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Το μονοπάτι του Κθούλου
Από τον Όγκοστ Ντέρλεθ, τον αγαπημένο μαθητή του Χ.Φ. Λάβκραφτ, οι ιστορίες φρίκης με πρωταγωνιστές τους Μεγάλους Παλαιούς συνεχίζονται από εκεί που τις άφησε η πένα του ανυπέρβλητου δασκάλου του φανταστικού.
Στο "Μονοπάτι του Κθούλου", μια ομάδα ανθρώπων που γνωρίζουν τα μυστικά των ακατονόμαστων λατρειών του σκότους, προσπαθούν απεγνωσμένα να σφραγίσουν τις πύλες των διαστάσεων που πρόκειται σύντομα να ανοίξουν για να εξαπολύσουν τον εξώτερο τρόμο. Από το μυστηριώδες Άρκαμ και το στοιχειωμένο Ίνσμουδ μέχρι τα φαράγγια των Άνδεων και τις έρημους της Αραβίας, ακολουθήστε τα ίχνη των Μεγάλων Παλαιών ως την ύστατη αναμέτρηση, καδώς η Ρ΄λιέχ αναδύεται μέσα από τα κύματα του Ειρηνικού και ο Μέγας Κθούλου ξυπνά για να διεκδικήσει τη χαμένη του εξουσία!
Στο "Μονοπάτι του Κθούλου", μια ομάδα ανθρώπων που γνωρίζουν τα μυστικά των ακατονόμαστων λατρειών του σκότους, προσπαθούν απεγνωσμένα να σφραγίσουν τις πύλες των διαστάσεων που πρόκειται σύντομα να ανοίξουν για να εξαπολύσουν τον εξώτερο τρόμο. Από το μυστηριώδες Άρκαμ και το στοιχειωμένο Ίνσμουδ μέχρι τα φαράγγια των Άνδεων και τις έρημους της Αραβίας, ακολουθήστε τα ίχνη των Μεγάλων Παλαιών ως την ύστατη αναμέτρηση, καδώς η Ρ΄λιέχ αναδύεται μέσα από τα κύματα του Ειρηνικού και ο Μέγας Κθούλου ξυπνά για να διεκδικήσει τη χαμένη του εξουσία!
275 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1962
11 people are currently reading
734 people want to read
About the author
August Derleth
883 books295 followersAugust William Derleth was an American writer and anthologist. Though best remembered as the first book publisher of the writings of H. P. Lovecraft, and for his own contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos and the Cosmic Horror genre, as well as his founding of the publisher Arkham House (which did much to bring supernatural fiction into print in hardcover in the US that had only been readily available in the UK), Derleth was a leading American regional writer of his day, as well as prolific in several other genres, including historical fiction, poetry, detective fiction, science fiction, and biography
A 1938 Guggenheim Fellow, Derleth considered his most serious work to be the ambitious Sac Prairie Saga, a series of fiction, historical fiction, poetry, and non-fiction naturalist works designed to memorialize life in the Wisconsin he knew. Derleth can also be considered a pioneering naturalist and conservationist in his writing
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augus...]
A 1938 Guggenheim Fellow, Derleth considered his most serious work to be the ambitious Sac Prairie Saga, a series of fiction, historical fiction, poetry, and non-fiction naturalist works designed to memorialize life in the Wisconsin he knew. Derleth can also be considered a pioneering naturalist and conservationist in his writing
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augus...]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 10, 2015
To start with, I really wanted to enjoy this tale – despite the fact that August Derleth had always written a lesser imitation of Lovecraft’s works and subverted HPL’s Cthulhu Mythos (a term Lovecraft didn’t invent himself) from alien creatures/a universe that were indifferent to mankind to a good guys vs. bad guys God/Satan overture that was as far away from Lovecraft’s concepts as one could go, the basis of this book seemed to promise quite the adventure – a mysterious wizard-like professor, putting together a team to go around the world to locate and destroy the top organization that worships Cthulhu and eventually Cthulhu himself! From Arkham to Innsmouth to South America, you had all the exotic locales in place for a killer Indiana Jones-like ride. The breakdown of the story seemed interesting as well – five interconnected stories or chapters, each told from the viewpoint of one of Professor Shrewsbury’s companions as they are introduced to the Professor and pursue a singular adventure (until all of the companions join up at the end). The fact that one of the companions happened to be of Innsmouth blood, conflicted over assisting or defeating the Professor’s plans, only added to the possibility of some great suspense and layering of character complexity…and yet…
There was too much that, like the ending,” torpedoes” (bad pun, that) the thrust of the tale. Each character’s chapter is essentially a duplicate of the rest – they are approached by the Professor, given a dictionary-like run-down of the mythology of the Ancient Ones, the Elder Gods, and all of their servitors, get stalked by Deep One half-breeds, succeed in their particular mission, and then narrowly survive by taking in a magic potion and using a magic whistle to summon escape. This is the same for every chapter until the final one. There is absolutely no deviation in the above; you feel like you are rereading the same chapter over and over again, the only difference being that the names of the places and characters have been changed. The same descriptors are maddeningly repeated from chapter to chapter – ichthyic and batrachian for the Deep Ones, for example, and the same quoted phrases from the Necronomicon. (Also, first time I have ever seen the adjective “yellowly” used) Although admittedly, Lovecraft never truly gave his characters any personalization beyond a quick pedigree of credentials and career, it was sorely needed here, to differentiate the characters as individuals, to humanize them and flesh them out. The last member of the team got the most attempt at this and would have been the most interesting member of their enclave (being of Deep One blood) but again, beyond the perfunctory collection of letters that explain his true heritage and some nebulous dreams of being with his kindred Deep Ones in the sea, the opportunity is missed.
Finally, there is the ending – shades of defeating Sauron in Lord of the Rings! Talk about a letdown. All this buildup to find Cthulhu (they actually summon up Abdul Alhazred himself to assist!) and confronting him should have been rooted in absolute horror, action, and suspense, yet at this climactic meeting, we get instead the usual bland description of the isle of R’lyeh, black stones, slimy ground (and the oft-quoted, “non-Euclidean geometry” of the structures), and a great door that a tentacled, squishy mass comes out of (you know who). The heroes retreat back to a ship to watch as a (I would assume this wouldn’t be a spoiler as the chapter stories were originally published in the 40’s and 50’s, and collected in the early 60’s, but to be safe, I’ll space out the next sentence with the proverbial SPOILER warning)
SPOILER BELOW!!!
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nuke (I kid you not) puts an end to the island and (hopefully) Cthulhu. Godzilla would not have been pleased….
Probably the best attempt in this book was the second chapter. At times Derleth “gets” the Lovecraft mood, and here he did a fair job with it. A return to Innsmouth, two of Shrewsbury’s hired hands disguised as half-human/half-Deep Ones (nice idea!), building on what actually happened AFTER the Lovecraft tale Shadow Over Innsmouth. There is definite suspense here, as they investigate the mysterious sub-culture of the decrepit town in a mission to stop its new head. This chapter alone musters plenty of energy and mystery that the rest of the novel fails to match, and was definitely my favorite read from the whole book.
It’s a decent enough read for a fan of the genre , as I am, realizing you are getting Lovecraft lite, but boy, what this premise could have been…
There was too much that, like the ending,” torpedoes” (bad pun, that) the thrust of the tale. Each character’s chapter is essentially a duplicate of the rest – they are approached by the Professor, given a dictionary-like run-down of the mythology of the Ancient Ones, the Elder Gods, and all of their servitors, get stalked by Deep One half-breeds, succeed in their particular mission, and then narrowly survive by taking in a magic potion and using a magic whistle to summon escape. This is the same for every chapter until the final one. There is absolutely no deviation in the above; you feel like you are rereading the same chapter over and over again, the only difference being that the names of the places and characters have been changed. The same descriptors are maddeningly repeated from chapter to chapter – ichthyic and batrachian for the Deep Ones, for example, and the same quoted phrases from the Necronomicon. (Also, first time I have ever seen the adjective “yellowly” used) Although admittedly, Lovecraft never truly gave his characters any personalization beyond a quick pedigree of credentials and career, it was sorely needed here, to differentiate the characters as individuals, to humanize them and flesh them out. The last member of the team got the most attempt at this and would have been the most interesting member of their enclave (being of Deep One blood) but again, beyond the perfunctory collection of letters that explain his true heritage and some nebulous dreams of being with his kindred Deep Ones in the sea, the opportunity is missed.
