L'orrore di Dunwich

by H.P. Lovecraft, Gianni Pilo (Translator)

Sulla cupa collina battuta dai venti e dai fulmini degli uragani, si erge la scura case dei Whateley, dal cui interno si sentono provenire suoni innominabili, sintomatici di misteriose presenze. Quando finalmente gli uomini dei dintorni si decidono ad attaccare la casa per porre termine alle uccisioni di uomini e di animali che si verificano in tutta la zona, scoprono un essere a metà tra un uomo e un mostro alieno che...

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Lovecraftian, Fantasy, Audiobook

92 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published February 18, 1995

About the author

Howard Phillips Lovecraft, of Providence, Rhode Island, was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction.

Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.

Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, his reputation has grown over the decades. He is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting widespread and indirect influence, and frequently compared to Edgar Allan Poe.
See also Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

— Wikipedia

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovecraftian Horror! 😱

The small village of Dunwich is filled with decrepit houses, decrepit people and decrepit animals. It is the end of the Earth, on Earth!

The Whateley family is worst of the worst in a town filled with ignorance, Devil worshipping, orgies and incest. The most unnatural of the natural.

When Lanier Whateley gives birth to a “fatherless” son in mid February of 1913, her howls and screams are mixed with those of something not born of this world.

Though her father is infamous for being a practitioner of witchcraft, the curiosity of the neighbors draws them to their farm to get a look at the monstrosity that Lanier Whateley has given birth to.

Unable to be anything but himself, young Wilbur Whateley grows into a strange and creepy teenager. Despite his strangeness, he is very intelligent, which allows him to keep secret his birthright and his mission to the world.

While he is determined to carry out that mission, forces beyond his control stifles his plans.

Unfortunately, his monstrous secret is already released upon this world.

This is Lovecraft at his best.

Five fantastic stars. 💫💫💫💫💫

[Leonard Gaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dunwich Horror, written for Weird Tales around 1929, after The Colour Out of Space and before The Whisperer in Darkness, is probably one of the most significant pieces of the Cthulhu mythos. Once again, the protagonists are investigating a strange case in a derelict New England town (you probably won’t want to visit the Miskatonic Valley after reading Lovecraft, but you won’t find it on any map of this world either!). Once more, individuals with hideous deformities will lead them to a nightmarish realisation and open broad vistas onto a malevolent cosmos.

This story is an evil elaboration on the Christian doctrines of the Incarnation and Immaculate Conception: a woman afflicted with albinism (immaculate? sinless?) conceives a son who displays strange characteristics, becomes an adult prematurely (cf. Jesus’s Disputation episode) and has a keen interest in esoteric scriptures (The Torah vs The Necronomicon). In the end, the son of Yahveh cries out: “Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani?”, while the son of Yog-Sothoth yells: “HELP! HELP!…ff—ff—ff—FATHER! FATHER!”

The style of this story is also much more vivid than in most other HLP novelettes. It includes some pieces of dialogue, direct speech — often tainted with a strong accent, which adds a hint of comical effect; a device that Lovecraft would further develop in The Shadow Over Innsmouth — and even a significant excerpt of the Necronomicon!

It is said that HPL drew his inspiration from some of Arthur Machen’s tales. In any case, his novella has been a significant source for Ira Levin’s Rosemary's Baby. The guttural language of the Klingons (Star Trek) is a variation of the hideous tongue of the Outer Gods.

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovecraft at his prime!


SCARY AND SOLID AS HECK

One of the best tales by H.P. Lovecraft...

...and part of the Cthulhu Mythos...

...AND...

...my personal favorite story written by H.P. Lovecraft!

This story is set on the fictional town of Dunwich, Mass., near of the also fictional town of the infamous Arkham, Mass..

This is the sad tale of Wilbur Whateley that since his birth was clear that something was too strange about him, growing up in a scary speed, reaching adulthood in just 10 years, and discharging an awful smell around him.

Wilbur’s grandfather is entitled to the education of him, both regular learning about the world as well obscure arcanic one.

The Whateley Farm encloses a dark secret...

...that nobody must know about...

...if Dunwich may have any chance to keep existing.

