Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Ballantine (1973), Mass Market Paperback
Description
As a new expedition to Antarctica is planned a dark tale emerges of a previous, life-threatening adventure. Revealing hidden secrets, lost civilisations and alien origins, master storyteller H.P. Lovecraft indulges his talent for the macabre and horrific. In a gripping tale of fast-paced discovery an entire alien ecosystem is uncovered, and an ancient and bloody battle into which the adventurers have been drawn. It is only through sheer luck that two of them manage to escape, leaving the gnarled bodies of their companions, and live to tell the tale as a warning for all those who come after.FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and fantasy to science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and mechanical men, blood-lusty vampires, dastardly villains, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. Each book features a brand new biography and glossary of Literary, Gothic and Victorian terms.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member andreablythe
I was not thrilled with "At the Mountains of Madness." The story of an Antarctic expedition that discovers a madness-inducing mountain with horrifying creatures was overwrought. I mean, how many pages do you really need to describe the strange (and again with the madness-inducing) architecture. The
The second story, "The Shunned House," was better, in part because it was shorter and therefore more concise. Still a lot of overworked descriptions and very little dialog, but the ending image was awesome and one that has sparked my imagination.
"The Dreams in the Witch House" was good, about a man obsessed with a story of an old witch, who claimed to know secret geometries that allowed her to bend dimensional space. Lovecraft clearly loved the theme of insanity-inducing angles and architecture (along with bizarre old ladies, which also appeared in "At the Mountains of Madness," and again with the labored, overworked descriptions.
As for the finale story, "The Statement of Randolph Carter," I won't bother to give a description, and will just say, lame.
I don't find myself eager to read any more of Lovecraft's work (also considering what I've learned about his pervasive racism). Though I will probably also read, "The Call of Cthulhu," because I love the Cthulhu pop-culture cult following that has popped up all over the the internet.
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story could have done with some serious cutting of redundant paragraphs. But it wasn't entirely without merit and had some moments, where the action moved at enough of a pace to keep me reading. The second story, "The Shunned House," was better, in part because it was shorter and therefore more concise. Still a lot of overworked descriptions and very little dialog, but the ending image was awesome and one that has sparked my imagination.
"The Dreams in the Witch House" was good, about a man obsessed with a story of an old witch, who claimed to know secret geometries that allowed her to bend dimensional space. Lovecraft clearly loved the theme of insanity-inducing angles and architecture (along with bizarre old ladies, which also appeared in "At the Mountains of Madness," and again with the labored, overworked descriptions.
As for the finale story, "The Statement of Randolph Carter," I won't bother to give a description, and will just say, lame.
I don't find myself eager to read any more of Lovecraft's work (also considering what I've learned about his pervasive racism). Though I will probably also read, "The Call of Cthulhu," because I love the Cthulhu pop-culture cult following that has popped up all over the the internet.
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LibraryThing member sabrefencer
H.P. Lovecraft is one of the scariest authors i have ever read. All of his books invoke the same responce of blood chilling fear in me. This is my favorite collection of his pieces
LibraryThing member Prop2gether
This edition had four great stories in it: the title one, The Shunned House, The Dreams in the Witch-House, and the Statement of Randolph Carter. All very well done, but the most horrifying? The shortest and the last--Lovecraft literally punches you in the gut as he ends the story. Highly
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recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Lady_Lazarus
Not a specialist or a fan of horror, but as a phycisists, this was most of all a hilarious experience. I just have to admire Lovecraft's imagination and most of all his interest and knowledge (not necessarily understanding) of all scientific theories of the era - starting with Einstein and forth
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dimensions. Personally I found the name story the dullest, it was way too repetitive and could be written as short as the other two stories. Show Less
LibraryThing member Zare
I came across H.P. Lovecraft’s short story collection about four years ago and I found them to be very intriguing and extremely creepy – not creepy like Stephen-King-creepy but creepy in a very – I would even say extremely – weird way (IMHO more scary than the mentioned works of Stephen
Well, until last Friday when I found this gem on a local book fair. Being fan of “lost-civilization” kind of stories I got hooked up immediately after reading summary on the back of the book.