Finally, there is the ending – shades of defeating Sauron in Lord of the Rings! Talk about a letdown. All this buildup to find Cthulhu (they actually summon up Abdul Alhazred himself to assist!) and confronting him should have been rooted in absolute horror, action, and suspense, yet at this climactic meeting, we get instead the usual bland description of the isle of R’lyeh, black stones, slimy ground (and the oft-quoted, “non-Euclidean geometry” of the structures), and a great door that a tentacled, squishy mass comes out of (you know who). The heroes retreat back to a ship to watch as a (I would assume this wouldn’t be a spoiler as the chapter stories were originally published in the 40’s and 50’s, and collected in the early 60’s, but to be safe, I’ll space out the next sentence with the proverbial SPOILER warning)
SPOILER BELOW!!!
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nuke (I kid you not) puts an end to the island and (hopefully) Cthulhu. Godzilla would not have been pleased….
Probably the best attempt in this book was the second chapter. At times Derleth “gets” the Lovecraft mood, and here he did a fair job with it. A return to Innsmouth, two of Shrewsbury’s hired hands disguised as half-human/half-Deep Ones (nice idea!), building on what actually happened AFTER the Lovecraft tale Shadow Over Innsmouth. There is definite suspense here, as they investigate the mysterious sub-culture of the decrepit town in a mission to stop its new head. This chapter alone musters plenty of energy and mystery that the rest of the novel fails to match, and was definitely my favorite read from the whole book.
It’s a decent enough read for a fan of the genre , as I am, realizing you are getting Lovecraft lite, but boy, what this premise could have been…
April 25, 2016
Continuo leyendo la obra de August Derleth, que sin llegar a la altura del genial H.P. Lovecraft, sí me parecen unos relatos bastante conseguidos. Unas historias que tratan sobre los Dioses Arquetípicos, los Primigenios o Primordiales, y toda esa amalgama de libros antiguos, malditos y blasfemos, como por ejemplo, el Necronomicón, no pueden ser malas.
Estos son los cinco relatos contenidos en ‘El rastro de Cthulhu’ (The Trail of Cthulhu), que aunque se pueden leer de manera independiente, es mejor leerlos en su orden establecido, ya que hay personajes que aparecen en unos y otros.
-La casa de Curwen Street, que es “El manuscrito de Andrew Phelan”.
-El vigilante que vino del cielo, que es “La Declaración de Abel Keane”.
-El barranco de Salapunco, que es “El testamento de Clairborne Boyd”.
-El Guardián de la Llave, que es “El Informe de Nayland Colum”.
-La Isla Negra, que es “La narración de Horvath Blayne”.
Todos los relatos mantienen una estructura común, quizás un tanto repetitiva, pero que a mí no me aburre. Aparece un hombre enigmático que recluta al protagonista para terminar con el peligro que acecha a la humanidad: la próxima llegada de los Primigenios a la Tierra, su antiguo dominio. Para ello harán frente a múltiples peligros relacionados con los Profundos, servidores fieles de los Primordiales, casi siempre representados en su forma como humanos cercanos a los batracios y peces, que nos retrotraen a lo ya vivido en Innsmouth.
Estos son los cinco relatos contenidos en ‘El rastro de Cthulhu’ (The Trail of Cthulhu), que aunque se pueden leer de manera independiente, es mejor leerlos en su orden establecido, ya que hay personajes que aparecen en unos y otros.
-La casa de Curwen Street, que es “El manuscrito de Andrew Phelan”.
-El vigilante que vino del cielo, que es “La Declaración de Abel Keane”.
-El barranco de Salapunco, que es “El testamento de Clairborne Boyd”.
-El Guardián de la Llave, que es “El Informe de Nayland Colum”.
-La Isla Negra, que es “La narración de Horvath Blayne”.
Todos los relatos mantienen una estructura común, quizás un tanto repetitiva, pero que a mí no me aburre. Aparece un hombre enigmático que recluta al protagonista para terminar con el peligro que acecha a la humanidad: la próxima llegada de los Primigenios a la Tierra, su antiguo dominio. Para ello harán frente a múltiples peligros relacionados con los Profundos, servidores fieles de los Primordiales, casi siempre representados en su forma como humanos cercanos a los batracios y peces, que nos retrotraen a lo ya vivido en Innsmouth.
April 11, 2023
Klasyczne weird fiction z mitologią Cthulhu? Tak, to było niezłe. Opowiadania trzymały poziom, więc spędziłam dobrze czas i mogę je polecić, ale jednocześnie... CZEGOŚ mi zabrakło. Nie mniej — warto.
February 26, 2015
Mucho antes de conocer la polémica Derelthiana en referencia a su concepción de los Mitos de Cthlhu y el papel que jugó como gestor del patrimonio literario de Lovecrat leí esta novela que me cautivó por su tono pulp, en el que los aventureros se enfrentan a los Primigenios y viajan por diversos lugares para intentar frenar su llegada a la tierra.
Imprescindible para los amantes de los pastiches Lovecraftianos.
Imprescindible para los amantes de los pastiches Lovecraftianos.
January 7, 2013
Over-rated writer . . . basically "fan fiction"
February 5, 2021
Tal y como me pasó con La máscara de Cthulhu, la versión de los Mitos propuesta por Derleth es más pulp y de narración más directa y tosca que la de H.P. Lovecraft. Este libro contiene varios relatos que conforman una saga que sigue, como dice el título, la huella (sería más correcto el rastro) de Cthulhu para encontrarle y acabar con él con… Mejor no hago spoilers, pero da para película de serie Z.
He disfrutado descubriendo en este libro varios elementos que encontramos en los productos modernos basados en los Mitos (pienso en los juegos de rol y de mesa) y de los que, hasta ahora, no podía trazar el origen. ¡Incluso están las redadas de las fuerzas del orden del Arkham Horror!
Ahora bien, esta edición es nefasta, tanto en traducción como en edición. Diría que es uno de los libros peor editados a los que me he enfrentado. Los nombres propios raramente se escriben con la misma grafía dos veces a lo largo del texto, las faltas de ortografía abundan… Más cariño no hubiera sobrado, pero a ver a quién se lo pedimos a estas alturas de la jugada.
He disfrutado descubriendo en este libro varios elementos que encontramos en los productos modernos basados en los Mitos (pienso en los juegos de rol y de mesa) y de los que, hasta ahora, no podía trazar el origen. ¡Incluso están las redadas de las fuerzas del orden del Arkham Horror!
Ahora bien, esta edición es nefasta, tanto en traducción como en edición. Diría que es uno de los libros peor editados a los que me he enfrentado. Los nombres propios raramente se escriben con la misma grafía dos veces a lo largo del texto, las faltas de ortografía abundan… Más cariño no hubiera sobrado, pero a ver a quién se lo pedimos a estas alturas de la jugada.
September 4, 2019
Οι πέντε νουβέλες που έγραψε ο Ντέρλεθ, με κοινό παρανομαστή τον καθηγητή Σριούσμπερυ (που αποδίδεται ως Σριούσμπιουρυ) και τη μάχη του για την αποτροπή του ξυπνήματος του Κθούλου. Είχα διαβάσει τις πρώτες τρεις (εκείνη με τον Άντριου Φέλαν, με τον Έιμπελ Κέιν [άλλη μια απόδοση που πήγε στραβά, ως Κιν] και εκείνη με τον Κλέρμπορν Μπόιντ) στα βιβλιαράκια της Ωρόρα και τώρα που τις πήρα με τη σειρά, μαζεμένες ανακάλυψα ότι ίσως ο Σφος Λευτέρης έχει κάποιο δίκιο όταν λέει ότι κάποια πράγματα πιθανόν ο Ντέρλεθ να τα είχε σε macro στο word και να τα πρόσθετε σε κάθε κείμενό του πρακτικώς αυτούσια. Πιθανότητα που μεγάλωσε όταν διάβασα τη Μάσκα του Κθούλου...