[Orient · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lovecrafty BR with my great GR friend Craig. Viva la Cthulhu and his kin 💜💜💜💜



What a nice read with monsters! :) I liked this story a lot, the pace was quicker, the writing more engaging, the info about the main plotline - gripping . Dark family secrets, creepy cult, monsters, MONSTERS, suspense, ancient mystery, juicy fighting, other universes. Omg, the only flaw is that this story is too short! Btw, there are some movies! :)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065669/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226752/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1733465/

[Magrat Ajostiernos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una novela corta con un inicio impresionante, me gustó muchísimo cómo nos va presentando ese pueblo "maldito" rodeado de brujería y seres extraños. Es cierto que según vamos avanzando para mi decae bastante, pero el estilo del autor me encanta, mezcla un rollo periodístico y "de investigación" con un lenguaje muy cuidado y plagado de detalles.
Lo mejor sin duda es la atmósfera pavorosa que consigue mantener durante toda la historia.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like the cosmic horror of Lovecraft (and who doesn't) and if you want to find out more about the Necronomicon, this is the right novella for you. Strange things are going on in the small village of Dunwich but what is the plan of the Whatleys (a kind of inbred hick family)? Whose son is Wilbur Whatley (an absolutely uncanny character) and what passages is he trying to find in the Necronomicon? Dr Armitage and a few brave men from Arkham desperately want to prevent an evil entity to come into our world. Yog-Sothoth is the gate keeper and possibility to get the old ones back on earth... Will Armitage and his team succeed? This creepy story will scare you senseless. Great story, great plotting, cosmic evil Gods and a fantastic showdown. Absolutely recommended. One of Lovecraft's alltime classics!

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love first time reads, but I love re-reads even more, for with each re-reading, I learn more about the work, and more about myself too.

The first time I read "The Dunwich Horror," I was twelve. “Dunwich ” scared the hell out of me, and I loved it, but it was also satisfying in other ways, ways that reminded me of the books I already knew. For example, it started out with the birth of a boy whose father’s origin was a mystery, and the first part of the story followed this boy (Wilbur Whateley) as he attempted--through occult books and spells--to learn more about his origins and destiny (boy’s adventures—minus the occult part--often begin in this way), and though the story's second part took a dark turn, it ended with an exciting chase across open country, and--even better--the triumph of good over evil! (I found this satisfying, for—in spite of my new love for horror—I still liked it better when the good guys won.)

A generation passed, and I read “Dunwich” again, this time finding it one of the least satisfying of Lovecraft’s tales. The revelation of what Wilbur looked like under his clothes was just as terrifying as ever, but what happened afterward seemed like one long dreary anti-climax. The chase was corny, like something out of a boy’s novel, uncalled for in classic horror fiction.

Another generation passed, and a few days ago I read “The Dunwich Horror” again, and discovering it to be as delightful as when I first encountered it.

I have been thinking lately about what makes Lovecraft such a great horror writer. There was the mythos of course, and his remarkable sense of place, but there was something else, an aspect I had only recently begun to appreciate: the great number of narrative genres and themes he manipulated in order to vary his one constant, terrible concern.

“Rats in the Walls” (old fashioned gothic), “The Call of Cthulhu” (one mystery revealed through multiple viewpoints), “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” (a stranger explores a strange town), “The Outsider” (Poe-style soliloquy), “The Quest of Iranon” (Dunsanian fantasy), “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward” (amateur detective), “The Color out of Space” (interstellar phenomena) “The Whisperer in Darkness” (interstellar travel), “At the Mountains of Madness” (account of a scientific expedition), and “The Shadow Out of Time” (psychic time-travel). That is a list—by no means an exhaustive one—to indicate his astonishing variety.

This time, more than fifty years after my first reading of “The Dunwich Horror,” I marveled at the skill with which Lovecraft manipulated the tired tropes of the boy’s adventure tale, making the fatherless boy Wilbur himself the first sign of horror, and using the last exciting chase to eradicate the even greater horror the boy wished to manifest.

“The Dunwich Horror” isn’t—as I formerly believed--a good horror story marred with a corny ending, No, it is somthing stranger: a boy’s adventure gone mad, a tale that takes the fantasy of marvelous parentage, turns it upside down, and crushes it before your eyes. And then still sends you home with a happy ending.

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all the people who complain about Lovecraft's tendency to present horrors that are ineffable and indescribable, perhaps you will like better this horror that is writhy-tentacly and mutilates cattle and smashes down houses and crushes people, and also knocks up hillbilly ladies with its mutant children to bring about the destruction of humankind.
But don't worry, old white men will save us with Latin.

[Michael Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing to finally get a Lovecraft story written in the third person. This one is written rather like a series of newspaper reports accounting for the eldritch events in Dunwich. The impersonal tone tripped me up at first, but as the story developed, the absolute sincerity of the account really got under my skin, and I started to believe it wasn’t a story at all, that it was all true.

I suspect Lovecraft would tell me it was.

Apologies for the short review. I have to go and lock all the doors and nail boards over the windows.

[Coos Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este es un libro que leí en el año 2014, en su entonces no había hecho una reseña, y como actualmente lo releí, decidí que estaría bien hacer una breve escrita en la edición que leí (y por supuesto, también estará la video reseña en mi canal).

