What's the fuss about Lovecraft? - Page 2

Renaldo · 02-15-2009, 09:30 AM

I've tried several times in my life to like Lovecraft. I never got that far in the reading, his stories were somewhat inaccessible to me. Last year, on a whim, I downloaded several audio books of his stories. I ended up devouring them. I got more, ran through those and couldn't get enough of him. Suddenly, I got it. I still don't necessarily enjoy reading Lovecraft, but a good audio reading of his stories is hard to beat. I'd reccomend anyone 'struggling' with Lovecraft to try a couple of the many available free audiobooks available online and see if that changes your mind about him.

And like a lot of other folks said, Mountains totally rocks. I'd definitely reccomend that one.

desertgrandma · 02-15-2009, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

PFFT! AMATEUR!

Gentle Newbies: The Avenging Goddess is my sometimes alter ego. She likes to stride across the threads, spreading chaos and devastation. She considers herself The Snacker of Nations. Fear her and tremble.

Or..........you can try giving her chocolate, and she immediately turns into a tiny purring kitten.........................................whi ch you can then step on..............

Elsan · 02-15-2009, 10:55 AM

All has been said it seems. To me though, Lovecraft is about horrible things you can't fathom, the end of the world, the precarity of humanity's hold on this planet.

My favorite is "Nyarlathotep", just thinking about it gives me shivers. It's short but it's really evocative for me.

RickyMaveety · 02-15-2009, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Or..........you can try giving her chocolate, and she immediately turns into a tiny purring kitten.........................................whi ch you can then step on..............

EXCUSE ME!!!???

YOU STEP ON A KITTEN ...... YOU DIE!!

pilotbob · 02-15-2009, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

EXCUSE ME!!!???

YOU STEP ON A KITTEN ...... YOU DIE!!

You know, if people treated each other the same way some people treat their pets, we would live in a much better world.

BOb

desertgrandma · 02-15-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

EXCUSE ME!!!???

YOU STEP ON A KITTEN ...... YOU DIE!!

Good morning, RM.

But what if the kitten is really CT in disguise? hmmm?

mjh215 · 02-15-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

You know, if people treated each other the same way some people treat their pets, we would live in a much better world.

BOb

I tried that, but got a restraining order when I attempted to force people to stay in my house and dressed them in cute outfits with the bottoms cut out... And I even gave them treats..

-MJ

desertgrandma · 02-15-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

You know, if people treated each other the same way some people treat their pets, we would live in a much better world.

BOb

'sigh. Unfortunately, you are right, PB.

HistoryWes · 02-15-2009, 02:35 PM

Read "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward". I think it's Lovecraft's best and scariest work.

RickyMaveety · 02-15-2009, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Good morning, RM.

But what if the kitten is really CT in disguise? hmmm?

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

You know, if people treated each other the same way some people treat their pets, we would live in a much better world.

BOb

No exceptions.

You step on a kitten, you die.

Also, if you step on one of my human friends, you die.

You step on one of my kitten friends, you die twice!

I will dig your dead body up, and kill you all over again.

KTHXBAI

desertgrandma · 02-15-2009, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

No exceptions.

You step on a kitten, you die.

Also, if you step on one of my human friends, you die.

You step on one of my kitten friends, you die twice!

I will dig your dead body up, and kill you all over again.

KTHXBAI

Damn. Guess I won't be stepping on any kitties........or people.........but especially kitties!

Ea · 02-16-2009, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjh215

_Ea_/DixieGal; You are of course welcome to not like his works... I see nothing wrong with that... Though the dark and terrible ones, which haven't crawled on solid ground since before recorded time, may. Being more of a nightmare of that which was, they have only recently begun to permeate back through to our reality. They are the creaks and moans in the walls and floors while you are want to sleep and the whispers which cry out for the non-believers.

-MJ

Gaah! This'll mean I'll have to call pest control. Bother!

Ea · 02-16-2009, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krystian Galaj

...
Unfortunately, many of today's readers can't imagine properly the feeling of sitting in a room, and listening to the story - instead they begin to assume they're actually the person telling the story, and they expect to be informed of the facts and get the feeling from the facts.

That said, I find Call of Cthulhu boring as well. I prefer "In the Mountains of Madness", which is much better suited to today's readers.
...

That's a very good point. When writing - today - you're told to 'show' rather than 'tell'. The idea being that you should work at helping the reader step into the written world and experience it through reading. The 'model' Lovecraft is using is more like a 'listening mode', but since I'm not used to reading that way, I involuntarily judge this by more modern standards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renaldo

I've tried several times in my life to like Lovecraft. I never got that far in the reading, his stories were somewhat inaccessible to me. Last year, on a whim, I downloaded several audio books of his stories. I ended up devouring them. I got more, ran through those and couldn't get enough of him. Suddenly, I got it. I still don't necessarily enjoy reading Lovecraft, but a good audio reading of his stories is hard to beat. I'd reccomend anyone 'struggling' with Lovecraft to try a couple of the many available free audiobooks available online and see if that changes your mind about him.
...

I think that shows exactly what Krystian is talking about

Dragoro · 02-16-2009, 05:46 PM

I love Lovecrafts work. When I read one of his stories, and then read one of todays horror writers, I get a terrible sense of todays horror writers work being extremely inferior.

desertgrandma · 02-16-2009, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragoro

I love Lovecrafts work. When I read one of his stories, and then read one of todays horror writers, I get a terrible sense of todays horror writers work being extremely inferior.

At the risk of sounding 'old', I get that sense with most 'bestselling authors' of today vs those of the early 20th century.

Aldous Huxley, Sir Conan Doyle, and F.Scott Fitzgerald come to mind.

But thats just me.

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02-15-2009, 09:30 AM	#16
Renaldo Addict Posts: 294 Karma: 250590 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	I've tried several times in my life to like Lovecraft. I never got that far in the reading, his stories were somewhat inaccessible to me. Last year, on a whim, I downloaded several audio books of his stories. I ended up devouring them. I got more, ran through those and couldn't get enough of him. Suddenly, I got it. I still don't necessarily enjoy reading Lovecraft, but a good audio reading of his stories is hard to beat. I'd reccomend anyone 'struggling' with Lovecraft to try a couple of the many available free audiobooks available online and see if that changes your mind about him. And like a lot of other folks said, Mountains totally rocks. I'd definitely reccomend that one.

02-15-2009, 10:55 AM	#18
Elsan Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Montréal, Québec, Canada Device: iLiad	All has been said it seems. To me though, Lovecraft is about horrible things you can't fathom, the end of the world, the precarity of humanity's hold on this planet. My favorite is "Nyarlathotep", just thinking about it gives me shivers. It's short but it's really evocative for me.

02-15-2009, 02:35 PM	#24
HistoryWes Teacher/Novelist Posts: 632 Karma: 2274466 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Device: Nook STR, iPad	Read "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward". I think it's Lovecraft's best and scariest work.

02-16-2009, 05:46 PM	#29
Dragoro Lovecraft Fan Posts: 414 Karma: 539914 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Michigan Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Kindle Touch	I love Lovecrafts work. When I read one of his stories, and then read one of todays horror writers, I get a terrible sense of todays horror writers work being extremely inferior.

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