Story is rather short (some 200 pages) but reader is very fast immersed into it (and to be honest entire feeling is like the story itself was written just a few years ago – just one of the proofs of Lovecraft’s qualities as a writer). Story is being told by one of the survivors of Antarctica expedition as a warning that no man should be sent to that distant region again (another expedition is being planned as the survivor begins his story). As a proof survivor discloses events and findings previously kept secret – for fear of all surviving members of the original expedition that they may be declared lunatics if they publish them. After finding out that new expedition is planned they decide that humanity would be endangered if whatever lurks the Antarctica wastelands is set free (as it surely would be if new expedition continues the research), so they put aside their personal fears and start campaign to warn the public.
This one you’ll read in one breath.
Recommended.
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King because everything takes part in minds of people and everything is only hinted – very rarely you see actual monsters roaming around – so at the end you do not know if there truly is anything strange going around or everything is just a product of a very deranged mind). Not being fan of horror genre I moved on to other genres I like and never came across Lovecraft’s work again.Well, until last Friday when I found this gem on a local book fair. Being fan of “lost-civilization” kind of stories I got hooked up immediately after reading summary on the back of the book.
Story is rather short (some 200 pages) but reader is very fast immersed into it (and to be honest entire feeling is like the story itself was written just a few years ago – just one of the proofs of Lovecraft’s qualities as a writer). Story is being told by one of the survivors of Antarctica expedition as a warning that no man should be sent to that distant region again (another expedition is being planned as the survivor begins his story). As a proof survivor discloses events and findings previously kept secret – for fear of all surviving members of the original expedition that they may be declared lunatics if they publish them. After finding out that new expedition is planned they decide that humanity would be endangered if whatever lurks the Antarctica wastelands is set free (as it surely would be if new expedition continues the research), so they put aside their personal fears and start campaign to warn the public.
This one you’ll read in one breath.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member TinaV95
This is my first experience reading Lovecraft - who is touted on the back cover as a forerunner of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Anne Rice. I enjoy the horror genre in spurts and needed a spooky fix for October.
This book is a compilation of short stories. I have to say that the title story "At
I am not sure if I will read more Lovecraft based on these short stories, but I did like them overall.
This book is a compilation of short stories. I have to say that the title story "At
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the Mountains of Madness" was the longest and my least favorite. It felt over-written to me. I was interested in where the story was going, but the lengthy descriptions were distracting. The second story "The Shunned House" was good and mildly creepy. My favorite of these collected tales was the third story "The Dreams in the Witch House"; a story of a mathematician who has 'dreams' of a witch and her familiar while renting a room in the house she once occupied. The fourth ("The Statement of Randolph Carter") is extremely short - almost too short. It's almost as if Lovecraft can't find the balance for the right length of a short horror story.I am not sure if I will read more Lovecraft based on these short stories, but I did like them overall.
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LibraryThing member jmoncton
I did not enjoy this book at all. It is written from the perspective of a scientist who has experience a horrible event on an expedition to Antarctica. The book read like a science journal (probably intentionally) that I ended up skimming it. When I got to the scary part, I wasn't exactly sure what
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was happening. This is included in the 1001 books to read before you die list, but I have to really question it as a choice. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristelh
At The Mountain of Madness is really a novella included in 1001 (1294) Books You Must Read Before You Die. It is a first person narration by the geologist Dyer who reports in scientific detail on a trip to Antarctica. The narrator feels forced to speak out about the previous scientific expedition
Lovecraft was influenced by Poe and references Poe in the story. Poe also would tell a tale of horror with narration and implication rather than direct. He creates the horror through slow building of suspense. This work is truly science fiction with its scientific detail and fantasy and horror with its references to the Mythos. This story references the Cthulhu Mythos and the mythology of The Old Ones. Lovecraft works have influenced the genres of horror and occult.
I did not enjoy this work though glad I read it. I struggled with the endless detail of the architecture and drawings. I spent time looking up images on the internet so I could get a picture of the many references to the Cthulhu Mythos and The Old Ones. Did it create horror. Yes, because my reaction to horror is “you dummy, turn around and get out of there already!” and that is how I felt when reading this story.