Este libro siempre me gustó por su estrecha relación con el ocultismo y la magia negra, tema ciertamente recurrente en las obras de Lovecraft. En este caso particular es donde vemos surgir a Wilbur Whateley, una especie de niño impío de extraña apariencia cabría, muy grotesco y desagradable a la vista. Vemos a una criatura criada en el seno del terror, bajo conductas sospechosas, alimentando la curiosidad de los habitantes de Dunwich. Siendo los rechazados del lugar, siempre dando de qué hablar, el pequeño se va criando y desarrollando de manera antinatural sin importar el poco transcurso de tiempo ocurrido desde su nacimiento.

En esta historia podremos conocer un tópico famosísimo en el mundo lovecraftiano: el Necronomicón, aquél libro maldito escrito por árabe loco "Abdul Alhazred". Nos encontraremos también con una de las criaturas más respetadas en el horror cósmico, una criatura de la cual se hace mención con anterioridad en la obra de Lovecraft, pero que recién aquí podemos conocer en mayor detalle.

Y como siempre, las ilustraciones de Santiago Caruso son perfectas para este tipo de historias. Un arte monstruoso, sombrío y fiel a las descripciones del autor. Un ejemplar que vale la pena tener cual tesoro en la biblioteca.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

English review below⬇️
-----
German review:

Wirklich unheimlich-grausig mit einer interessanten Hintergrundgeschichte! 🖤👣⚡☠️

Kurz zum Inhalt: In einem abgelegenen Ort namens Dunwich wird unter ungewöhnlichen Umständen das Kind Wilbur geboren, das der Ausgangspunkt für die Geschehnisse ist, die über ein Jahrzehnt reichen. Die Geschichte enthält viele mystische Rituale und Hexerei und lässt sich daher als eine übernatürlich-fantastische Horrorstory bezeichnen. Die Erzählweise hält die Spannung von Beginn bis zum Ende aufrecht. Die allgemeine Atmosphäre wird von einer ominösen Rätselhaftigkeit ausgehend zunehmend immer bedrohlicher. 🖤🖤🖤

Zur Erzählweise: Ich finde besonders den Tagebuch-Aspekt gut gelungen. 📖 Dadurch werden sowohl die Hintergründe hinter allen Rätseln klar aber auch die Gefahrenlage und Rätselhaftigkeit wird dadurch deutlich hervorgehoben. Außerdem ermöglicht es zwei parallele Handlungsstränge, die in einem spannenden Schlussakt zusammengeführt werden. Ein anderer erzähltechnischer Geniestreich ist mittels des Fernrohrs am Schluss gegeben, was einen interessanten Blickwinkel auf die Geschehnisse liefert.

Daher gesamt 5,0🌟
-------
English review:

Really creepy and gruesome with an interesting background story! 🖤👣⚡☠️

Briefly about the content: In a remote town called Dunwich, the child Wilbur is born under unusual circumstances, which is the starting point for events that span over a decade. The story contains many mystical rituals and witchcraft and can therefore be described as a supernatural-fantastic horror story. The narrative style maintains the suspense from beginning to end. The general atmosphere becomes increasingly threatening from an ominous mysteriousness beginning. 🖤🖤🖤

About the narrative style: I particularly like the diary aspect. 📖 It makes the background behind all the mysteries clear, but also emphasises the danger and mystery. It also enables two parallel storylines that can be brought together for an exciting conclusion. Another stroke of narrative genius is the use of the telescope at the end, which provides an interesting perspective on the events.

Therefore a total of 5.0🌟

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

En mi afán por revisar la obra completa de H.P. Lovecraft, ahora toca 'El horror de Dunwich', que incluye cuatro narraciones: 'El horror de Dunwich', que da nombre a la antología, 'El modelo de Pickman', 'El susurrador en la oscuridad' y 'El extraño'. En mi opinión, estos cuentos son de lo mejor que escribió el Maestro de Providence. En ellos se conjugan a la perfección los llamados Mitos de Cthulhu y los relatos del ciclo de Nueva Inglaterra, llegando a unas cotas de horror y suspense extraordinarias, sin dejar de lado la gran calidad literaria (a pesar de la opinión de algunos críticos pedantes de la época, como bien comenta August Derleth en el prólogo sobre la vida y obra de Lovecraft).



