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Pages Torn from a Travel Journal
It's a hot day in Virginia during the Great Depression, when a bus breaks down on a lonely backwoods road. The passengers are told the repairs will take till tomorrow, so... What will they do tonight?
Good fortune strikes! Just down the road, there's a carnival!
The passengers exit the bus: a pregnant British tart, three low-life fishermen on their way back to Florida, and various other disheartened souls hoping to find greener pastures elsewhere. But the last man off is a writer and sightseer from Rhode Island, a man named Howard Phillips Lovecraft...
What Howard doesn't realize is this: the carnival's frolicky fun will quickly degrade into a waking nightmare of unspeakable carnal depravity and sick-in-the-head violence beyond anything he could ever conceive. And when he finally flees the wretched scene...
Something awaits him a thousand times worse.
Good fortune strikes! Just down the road, there's a carnival!
The passengers exit the bus: a pregnant British tart, three low-life fishermen on their way back to Florida, and various other disheartened souls hoping to find greener pastures elsewhere. But the last man off is a writer and sightseer from Rhode Island, a man named Howard Phillips Lovecraft...
O'SLAUGHNASSEY'S TRAVELLING SHOW! RIDES! CONCESSIONS! ODDITIES OF NATURE! COME ONE, COME ALL!A carnival sounds like the perfect cure to a boring night, and Howard embarks with vigor. A genuine mermaid! A living cadaver! A man with three eyes! Why, there's even a girl with hands for feet! Howard knows that such "spectacles" are all too often frauds, but...what's he got better to do?
What Howard doesn't realize is this: the carnival's frolicky fun will quickly degrade into a waking nightmare of unspeakable carnal depravity and sick-in-the-head violence beyond anything he could ever conceive. And when he finally flees the wretched scene...
Something awaits him a thousand times worse.
- GenresHorror
147 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
11 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Edward Lee
267 books1,450 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
November 17, 2017
WTF I'VE JUST READ???
A funny and original hell of a ride, but sometimes the Solitaire of Providence acted a lot out of character... and the "header" part was just too much gut-wrenching and disturbing... Wow!
March 14, 2021
I have no words for this story!
Or perhaps the problem is having too many...amazing, disgusting, demented with a sweet little love story at the center of it lol
Edward Lee is a new author to me, so maybe this is common knowledge but..it seems to me he is thumbing his nose at anyone who ever said he can't write. Whether it's backwoods hill folk or a proper gentleman, Lee writes characters you can't help but enjoy.
I don't know in what order this book came out but "Header" being the first book by Lee, I love the throwback or mention if you will.
Or perhaps the problem is having too many...amazing, disgusting, demented with a sweet little love story at the center of it lol
Edward Lee is a new author to me, so maybe this is common knowledge but..it seems to me he is thumbing his nose at anyone who ever said he can't write. Whether it's backwoods hill folk or a proper gentleman, Lee writes characters you can't help but enjoy.
I don't know in what order this book came out but "Header" being the first book by Lee, I love the throwback or mention if you will.
July 25, 2013
Lovecraft--Edward Lee style. Totally worth the trip!
July 12, 2024
One Crazy Night
I’ve had this book since 2011 and I am just now reading it. I’m not sure what took me so long but I’m glad I did read it. This book is written in the style of HP Lovecraft so there are a lot of references to his book and characters he written about. Howard is our main character and this book is written about how a bus breaks down and he is involved in unspeakable acts and how he brings his own form of justice in this tale.
I’ve had this book since 2011 and I am just now reading it. I’m not sure what took me so long but I’m glad I did read it. This book is written in the style of HP Lovecraft so there are a lot of references to his book and characters he written about. Howard is our main character and this book is written about how a bus breaks down and he is involved in unspeakable acts and how he brings his own form of justice in this tale.
