The Ghost-Eater by C. M. Eddy, Jr.

[Dan]

As my holiday present to all members allow me to host a buddy read: a C. M. Eddy, Jr. werewolf story. It appeared in the April 1924 issue of Weird Tales. H. P. Lovecraft's name is associated with the story today, but according to Wikipedia, "Lovecraft's contribution seems to have ranged from making suggestions and perhaps a paragraph change." In any event, it's the one and only werewolf story Lovecraft is associated with, however tangentially.

I have scheduled the reading of this to be on the twelve days of Christmas and am creating this topic so we can have a space to discuss our readings of this tale. I almost just wrote "classic tale," except it's anything but. A lot of people have never heard of this story. I've never seen it in an anthology before despite the fact it's in the public domain. Since we like werewolf stories I for one believe we will appreciate it. I have not yet read it myself, so no guarantees.

To locate a copy, versions of The Complete Fiction of Lovecraft for Kindle costs 45 cents to $1.99, depending on who you buy it from, at Amazon. I'd check to see if this story is included before you purchase it though. You can also read it straight off the internet for free if you wish: https://hplovecraft.com/writings/text...
If you're going to go that route, I say why not download the entire April 1924 issue of Weird Tales and read the story the way it originally appeared, illustration and all: http://www.luminist.org/archives/SF/W...? The April 1924 issue includes no table of contents, oddly enough, so let me tell you that the short story features on pages 72-75.

Let's take a few days to read the story and then start discussing it here on or after December 25, if you're interested in Eddy and Lovecraft's take on the werewolf legend.

[Dan]

I couldn't contain my enthusiasm and read this a few days earlier than I said we would start. Sorry.

This was a good story! Definitely Eddy's writing and not Lovecraft's except possibly for the very first paragraph. I read the magazine version. The illustration (a drawing of a story scene) was in Part I, but did not take place until Part III, which I think is odd. In any event, here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Zain]

I’m still unable to review or download this book. Google just won’t let me.



Zain

[Dan]

Again, this webpage displays the text right there, no downloading needed: https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/...

[Zain]

Thanks, Dan. That page never came up before. But I can see it now, so I’m happy.


Zain 😎

[Zain]

More like a ghost story, than a werewolf story.


Zain

[Dan]

Hmm, guess I didn't see it that way at all. I mean, ghosts usually haunt houses, right? Counting the number of uses of the word "wolf", I find nine. I am perhaps just being pedantic. What makes you call it a ghost story?

Upon skim rereading it this evening I am really struck by how unsophisticated and simple Eddy's style of writing is. I mean, there is truly nothing to it. Lovecraft's style is so much richer. Even then, I've been reading a lot of Ligotti lately. Ligotti clearly has genius IQ. The range and breadth of his knowledge as I read one of his stories simply awes and then makes me frown as I reread a paragraph yet again to see if I can possibly follow him. Poor Eddy. He's just spinning a yarn to entertain lumberjacks around a campfire.

[Zain]

I see it as a ghost story because the werewolf is a ghost.

And I like my werewolves to be bloodthirsty and violent and ripping flesh to threads.



Zain