Cito a Lovecraft: "La literatura de terror debe ser realista y ambiental, limitando su desviación de la naturaleza al canal sobrenatural elegido, y recordando que el escenario, el tono y los acontecimientos son más importantes a la hora de comunicar lo que se pretende que los personajes y la acción misma." Y esto es lo que mejor sabía hacer Lovecraft, crear atmósferas asfixiantes y sobrecogedoras, donde lo macabro y sobrenatural "eran" posibles. Cuando lees uno de estos relatos, casi parecen artículos periodísticos dada su erudición y documentación sobre los hechos que se suceden, donde los personajes son lo de menos, aunque estén narrados en primera persona; lo importante es la sensación que transmite al lector, casi de simbiosis con el narrador, arrastrándolos a ambos por los incríbles cauces de lo sobrenatural.

Estos son los cuentos que incluye el volumen:

- El horror de Dunwich (The Dunwich Horror). La granja Whatheley, situada en el municipio de Dunwich, tiene muy mala fama entre sus vecinos; su nombre está asociado a la brujería y a elementos extraños. Y desde el nacimiento de Wilbur Whateley, aquélla se ha acrecentado. Esta es la historia de un horror, un horror asociado al apellido Whateley en general, y a Wilbur en particular; un horror que asolará la región, y que tendrá como testigo de primera fila al doctor Henry Armitage, gran erudito y bibliotecario en Miskatonic. Este es un relato imprescindible, construido magistralmente, que te envuelve en el misterio y el horror hasta su terrible final.

- El modelo de Pickman (Pickman's Model). El protagonista le está contando a su amigo Eliot su obsesión por la obra del pintor Richard Upton Pickman, un artista tan genial como provocador, cuyos cuadros sólo aprecian unos pocos, dado su cariz morboso. Y es que Pickman pinta el horror, cuadros donde late lo siniestro y espectral. Será esta obsesión la que haga que acepte una invitación de Pickman para visitar su casa privada, donde guarda algunas de sus "mejores" obras...

- El susurrador en la oscuridad (The Whisperer in Darkness). Wilmarth, profesor de literatura en la Universidad de Miskatonic en Arkham, nos relata cómo se vio envuelto en unos asombrosos hechos a raíz de relacionarse con Akeley. Todo empezó cuando unas inundaciones sacaron a la luz unos extraños seres. Esto provoca que las gentes del lugar rememoren antiguas leyendas relacionadas con las montañas de Vermont. Wilmarth, experto en folklore, tiene algo que decir sobre el tema. Es entonces cuando Akeley, que vive en estas montañas en su granja, escribe al profesor comunicándole que estas leyendas podrían guardar más verdades de lo que parece... De nuevo la maestría de Lovecraft sale a relucir en esta historia fascinante de principio a fin.

- El extraño (The Outsider). El protagonista, que vive en un castillo, no recuerda nada de su pasado. Recorre el castillo y alrededores lleno de temor y tristeza, y su único deseo es poder vislumbrar el sol. Un cuento, corto, pero espeluznante.

[Bentley ★ Bookbastion.net · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been making an effort this year to broaden my horizons and read outside of my comfort zone. Part of that is to better acquaint myself with authors and works considered classic today. HP Lovecraft's collected works have always been high on my list of things to read so I threw myself into this one and ended up enjoying it so much I read the entire thing in the span of an evening.

As expected, the prose is definitely dense and might be considered a chore for some readers to try and wade through. One thing I really appreciated about this story was the lengths that Lovecraft went to in order to establish Dunwich as a setting. The story is a slow burn one, in which the darkened forests, hills and valleys of Dunwich become as much a character as any of the many various townspeople and their families that are introduced.


It takes a bit of investment, getting used to the characters and the landscape of Dunwich before the true meat of the scares start, but it's very much worth it. By establishing the elements of the world so clearly at the start of the story, Lovecraft grounds this particular tale within a localized environment that feels aged and real. It provides an important balance to the latter half of the story, as the usual cosmic horror elements are introduced and evil makes itself apparent.

Familiarizing myself with Lovecraft is sort of great fun, because in a lot of ways I can pick out the influence his writing has had on some of my favorite horror media today. Cosmic horror as a genre was born and thrived under Lovecraft's pen. He masterfully makes the great evils that befall his characters both otherworldly, and yet they feel terrifyingly real or possible, as though his very words tap into that same wellspring of darkness that he writes about.



There are certain aspects of this story that aren't socially acceptable today that rubbed me the wrong way, but I tend to take anything written outside our current political and social climates with a grain of salt. If you can look past those aspects, and don't mind slow-burn horror that intensifies as it goes along, this is a story that is sure to please.

5 out of 5 stars

[Maggie ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving reading H.P. Lovecraft, especially while listening to a narration. This was the audiobook I chose this time, it was wonderfully narrated.