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to Antarctica to stop another expedition from going to explore Antarctica. While in Antarctica, a survey group, isolated by storm was transmitting back to the other team their unusual finds. After the storm no more is heard and when the other team goes to their camp, they find all are dead or missing and the camp has been left in a strange and horrible condition. The narrator and Danforth take up one of the planes to further explore the area and find evidence of a previous life form on earth. What they find leaves Danforth deranged and the narrator has kept his silence knowing that it would not be believed. Lovecraft was influenced by Poe and references Poe in the story. Poe also would tell a tale of horror with narration and implication rather than direct. He creates the horror through slow building of suspense. This work is truly science fiction with its scientific detail and fantasy and horror with its references to the Mythos. This story references the Cthulhu Mythos and the mythology of The Old Ones. Lovecraft works have influenced the genres of horror and occult.
I did not enjoy this work though glad I read it. I struggled with the endless detail of the architecture and drawings. I spent time looking up images on the internet so I could get a picture of the many references to the Cthulhu Mythos and The Old Ones. Did it create horror. Yes, because my reaction to horror is “you dummy, turn around and get out of there already!” and that is how I felt when reading this story.
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LibraryThing member steadfastreader
To be clear.. I only read the story 'At the Mountains of Madness'
The best part about this book was the brevity. I also enjoyed the title itself... so dramatic. I think that I probably just don't appreciate Lovecraft's style of writing. I was bored. There were sections of the book that I kept
Anyway - the book. It felt slow and the lack of description of actual events made it tedious. Maybe just not my style.
The best part about this book was the brevity. I also enjoyed the title itself... so dramatic. I think that I probably just don't appreciate Lovecraft's style of writing. I was bored. There were sections of the book that I kept
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thinking, 'Have I seen this movie?' The beginning - especially when it's discovered that Lake's team has been slaughtered - feels very reminiscent of something that I've seen.Anyway - the book. It felt slow and the lack of description of actual events made it tedious. Maybe just not my style.
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LibraryThing member SkjaldOfBorea
Erudite, lucid, & profound, several stories in this volume are remarkable, but "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" stands out entirely - perhaps the best tale of horror/urban fantasy ever written, certainly the most intelligently repulsive.
LibraryThing member revslick
Imagine a museum walk-through of the Old Ones within the Cthulhu mythos. It is not Lovecraft's best story, but it is still a macabre, literary masterpiece.
LibraryThing member LisaLynne
This is primarily the story of Celia Lamprey, a captain’s daughter who is shipwrecked on the eve of her wedding. She is eventually sold into the harem of Sultan Mehmet II in Constantinople, the same city where Paul Pindar, her former fiancé is stationed as the representative of a merchant
Entwined with Celia’s story is the story of Elizabeth, a modern-day Englishwoman, who comes across a fragment of a manuscript telling Celia’s tale while researching English captivity stories for her thesis. Elizabeth is in the middle of a bad break-up with Marius, and flees to Istanbul to look for more of the manuscript – and to finally make a break from Marius.
Celia’s story is by far the meatier of the two. It is full of remarkable detail, luscious descriptions and the deadly politics of women in seclusion, scrambling for whatever power they can get their hands on. Her story has romance, violence and intrigue. It would stand alone as its own story.
My full review is here.
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company.Entwined with Celia’s story is the story of Elizabeth, a modern-day Englishwoman, who comes across a fragment of a manuscript telling Celia’s tale while researching English captivity stories for her thesis. Elizabeth is in the middle of a bad break-up with Marius, and flees to Istanbul to look for more of the manuscript – and to finally make a break from Marius.
Celia’s story is by far the meatier of the two. It is full of remarkable detail, luscious descriptions and the deadly politics of women in seclusion, scrambling for whatever power they can get their hands on. Her story has romance, violence and intrigue. It would stand alone as its own story.
My full review is here.
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LibraryThing member Cail_Judy
Lovecraft weaves a unique tale, with the trip to the Antarctic reminiscent to me of John Carpenter's "The Thing." I found it challenging to read this book to anything but jazz, oddly. Usually just silence. The horror he imbues throughout the tale is palatable. He gets in your head. There is an epic
I'm looking forward to chatting about this book at the next Rapscallions meeting.
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mythos behind the story. I quite enjoyed it, but Arthur Machen is still my favorite weird fiction author. I'm looking forward to chatting about this book at the next Rapscallions meeting.
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Language
Original publication date
1936