July 28, 2013
In another of Lee's Lovecraft pastiches, the master of hardcore horror cleverly presents a novella written as a journal entry (at the conclusion, you'll understand the title). Only identified as Howard in his journal, the story involves Lovecraft on a bus trip down to New Orleans...until the bus breaks down in the veritable Middle-of-Nowheresville, ironically, or moveover, aptly so, near Lee's fictional backwoods town of Luntville, setting for a number of previous stories. And because the bus will not be repaired until the next day, Lovecraft decides to venture into town, and eventually, take in the Shaughnessay Traveling Circus, which has just arrived. What transpires is pure, unadulterated Lee-style backwoods horror, all viewed through the lens of, arguably, one of horror fiction's greatest grandmasters.
September 23, 2017
I love Edward lee, and this is one of his better novellas.
August 30, 2024
This is a wild tale of Lovecraftian erotic horror that can only come from the mind of Edward Lee. A fun, quick read.
February 21, 2022
Great writing
This is literally a book filled with great writing. An abundance of great unused words from a genius of words for different meanings instead of the simple everyday word. The storyline was great, and full of Captivating characters that each have a part to tell in the story from the travellers view. There are a few rather grotesque parts but that's part of this authors charm. I love his extreme ways of writing and his broad knowledge of the English language. Which suits the travellers character well. A fascinating story well-written. Another I'd definitely recommend.
This is literally a book filled with great writing. An abundance of great unused words from a genius of words for different meanings instead of the simple everyday word. The storyline was great, and full of Captivating characters that each have a part to tell in the story from the travellers view. There are a few rather grotesque parts but that's part of this authors charm. I love his extreme ways of writing and his broad knowledge of the English language. Which suits the travellers character well. A fascinating story well-written. Another I'd definitely recommend.
January 13, 2019
Good book def not Edward Lee’s Best I struggled to give it a 4 but it was def better than average. Half the story was a Header story which felt a bit out of place with the rest of the story. All the sex and gore you expect for Edward Lee though.
January 31, 2021
sick, perverse and so much f^*n fun!
loved every outrageous page of it
lumley and lee really know their stuff and their addition to the mythos is really a gift!
loved every outrageous page of it
lumley and lee really know their stuff and their addition to the mythos is really a gift!
January 5, 2025
I really enjoyed Lovecraftian stylistic metamorphosis of Ed's writing. Pretty enjoyable.
November 7, 2021
Such a cool read
I have become a big Edward Lee fan and when I saw that the main character in this book was H. P. Lovecraft, I was sucked in.
This story takes place with H.P traveling on a bus in Virginia and the bus breaks down in a small town. His luck he is invited to a carnival where they have everything you can think of including a woman named Bliss, a beautiful blonde who has no teeth and hands for feet!
Read this to find out what depravity happens . You will not be disappointed.
I have become a big Edward Lee fan and when I saw that the main character in this book was H. P. Lovecraft, I was sucked in.
This story takes place with H.P traveling on a bus in Virginia and the bus breaks down in a small town. His luck he is invited to a carnival where they have everything you can think of including a woman named Bliss, a beautiful blonde who has no teeth and hands for feet!
Read this to find out what depravity happens . You will not be disappointed.
February 21, 2011
wow... Ok so Lee pays homage to Lovecraft by writing in his "voice" right down to using dialect with every speaker (which to a lover of lovecrafts work is a nice touch but to anyother reader makes it difficult)
The story is short and i don't like to give it away... just some bullet points:
Virgina Hills
Carnies/ Freaks
Creekers
and
A Header!!
With Loveraft right in the middle of it all as our poor protagonist.
Nuff Said.
The story is short and i don't like to give it away... just some bullet points:
Virgina Hills
Carnies/ Freaks
Creekers
and
A Header!!
With Loveraft right in the middle of it all as our poor protagonist.
Nuff Said.
August 17, 2024
Wow, just wow... That was pretty darn fun.
December 15, 2022
Absolutely loved this one. It has links to the White Trash Gothic books, Creekers and the Header books to name a few. A must read for fans of Lee’s work.
