Reviews

Other than at the very beginning, this actually treats Native Americans mostly respectfully (though I rather doubt it is based on any of their actual legends or stories), particularly when compared to other Lovecraft efforts, so I conclude that Bishop did more of the writing than Lovecraft. This is supported by the lack of constant insult to the rural settlers, as well.

I found myself enjoying this one much more than I have several other Lovecraft tales that I've read recently. For the most part, this felt like real people running into a horrible obstacle. The framing device of the psychologist telling the story is pure Lovecraft, and only sort of works (the level of detail he supposedly inferred from a near-catatonic survivor is ... questionable, at best).

So, yeah. More Lovecraft tales with a help-writer keeping him off his more questionable tangents and obsessions would be nice...

anitralee's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

A horrid little gem.

fachrinaa's review against another edition

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3.0

My first Lovecraft. I originally found it to be unsettling (but not terrifying), mostly because, I guess, that Lovecraft's kind of horror isn't my cup of tea. What finally sent it to terrifying was a few sentences at the end, which state a fate so terrible one almost wished one hadn't read the story.