This story takes place in Dunwich, a decaying village in Massachusetts, where it is said witchcraft is performed and where strange noises can be heard from the subterranean areas. On an isolated farm in Dunwich, Lavinia Whateley gives birth to Wilbur, whose father is unknown. As Wilbur grows at an abnormal rate, the townsfolk begin to talk and slowly become frightened of what is happening in the Whateley family's farmhouse. Wilbur, on the other hand, becomes more and more interested in the unholy and sets out on a quest to acquire the Necronomicon.

From the tone to the eerie feeling surrounding the town, this was a wonderful read. And I think it's the scariest I've read from Lovecraft so far. I really recommend this one if you are into cosmic horror and creepy old towns.

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very visual and a smell beyond evil (my Kindle is amazing)! Set in a community of stunted individuals with strange goings-on in the outlying farmhouse. Mounting horror – of course – almost to the point of tedium. But an excellent crescendo.

[Guillermo Valencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

El maestro del terror cósmico nos vuelve a presentar un fantástico relato de horror. Nos trasladamos al pueblo de Dunwich para conocer a la familia Watheley y sus misteriosos rituales que terminarán causando el terror a toda una comunidad. En este relato 𝐇.𝐏.𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 hace uso de elementos de la geografía para crear un ambiente más misterioso y tétrico de la historia. Así mismo, también hará guiños de criaturas del 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑛𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑜, las cuales se nutre gran parte de su obra. El Horror de Dunwich es un relato muy bien logrado, su fortaleza principal recae más en el fondo que en la forma. A mitad de la trama la narración se torna densa y repetitiva. Aunque al final la intensidad del relato retoma el interés del lector haciendo que en líneas generales este relato sea uno de los mejores del autor.

[Laura L. Van Dam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovecraft y Poe son de los pocos autores de horror que lograr inspirarme realmente miedo. Este libro aparte de miedo da mucho asco. Es genial.

[Glenn Russell]

H.P. Lovecraft 's 1925 The Horror at Red Hook reeks of xenophobia and racism. Lovecraft leaves no doubt regarding the source of evil: people from a different race and from a foreign country.

A year later, in 1926, the American author of horror fiction introduced Cthulhu, a gigantic cosmic entity that's combination octopus and dragon with traces of human form, a destructive, evil entity from a different dimension far from our Earth.

The tale under review, The Dunwich Horror, written in 1928, is eerie in the extreme, one key reason: the source of evil derives from a combination of the human and the Cthulhu. Another reason: the way Lovecraft builds suspense right from the first chapter and continues to mount suspense chapter by chapter right up to his concluding chapter ten.

To underscore the way in which Lovecraft mounts drama and deepens the horror as the tale progresses, I'll link my comments with direct quotes, as per -

“When a traveler in north central Massachusetts takes the wrong fork at the junction of the Aylesbury pike just beyond Dean's Corners he comes upon a lonely and curious country.... At the same time the planted fields appear singularly few and barren; while the sparsely scattered houses wear a surprising uniform aspect of age, squalor, and dilapidation.” --------- Lovecraft grounds his tale in realism, detail by detail. One can picture the rural landscape clearly – perhaps a reader has traveled through a similar rustic countryside.

“Two centuries ago, when talk of witch-blood, Satan-worship, and strange forest presences was not laughed at, it was the custom to give reasons for avoiding the locality. In our sensible age—since the Dunwich horror of 1928 was hushed up by those who had the town's and the world's welfare at heart—people shun it without knowing exactly why.” -------- Classic Lovecraft. This area of the world is shrouded in mystery and whispers of strange happenings. And, why do people shun Dunwich? At this point, Lovecraft leave it to a reader's imagination.

“The fact that the mother was one of the decadent Whateleys, a somewhat deformed, unattractive albino woman of 35, living with an aged and half-insane father about whom the most frightful tales of wizardry had been whispered in his youth. Lavinia Whateley had no known husband, but according to the custom of the region made no attempt to disavow the child.” --------- Lovecraft gives us this information about the strange family one Wilbur Whateley is born into. Deformed, ugly, half-insane – all characteristics befitting Lovecraftian horror. It's also recounted how there was a hideous screaming along with dogs howling and barking at the time the infant Wilbur was born.

“His (Wilbur's) speech was somewhat remarkable both because of its difference from the ordinary accents of the region, and because it displayed a freedom from infantile lisping of which many children of three or four might well be proud. The boy was not talkative, yet when he spoke he seemed to reflect some elusive element wholly unpossessed by Dunwich and its denizens. The strangeness did not reside in what he said, or even in the simple idioms he used; but seemed vaguely linked with his intonation or with the internal organs that produced the spoken sounds." --------- Hints of that Red Hook otherness conjoined with a tincture of the nonhuman – unsettling and creepy, creepy.

