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The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft

H.P. Lovecraft

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Apr 11, 2020 Werner rated it it was amazing

Shelves: short-stories, science-fiction, trad-fantasy

Finally, Chartwell Books has brought together, in one handsome hardcover volume, the entire corpus of H. P. Lovecraft's fictional writings: the novel/novella length works The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, and At the Mountains of Madness, plus 55 short stories. The arrangement is chronological by writing (not publication) date, though the dates aren't given; and there's also a good, jargon-free 8 1/2 page Introduction by Dr. Eric Carl Link of the Univ. of Memphis Finally, Chartwell Books has brought together, in one handsome hardcover volume, the entire corpus of H. P. Lovecraft's fictional writings: the novel/novella length works The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, and At the Mountains of Madness, plus 55 short stories. The arrangement is chronological by writing (not publication) date, though the dates aren't given; and there's also a good, jargon-free 8 1/2 page Introduction by Dr. Eric Carl Link of the Univ. of Memphis, which provided some biographical information I didn't previously know, though I've read several other accounts. (A chronology of "The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft" is also provided, which starts with the 1837 publication of The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Poe, who greatly influenced Lovecraft, and continues with publication history of HPL works down to 1959.) Having discovered the author's work back in 1989, I'd already read the three longer works, and many of the stories in anthologies and partial collections (and have already reviewed or commented on most of these). But I seized the opportunity to read the 25 remaining stories I'd never read; and these are the ones I'm reviewing here.

Most of these works are short, no more than eight pages, and some as short as a page of two; but "Through the Gates of the Silver Key" is an exception, with over 30. (This is a sequel to "The Silver Key," and is best appreciated with the latter story read first.) A few of these are quite different from Lovecraft's usual work. "Old Bugs," written ca. 1920 (the title is a character's nickname, not a reference to aged insects), has no real speculative fiction element at all, save for being set in 1950 --but a 1950 with no apparent difference from 1920, including Prohibition still being in effect, and still illegally flouted. (It would have worked as well or better set in the author's present.) Basically a morality tale about the harmful results of alcohol/drug addiction, it's reasonably effective though a bit melodramatic (though I guessed the surprise ending well before the denouement). A few pieces are actually humorous, the best of them being "Sweet Ermengarde," a send-up parody of the stereotypical and unrealistic popular stage dramas, with cardboard characters and a formulaic plot, that proliferated in that era. It's a hoot, and as cynical as the junk being parodied was typically cloyingly sentimental.

All but eight of the stories were written before "the Call of Cthulhu" in 1927, but a number of these earlier ones written in typical Lovecraft fashion contain marked foreshadowings of the Cthulhu Mythos in both themes and details. The tie-ins with stories like "Nyarlathotep" and "The Nameless City" are particularly obvious, as are references to the Necronomican, etc. ("History of the Necronomican" was written post-1927; it's simply a pseudo-nonfiction account of the imaginary author and origins of the sinister book, and its translation/printing "history," but adds enjoyable texture to the Mythos for committed fans.) As I've commented before, Lovecraft's own perception of his main fictional corpus was probably much more unified than that of later critics who carve it up into "Mythos" vs. "non-Mythos," and he never coined the term "Cthulhu Mythos" himself; there's a great degree of similarity of conception in many stories on both sides of the supposed divide. One can definitely say, though, that "The Very Old Folk" is certainly a Mythos tale (and as eerie and chilling as any I'd read before), as well as one which reflects HPL's fascination with ancient Rome.

Having read The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath earlier this year, I could recognize several of the other stories as part of the (marginally) more optimistic and less grim strand of Lovecraft writing that I would characterize as fantasy, rather than as horrific SF. In those written before the latter work, such as "The Cats of Ulthar" (which cat-loving readers should be warned has some animal cruelty, albeit offstage --though cats would definitely approve of the ending!) and "Celephais," readers will actually find back-story that relates directly to the novel. This is a strand of Lovecraft writing that, before this year, I'd read virtually nothing of, except for "The White Ship" (and I'd also include "The Doom That Came to Sarnath"); but it's a significant one and includes some of his best work. (I would class "The Strange High House in the Mist," which was my favorite story in this read, with this group.) Lovecraft's writing here can actually be lyrical and prose-poetic (according to Link, he wrote a good bit of poetry --I've never read any of it, but I'd like to!) and it's in these writings that he voices a message of longing for beauty and graciousness that the modern world of urbanization, commercialization, and pragmatism was stomping into the dirt. (Some pundits class the Silver Key stories in this group, but I'd consider them more SF.)

If readers don't like Lovecraft's usual style from examples they've previously read, this collection isn't apt to convert them. He usually writes "purple prose," in long sentences with often complicated structure, much use of big words (many of them of Latin derivation), and liberal use of adjectives, adverbs, and atmospheric description, the atmosphere conjured usually being one of sinister antiquity and ominous menace. 18th and 19th century Gothic tales (August Derleth called HPL's writing "Gothic") and the work of Poe were big stylistic influences for him. Personally, I greatly admire both writers as stylists, and think this type of writing is ideally suited to the subject matter and the intended effect; but your mileage may vary. :-) Some stories here, notably "Polaris" and "Beyond the Wall of Sleep," contain especially wince-worthy examples of the racism and prejudice against Appalachian mountain dwellers that mars some of his other work as well; and his existential pessimism and hostility to traditional religion are on display in places ("Ex Oblivione" prompts one to think that he had a death wish, at least at times.) But despite these caveats, this definitive collection is a must for Lovecraft fans, and I'd recommend it for genre fans in general. ...more

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