July 25, 2012
Derleth's pale, weird imitation of his hero's anti-epics (esp. the decades-ranging Shadow Out of Time) is curious for several reasons, a few of which being: All of the characters are essentially the same; they know about the Cthulhu mythos and yet do not go insane; they speak at length about Cthulhu and only have to escape Deep Ones, who are also easy to identify (frog-fish people? check) and timid. Anywho, still a fun, easy read, for all the other reasons, all typical of HPL's successors (of whom, in defense of imitation, it must be said that CASmith and Lin Carter are actually rawesome).
June 8, 2015
Derleth never really understood Lovecraft's mythos, with a cold, unfeeling universe and humanity as an afterthought. But Derleth did understand a derring-do adventure with good guys versus bad guys, and that's exactly what he wrote here. Laban Shrewsbury is probably the only real hero in the Mythos and in him we see the terrible costs of staring into the Void. This book is a treat for all fans of the Cthulhu Mythos.
May 11, 2021
Es una pena que no pase del tres. ¿Es tanto pedir una buena historia de los mitos sin los errores de Lovecraft pero que emocione?
La trama sí me gustó, parece una campaña de rol. Aparte es Derleth, así que de nuevo sistematiza la mitología y mola ver que todo va encajando.
La trama sí me gustó, parece una campaña de rol. Aparte es Derleth, así que de nuevo sistematiza la mitología y mola ver que todo va encajando.
June 8, 2018
THE TRAIL OF CTHULHU is a companion anthology to THE MASK OF CTHULHU and another example of the way in which August Derleth continued the Cthulhu Mythos after the death of Lovecraft. Collected here are five stories from the pages of WEIRD TALES, all of them connected chronologically and containing a recurring figure in the form of Professor Shrewsbury, a man determined to take the fight to Cthulhu and the Deep Ones himself with the aid of various associates.
Two of the stories are above average and highly entertaining, but the rest are let down a little by Derleth's insistence on including pages and pages of exposition throughout every story. He seems determined to repeat all of the Cthulhu deities, books, and whatnot in passages which feel repetitive and little more than padding. That the stories remain enjoyable despite this speaks volumes as to the inventiveness of these pastiches.
THE HOUSE ON CURWEN STREET opens the volume with the story of a professor and a student taking drugs and riding on the back of bat-winged beasts to fight Cthulhu. A nice idea, although somewhat overwritten and overlong while the Mythos itself seems somehow simplified. THE WATCHER FROM THE SKY continues Shrewsbury's story but mines THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH for inspiration; it's a highlight of the book and full of a spooky atmosphere of foreboding. It acts as a suitable follow-up to the Lovecraft story.
THE GORGE BEYOND SALAPUNCO heads off to darkest Peru for some more exotic adventures, but it's one of the stories here which is bogged down by too much exposition and too little in the way of action. It feels like a travelogue with reams of extraneous information dumped into the middle. THE KEEPER OF THE KEY suffers similarly, but the climax, a return to Lovecraft's NAMELESS CITY, is effectively portrayed and has some fun elements of sorcery which make it feel very pulp-ish. The closing tale, THE BLACK ISLAND, brings together all of the protagonists from the previous tales for a rousing climax which nicely updates the Mythos to the nuclear age, while still ending on a sinister note.
Two of the stories are above average and highly entertaining, but the rest are let down a little by Derleth's insistence on including pages and pages of exposition throughout every story. He seems determined to repeat all of the Cthulhu deities, books, and whatnot in passages which feel repetitive and little more than padding. That the stories remain enjoyable despite this speaks volumes as to the inventiveness of these pastiches.
THE HOUSE ON CURWEN STREET opens the volume with the story of a professor and a student taking drugs and riding on the back of bat-winged beasts to fight Cthulhu. A nice idea, although somewhat overwritten and overlong while the Mythos itself seems somehow simplified. THE WATCHER FROM THE SKY continues Shrewsbury's story but mines THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH for inspiration; it's a highlight of the book and full of a spooky atmosphere of foreboding. It acts as a suitable follow-up to the Lovecraft story.
THE GORGE BEYOND SALAPUNCO heads off to darkest Peru for some more exotic adventures, but it's one of the stories here which is bogged down by too much exposition and too little in the way of action. It feels like a travelogue with reams of extraneous information dumped into the middle. THE KEEPER OF THE KEY suffers similarly, but the climax, a return to Lovecraft's NAMELESS CITY, is effectively portrayed and has some fun elements of sorcery which make it feel very pulp-ish. The closing tale, THE BLACK ISLAND, brings together all of the protagonists from the previous tales for a rousing climax which nicely updates the Mythos to the nuclear age, while still ending on a sinister note.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2014
Reseña: http://www.fabulantes.com/2011/05/la-...
"Las cinco partes en que se divide el libro (...) parecen la repetición de un único relato, el primero, que, bien sea porque el lector se enfrenta a él aún fresco y no hastiado o bien porque tiene su punto interesante, es el único con algún viso de originalidad. Los cuatro restantes apenas aportan nada, y eso que suceden cosas (...). Derleth ha estado más centrado en el proselitismo que en la acción, gracias al azar o a los convenientes deus ex machina que el autor pone a disposición de sus héroes. El hecho de que se sepa cómo van a empezar y terminar cada fragmento de la novela no contribuye al mantenimiento de la atención. Y así las páginas se rematan entre prisas y bufidos.
Lo que sí tiene de bueno el libro es que es una espléndida antología. Derleth es francamente bueno como hagiógrafo. Por La huella de Cthulhu campan toda una serie de ideas ajenas que acorralan a las escasas de factura propia, que son contextualizadas e interpretadas al gusto del autor- recopilador (...)."
"Las cinco partes en que se divide el libro (...) parecen la repetición de un único relato, el primero, que, bien sea porque el lector se enfrenta a él aún fresco y no hastiado o bien porque tiene su punto interesante, es el único con algún viso de originalidad. Los cuatro restantes apenas aportan nada, y eso que suceden cosas (...). Derleth ha estado más centrado en el proselitismo que en la acción, gracias al azar o a los convenientes deus ex machina que el autor pone a disposición de sus héroes. El hecho de que se sepa cómo van a empezar y terminar cada fragmento de la novela no contribuye al mantenimiento de la atención. Y así las páginas se rematan entre prisas y bufidos.
Lo que sí tiene de bueno el libro es que es una espléndida antología. Derleth es francamente bueno como hagiógrafo. Por La huella de Cthulhu campan toda una serie de ideas ajenas que acorralan a las escasas de factura propia, que son contextualizadas e interpretadas al gusto del autor- recopilador (...)."
March 24, 2020
Προβληματιζόμουν μέχρι τελευταία σελίδα αν θα έπαιρνε το 5ο αστεράκι. Η αλήθεια είναι πως μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ. Πήρε τη Μυθολογία Κθούλου του μέντορά του Lovecraft και την πήγε πολλά βήματα παραπέρα. Την πάντρεψε με νέα στοιχεία και προσωπικά λάτρεψα ακόμη και τον τρόπο που μιλούσε για αυτήν και τον Χριστιανισμό. Όλα αυτά όμως μέχρι την τέταρτη ιστορία. Στην πέμπτη, ένοιωσα να με κουράζει. ήταν επανάληψη της ίδιας ιστορίας. Ναι, είχε μια νέα ιδέα που μου άρεσε, αλλά θα μπορούσε να έχει ενσωματωθεί σε άλλη ιστορία. Φυσικά και δεν με έκανε να μην απολαύσω το βιβλίο, μα θα μπορούσε να λείπει.