Less inexplicable was his fitting-up of another downstairs room for his new grandson—a room which several callers saw, though no one was ever admitted to the closely-boarded upper story. This chamber he lined with tall, firm shelving; along which he began gradually to arrange, in apparently careful order, all the rotting ancient books and parts of books which during his own day had been heaped promiscuously in odd corners of the various rooms. -------- No sooner is Wilbur born than the half-insane old grandfather swings into action with superhuman strength. Please note how ancient books take on central significance in preparing for Wilbur's occupying this secret room.

“About 1923, when Wilbur was a boy of ten whose mind, voice, stature, and bearded face gave all the impressions of maturity, a second great siege of carpentry went on at the old house. It was all inside the sealed upper part, and from bits of discarded lumber people concluded that the youth and his grandfather had knocked out all the partitions and even removed the attic floor, leaving only one vast open void between the ground story and the peaked roof.” --------- Ominous growth! At age ten, Wilbur possesses the body of a fully grown man. The people of Dunwich who catch sight of Wilbur shrink back in dread.

"Wilbur was by this time a scholar of really tremendous erudition in his one-sided way, and was quietly known by correspondence to many librarians in distant places where rare and forbidden books of old days are kept. He was more and more hated and dreaded around Dunwich because of certain youthful disappearances which suspicion laid vaguely at his door; but was always able to silence inquiry through fear or through use of that fund of old-time gold which still, as in his grandfather's time, went forth regularly and increasingly for cattle-buying. He was now tremendously mature of aspect, and his height, having reached the normal adult limit, seemed inclined to wax beyond that figure. In 1925, when a scholarly correspondent from Miskatonic University called upon him one day and departed pale and puzzled, he was fully six and three-quarters feet tall." -------- Youthful disappearances? A visiting scholar departing pale and puzzled after meeting with young Wilbur? What's going on here?

What I've cited here is contained within the first four chapters. There's six more chapters of Wilbur's astonishing development in and beyond Dunwich. Grab yourself a copy of this Lovecraft tale and enter a world of unspeakable terror.


American author H.P. Lovecraft, 1890-1937

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of Lovecraft's work but what really stands out here is the excellent introduction by August Derleth. Derleth gives a brief biography of Lovecraft, situating his works in different sub genres as his writing involved. I also really liked how Derleth spent a few pages on how Lovecraft's work was received, both when it came out and up to 1963 when this volume was first published. Several of the stories collected here were first published in Weird Tales in the 20s and 30s. All of the stories are good, with 'The Music of Erich Zann' being a stand out. Recommended if you are into Lovecraft and if not, the introduction helps understand and situate him. 4 solid stars!

[Jeffrey Caston · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better HPL stories I've encountered so far, though I must confess, also like a lot of his stuff, the writing, stylistically is a bit obtuse. I liked that I could see elements I could directly tie to the Eldritch Horror board game that I love. Places, characters, the monster, and Yog-Sothoth. It was creepy and atmospheric. It seemed to me that the actual climatic conflict, though resolved, happened off the page, , so that was disappointing.

[The Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on Spotify on the way to work and as I cooked. Quite an interesting story. Appropriate for the season. Spooky, creatures, mystery. I recommend you read it.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

DAS GRAUEN VON DUNWICH

Die Erzählung, 1928 in Weird Tales veröffentlicht, gehört zu den bekannten Mythos=Erzählungen HPLs, die von der Wiederkehr der Alten Großen und Cthulhus berichten. Wilbur Whateley, jüngster Spross des degenierten Zweigs der Whateleys, will mit Magie dem äußeren Gott Yog-Sothoth dabei helfen, die Tore zu den Großen Alten zu öffnen.
Angesicht der "Lüsternheit, Gewalt und Obszönität", mit der Lee den Stoff in der ROMANZE weiter verarbeitet, lohnt es sich besonders auf HPLs Erzählstil zu schauen.

HPL ist auch in dieser Erzählung der Chronist kosmischen Schreckens, womit gesagt sein soll, dass die Erzählung das Grauen nicht unmittelbar schildert, wenn es sich am blutigsten manifestiert, sondern auf Berichterstatter und Zeugenbeobachtungen zurückgreift, wobei HPL auf die ergänzende Vorstellungskraft seiner Leser vertraut. Das Umkreisen und Aussparen des eigentlich Unvorstellbaren ist Teil der Poetik HPLs, in der Berichterstatter, deren Auffassungs- und Begriffsvermögen unterschiedlich stark ausgeprägt ist, an die Stelle des (All=)wissenden Erzählers treten (und nichts könnte z.B. weiter entfernt von Slasher=Filmen sein, in denen der Kinobesucher in Nahaufnahme miterlebt, auf welch bestialische Weise die stereotypisierten Opfer in einem Schwall von Blut ihr Leben lassen). In DAS GRAUEN VON DUNWICH wird der Leser hauptsächlich mit den Spuren konfrontiert, die das Böse hinterlässt: verstümmelte und verschwundene Rinder, niedergewalzte Gebäude, gigantische Spuren eines unsichtbaren Monsters in der Landschaft, pestilenter Gestank und der bedrohliche Gesang der Ziegenmelker.

