Reviews

Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos, vol. 1 by Colin Wilson, Brian Lumley, Robert Bloch, J. Ramsay Campbell, August Derleth, H.P. Lovecraft

rymrgard's review against another edition

4.0

Dagon: 3
Nyarlathotep: 4
Stadt ohne Namen: 3
Musik des Erich Zann: 4
Das Fest: 2.5
Ruf des Cthulhu: 2.5
Farbe aus dem All: 3.5
Geschichte des Necronomicons: 1
Fall Charles Dexter Ward: 1.5
Grauen von Dunwich: 3
Flüstern im Dunkeln: 4


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Favourites highlighted.

chaydata's review against another edition

2.0

Stars 2.5/5. Like any collection it's a bit of a mixed bag. Here's some of my thoughts:
The Call of Cthulu - Obv classic but it's one of Lovecraft's sloggier ones, not a fun light read.
The Return of the Sorcerer - One of my favourites in here. I actually got chills at one point. Surprisingly relatable since I was in the thick of research for a manuscript at the time.
Ubbo-Sathla - Kind of fun for an orb story but a cheap ending.
The Black Stone - Classic, and intriguing at the start. A bit slow in the climax I thought; a little disappointing in the end.
Beyond the Threshold - A favourite here. Great atmosphere and lots of Cthulu Mythos references.
The others didn't really strike me but were ok I guess. Some come across cheap and campy at times, or are too slow/ long. Just doesn't compare to good Lovecraft, but they're somewhat fun explorations into the world.

nicozinos's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

H. P. Lovecraft is truly one of a kind and putting him next to these other authors does them no favors 

petrichora's review against another edition

3.0

Beautifully drawn images of unseen and incomprehensible horror. Lovecraft succeeds to capture a sense of despair and the feeling that 'something isn't quite right'. Though, the experience is diminished by the inarguably racist content, wording and thoughts that Lovecraft presents in nearly every one of those stories. This greatly affected the value of my reading experience, which I'm quite sad about. Also I would recommend to not read several of Lovecrafts stories side by side, since there are an abundance of similarities between each of them, resulting in some monotony and predictability, despite the beautifully crafted wording of the unknown.

I still recommend reading Lovecrafts stories to see what all the fuss is about and to experience the kind of horror he was able to generate through his writing. Just digest those with a grain of salt and knowledge about Lovecrafts racist world views, which one should reflect about while reading.

dionisiomulone's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

nicole_flnr's review against another edition

4.0

This was adventorous but I enjoyed it a lot!

noonebuthappy's review against another edition

1.0

Well this was poorly written and extrem bland. I like much of the Lovecraft inspired horror, but apparently not the original.

immodddus's review against another edition

3.0

Eher 3.5. Die längeren Geschichten in der zweiten Hälfte des Buches haben mir ganz gut gefallen. In der ersten Hälfte schwer in die „Stimmung“ reingekommen. Vielleicht waren meine Erwartungen auch zu hoch.

justus_jonas's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

iamsatan666's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0