Η μεγάλη διαφορά σε σχέση με τον Lovecraft είναι ότι εδώ οι πρωταγωνιστές υψώνουν το ανάστημά τους εναντίων του Κθούλου και των πιστών του. Και φυσικά η συχνή αναφορά στον Χριστιανισμό, κάτι που σχεδόν ποτέ δεν έκανε ο Lovecraft.
Η μεγάλη διαφορά σε σχέση με τον Lovecraft είναι ότι εδώ οι πρωταγωνιστές υψώνουν το ανάστημά τους εναντίων του Κθούλου και των πιστών του. Και φυσικά η συχνή αναφορά στον Χριστιανισμό, κάτι που σχεδόν ποτέ δεν έκανε ο Lovecraft.
August 8, 2011
An interesting book in that it can be considered either an episodic novel or a series of linked short stories, tells the typical Derlethian story of Great Old Ones trying to bust out of their confinement and the human beings who struggle to defeat them. Although the theme is heroic, the stories could use a little more action and less exposition. It's also hard not to compare Derleth's fictions to those of Lovecraft he so closely models on, and Derleth's suffer in the process.
October 18, 2016
This was a fun read for someone who has read a lot of Lovecraft and was looking for an expanded universe. Some die hard Lovecraft fans will be horrified to realize Derleth combines Dagon and Cthulhu. Others will feel a good-evil dynamic erases what made Lovecraft's work so weird and unique. On the other hand it has aspects of adventure that Lovecraft's stories lack. It's main pitfall is it's repetitiveness and a wealth of identical boring characters.
June 14, 2015
Good adventure stories collection, based on the classic tale "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Derleth develops his Cthulhu fanfiction nicely, although it grows further apart from the original Lovecraft than his previos anthology, "The Mask of Cthulhu". Still, it was enjoyable and entertaining, although not particularly scary.
December 28, 2016
Ο Μπόρχες είχε πει ότι ο Λάβκραφτ παρωδούσε εν αγνοία του τον Πόε.Δεν συμφωνώ.Ο Ντερλέθ, που στην ουσία έγραφε fan fiction, όντως παρωδούσε εν αγνοία του τον Λάβκραφτ.Στο μονοπάτι του Κθουλου ουσιαστικά επαναλαμβάνει ξανά και ξανά το ίδιο μοτίβο σε σημείο που καταντάει αστείο.Εγώ τώρα γιατί θέλω να διαβάσω κι άλλο Ντερλέθ?Ένας Κθουλου ξέρει!
May 20, 2019
Es Derleth; no Lovecraft: se nota la bajada a lo terreno y humano en las pasiones generadas por la tensión entre arquetípicos y primordiales.
A pesar de empezar bastante flojo —y de pecar en exceso de evidente— se vuelve atractivo con el paso de las páginas.
En sí misma, es una historia interesante.
A pesar de empezar bastante flojo —y de pecar en exceso de evidente— se vuelve atractivo con el paso de las páginas.
En sí misma, es una historia interesante.
April 14, 2020
I liked it but many chapters were for all intent and purpose copies of each other. Also trying to make the Cthulhu mythos an elemental bases thing doesn't sit well with me. But until I believe that I can write my own I must explore other authors visions of Lovecraft's universe. So happy that I read it but I enjoyedother works more.
August 18, 2020
Really on the nose and reads like fan fiction that misinterprets what makes Lovecraft's original work great, but at the same time there's a lot of genuine enthusiasm in play so it's hard to dislike. I can certainly see how Dertleth's stuff has managed to inspire both hate and a role-playing game.
April 8, 2014
Derleth embraced Lovecraft's work well and this novel stays true to the Cthulhu mythos.
September 3, 2022
Derleth's work is a homage to, commentary on and even pastiche of his friend H P Lovecraft's works, moulding them very deliberately into a 'mythos' later to be taken up by others and, in the process, completely subverting Lovecraft's own cold and dark philosophical stance.
The book is made up of five interconnected short stories which all appeared initially in Weird Tales from 1944 to 1951, allowing Derleth to introduce the atomic weapon by the end, useless though it may be against the crawling chaos that our heroes are dealing with.
Psychologically he understands his audience. He is a mature late thirties when he writes the bulk of this material but he still remembers what it was like to be in his late twenties (the age of his young protagonists) even to the point of ultimately being confused about one's own allegiances.
Although irritating to Lovecraftian purists perhaps, 'The Trail of Cthulhu' may have been underestimated - at least as literature. Derleth is clear that this is an entertainment. He reiterates a probable truth that Lovecraft was also primarily concerned with little more.
All Derleth does is displace Lovecraft's cosmic pessimism and awe with a more Manichean struggle between alien beings with a strong nod to the Christian mythos' struggle between Satan and God - almost certainly necessary to extend the appeal of the genre to the American popular market.
What we are seeing is the first stage in what I call the 'Count Duckula Cycle', that process whereby a concept eliciting awe or genuine horror (Nosferatu or Stoker's Dracula) transforms into thrilling entertainment (Universal's Dracula) to comedy and ultimately to children's entertainment.
Derleth is at the Universal Monsters stage before that declined into 'Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein'. The Mythos is still disturbing and scary but more boy's own adventure and far from the cuddly Cthulhu toys and Cthulhu for President memes of today.
Given this aspect of the case, Derleth's skill lies in weaving a story that can include the key components of Lovecraft's story lines (Cthulhu dreaming in R'lyeh, Innsmouth, the Nameless City, night gaunts and so forth) in order to re-model them as a continuous narrative.
Some may baulk at the repetitions in each story (necessary as months or even a couple of years might pass between publication of each) but I suggest we look at the repetitions as incantatory so that the stories themselves are a form of ritual protection against evil.
All the stories have one leading figure in the mysterious and ambiguous Dr. Shrewsbury (the Van Helsing of the tale) and one young hero (who the Weird Tales reader can identify with) for each so that, by the end, we have a band of brothers with an unexpected twist in the person of the last.
Each story is a written testimony, a Gothic horror meme that goes back to at least Shelley's 'Frankenstein' and so to the eighteenth century epistolary novel - manuscript, deposition, testament, statement and narrative. This literary traditionalism also pays homage to HPL.
The writing is clear and popular, less obviously mannered than Lovecraft but with enough references back to retain a linkage - where Lovecraft repeats 'eldritch', Derleth barely uses it but repeats 'batrachian' instead. He retains the 'tainted blood' theme that worries bien-pensants today.
The skill lies in in the popularisation and re-ordering of something that was fragmented and still speaking to a cultured elite under HPL. There is a hybridisation with the adventure novel - South American jungles, sea-going and what would be regarded now as 'racist' anthropologies.
Enough of Lovecraft's cosmic awe and horror remains even if the idea that we can actually resist such evil with its minions on earth (if it had a mind to our destruction) seems to miss HPL's point. Such a shift can never truly be in the spirit of Lovecraft's vision.
Nevertheless, Derleth writes much better than his critics have allowed. The journey to the Nameless City in the Arabian desert, though it has its unexplained absurdities, is a brilliant piece of subterranean horror which Tim Powers will have drawn upon in his 'Declare'.
A knowledge of Lovecraft aids our enjoyment because (other than the grand philosophical betrayal) Derleth is immensely skilled at co-ordinating the 'facts' of HPL's stories into some sort of cohesion - not excluding travel between 'non-Euclidean' dimensions.
The stories and their tight relationship with each other and with their Lovecraftian sources deserves more consideration not as great literature but as a genuine innovation in popular fantasy that has helped fuelled enormous creativity since.
Are we horrified by what we read? Rarely - too much time has passed since its writing. Are we excited by what we read? Much more frequently because adventure is equally what these stories are about. Are we nostalgic for its world? Certainly.
