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Abe Sargent · 08-21-2006, 10:19 PM

Review of The Shadow Over Innsmouth

All reviews are spoiler free, except I allow myself to refer to the first page.

This is Lovecraft as his best. It is a great example of his sense of scale. Horror is developed by scale, as the reader becomes increasingly cognizant of the surrounding terror.

It's also a very rich story. Lovecraft will engulf you in details of Innsmouth, giving you an amazing and fleshed out backstory. This is more that you normally get from Lovecraft, and you can see what he could do when he was firing on all cylinders.

It also hits all fo the major Lovecraft sub-themes. Lovecraft loved exploring dreams in his stories, and here you have dreams. Lovecraft loved exploring the consequence of blood and ancestry, and here you have his best example of this sub-theme. Lovecraft had a thing about not liking oceans and seas, and here you get that disquieting sense of the brine.

My favorite scene in all of Lovecraft is the one I detailed signifciantly in the synopsis. It's marvelouslly done, with loads of tension with ever increasing revelations that continute to add to the sense of impending doom.

I think this is also one of the most flavorful of Lovecraft's stories. Can't you just taste Innsmouth? It's smell clogs your nostrils, you can feel it on your skin, you can hear and see the sights. It's a very sensational work.

Although this was published a few months before Lovecraft's death, only 150 copies were made before the printer went out of business. It would be printing in Wierd Tales 5 years later to great acclaim, and was instantly realized as one of the authors greatest works.

I think one of the reasons Lovecraft didn't like this story is that it was a bit different for him and it included elements that were very un-Lovecraft, like the (spoiler, but not really, since you learn this on the first page) feds getting involved. This was particularly outside the realm of Lovecraft since he prefers his characters to stand or fall (and usually fall) on their own.

I hope you either enjoyed reading the story or reading the synposis and review.

I'd give Shadow Over Innsmouth a 5 out of 5 stars. It is a pitch perfect story.

08-21-2006, 10:19 PM	#11
Abe Sargent Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Catonsville, MD	Review of The Shadow Over Innsmouth All reviews are spoiler free, except I allow myself to refer to the first page. This is Lovecraft as his best. It is a great example of his sense of scale. Horror is developed by scale, as the reader becomes increasingly cognizant of the surrounding terror. It's also a very rich story. Lovecraft will engulf you in details of Innsmouth, giving you an amazing and fleshed out backstory. This is more that you normally get from Lovecraft, and you can see what he could do when he was firing on all cylinders. It also hits all fo the major Lovecraft sub-themes. Lovecraft loved exploring dreams in his stories, and here you have dreams. Lovecraft loved exploring the consequence of blood and ancestry, and here you have his best example of this sub-theme. Lovecraft had a thing about not liking oceans and seas, and here you get that disquieting sense of the brine. My favorite scene in all of Lovecraft is the one I detailed signifciantly in the synopsis. It's marvelouslly done, with loads of tension with ever increasing revelations that continute to add to the sense of impending doom. I think this is also one of the most flavorful of Lovecraft's stories. Can't you just taste Innsmouth? It's smell clogs your nostrils, you can feel it on your skin, you can hear and see the sights. It's a very sensational work. Although this was published a few months before Lovecraft's death, only 150 copies were made before the printer went out of business. It would be printing in Wierd Tales 5 years later to great acclaim, and was instantly realized as one of the authors greatest works. I think one of the reasons Lovecraft didn't like this story is that it was a bit different for him and it included elements that were very un-Lovecraft, like the (spoiler, but not really, since you learn this on the first page) feds getting involved. This was particularly outside the realm of Lovecraft since he prefers his characters to stand or fall (and usually fall) on their own. I hope you either enjoyed reading the story or reading the synposis and review. I'd give Shadow Over Innsmouth a 5 out of 5 stars. It is a pitch perfect story. __________________ Check out my two current weekly Magic columns! https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/?action=search&page=1&author[]=Abe%20Sargent Last edited by Abe Sargent : 08-21-2006 at 10:24 PM.