I just moved to a small Massachusetts town yesterday. Coincidentally on the north shore which was where Lovecraft himself was particularly fond of. Today is my second day here and it's raining and I'm listening to this and it's just perfect.
I was born in Providence... Love craft's vision is fantastical....but somehow his mood always, ironically, comforts me with emotions which.. in my childhood, were like a secret room where I was always alone and full of unarticulated reverie...
This was a GOOD read of Lovecraft. I just recently listened to The Temple...and I was enthralled with the narration because Lovecraft painted such a well detailed picture in his writings.
The reader here was the perfect choice for this story, and Lovecraft in general. This narration is perfect for sitting in front of the fireplace with driving rains outside, late one dark autumn evening.
I love this series. I cannot help but think about why so much of Lovecraft's Mythos has found it's way into modern popular culture. The only reason that I keep coming back to is that Lovecraft's life was fulled with uncertainty and fear, and we in the 21st century live in a scary and uncertain place.
Yes! Also, he could conjure a sort of primordial, timeless, universal fear. I sometimes question if his stories are simply a product of a tormented man with a vivid imagination or something more. Maybe he knew about things and this was the only safe way for that information to sip into the general public's knowledge.
9:23 "And when I glanced at the moon it seemed to quiver as though mirrored in unquiet waters".. OMG! Such beautiful, intelligent writing. And narrated perfectly. Many thanks to this channel and all involved 💚💚💚
Anyone know the name of the reader? I’ve listened to quite a few Lovecraft audio stories here but find I can only listen to this guy - brilliant evocative voice.
I listen to H.P. Love craft all the time. But it's Mr. Ian Gordon who narrates so perfectly for the genre. Try " Horror Babble" on RU-vid. It's worth your while people.
The narrator is more or less describing the lost city of Gobekli Tepe which wasn’t discovered until 1994. Lovecraft not only a gift for prose but he seemed connected to something beyond human perception.
One interesting thing about this story is that it is apparently set in the Waking World, but references Sarnath and Ib. Mnar has been variously put in the Waking World and the Dreamlands by various authors -- if we go by Brian Lumley, there are a heck of a lot of "Mnarean Star-Stones" lying around for E-Branch and the Wilmarth Institute to use to protect their agents, but that doesn't mean it's not a Dreamlands place.
While I enjoy Lovecraft (He's probably in my top 3 authors), I feel like I can only listen to so many of his stories before I have to switch to something else. This is probably part personal preference and part the time period I was born in (speed over elegance), but his prose goes from incredibly engaging to incredibly overdone and grating to me. It can get really annoying when half of you wants to listen to "The Outsider" again, while the other half wants to cat videos or something equally pointless.
Joey Townsend yeah he does get into what seems like purple prose. I love giw vivid and meaningful his wording can get, but yeah, at the same time it's quite a trudge
already he improves upon his writing from the first tale . if you follow the anthology of the cthulhu mythos , you can clearly discern his evolving prose and craft. bearing in mind his inspiration was from the 19c , he clearly updates toward 20c appropriate writing. His stories became more available to modern readers as his ethos progressed. we are all so lucky to read and listen to his progression. his later tales will be literally relevant for another 100 years. behold the master of fear.know that all that comes is borne from he
The only problem with this story, is that it’s told from a first person point of view. The story teller is recounting events that he experienced. Yet at the end of the story, we’re left believing he was , well it ended in a way that would prevent him from conveying his tale
Remote in the desert of Araby 0:40 I should have known that the Arabs 1:35 For hours I waited 2:23 In and out amongst the shapeless 3:19 I awaked just at dawn from a pageant 4:23 All at once I came upon a place 5:26 Very low and sand-choked 5:56 Night had now approached 7:07 The moon was gleaming 7:52 This temple, as I had 9:43 Then a brighter flare 10:38 It is only in the terrible phantasms 11:45 In the darkness there 12:58 Time had quite 14:11 I saw that the passage 15:09 Just when my fancy 15:45 To convey any idea 16:51 The importance of these crawling 18:18 Holding this view 18:53 As I crept along 19:42 Still nearer the end of the passage 20:55 As I viewed the pageant 22:43 Reaching down from the passage 23:27 As I lay still with closed eyes 24:16 But as always in my strange 25:56 My fears, indeed 26:33 Suddenly there came another burst 27:41 More and more madly 29:15 Only the grim brooding 30:40 I have said that the fury 31:15 And as the wind died away 32:17
One of my favorites. ^_^ Anyone know of Lovecraftian stories on RU-vid that seem like they might've been written by HPL himself? Stories that sound so similar that they seem like further works of HPL? I think since there Lovecraftian stories that it's possible.