So, wie Nacktheit nicht notwendigerweise zur Erotik beiträgt, steht die Darstellung von Gewalt und der Akt (!) der Zerstörung selbst bei HPL nicht im Zentrum, sondern bleibt weitgehend ausgeklammert. Es wäre interessant, einen genaueren Blick darauf zu werfen, inwieweit HPL Gewalt auf vergleichbare Weise wie Sexualität in seinen Texten ausspart.
Praktisch sieht die aussparende Berichterstattung wie folgt aus: Den drei Professoren aus Arkham wird kurz vor dem Showdown mit dem Monster von einem Dorfbewohner aus Dunwich erzählt, wie eine Stunde zuvor Zeb Whateley einen Anruf von Mrs. Corey erhielt. Sie berichtete, wie ihr Stallbursche Luther das Vieh reintrieb, als er plötzlich den scheußliche Geruch wahrnimmt, sonderbare Geräusche hörte und sieht, wie Büsche und Bäume umgeknickt wurden.
„Aber stellen Se sich mal vor, der Luther hat überhaupt gar nix gesehen, nur die geknickten Bäum und Büsch.“
Kurz vor dem Höhepunkt (!) der Geschichte wird die Handlung also von jemandem am Telefon in knappen Worten berichtet, der sich selbst auf den Bericht einer weiteren Person bezieht, die aber nur Spuren des Monsters, nicht dieses selbst gesehen hat.
Auch ein zweites Mal spielt das Telefon eine Entscheidende Rolle, als die Bewohner Dunwichs die Zerstörungswut des Monsters live am Telefon miterleben. Wie in einem Hörspiel wird hier das Sehen ausgeblendet und die Zuhörer müssen sich den Geschehensablauf konfabulieren.

Als dann die drei Professoren aus Arkham auf den Berg steigen, um hier das Monster zu bezwingen, wird aus dem Hörspiel ein Stummfilm: Was nämlich auf der Bergkuppe geschieht, erfahren wir wieder einmal nicht direkt von einem der Professoren (dabei hätte sich Dr. Armitage als Erzähler angeboten, da er schon zuvor als Handlungsträger aufgetaucht ist; übrigens wieder einmal ein in den Pulps unverzichtbarer Akademiker), sondern von einem Dorfbewohner, der mit einem Fernglas vom Fuße des Berges aus das Geschehen beobachtet und seinen Nachbarn Bericht erstattet. Was unter den Professoren gesprochen wird, muss den Zeugen aus der Entfernung verborgen bleiben, lediglich der Beschwörungsgesang ist schwach aus der Ferne vernehmbar. Das Monster, um das sich die Geschichte dreht, können sie nicht sehen, da es, wie schon erwähnt, unsichtbar ist. Eine zusätzliche, eklatante Lücke tut sich dann auch noch auf, als einer der Dörfler in der Aufregung das Fernrohr in den Schlamm fallen lässt und ohne dieses Hilfsmittel das Geschehen auf der Bergkuppe mit bloßem Auge kaum noch zu sehen ist (kennt man dieses Klischee nicht? Kurz bevor der Stürmer das Tor schießt, empfängt die Fernsehantenne kein Signal mehr). Und plötzlich ist dann auch schon alles vorbei und die Welt gerettet.

Was für ein eigenartiger Höhepunkt, mit dem die Erzählung schließt!

[Elessar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

Es siempre muy entretenido revisitar los mundos de Lovecraft. Creo, si no me falla la memoria, que es la tercera vez que leo esta pesadilla. He podido disfrutar —no sé si es la palabra más adecuada– de ella incluso más, diría, que la primera vez.
Lovecraft para aquellos interesados mínimamente en la literatura de terror no necesita presentación. Fue una peculiar figura con una imaginación increíble. El horror de Dunwich es un claro ejemplo de ello. Seres de otro mundo invadirán y atemorizarán las vidas de seres del nuestro en una historia concebida para ser asqueada.

Lo que hace magnífica a esta edición es su gran comodidad y lo maravilloso de sus ilustraciones. Si ya tienen esta historia en otra edición, vale la pena hacerse con ella por esos mismos motivos.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only been introduced to Lovecraft's work, during the past couple of months or so. I didn't really think that he would be my cup of tea quite honestly. I was specifically recommended to read this one, and it didn't disappoint, so I will spend forever thanking him.