February 24, 2019
Κριτική στο Smassing Culture
Συγκεκριμένες βολές προς το Αφηρημένο
Θα ήταν υπερβολή να ξαναγράψουμε για το ποιος είναι ο Ηοward Phillips Lovecraft και ποια η συμβολή του στην λογοτεχνία (τρόμου αλλά και γενικά). Περιττό θα ήταν επίσης το να αναφερθεί και το γεγονός ότι το έργο του δεν θα είχε φτάσει ως εμάς εάν δεν υπήρχαν οι πιστοί φίλοι και μαθητές του «ερημίτη» του Providence, τόσο οι επιστολικοί όσο και οι κοινωνικοί. Eξ αυτών ίσως ο πιο παραγωγικός ήταν ο August Derleth, φίλος του Lovecraft από το εξίσου περήφανο και βόρειο Wisconsin.
Ο August Derleth ήταν από τους βασικούς συμμετέχοντες στην ίδρυση του εκδοτικού οίκου Arkham, ο οποίος εξέδωσε το έργο του Lovecraft και ταυτόχρονα ο ίδιος, ως συγγραφέας, αναμετρήθηκε με τις απροσδιόριστες και μετά-ανθρώπινες, κοσμικές, έννοιες του αγνώστου και του εφιαλτικού που μετέπλασε η μυθολογία Κθούλου. Ωστόσο δεν ήταν ένας απλός μιμητής, καλός ή όχι του δασκάλου του. Ο Derleth κατάφερε, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, να κατανοήσει κάποιες όψεις από το παλίμψηστο που αποτελούσαν οι Μεγάλοι Παλαιοί και να κάνει αυτές τις όψεις ολόδικες του, σε τέτοιο μάλιστα βαθμό που ακόμα και αν ο Lovecraft επιβίωνε χωρίς την βοήθεια του, ίσως ο άρχοντας των βυθών που δίνει το όνομα του στη μυθολογία αυτή να μην ήταν τόσο διάσημος.
Διαβάζοντας το «Μονοπάτι του Κθούλου» (στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Αίολος) καταλαβαίνει κανείς το γιατί. Ο Derleth προκειμένου να τσιμεντώσει το έωλο των Παλαιών και των υπηρετών τους κάνει μια στροφή στο lovecraft-ικό corpus και προσθέτει στο ψηφιδωτό τους μανιχαϊστικά, πνευματικά σε ένα υφαντό μέχρι τότε ολότελα υλιστικό, έστω και διαφορετικής μορφής ύλης. Οι Παλαιοί του Derleth έγιναν μέρη μιας μεγαλύτερης, και παλαιότερης λογοτεχνικής παράδοσης, αυτή του καλού εναντίον του κακού, μπολιασμένη με τον αρχαιοελληνικό προσωκρατικό στοχασμό περί δημιουργίας και στοιχείων. Μπορεί πολλοί να (επανά)προσεγγίσουν τον Lovecraft εξαιτίας αυτού του (μετα)μοντέρνου post- humanism, που αναβλύζει από τον μηδενισμό της εποχής μας, ωστόσό ο Derlth διατηρεί την πίστη του στον άνθρωπο, την πίστη του στις αξίες που μας προστατεύουν από το φόβο, εκτός από την άγνοια. Και αυτή την πίστη δοκιμάζει στα γραπτά του.
Την ίδια στιγμή ο Derleth δεν φοβάται να αναμετρηθεί ούτε με τον εξελισσόμενο έρποντα, αρχαιοδιφίζοντα στην αρχή και στεγνό, δημοσιογραφικό σχεδόν λόγο στην συνέχεια του Lovecraft. Εμπνεόμενος κυρίως από την τελευταία περίοδο του, ο Derleth καταφέρνει και υφαίνει γύρω από αυτόν μια σκοτεινή, δυσοίωνη και πνιγηρή ατμόσφαιρα ολότελα δική του. Αυτή βέβαια είναι και πιο άμεση, πιο in your face θα έλεγε κανείς από αυτή του Lovecraft, όμως αποτελεί μια αιχμηρή ανανέωση του τρόπου με τον οποίο αντιλαμβανόμαστε την μυθολογία Κθούλου. Η κλασική μετάφραση του Θωμά Μαστακούρη είναι ικανή να μας προσφέρει αυτές τις αλλαγές στο σύνολο τους.
Ταυτόχρονα με την αλλαγή στη γλώσσα, υπάρχουν και πολλά νέα στοιχεία που πρσοθέτει ο Derleth. Πέρα από τους νέους Παλαιους, τα νέα τοπωνύμια και καταραμένα βιβλία, εισήγαγε μια γενικότερη action αισθητική, όπου η αλληλεπίδραση με το αρχέγονο κακό και τους υπηρέτες του είναι πιο άμεση, πιο υλικό επικίνδυνη. Πλέον ο ερευνητής δεν ρισκάρει απλά τη λογική αλλά και τη ζωή του, όπως και τις ζωές αυτών που τον βοηθούν, ηθελημένα ή όχι. Επιπλέον, τα ταξίδια στις απαγορευμένες κατοικίες των Παλαιών ή στα μέρη λατρείας τους, με μέσο φρικιαστικά όντα, που θυμίζουν τους εφιάλτες του Lovecraft για τους φτερωτούς απρόσωπους της νύχτας, είναι κάτι νέο, όσο ονειρικό και αν είναι το πέπλο που τα τυλίγει. Τελικά ήταν αυτός ο τρόπος, ο όλο και πιο επεξηγηματικός που έκανε την μυθολογία Κθούλου αφενός ένα εύκολα προσαρμόσιμο πλαίσιο στη δημιουργικότητα νέων συγγραφέων και αφετέρου έυκολα προσβάσιμη σε νέους αναγνώστες. Βέβαια κατά άλλους την αλλοίωσε.
Σε κάθε περίπτωση τα έργα του Derleth είναι απαραίτητα όχι μόνο σε όποιον θέλει να έχει μια εικόνα για την Μυθολογία Κθούλου, ως ένα ιστορικό κρίκο με το συγγραφικό της παρελθόν. Είναι απαραίτητα και στους λάτρεις της λογοτεχνίας τρόμου γενικά, καθώς αποτελούν αναγνώσματα που δεν έχουν χάσει τίποτα από την φρεσκάδα και την δυναμική τους, όσο και αν πέρασαν τα χρόνια.
Συγκεκριμένες βολές προς το Αφηρημένο
Θα ήταν υπερβολή να ξαναγράψουμε για το ποιος είναι ο Ηοward Phillips Lovecraft και ποια η συμβολή του στην λογοτεχνία (τρόμου αλλά και γενικά). Περιττό θα ήταν επίσης το να αναφερθεί και το γεγονός ότι το έργο του δεν θα είχε φτάσει ως εμάς εάν δεν υπήρχαν οι πιστοί φίλοι και μαθητές του «ερημίτη» του Providence, τόσο οι επιστολικοί όσο και οι κοινωνικοί. Eξ αυτών ίσως ο πιο παραγωγικός ήταν ο August Derleth, φίλος του Lovecraft από το εξίσου περήφανο και βόρειο Wisconsin.
Ο August Derleth ήταν από τους βασικούς συμμετέχοντες στην ίδρυση του εκδοτικού οίκου Arkham, ο οποίος εξέδωσε το έργο του Lovecraft και ταυτόχρονα ο ίδιος, ως συγγραφέας, αναμετρήθηκε με τις απροσδιόριστες και μετά-ανθρώπινες, κοσμικές, έννοιες του αγνώστου και του εφιαλτικού που μετέπλασε η μυθολογία Κθούλου. Ωστόσο δεν ήταν ένας απλός μιμητής, καλός ή όχι του δασκάλου του. Ο Derleth κατάφερε, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, να κατανοήσει κάποιες όψεις από το παλίμψηστο που αποτελούσαν οι Μεγάλοι Παλαιοί και να κάνει αυτές τις όψεις ολόδικες του, σε τέτοιο μάλιστα βαθμό που ακόμα και αν ο Lovecraft επιβίωνε χωρίς την βοήθεια του, ίσως ο άρχοντας των βυθών που δίνει το όνομα του στη μυθολογία αυτή να μην ήταν τόσο διάσημος.
