaper" (for instance), anthologized now mai...more
This is a pretty good survey of weird/horror literature for it's time. H.P. Lovecraft does an excellent job of covering quite a bit of territory, but I wish there had been more depth to the novel.
From Wikipedia: Lovecraft examines the roots of weird fiction in the gothic novel (relying heavily on Edith Birkhead's 1921 survey The Tale of Terror), and traces its development through such writers as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe (who merits his own chapter), and Ambrose Bierce. Lovecraft nam...more
From Wikipedia: Lovecraft examines the roots of weird fiction in the gothic novel (relying heavily on Edith Birkhead's 1921 survey The Tale of Terror), and traces its development through such writers as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe (who merits his own chapter), and Ambrose Bierce. Lovecraft nam...more
Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly about this book:
The Good: If you read this book, you'll get a sense of the historical development of the dark "weird" tale (in the U.S. and Europe). If you're like me, you'll find yourself reading the various descriptions of stories and novels and finding yourself underlining them for future addition to your to be read list. That might be the coolest thing, actually...through this book, I've discovered all sorts of other authors I wouldn't have known about....more
HP Lovecraft was a serious student of the work done within his chosen genre, and this book is evidence. Though written long, long ago, and discussing some works that are long (and undeservedly)-forgotten, the tenets that the Old Gent sets forth in this treatise still hold true to this day. Anyone seeking to work within the horror genre MUST have it. Those who wish to further their understanding of that genre, or of the Cthulhu Mythos specifically, SHOULD have it. The book itself is well-written...more
S. T. Joshi's annotations helped immensely with my understanding of Lovecraft's essay, particularly with the Gothic period authors (e.g. M. G. Lewis, et al) since that is the era with which I'm least familiar. Lovecraft assumes his reader has a depth of familiarity with the works discussed equal to his own, which might not be true of modern readers (at least it isn't for me!)
It's a shame Lovecraft died at such an early age; I would've loved to see his essay expanded into literature of the 1940s,...more
It's a shame Lovecraft died at such an early age; I would've loved to see his essay expanded into literature of the 1940s,...more
Though a little too much of this is summarizing weird fiction tales/novels/poems and not enough is on the analysis of those stories, there are still moments in it that make it worth the read. The essay itself has been called the required reading list of early horror (and indeed, there is plenty of reading there; from gothic to Poe) and it does a nice job of creating a linear path from the Gothic tradition of old decrepit castles to the "modern" horror that was based in the sciences. While HP Lov...more
Jul 16, 2010
Henry
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
writing-reference,
non-fiction
This book is, simply put, priceless. H.P Lovecraft, one of the most influential 20th century horror writers, reviews some of the best horror tales of all times. Make no mistake, if you know something of the man you can easily feel his voice. But, while as expected he promotes those writers that have similar cosmic views as his own, he still describes in detail the work of others whose "limited" or "traditional" views of man and his place in the universe greatly differ from his own. The man can p...more
Lovecraft's analysis is still one of the most quoted and quote-able.
Insightful and erudite, but a little dated. This edition has a great introduction which points out the flaws and explains them. No-one would use this information in isolation anyway and it's worth reading for the definition of cosmic horror alone.
Insightful and erudite, but a little dated. This edition has a great introduction which points out the flaws and explains them. No-one would use this information in isolation anyway and it's worth reading for the definition of cosmic horror alone.
This was a wonderful overview of the historical evolution of the weird tale... certainly a great starting point for anyone interested in learning about many of the "elder" influences on modern weird tale writers.
Lovecraft certainly identifies his favorites and is fairly blunt in his assessment of the various strengths and weaknesses of various weird tale writers.
I also appreciated Joshi's added research and commentary found in the footnotes... very enlightening.
Definitely recommended as a grea...more
Lovecraft certainly identifies his favorites and is fairly blunt in his assessment of the various strengths and weaknesses of various weird tale writers.
I also appreciated Joshi's added research and commentary found in the footnotes... very enlightening.
Definitely recommended as a grea...more
Lovecraft's point at the beginning was really intriguing, but eventually he ended up just listing novels. I'm sure that the compilation of these summaries would mean a lot to people who have actually read them all (or most of them), but sadly I am not one of those people.