James Barton check out the Knifepoint Horror podcast (some of it should be on RU-vid as well), they have very lovecraftian themes. Particularly the one called Rebirth. Very good stuff, some of the best horror writing of the past 10 years imo
The land of Mnar is likely in the dreamlands, and so must be the Nameless city. But I'm not sure what it means as there is an obvious crossover with terrestrial life and places ("Babylon" etc)
This is one of the best of HPL's shorter stories, a wonderful, nightmarish dream quality, the glowing desert under the moon. Love it! Please, do you know who the narrator is?
Anyone else find c’thulu not scary at all? It’s just another make believe monster like dragons and giant sea serpents. What’s scary about a fictional giant squid?
For me it's more the concept of cthuthu than the actual being. He's a slumbering, ageless, entity who is indifferent to humans; not because he's evil but because we're know more than insignificant bacteria to him. I think about the Loki qoute in avengers "does an ant have quarel with a boot." We're ants and cthuthu (and almost all his other creations expect for maybe nyolethertep) is the unknowing, unsympathetic boot who steps where it pleases. That's why for me he's scrarier than a dragon or some generic monster. I also didn't even mention the whole cosmic pessimists ideology and concepts of knowledge that drives you mad which also contribute some to his story's being more than just a story but at times feels like someone's actual account of an event.
Its not a giant squid, that's just the closest thing humans could compare it too. If you ever read a story that has its description you can tell that cthulu doesnt even really have a form
Cthulu and all the other Lovecraft gods are the concept that we in comparison to the turnings of the cosmos do not matter at all and the fact if one of them was just bored or felt like it could enslave, torture, control or even just wipe out humanity without a second thought
@@SadFemboy On the contrary. Lovecraft describes him as vaguely anthropoid in shape. There are no "tentacles," as so many folks seem to think. In fact, in all his stories HPL never uses that word. The closest he comes is this: "...with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers." Follow the prompt to see HPL's own drawing of the statuette of Cthulhu. www.britannica.com/topic/Cthulhu
Warning: ostentatious critical review coming; all only my opinion. 1) HPL was inspired, perhaps more than any other, to convey a vision--and more importantly a feeling--of deep, growing, all-inclusive and even maddening horror in each of his stories. 2) He relies heavily, per the style of his time, on lengthy, complex, sometimes convoluted passages, within which it's possible to get lost, and occasionally even impatient to end. 3) He favors adjectives over action, so provides only a fair example of "show don't tell." 4) Weakest habit is to include sayings such as, "...which I cannot describe...", "...too horrible to convey..." etc. 5) Had enormous influence and impact on subsequent horror writers, and lasting popularity, all the way to our day. 6) Includes racist and classist descriptions that may be offensive to modern readers and 7) Painted such vivid worlds that once heard, most will recall easily. My 2 cents feel free to bash or agree.
HP wordcraft, too much of a plethora of verbiage for my simple taste. I don't know what he is sayin ! Not that I be a moron but, that he be too " CLEVER " for me. How about some good old fashioned story telling technique? Why the brain rot? Tis no CLEVER, tis but wordsmithing. Bye, by,buy....buy now, we are going out of business......