Διαβάζοντας το «Μονοπάτι του Κθούλου» (στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Αίολος) καταλαβαίνει κανείς το γιατί. Ο Derleth προκειμένου να τσιμεντώσει το έωλο των Παλαιών και των υπηρετών τους κάνει μια στροφή στο lovecraft-ικό corpus και προσθέτει στο ψηφιδωτό τους μανιχαϊστικά, πνευματικά σε ένα υφαντό μέχρι τότε ολότελα υλιστικό, έστω και διαφορετικής μορφής ύλης. Οι Παλαιοί του Derleth έγιναν μέρη μιας μεγαλύτερης, και παλαιότερης λογοτεχνικής παράδοσης, αυτή του καλού εναντίον του κακού, μπολιασμένη με τον αρχαιοελληνικό προσωκρατικό στοχασμό περί δημιουργίας και στοιχείων. Μπορεί πολλοί να (επανά)προσεγγίσουν τον Lovecraft εξαιτίας αυτού του (μετα)μοντέρνου post- humanism, που αναβλύζει από τον μηδενισμό της εποχής μας, ωστόσό ο Derlth διατηρεί την πίστη του στον άνθρωπο, την πίστη του στις αξίες που μας προστατεύουν από το φόβο, εκτός από την άγνοια. Και αυτή την πίστη δοκιμάζει στα γραπτά του.
Την ίδια στιγμή ο Derleth δεν φοβάται να αναμετρηθεί ούτε με τον εξελισσόμενο έρποντα, αρχαιοδιφίζοντα στην αρχή και στεγνό, δημοσιογραφικό σχεδόν λόγο στην συνέχεια του Lovecraft. Εμπνεόμενος κυρίως από την τελευταία περίοδο του, ο Derleth καταφέρνει και υφαίνει γύρω από αυτόν μια σκοτεινή, δυσοίωνη και πνιγηρή ατμόσφαιρα ολότελα δική του. Αυτή βέβαια είναι και πιο άμεση, πιο in your face θα έλεγε κανείς από αυτή του Lovecraft, όμως αποτελεί μια αιχμηρή ανανέωση του τρόπου με τον οποίο αντιλαμβανόμαστε την μυθολογία Κθούλου. Η κλασική μετάφραση του Θωμά Μαστακούρη είναι ικανή να μας προσφέρει αυτές τις αλλαγές στο σύνολο τους.
Ταυτόχρονα με την αλλαγή στη γλώσσα, υπάρχουν και πολλά νέα στοιχεία που πρσοθέτει ο Derleth. Πέρα από τους νέους Παλαιους, τα νέα τοπωνύμια και καταραμένα βιβλία, εισήγαγε μια γενικότερη action αισθητική, όπου η αλληλεπίδραση με το αρχέγονο κακό και τους υπηρέτες του είναι πιο άμεση, πιο υλικό επικίνδυνη. Πλέον ο ερευνητής δεν ρισκάρει απλά τη λογική αλλά και τη ζωή του, όπως και τις ζωές αυτών που τον βοηθούν, ηθελημένα ή όχι. Επιπλέον, τα ταξίδια στις απαγορευμένες κατοικίες των Παλαιών ή στα μέρη λατρείας τους, με μέσο φρικιαστικά όντα, που θυμίζουν τους εφιάλτες του Lovecraft για τους φτερωτούς απρόσωπους της νύχτας, είναι κάτι νέο, όσο ονειρικό και αν είναι το πέπλο που τα τυλίγει. Τελικά ήταν αυτός ο τρόπος, ο όλο και πιο επεξηγηματικός που έκανε την μυθολογία Κθούλου αφενός ένα εύκολα προσαρμόσιμο πλαίσιο στη δημιουργικότητα νέων συγγραφέων και αφετέρου έυκολα προσβάσιμη σε νέους αναγνώστες. Βέβαια κατά άλλους την αλλοίωσε.
Σε κάθε περίπτωση τα έργα του Derleth είναι απαραίτητα όχι μόνο σε όποιον θέλει να έχει μια εικόνα για την Μυθολογία Κθούλου, ως ένα ιστορικό κρίκο με το συγγραφικό της παρελθόν. Είναι απαραίτητα και στους λάτρεις της λογοτεχνίας τρόμου γενικά, καθώς αποτελούν αναγνώσματα που δεν έχουν χάσει τίποτα από την φρεσκάδα και την δυναμική τους, όσο και αν πέρασαν τα χρόνια.
May 11, 2019
I've generally avoided August Derleth's Cthulhu work, since what little I'd heard about it indicates that it's not as good as Lovecraft's, and that Derleth is more notable for keeping Lovecraft's works alive than for what he added. When Ken Hite mentioned he liked this book, I figured I'd check it out, especially since the Gumshoe Cthulhu game was named after it. It does definitely have some fun points, and this volume, at least, was lacking much of Lovecraft's crazypants level of racism. However, there are flaws in both the story structure and in how Derleth interprets the source material that lead me to not fully enjoy this.
The Trail of Cthulhu is arguably a fix-up novel, though I think those usually involve adding some new connective tissue, whereas Derleth pretty much straight up reprints his set of five interlinked short stories without significant alteration. This has the weakness that there are bits of the stories that are redundant and they feel somewhat repetitive in general. I don't need to read five scenes in a row of each protagonist meeting the professor and being introduced to the realities of the Mythos. I'm reading this because I liked Lovecraft, and I only need one go around of Derleth explaining how his version of things differs. And each story is a bit too similar, with a young man meeting the strange professor and aiding him in some way in trying to seal away the pathways that Cthulhu can use to return to our world from his exile. All but the fifth even end essentially the same way, with the current protagonist using magic to summon bat-winged servitors of Hastur to travel to safety at Celeano.
The last story is probably the most interesting as it breaks from the formula somewhat. It's got a bit of an Avengers Assemble moment where the new hero joins the gang from the previous stories in one final effort to seek out Ryleh itself and stop Cthulhu once and for all. It's also made much more interesting by the revelation that this protagonist is of Innsmouth stock, and thus feels torn between the two sides of his being. Plus, there's the either stupid or awesome climax where the heroes and the US military It actually feels like the last story is where things really get interesting, and I'd love seeing a story that continues this plot in an interesting way. For that matter, it could be a fun way to start a Call of Cthulhu game, having the PCs contacted by one of the heroes to finish what they started.
My biggest issue, more than the repetitive nature of the book, is Derleth's changes to the Mythos, which are twofold. The first is that he associates various of the Mythos gods and entities with different of the classical elements, positing Cthulhu as water based, Nyarlathotep as earth, etc. He then uses this to place them all in opposition to each other, which is on it's own not a bad idea, but the elemental thing doesn't really fit with the non-euclidian nature of the Mythos and it's sense of being impossible for mortal minds to categorize or comprehend.
The second issue is that Lovecraft built his stories from an atheist, materialist point of view, and Derleth writes his from a Catholic viewpoint that strongly colors his use of the source material. This story is more resembles a vampire tale than anything with Lovecraft's sense of existential despair, for the Elder Sign is used like the crucifix to ward off lesser Mythos beings (and a Shoggoth really shouldn't count as lesser) and the Elder Gods are seen as benevolent forces that were rebelled against by the Great Old Ones in parallel to the story of Satan warring against God. Much of the horror of an uncaring universe that Lovecraft uses is completely absent, and instead humanity is much more able to take control of our destiny. The idea of trying to seal off Cthulhu's paths back to Earth is a neat one, but it feels incongruous with what Lovecraft wrote and I thus found much of this story hard to enjoy or find frightening.
Overall, it was fun to see what Derleth's Mythos work is like, but I can see why it's somewhat unpopular now compared to Lovecraft and later writers that hewed closer to the original material. I did find the final story somewhat more enjoyable because it began to explore more interesting ideas and perspectives, and I am still curious to check out some of Derleth's other fiction. I think his horror that sticks closer to his home of Wisconsin could be enjoyable, and I'm curious as to how good his Solar Pons stuff is, since that avoids the issue I have with Sherlock Holmes stories by other authors by being written by one man and thus having a consistent canon like the originals. I don't think I can exactly recommend this book, but it's not completely without merit, so if you can get it from the library like I did, it could be a fun read.