Jan 26, 2010
H. Lynch
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
horror-history buffs, anyone who loves literary criticism that's exciting to read.
The most thoughtful (and shortest) travelogue through the history and development of horror fiction, written by one of its masters and most ardent zealots. I can't think of anyone today who can apply so much acumen to such a large body of work in about 100 pages.
Lovecraft not only wrote very fine horror fiction in his own right, he was a student of the genre and this is an excellent introduction to the topic of supernatural literature, although, of course, it does not deal with later works.
Fascinating insight into the principles that HPL used to guide. Him through the writing process. A limitless pretentious at times, its invaluable for anyone seeking to write a tribute pastiche to the master.
It was fascinating to read about Lovecraft's influences after reading so many of his stories. This book must be the best source of recommendations for classic supernatural literature in existence.
H.P. Lovecraft writes a nice little history of horror and supernatural literature. It's easy to read and comes from someone who really likes horror literature. I had hoped for a bit more analysis of the genre or authors/stories. A lot of the time he gives quick, spoiler synopses to tons of books and short stories that he really digs. With horror stories, I don't know if we want to be told the end before we read it. Oh well, the good thing is that he rattles off so many titles that there's reall...more
Lovecraft doesn't waste any time getting to his point. While one can argue his opinion of what makes horror work is narrow, his basic argument stands to this day.
Un libro fantástico para los amantes de la literatura de horror y que desean conocer la obra de autores que, por diversas razones, han sido olvidados en nuestros tiempos.
Probably the only downside: SO comprehensive, I have no idea if I'll ever be able to read all the tales suggested. Highly recommended for anyone reading or writing in the horror genre. And highly readable, also.
1 like · like · see review
Aug 15, 2012
H. Anne Stoj
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
research
As if I didn't have enough to read.
cool
Good for what it does: chronicling horror up to that point.
On one hand, an interesting slice about a fascinating subgenre of literature. On the other, it was a bit unorganized and tended to wander a bit. I think this may have originally been published in magazines which makes sense. It had the feel of a casual conversation from one academic expert to a group of regular, ordinary academics. A starting point, perhaps, of a larger, more organized work. Definitely intriguing and will give you ideas for a ton of future reading material.
Um espectacular ensaio sobre a literatura fantástica, nomeadamente sobre o terror na literatura fantástica, que não me deixou indiferente ao profundo conhecimento literário do autor, H.P. Lovecraft (ele próprio um mestre do terror), e que me ensinou muitas coisas sobre este tipo de livros...
Aconselho, definitivamente, a toda a gente, mas em especial a fãs desta literatura fantástica e de terror!
Pode é ser difícil de encontrar...
Aconselho, definitivamente, a toda a gente, mas em especial a fãs desta literatura fantástica e de terror!
Pode é ser difícil de encontrar...
Rating: 4 of 5
Supernatural Horror in Literature proved a helpful resource, by one of the genre's masters, for fans of literary horror. I daresay there's enough included in the pages of this essay to keep readers busy for a couple years at least. However, don't expect in-depth analysis of the works mentioned. Now, the fun part begins ... reading the books Lovecraft suggested.
Supernatural Horror in Literature proved a helpful resource, by one of the genre's masters, for fans of literary horror. I daresay there's enough included in the pages of this essay to keep readers busy for a couple years at least. However, don't expect in-depth analysis of the works mentioned. Now, the fun part begins ... reading the books Lovecraft suggested.
One of the best essays written on the horror genre; worth studying!
Jul 30, 2011
Chris
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of supernatural literature
This book does an excellent job of detailing all significant horror literature up to Lovecraft's lifetime. The sheer volume of references alone are impressive and show how well versed Lovecraft was in the subject. His essay still remains the standard by which all similarly themed books are measured.
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Howard Phillips Lovecraft, of Providence, Rhode Island, was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction.
Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a...more
More about H.P. Lovecraft...
Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a...more
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“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown”
—
745 people liked it
“The one test of the really weird (story) is simply this--whether or not there be excited in the reader a profound sense of dread, and of contact with unknown spheres and powers; a subtle attitude of awed listening, as if for the beating of black wings or the scratching of outside shapes and entities on the known universe's utmost rim.”
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9 people liked it
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