Nameless, ambiguous, vague, obscure, indescribable terrors and entities of cosmic evil that predates Earth itself is his primary theme. You also need to bear in mind that the overall writing style was rather different a century ago, and most of the literature he consumed was written a century before he began. Like many authors from those periods, he is wordy, overly descriptive, and cautious with his word choice due to his contemporary audience (Stephen King or Clive Barker would have been rejected outright, back then). Lovecraft is an acquired taste for many folks. I think people who spend most of their time reading modern lit (as opposed to Victorian, for example) have a more difficult time staying focused on his story due to his prose. Twenty years ago, I had a very difficult time myself. I would read, but the words just began to blur. It was hard to continue and enjoy it, as well as retain it. Now, with college far behind me, many older authors read (such as Blackwood, Doyle, Christie, Verne, Burroughs, Stoker, Shelley, Walpole, etc.), and after several of Lovecraft's tales in audiobook format, I find him a delight to read. Because I immersed myself in the literature of that era. However, some folks still find him too wordy, too 'befuddling,' or just not an interest. It happens. There are several contemporary authors who write in that universe and bring it to life, in a more concise fashion, such as Byron Craft. If you like Pulp Era Cop and Gumshoe stories (with a Cthulhu theme), he is your man. If you have not yet purchased an audiobook of Lovecraft, might I suggest: "The Complete Fiction of H.P. Lovecraft" - an Audiobook by the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society - By: H. P. Lovecraft - Narrated by: Andrew Leman, Sean Branney The narration is top notch and perfect for the stories and period. I listen to it frequently. It is available on Audible. I hope this helps. 'The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown' ~ H.P. Lovecraft

@Scare-o-lyn

22 күн бұрын

Thank you for the audiobook suggestion! I tried to sample it, but unfortunately, it doesn't get past the narrator's introduction (so I couldn't hear the cadence of their actual storytelling). I might take the plunge and get it anyway because I've had a lot of success enjoying other older stories in an audio format. Ironically, I think I was more critical than I usually would be because I enjoyed 'The Colour Out of Space' so much. I couldn't just dismiss my frustration as being simply a matter of the time period or not connecting with the author. A phrase I wasn't familiar with when I made this video is 'purple prose'. I may struggle with that regardless, but at the very least, the audio version would help with the extended sections of phonetic dialogue.

@stinkwalker

21 күн бұрын

Most of the literature I read and re-read is from the 19th century, it just so happens to be my favorite period of writers (Edgar Allan Poe, Jane Austen, Fyodor Dostoyevsky). Having said that, everything she touched up on was on point. It’s not a matter of acquired taste for the classics nor older literature, Lovecraft simply is superfluous with adjectives in his writing, which is ironic given that the genre he helped develop is known for ambiguous creatures that don’t require so much explaining. He also can’t write a scene to save his life, most of his stories amount to static descriptions. The archaic prose he aimed for in his writing was outdated long before he came to the scene, so that isn’t a defense either. Also, Clive Barker is known for his beautiful prose, he’s evidence you can be verbose if you’re a master in the craft. I think he “would’ve been rejected” back then, as you said, for the same reasons as Poe whose writing was too avant garde for the period, but not because of his elegant verbosity.

Michael Shea (1946 - 2014) is one of those "more talented writers" -- his take on things Lovecraftian is very interesting.

@Scare-o-lyn

2 ай бұрын

Oh, my interest has been peaked! Thank you for the recommendation!

these are valid criticisms, I thought the same thing about the phonetic hillbilly talk in "Dunwich Horror" and I don't remember "The Call of Cthulu" very well (probably didn't like it). I vacillate between finding lovecraft's prose needlessly verbose and actually enjoying it on an atmospheric level. You're invited to brood over the narrators' feelings of dread for longer than you would with a more concise author. His over-use of pretentious words like "demoniac," "gibbous," or "euclidian" make his worlds seem ornate, barely describable. Important note: I usually listen to these on youtube and hate reading lol

@Scare-o-lyn

5 ай бұрын

Yes! It's like he doesn't realize he's already succeeded in establishing the atmosphere he wants, so he just keeps going and going! Lol. Your comment would indicate that listening to his stories won't necessarily help in comprehending (and enjoying) the parts with the "hillbilly talk". Bummer.

@goog-mb4zo

5 ай бұрын

@@Scare-o-lyn I've both read and listened to "The Dunwich Horror", and I do like the audio better! Hearing someone else say the accented speech out loud is easier for me to understand. Overall I find Lovecraft's rambling style well-suited for his subject matter (despite the awkwardness), though I would like to see another author improve on the formula someday. I'm pretty lazy finding new authors to read/listen to

@Scare-o-lyn

5 ай бұрын

The Colour Out of Space gives me hope that I would genuinely enjoy more of his writing, so I'm certainly not giving up on him yet! I don't consider myself picky, but I've definitely gotten bored with run-of-the-mill thrillers. Now that I'm branching out, I just want to keep delving deeper. Maybe I'll come across the modern-day Lovecraft. Lol.