After this being the third story of Lovecraft's that I've read, I can say with confidence that he was insane in his genius or, perhaps genius in his insanity. The writing style again is truly dark and romantic and straight off the eerie scene is set, and you just get the feeling you are in a deeply unsettling atmosphere. This story sent shivers down my spine! The descriptions of the utter horror are somewhat vivid, but this only encourages the reader to carry on to see the horror unfold before their eyes.

I look forward to reading more Lovecraft in the near future.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the absolute best Lovecraft stories right next to At the Mountains of Madness and The Shadow Over Innsmouth. The horror of the monster is especially strong in this one since it takes place in a murky countryside where no one has access to any kind of education, technology or military backup in case of a massive threat. The lack of understanding and the lack of what the people there have access to as a means to fight back intensify the feelings of mystery, fear and hopelessness in the face of a godlike entity that could be capable of anything.

The final chapter where the group of backwater townsfolk confront the ancient abomination is especially unnerving. The description of the many eyes perpetually opening and closing, the stretched out faces and the slimy tentacles of the amorphous entity make your stomach turn. The alien atmosphere is otherworldly and the tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. Excellent for a good scare.

***

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[Cesar Pinto · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Bellísimo!

Sin lugar a dudas quién no ha leído a Poe y a Lovecraft, no ha leído en su vida.

Esta relectura después de una década resultó en un ejercicio entre la memoria, la añoranza de un tiempo pasado y el redescubrimiento del mundo ideado por Lovecraft.

¡Como ha influido su obra en muchos autores! Recién leí el Pescador de Lagan y me doy cuenta que perfectamente podría caber dentro del mundo lovecraftiano.

De Lovecraft, este y La Sombra sombre Innsmouth son mis novelas cortas favoritas de las ya leídas. Pero tengo unas 1400 páginas que recorrer entre relecturas y nuevas lecturas. Así que veremos si mis elecciones cambian al final.

LÉANLO. El horror de Dunwich fue el primer libro que me causó un auténtico pánico a lo desconocido y sin saber exactamente el motivo de mi temor. Fue y es magia pura. Y esta hermosísima edición ilustrada del Zorro Rojo vale cada centavo. Incluso hubiera pagado un extra para que fuese tapa dura. Las ilustraciones contribuyen a sumergir al lector al pavor y la locura. Son 5 estrellas al trabajo de Santiago Caruso y 5 al libro. 10 estrellas para este libro.

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I wasn't totally sure if this story would be my cup of tea, as up to about the halfway point, I was enjoying the creepy and immersive atmosphere, but the plot was dragging, and I wasn't feeling particularly engaged. But the second half, especially the monster, was very creepy and really drew me in. The way the thing was described was deeply disturbing - how it looked, how it sounded, its size, and the kind of destruction it was leaving in its wake was scarier than the first part of the short story had set me up for.

This isn't my favourite short horror story I've ever read, but it's effectively scary and certainly worth the read for fans of classic horror.


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Trigger/Content Warnings: body horror, gore, death, racism, animal death


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[Emilie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cool monster descriptions. Horror was lacking for me though. This older writing is tricky for me. Maybe one of these days I’ll get it more.

[Mangrii · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hace ya mucho tiempo que no he tocado al autor y la verdad que me ha encantado tenerle de nuevo en mis fauces lectoras esta tarde, por lo que espero apuntarme pronto con una historia que lleva mucho tiempo pendiente en mi lista, Las montañas de la locura. En este relato nos cuenta como están sucediendo extraños sucesos en Dunwich, un lugar donde las leyendas hablan de ritos impíos donde se invocaban a seres sobrenaturales en las grandes colinas redondeadas. Wilbur Whateley, un hijo precoz y de medidas monstruosas, conserva parte del atroz secreto escrito en el famoso libro Necronomicón, un libro prohibido, donde nos revela que unos seres sobrenaturales pueden ser convocados y arrasar a toda la raza humana.

Realmente ha sido un relato algo diferente a lo que me esperaba, tras haber leído alguno más del mismo autor, y gozar esta misma historia de gran fama. Me esperaba una historia más oscura y macabra, con algunas escenas más fuertes o de potente ocultismo. Si bien es un relato corto y muy ameno, con una historia que engancha bastante desde el principio; me ha faltado ese toque siniestro dentro de la historia. No digo que este mal ni nada por el estilo, pero todo termina de una forma que me ha parecido muy normal para ser este autor. Eso sí, esta edición es una gozada con las ilustraciones de Santiago Caruso, dándole una visualidad muy pareja a las grandiosas descripciones del mismo relato.

[Rodrigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uno de mis primeros acercamientos s Lovecraft. Lectura muy entretenida, con ganas de mas.