April 17, 2024
Edward Lee is an author whose works I enjoy, his stories are often grotesque, horrifying, and intelligent. During the 2010's he wrote a few stories relating to Lovecraft's work, which he described as him being on his 'Lovecraft kick'. I find his work during this period to be very hit-and-miss on the one hand you've got some brilliant stories like The Haunter of The Threshold and The Innswich Horror but on the other, you've got Trolley No. 1852 and Going Monstering which weren't my cup of tea. Pages Torn from a Travel Journal is the last of his books from this period that I still needed to read. But what did I think of it?
It's a hot day in Virginia, so when a bus breaks down on a lonely backwoods road. The passengers are told they have to wait the night until it can be repaired. Lovecraft is also here, writing down in his precious journal. But what lies in wait for him here is nothing less than terrifying, first a freakish carnival show filled with prostitutes and a little detour into Luntville. What manner of nightmares wait for him here and will he escape with his mind intact?
Edward Lee has written a story that has a fascinating and fun idea when on paper, but it's a bit of a mixed bag in my opinion. The premise is a fun one and Lovecraft is characterized well. His personality is a nice balance between exposing his arrogant and bigoted self and his attempt at a gentlemanly manner. It's quite funny to see his reactions to the sheer absurd horrors that await him in this story. I will say though what he is subjected to towards the end of this novella went a bit too far and honestly just a bit too gross.
I love the whole storyline with the carnival being a disguise for being an illegal and immoral brothel with it becoming a sort of love story for Lovecraft and the scene where he sees a header for the first time. The carnival and header segments of this novella have a satisfying conclusion. But I didn't like the backwoods hook-up scene that Lovecraft witnesses at the start or the very unappealing orgy that gets referenced in Lee's later works.
Overall: It's a mixed bag, it has scenes of genuine horror, some laugh-out-loud moments, and a relatively fun plot. However, it does struggle with the addition of two sex scenes that I feel didn't need to be in this novella. But that's just only my opinion because I know a lot of people love this story. If this sounds like your cup of tea give it a read, but as a big fan of Edward Lee myself this isn't one of my favorites, it has elements I like and others I didn't. 5/10
It's a hot day in Virginia, so when a bus breaks down on a lonely backwoods road. The passengers are told they have to wait the night until it can be repaired. Lovecraft is also here, writing down in his precious journal. But what lies in wait for him here is nothing less than terrifying, first a freakish carnival show filled with prostitutes and a little detour into Luntville. What manner of nightmares wait for him here and will he escape with his mind intact?
Edward Lee has written a story that has a fascinating and fun idea when on paper, but it's a bit of a mixed bag in my opinion. The premise is a fun one and Lovecraft is characterized well. His personality is a nice balance between exposing his arrogant and bigoted self and his attempt at a gentlemanly manner. It's quite funny to see his reactions to the sheer absurd horrors that await him in this story. I will say though what he is subjected to towards the end of this novella went a bit too far and honestly just a bit too gross.
I love the whole storyline with the carnival being a disguise for being an illegal and immoral brothel with it becoming a sort of love story for Lovecraft and the scene where he sees a header for the first time. The carnival and header segments of this novella have a satisfying conclusion. But I didn't like the backwoods hook-up scene that Lovecraft witnesses at the start or the very unappealing orgy that gets referenced in Lee's later works.
Overall: It's a mixed bag, it has scenes of genuine horror, some laugh-out-loud moments, and a relatively fun plot. However, it does struggle with the addition of two sex scenes that I feel didn't need to be in this novella. But that's just only my opinion because I know a lot of people love this story. If this sounds like your cup of tea give it a read, but as a big fan of Edward Lee myself this isn't one of my favorites, it has elements I like and others I didn't. 5/10
September 27, 2025
Vi que en varios comentarios, tanto aquí como en Amazon, se hablaba muy bien de este libro. Pues a mí la verdad no me pareció tanto, tal vez ya me estoy volviendo un viejo conservador, pero de entrada me pareció que la historia de "Páginas..." no tenía nada de horror y sí mucho de "Las aventuras eróticas de Lovecraft".