The Trail of Cthulhu is arguably a fix-up novel, though I think those usually involve adding some new connective tissue, whereas Derleth pretty much straight up reprints his set of five interlinked short stories without significant alteration. This has the weakness that there are bits of the stories that are redundant and they feel somewhat repetitive in general. I don't need to read five scenes in a row of each protagonist meeting the professor and being introduced to the realities of the Mythos. I'm reading this because I liked Lovecraft, and I only need one go around of Derleth explaining how his version of things differs. And each story is a bit too similar, with a young man meeting the strange professor and aiding him in some way in trying to seal away the pathways that Cthulhu can use to return to our world from his exile. All but the fifth even end essentially the same way, with the current protagonist using magic to summon bat-winged servitors of Hastur to travel to safety at Celeano.
The last story is probably the most interesting as it breaks from the formula somewhat. It's got a bit of an Avengers Assemble moment where the new hero joins the gang from the previous stories in one final effort to seek out Ryleh itself and stop Cthulhu once and for all. It's also made much more interesting by the revelation that this protagonist is of Innsmouth stock, and thus feels torn between the two sides of his being. Plus, there's the either stupid or awesome climax where the heroes and the US military It actually feels like the last story is where things really get interesting, and I'd love seeing a story that continues this plot in an interesting way. For that matter, it could be a fun way to start a Call of Cthulhu game, having the PCs contacted by one of the heroes to finish what they started.
My biggest issue, more than the repetitive nature of the book, is Derleth's changes to the Mythos, which are twofold. The first is that he associates various of the Mythos gods and entities with different of the classical elements, positing Cthulhu as water based, Nyarlathotep as earth, etc. He then uses this to place them all in opposition to each other, which is on it's own not a bad idea, but the elemental thing doesn't really fit with the non-euclidian nature of the Mythos and it's sense of being impossible for mortal minds to categorize or comprehend.
The second issue is that Lovecraft built his stories from an atheist, materialist point of view, and Derleth writes his from a Catholic viewpoint that strongly colors his use of the source material. This story is more resembles a vampire tale than anything with Lovecraft's sense of existential despair, for the Elder Sign is used like the crucifix to ward off lesser Mythos beings (and a Shoggoth really shouldn't count as lesser) and the Elder Gods are seen as benevolent forces that were rebelled against by the Great Old Ones in parallel to the story of Satan warring against God. Much of the horror of an uncaring universe that Lovecraft uses is completely absent, and instead humanity is much more able to take control of our destiny. The idea of trying to seal off Cthulhu's paths back to Earth is a neat one, but it feels incongruous with what Lovecraft wrote and I thus found much of this story hard to enjoy or find frightening.
Overall, it was fun to see what Derleth's Mythos work is like, but I can see why it's somewhat unpopular now compared to Lovecraft and later writers that hewed closer to the original material. I did find the final story somewhat more enjoyable because it began to explore more interesting ideas and perspectives, and I am still curious to check out some of Derleth's other fiction. I think his horror that sticks closer to his home of Wisconsin could be enjoyable, and I'm curious as to how good his Solar Pons stuff is, since that avoids the issue I have with Sherlock Holmes stories by other authors by being written by one man and thus having a consistent canon like the originals. I don't think I can exactly recommend this book, but it's not completely without merit, so if you can get it from the library like I did, it could be a fun read.
December 5, 2020
Bon, que faire lorsqu'on a envie de lire du Lovecraft, mais qu'on a déjà lu tout Lovecraft ? Que faire quand on a envie de cette atmosphère de mystère macabre et inquiétant ? et bien on essaye de lire August Derleth.
qu'en dire ? c'est un Ersatz. C'est la sucrette quant on a plus droit au sucre. ça a un goût un peu degueu, ça n'a pas grand intérêt. Mais bon, c'est ça ou rien.
J'ai deux reproches majeurs à faire à ce livre : d'abord, ce ne sont pas vraiment des histoire originales. Ce sont plutôt des extrapolations sur les histoires de Lovecraft. Derleth reprend le Cauchemar d'Innsmouth et l'Appel de Cthulhu et refait des histoires un peu pareil, mais avec d'autres personnages. et je dirais même qu'il fait quatre histoires quasiment identiques. Il va jusqu'à réutiliser certains passages encore et encore et c'est assez barbant. Comme Lovecraft, il a choisi quelques mots fétiches "ichtique", "batracien", qu'il utilise jusqu'à la nausée. Mais on pardonnait à Lovecraft et là,, vu que l'ensemble est assez moyen, ça ne passe pas.
D'ailleurs, vu la variété des créatures qui peuplent l'univers de Lovecraft, on est aussi déçu, que Derleth n'utilise que les profonds, ce qui appauvrit encore son oeuvre et la rend encore plus répétitive.
Mon deuxième reproche c'est qu'on tombe souvent sur des faux raccords dans ses histoires, l'exemple le plus frappant, c'est quand on voix Marsh, le boss d'Innsmouth monter et se mettre au volant de sa voiture. à peine une demie douzaine de pages plus loin, on apprends qu'il a offert son chauffeur en sacrifice à Dagon...... Mais si il conduit sa voiture, il n'a pas de chauffeur ! il y a aussi des personnages anonymes qui brusquement ont des noms etc.... on s’attend presque à apercevoir le preneur de son en arrière plan. et ça, ça sent le travail brouillon et l’absence de relecture.
Donc, pas un grand moment littéraire.... mais bon, quand on a plus droit au sucre et qu'on est coincé avec des sucrettes....
qu'en dire ? c'est un Ersatz. C'est la sucrette quant on a plus droit au sucre. ça a un goût un peu degueu, ça n'a pas grand intérêt. Mais bon, c'est ça ou rien.
J'ai deux reproches majeurs à faire à ce livre : d'abord, ce ne sont pas vraiment des histoire originales. Ce sont plutôt des extrapolations sur les histoires de Lovecraft. Derleth reprend le Cauchemar d'Innsmouth et l'Appel de Cthulhu et refait des histoires un peu pareil, mais avec d'autres personnages. et je dirais même qu'il fait quatre histoires quasiment identiques. Il va jusqu'à réutiliser certains passages encore et encore et c'est assez barbant. Comme Lovecraft, il a choisi quelques mots fétiches "ichtique", "batracien", qu'il utilise jusqu'à la nausée. Mais on pardonnait à Lovecraft et là,, vu que l'ensemble est assez moyen, ça ne passe pas.
D'ailleurs, vu la variété des créatures qui peuplent l'univers de Lovecraft, on est aussi déçu, que Derleth n'utilise que les profonds, ce qui appauvrit encore son oeuvre et la rend encore plus répétitive.
Mon deuxième reproche c'est qu'on tombe souvent sur des faux raccords dans ses histoires, l'exemple le plus frappant, c'est quand on voix Marsh, le boss d'Innsmouth monter et se mettre au volant de sa voiture. à peine une demie douzaine de pages plus loin, on apprends qu'il a offert son chauffeur en sacrifice à Dagon...... Mais si il conduit sa voiture, il n'a pas de chauffeur ! il y a aussi des personnages anonymes qui brusquement ont des noms etc.... on s’attend presque à apercevoir le preneur de son en arrière plan. et ça, ça sent le travail brouillon et l’absence de relecture.
Donc, pas un grand moment littéraire.... mais bon, quand on a plus droit au sucre et qu'on est coincé avec des sucrettes....
October 7, 2020
Meh... Derleth’s prose is good when it really gets going. The problem here is that these are five short stories published at different times and perhaps not meant to be published together. They do work as a single narrative I suppose, only not in the sense that the stories are all pretty similar. They start out with Professor Shrewsbury telling them their meeting is not coincidence, convincing them to join him on some quest, and then they end with the protagonist (who is practically the same character in each story) taking the mead and summoning the minions of Hastur.
