March 2022: "In the Vault"

[Dan]

For March 2022, we are reading "In the Vault" by H. P. Lovecraft. This short story is about half the length of last month's. This story was written in 1925 and strangely did not go into print in Weird Tales who by this time was willing to print pretty much anything Lovecraft submitted to them. Instead, it was published in the National Amateur Press Association's journal titled Tryout. That was probably because the editor of the journal, Charles W. Smith, gave Lovecraft the suggestion that formed the basis for the story's plot.

I just researched further and find that Weird Tales editor Farnsworth Wright rejected Lovecraft's story due to fear that "its extreme gruesomeness would not pass the Indiana censorship". I can believe that. I confess to already reading this story (today, for the first time in fact) and I found it absolutely horrifying. This is the first Lovecraft story I've read that actually frightened me. I'll bet Wright came to regret his decision to reject Lovecraft's story. It's the earliest Lovecraft story I have read that I consider to be a flawless masterpiece.

With that, I'm going to shut up now and let members read it and judge for themselves. It's available online for free through many sources. Most Lovecraft e-Book collections that purport to be complete and cost less than $4 contain it. This story is a real treat for horror lovers. Elements one thinks of comprising Weird fiction aren't really to be found here though, in my opinion.

Feel free to post here your impressions when you finish the story. Be kind; please hide spoilers (view spoiler)[in brackets like this (hide spoiler)] if your comment contains any.

[Dan]

I read this book and the very end of last month and just realized I forgot to post a link to the review I wrote then: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... This is my favorite of the Lovecraft stories we have read so far.

[Rosemarie]

I've just finished the story and found it perfectly paced to build up to the last lines-which were stunning.
It's a great story.