Estuve a punto de darle una mala reseña, pero el cuento final "El súcubo escarlata" (que viene en la edición de Kindle, ignoro si en las demás también) resultó toda una revelación para mí. Si este es el estilo de Edward Lee sin colgarse de la polla de Lovecraft (perdonen la expresión), pues sí que es todo un escritor al que hay que seguirle la pista. No sólo nos entrega en pocas páginas un universo inventado de manera fluida, sino que su historia sí que lleva verdadero "body-horror" que le llaman ahora.
Estuve a punto de darle una mala reseña, pero el cuento final "El súcubo escarlata" (que viene en la edición de Kindle, ignoro si en las demás también) resultó toda una revelación para mí. Si este es el estilo de Edward Lee sin colgarse de la polla de Lovecraft (perdonen la expresión), pues sí que es todo un escritor al que hay que seguirle la pista. No sólo nos entrega en pocas páginas un universo inventado de manera fluida, sino que su historia sí que lleva verdadero "body-horror" que le llaman ahora.
December 29, 2023
Luntville or Bust!
I am a huge Edward Lee fan, and of the books I have read by him, his Luntville stories are my favorite. And among the half dozen or so Luntville tales I've read, Pages Torn From A Travel Journal is my favorite. H.P. Lovecraft is Lee's hero and muse, and it shows in the passion he put into this novella as he places "Howard" in the driver's seat.
Pages Torn is fairly tame compared to other Luntville books like Bighead or Headers. Lee leaves more to the reader's imagination. He leads us to green pastures, but he doesn't cram anything down our throats, and because we have the more heinous material in our heads already, from previous Luntville books like Creekers and Bighead, Pages Torn is a breath of fresh air.
I am a huge Edward Lee fan, and of the books I have read by him, his Luntville stories are my favorite. And among the half dozen or so Luntville tales I've read, Pages Torn From A Travel Journal is my favorite. H.P. Lovecraft is Lee's hero and muse, and it shows in the passion he put into this novella as he places "Howard" in the driver's seat.
Pages Torn is fairly tame compared to other Luntville books like Bighead or Headers. Lee leaves more to the reader's imagination. He leads us to green pastures, but he doesn't cram anything down our throats, and because we have the more heinous material in our heads already, from previous Luntville books like Creekers and Bighead, Pages Torn is a breath of fresh air.
February 20, 2025
When I started “Pages Torn…” I was taken aback because it was written from the voice of an Englishman, which can sometimes make for wordy sentences. But I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. Because it ended up being a sick, twisted ride that Edward Lee is known for.
Set in during the Great Depression and told from the viewpoint of Howard as the bus he is riding breaks down in the backwoods of Virginia.
Howard finds himself not just in rural America, but surrounded by rednecks who he could barely understand, and then finds himself in situations he would have never imagined.
I don’t want to get into those situations because I don’t want to ruin it, but they were F’d up. Pun intended?? 🤷♂️
Set in during the Great Depression and told from the viewpoint of Howard as the bus he is riding breaks down in the backwoods of Virginia.
Howard finds himself not just in rural America, but surrounded by rednecks who he could barely understand, and then finds himself in situations he would have never imagined.
I don’t want to get into those situations because I don’t want to ruin it, but they were F’d up. Pun intended?? 🤷♂️
September 26, 2019
Pages is the third Ed Lee Lovecraftian novel/novella I've read. The first one, The Innswich Horror, was a pretty straight-forward modern Lovecraftian horror pastiche. It was fun. It made me want to read more of Ed Lee's Lovecraft stories.