Derleth also took liberties with the mythos, such as characters learning of the cosmic entities and not going insane, or reimagining the entities as elemental and evil beings who fight with each other constantly, suggesting a sort of good vs bad dynamic. This is not inherently a bad thing, however, the stories can still be enjoyed even with no knowledge of Lovecraft’s vision, but it just feels kind of... I don’t want to say fan fiction because it’s much better than that, but something about it doesn’t feel right.
The stories are still pretty good once you get past the first couple of chapters in each one. The Watcher From the Sky is probably my favourite one, followed by the Keeper of the Key. They borrow heavily on the reader’s prior knowledge of the Nameless City and the Shadow Over Innsmouth but I enjoyed them nonetheless. The rest of the stories are just okay and the protagonists are nothing to write home about, with the exception of Andrew Phelan who I wish had been expanded upon.
Overall I would say these stories are for Lovecraft completionists who don’t mind their beloved stories slightly meddled with for the sake of a good mystery story. It’s worth a read, but probably not a revisit.
Derleth also took liberties with the mythos, such as characters learning of the cosmic entities and not going insane, or reimagining the entities as elemental and evil beings who fight with each other constantly, suggesting a sort of good vs bad dynamic. This is not inherently a bad thing, however, the stories can still be enjoyed even with no knowledge of Lovecraft’s vision, but it just feels kind of... I don’t want to say fan fiction because it’s much better than that, but something about it doesn’t feel right.
The stories are still pretty good once you get past the first couple of chapters in each one. The Watcher From the Sky is probably my favourite one, followed by the Keeper of the Key. They borrow heavily on the reader’s prior knowledge of the Nameless City and the Shadow Over Innsmouth but I enjoyed them nonetheless. The rest of the stories are just okay and the protagonists are nothing to write home about, with the exception of Andrew Phelan who I wish had been expanded upon.
Overall I would say these stories are for Lovecraft completionists who don’t mind their beloved stories slightly meddled with for the sake of a good mystery story. It’s worth a read, but probably not a revisit.
June 4, 2020
While Derleth's preaching and adoration did much to raise Lovecraft on his pedestal, his 'clarification' and contribution to the Cthulhu Mythos might have done as much harm as good. The Trail of Cthulhu has some nice parts, like a follow-up to what became of Innsmouth, and some faux-ethnographic/folklore explorations of Cthulhian (Cthulhean? Cthulhuous?) worship (that is also not quite racist like Lovecraft's, as Derleth focuses exclusively on the Deep Ones to be the Old Ones' agents, rather than bad indigenous peoples). It also features a welcomed guest appearence by Abdul AlHazred himself, but still the whole thing lacks a lot in quality: instead of cosmic terror you get a crusade - for example, Cthulhu appears and no one is driven mad. The detailed description of Him was good for later visual artists, but takes a lot away from the undescribableness of the horror. Instead of awe-inspiring creatures that dwarf human perception, you get a clear good/evil dichotomy. Also the whole fractioning among Old Ones was a bit convenient.
Besides, all 5 stories are pretty much the same - the Professor gets someone to help him by giving them the same speech, they are immediately convinced, followed by the same baddies (btw, the 'oh, I have a magic stone so I am safe' part is not good enough to be repeated so often), and the first 4 times invoke the same creatures to carry them away. The 5th story culminates with an unclimactic confrontation with the great Cthulhu himself, and what's worse, pretty expectedly and disappointingly ends up with 'and nothing really changed'.
Besides, all 5 stories are pretty much the same - the Professor gets someone to help him by giving them the same speech, they are immediately convinced, followed by the same baddies (btw, the 'oh, I have a magic stone so I am safe' part is not good enough to be repeated so often), and the first 4 times invoke the same creatures to carry them away. The 5th story culminates with an unclimactic confrontation with the great Cthulhu himself, and what's worse, pretty expectedly and disappointingly ends up with 'and nothing really changed'.
October 9, 2025
I don’t normally stop reading a book before finishing it, but this one really challenged me. I picked it up because I’m interested in the Cthulhu mythos and the authors who have continued Lovecraft’s literary legacy. And while the first story (the house on Curwen Street: being the manuscript of Andrew Phelan) is written in such bad prose that it actually feels pretty much like the work of H.P. Lovecraft, the writing of the second story (the watcher from the sky: being the deposition of Abel Keane) thankfully significantly improves. Unfortunately, it's not a linear progression, but rather a steady line of mediocre quality that is largely maintained throughout the book. To make things even more lackluster, all five stories have the same structure that’s like a farcical stereotype of Lovecraftian horror: the protagonist is interested in something weird, gets deeper into studying this until he (nearly) encounters the supernatural, and is flown away to another galaxy after writing down their manuscript/deposition/testament/statement/narrative. That is, until the last story where Horvath Blayne is looking over his shoulder the rest of his life under threat of Deep Ones. I cannot not recommend this book enough…
January 8, 2026
It's August Derleth throwing his biggest Lovecraft Lovefest ever! An epic of five linked novelettes where Derleth throws in everything he possibly can from Lovecraft and all his penpals, including Derleth's inventions, and then walks around in a circle essentially retelling "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" and "The Call of Cthulhu" a couple of times with a cast of interchangeable narrators who write exactly alike. (He also tosses in a rewrite of "The Nameless City" for some variety; best part of the book, I like the Abdul Alhazred section.) And it wouldn't be a Derleth Mythos party if he didn't include his goofy Christianization of Lovecraft's cosmicism and several prolonged sentences in breathless italics.
Basically, if you're at all familiar with Derleth's Mythos writing, you know what you're in for. You just get more of it in an episodic story about Professor Laban Shrewsbury gathering a team of boring guys to make an assault on R'Lyeh and get that dratted octopoid boss while dodging his fish-men agents.
Honestly, the plot has such nutty pulp potential, and Brian Lumley did something like that. But Derleth is so serious about all this that it almost feels like parody.
Basically, if you're at all familiar with Derleth's Mythos writing, you know what you're in for. You just get more of it in an episodic story about Professor Laban Shrewsbury gathering a team of boring guys to make an assault on R'Lyeh and get that dratted octopoid boss while dodging his fish-men agents.
Honestly, the plot has such nutty pulp potential, and Brian Lumley did something like that. But Derleth is so serious about all this that it almost feels like parody.
October 4, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up.
This collection focuses on Professor Laban Shrewsbury and his battle against Cthulhu and his minions trying to raise him. Each story focuses on a new assistant/protege of the professor and the adventures take place in all the usual haunts of Lovecraft lore: Massachusetts, the South Pacific, the deserts of Arabia.
Like a slightly underwhelming sequel to a cult classic, August Derleth stories are fun and well worth reading if you enjoyed the source material from Lovecraft himself. This book contained a story that might as well have been titled Shadow Over Innsmouth 2 and I had an absolute blast reading it, even though the writing isn't quite as good and the horrors not quite as long lasting as HPL's.
But, even though there is some slight disappointment in going from an A++ project to a B-, the continuation of one of my favorite fictional universes made this a worthy read and I will likely be diving into more of his, and other contributors of the Mythos, works soon.
This collection focuses on Professor Laban Shrewsbury and his battle against Cthulhu and his minions trying to raise him. Each story focuses on a new assistant/protege of the professor and the adventures take place in all the usual haunts of Lovecraft lore: Massachusetts, the South Pacific, the deserts of Arabia.
Like a slightly underwhelming sequel to a cult classic, August Derleth stories are fun and well worth reading if you enjoyed the source material from Lovecraft himself. This book contained a story that might as well have been titled Shadow Over Innsmouth 2 and I had an absolute blast reading it, even though the writing isn't quite as good and the horrors not quite as long lasting as HPL's.
But, even though there is some slight disappointment in going from an A++ project to a B-, the continuation of one of my favorite fictional universes made this a worthy read and I will likely be diving into more of his, and other contributors of the Mythos, works soon.
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