Turns out, most of Ed Lee's Lovecraft stories are chock-full of gross, hardcore sex. Pages is no exception. And y'know what? I plan to read more. Silly, funny, outrageous parody of the Master. At least Ed makes it up to Lovecraft by giving him... talents. It's kinda perfect fluff reading for the pumpkin spice season.
Turns out, most of Ed Lee's Lovecraft stories are chock-full of gross, hardcore sex. Pages is no exception. And y'know what? I plan to read more. Silly, funny, outrageous parody of the Master. At least Ed makes it up to Lovecraft by giving him... talents. It's kinda perfect fluff reading for the pumpkin spice season.
February 6, 2021
Wyobraź sobie, że udajesz się w daleką podróż autobusem, gdy nagle ulega on awarii pośrodku pustkowia. Jedyną oazą okazuje się pobliska stacja benzynowa, na której spotykasz miejscowego mechanika będącego przedstawicielem typowego "white trash". Niedługo przekonasz się na własnej skórze, że czas, który musisz spędzić do rana w oczekiwaniu na naprawę autobusu możesz sobie umilić odwiedzając park rozrywki, w którym znajduje się istna galeria osobliwości. Zapewniam Cię, że czas tam spędzony na zawsze pozostanie w Twej pamięci ...
January 26, 2017
Hated this book. The idea has potential, but Lovecraft felt out of place as the main character.
My real problem though is that there's just not much there. Lovecraft wanders from weird incident to weird incident and I just didn't give a damn.
My real problem though is that there's just not much there. Lovecraft wanders from weird incident to weird incident and I just didn't give a damn.
November 4, 2018
Good short story in classic Edward Lee fashion, Graphic, detailed and non-stop. Good short read.
August 13, 2022
A redneck carnie gore porn horror narrated (and participated in) by Lovecraft
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Okay I guess
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Okay I guess
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2025
Bastante entretenido
December 4, 2014
Ohhh how we change :-) I have read two Edward Lee books previously Backwoods and Header. The first I enjoyed a lot, I loved the comic book style, which to be honest goes back to my teenage years of reading Laymon. Mr Lee though brings this to a whole different level, his books are much more violent. Header shock me, that is the plain and simple truth! I enjoyed it but was in two minds whether I could read another one of his works. Well your answer my friends is, I could not resist it. Call me sick, but I enjoyed this book which I believe has put me on the path to Edward Lee fandom. There is a very dark and black humour keeping his stories afloat and even dare I say moments of kindness and humanity.
This short story is about H.p Lovecraft taking a bus through the southern states and breaking down in the backwards and meeting some Hill folks with a very unusual revenge method. Edward Lee has a very easy flowing and fun style which is what draws me to the story. Like Brian Keene Mythos world building, this story also has location and links with his other stories. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any Bryan Smith, Jack Ketchum, Brian Keene or people with a very dark sense of humour.
This short story is about H.p Lovecraft taking a bus through the southern states and breaking down in the backwards and meeting some Hill folks with a very unusual revenge method. Edward Lee has a very easy flowing and fun style which is what draws me to the story. Like Brian Keene Mythos world building, this story also has location and links with his other stories. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any Bryan Smith, Jack Ketchum, Brian Keene or people with a very dark sense of humour.
September 1, 2011
A shame as I enjoy Edward Lee's visceral mayhem as much as Lovecraft's ornate and carefully-sculpted horror. This novel takes us to familiar territory with demented hill-billies and rednecks flocking to a perverse travelling carnival with H.P. Lovecraft unwillingly in tow. The framing device of this first-person narrative is that it is an extract from one of Lovecraft's extensive travel journals. There is some fun to be had here with Lee's superb talent for grotesquerie and graphic sexual deviancy proudly on show but the character of Lovecraft feels out of place in a scenario that does not wholly suit him as a character and his role in proceedings seems to oscillate awkwardly between that of observer and protagonist. I can see the appeal of throwing Lovecraft into a tale of gross-outs and grisly fetishes but it just didn't knit together well enough for me and the plot itself is rather slight.
I would recommend the reader seek out Lee's The Innswich Horror and Trolley No. 1852 if you're after some memorable and disturbing Lovecraftian entertainment.
I would recommend the reader seek out Lee's The Innswich Horror and Trolley No. 1852 if you're after some memorable and disturbing Lovecraftian entertainment.
January 25, 2016
So I've been reading Edward lee books for quite a while now (this being #14) and have generally been a fan of his works, including his other Lovecraftian novels so was intrigued by this one.
The story is based around some notes wrote in a journal by "Howard" which are found in a bus waste bin. It follows his adventures in rural America after his bus breaks down in a small hilltown area, complete with the standard rednecks, depravity and a carnival. The rest I'll leave up to you to explore :)
It's a bit of a strange tale in the end, this time the mix of Lovecraftian writing along with Edward Lee's ability to create a dark, twisted world don't mix. I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy the tale, but it just didn't impress me like lee's other novels have done before.
So that being said, if your a fan of Lee's works then you'll enjoy this just fine - it even includes a Header, if your new to his works then try The Innswich Horror of the City infernal series first.
The novel was received in exchange for an honest review
The story is based around some notes wrote in a journal by "Howard" which are found in a bus waste bin. It follows his adventures in rural America after his bus breaks down in a small hilltown area, complete with the standard rednecks, depravity and a carnival. The rest I'll leave up to you to explore :)
It's a bit of a strange tale in the end, this time the mix of Lovecraftian writing along with Edward Lee's ability to create a dark, twisted world don't mix. I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy the tale, but it just didn't impress me like lee's other novels have done before.
So that being said, if your a fan of Lee's works then you'll enjoy this just fine - it even includes a Header, if your new to his works then try The Innswich Horror of the City infernal series first.
The novel was received in exchange for an honest review
September 9, 2015
I need to start by saying that I am a huge Edward Lee fan and I have read pretty much everything he has ever published. I have enjoyed each and every one of his works, and this one was no exception.
The premise of this book is that the story we are reading is actually an excerpt of a travel journal of a man known only as "Howard". Now those who are familiar with Lee's other Lovecraftian works soon realize exactly who this man is. I don't want to give the story away but I will say that it involves a backwoods town, a traveling carnival, rednecks, Creekers, and my personal favorite, a header or two. I mean... how can you go wrong with a story that involves all of those elements?
Lee is definitely in his element here as we are treated to debauchery as only he can write it. This is not my favorite of Lee's work, but was definitely worth my time. I recommend picking it up if you have an afternoon to enjoy a short tale by the master of hardcore horror himself. You will not be disappointed!
I received a copy of this book for free in e-book format in return for an honest review.
The premise of this book is that the story we are reading is actually an excerpt of a travel journal of a man known only as "Howard". Now those who are familiar with Lee's other Lovecraftian works soon realize exactly who this man is. I don't want to give the story away but I will say that it involves a backwoods town, a traveling carnival, rednecks, Creekers, and my personal favorite, a header or two. I mean... how can you go wrong with a story that involves all of those elements?
Lee is definitely in his element here as we are treated to debauchery as only he can write it. This is not my favorite of Lee's work, but was definitely worth my time. I recommend picking it up if you have an afternoon to enjoy a short tale by the master of hardcore horror himself. You will not be disappointed!
I received a copy of this book for free in e-book format in return for an honest review.
December 15, 2022
Lee is not a bad writer, and unlike many others writing about Lovecraft, he clearly knows a lot about him and likes him very much. The other things he likes are (1) rednecks, (2) gore, (3) rape porn. The book is full of all these things and you can make a guess about how well they mix with Lovecraft. In spite of how gleefully campy the book is, the treatment of redneck characters is more sympathetic than I usually see in redneck horror, which is a plus, I guess? On the other hand, Lovecraft getting into an adventure during one of his bus travels seems such an obvious idea for a story, I'm surprised it doesn't get used often.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews