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The Man of Stone
"The Man of Stone" by H.P. Lovecraft & Hazel Heald is a short story about an unnamed narrator who recounts a mysterious encounter with a strange figure. The man, seemingly made of stone, has an aura of ancient, eerie power. As the narrator investigates, he uncovers a chilling connection to dark, forgotten rituals and ancient horrors. The story blends elements of cosmic horror with an unsettling atmosphere, reflecting Lovecraft's exploration of the unknown and the terrifying vastness of existence.
33 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1932
1 person is currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
H.P. Lovecraft
6,110 books19.3k followersHoward 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 4, 2021
"Teníamos pocas dudas de que la cosa de piedra hubiera sido una vez un hombre, y algo en aquella idea nos puso nerviosos a ambos."
En las cimas de una montaña encuentran dos esculturas de piedra . La primera es de un perro y la segunda es de un hombre . Ambas asombran por su impresionante realismo. En un inicio creen que son obras de un escultor que se había asentado en la región poco tiempo antes, pero pronto descubrirán que no son obra de el y su cisel.
Historia en colaboración entre la escritora Hazel Heald y Lovecraft . Habitualmente me suelen gustar mucho las historias menores de Lovecraft y las colaboraciones. En esta oportunidad mas aya del misterio inicial y un interesante desenlace, incluyendo ocultismo,venganza y mas venganza. Me parece una buena historia, pero no me termino de deslumbrar.
Tiene la particularidad de ser una colaboración con una mujer (sabemos que Lovecraft y las mujeres no eran muy compatibles. Comenzando por su madre). Y también que un personaje femenino cumple un papel que no es muy habitual en sus historias (con dos roles)
En las cimas de una montaña encuentran dos esculturas de piedra . La primera es de un perro y la segunda es de un hombre . Ambas asombran por su impresionante realismo. En un inicio creen que son obras de un escultor que se había asentado en la región poco tiempo antes, pero pronto descubrirán que no son obra de el y su cisel.
Historia en colaboración entre la escritora Hazel Heald y Lovecraft . Habitualmente me suelen gustar mucho las historias menores de Lovecraft y las colaboraciones. En esta oportunidad mas aya del misterio inicial y un interesante desenlace, incluyendo ocultismo,venganza y mas venganza. Me parece una buena historia, pero no me termino de deslumbrar.
Tiene la particularidad de ser una colaboración con una mujer (sabemos que Lovecraft y las mujeres no eran muy compatibles. Comenzando por su madre). Y también que un personaje femenino cumple un papel que no es muy habitual en sus historias (con dos roles)
February 18, 2024
Written in 1928, this one of five stories Lovecraft revised for Hazel Heald.
The narrator, Jack, and his friend Ben arrive in a remote village to investigate a story about some life-like stone statues. They also want to find the sculptor Arthur Wheeler.
The writing itself bears Lovercrafts' handiwork, "I almost fainted 4 or 5 times" intensely Himself. Howard, you are a nervous wreck, and its why we love you. That said, this is one of the first if ever stories where the characters felt remotely three dimensional (likely being Hazels influence).
It must be said there's a slight clash between the two styles. Being Lovecrafts atmospheric writing doesn't handle social-interaction quite with Hazels awareness of social interactions, making a clunky flow overall.
There's a slow development of the plot over months, and the language is never striking. Unusually for Lovecraft, the mechanics of the wizard’s magic are relatively clear (the Book of Eibon has chemical recipes to be combined with blood etc, ruining the atmosphere).
There's domestic violence, relationship drama, a cultist redneck wizard, and some shenanigans involving a potion that turns people to stone.
The ending is the only surprising thing as it was... Feminist?
Howard, I'm not complaining, but are you feeling quite yourself?
In summary:
Ultimately, it is a flawed story with flow issues, but a great case study to show how combing styles is very difficult.
The narrator, Jack, and his friend Ben arrive in a remote village to investigate a story about some life-like stone statues. They also want to find the sculptor Arthur Wheeler.
The writing itself bears Lovercrafts' handiwork, "I almost fainted 4 or 5 times" intensely Himself. Howard, you are a nervous wreck, and its why we love you. That said, this is one of the first if ever stories where the characters felt remotely three dimensional (likely being Hazels influence).
It must be said there's a slight clash between the two styles. Being Lovecrafts atmospheric writing doesn't handle social-interaction quite with Hazels awareness of social interactions, making a clunky flow overall.
There's a slow development of the plot over months, and the language is never striking. Unusually for Lovecraft, the mechanics of the wizard’s magic are relatively clear (the Book of Eibon has chemical recipes to be combined with blood etc, ruining the atmosphere).
There's domestic violence, relationship drama, a cultist redneck wizard, and some shenanigans involving a potion that turns people to stone.
The ending is the only surprising thing as it was... Feminist?
Howard, I'm not complaining, but are you feeling quite yourself?
In summary:
Ultimately, it is a flawed story with flow issues, but a great case study to show how combing styles is very difficult.
July 6, 2018
First off I didn't read the Nook version listed. I got it free from the HPL website. Now...
HPL's collaborations with Hazel Heald spark some disagreements as to exactly what if anything she contributed. Some say she supplied a rough plot and HPL ran with it. Others say she did the first draft and HPL rewrote it. THE MAN OF STONE provides an interesting source of speculation. For starters it is totally unlike HPL in that it doesn't contain of the tongue-twisting adjectives that make you rush for the dictionary -- that or simply throw up your hands and skip over them. It is written in straight forward English with nothing to trip you up along the way. Also the first third contains more dialogue than one normally finds in his work. But after that we default to the tried and true cliche diary entry which places us squarely in HPL territory as the person slowly and at great length outlines EVERY detail of what transpired. And he tosses in the usual R'Lyehian phrases altho this time not so many.
I actually enjoyed the first third better than the rest. Two guys explore a cave and find statues of a dog and a man only to learn they aren't statues after all but real creatures who have turned to stone. How? Was there some vapor in the cave that caused it? It's an interesting premise that should have been put to better use. Instead we get the evil descendant of an evil ancestor who passed down an evil book of spells blah blah blah.
As many have said, second-rate HPL is better than first-rate [fill in the blank]. But perhaps because this was a collaboration, and there are those who say HPL didn't really like Hazel Heald and did it strictly for the money, it may be he only put in enough effort to make a passable story that would sell.
An okay effort, but certainly not a great one. But at the same time, better than anything another so-called King of the genre could come up with.
HPL's collaborations with Hazel Heald spark some disagreements as to exactly what if anything she contributed. Some say she supplied a rough plot and HPL ran with it. Others say she did the first draft and HPL rewrote it. THE MAN OF STONE provides an interesting source of speculation. For starters it is totally unlike HPL in that it doesn't contain of the tongue-twisting adjectives that make you rush for the dictionary -- that or simply throw up your hands and skip over them. It is written in straight forward English with nothing to trip you up along the way. Also the first third contains more dialogue than one normally finds in his work. But after that we default to the tried and true cliche diary entry which places us squarely in HPL territory as the person slowly and at great length outlines EVERY detail of what transpired. And he tosses in the usual R'Lyehian phrases altho this time not so many.
I actually enjoyed the first third better than the rest. Two guys explore a cave and find statues of a dog and a man only to learn they aren't statues after all but real creatures who have turned to stone. How? Was there some vapor in the cave that caused it? It's an interesting premise that should have been put to better use. Instead we get the evil descendant of an evil ancestor who passed down an evil book of spells blah blah blah.
As many have said, second-rate HPL is better than first-rate [fill in the blank]. But perhaps because this was a collaboration, and there are those who say HPL didn't really like Hazel Heald and did it strictly for the money, it may be he only put in enough effort to make a passable story that would sell.
An okay effort, but certainly not a great one. But at the same time, better than anything another so-called King of the genre could come up with.
May 12, 2017
3.5
by H. P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald
The Man of Stone is one of those rare stories where a female character is not only in the background. Don't get me wrong, this is only an observation since I don't give a damn about whether it's a man or a woman if the story is good.
Jack, the narrator and his friend Ben arrive in the small remote village to investigate a story about some life-like stone statues. They also want to find the sculptor Arthur Wheeler. They know the man had disappeared somewhere in that part of the country and they decide to investigate.
The villagers warn them not to go to certain places and to keep away from Mad Dan's cabin in the woods. It turns out that Arthur Wheeler, the missing sculptor, was Mad Dan's tenant for a while. Nobody has seen Dan nor his wife for a very long time. Of course Jack and Ben don't listen. They can't stop now, especially when they find a statue of a dog in front of a cave and realize that it has to be a real animal somehow turned into stone.
Then they enter the cave itself and from there the whole horrible mess starts to unravel.
by H. P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald
The Man of Stone is one of those rare stories where a female character is not only in the background. Don't get me wrong, this is only an observation since I don't give a damn about whether it's a man or a woman if the story is good.
Jack, the narrator and his friend Ben arrive in the small remote village to investigate a story about some life-like stone statues. They also want to find the sculptor Arthur Wheeler. They know the man had disappeared somewhere in that part of the country and they decide to investigate.
The villagers warn them not to go to certain places and to keep away from Mad Dan's cabin in the woods. It turns out that Arthur Wheeler, the missing sculptor, was Mad Dan's tenant for a while. Nobody has seen Dan nor his wife for a very long time. Of course Jack and Ben don't listen. They can't stop now, especially when they find a statue of a dog in front of a cave and realize that it has to be a real animal somehow turned into stone.
Then they enter the cave itself and from there the whole horrible mess starts to unravel.
January 21, 2022
3.5 Stars
rounded up to 4 Stars.
July 19, 2025
Rating: 60
Oehhhh evil witchman turning people into statues. Exhilarating.
Oehhhh evil witchman turning people into statues. Exhilarating.
May 12, 2022
Lovecraft #83: “The Man of Stone” (1932, with Hazel Heald)
“No one will ever know what I went through as his wife. It was not simply common cruelty—though God knows he was cruel enough, and beat me often with a leather whip. It was more—more than anyone in this age can ever understand. He was a monstrous creature, and practiced all sorts of hellish ceremonies handed down by his mother’s people. He tried to make me help in the rites—and I don’t dare even hint what they were. I would not, so he beat me. It would be blasphemy to tell what he tried to make me do.”
[Portrait of H.P. Lovecraft with a black cat by Ghostexist]
“The Man in Stone” is arguably the 83 oldest extant story by American weird fiction author Howard Philips Lovecraft (1890-1937) and the first of five collaborations that he did with Hazel Heald. I am in the process of reading all of HPL’s fictional works in chronological order. This tale was written during a tough time for HPL. His mood had soured after his inability to publish the great At the Mountains of Madness (1931) and what he considered to be the creative failure of The Dreams in the Witch House (1932-1933). Derie (2019) writes that “Lovecraft’s fiction writing had been dwindling since his collaborations with Zealia Bishop, most of which failed to find publication during his lifetime…” A mutual friend connected the young divorcee and aspiring pulp writer Hazel Heald with Lovecraft, himself a divorcee, to revise a draft of her story “The Man in Stone.” Eddy may have also hoped that a romance would bloom between the two. We will never know if it did, anymore than we will know how much of the published story was actually written by Heald. Derie (2019) estimates “quite a bit” was, “at least in conception, overall plot, and characterization.” The love triangle in the narrative is very unusual for HPL, as in anything from a woman’s perspective. “The latter part of the story especially, with Rose Morris’ diary providing her point of view, is very exceptional for any story Lovecraft had a hand in…it’s rare for any Lovecraftian tale to touch on the personal horror of domestic abuse.” “The Man in Stone” is a very solid horror story. The domestic abuse aspect really brings home the stranger elements and leaves a lasting impression. I look forward to reading HPL’s other collaborations with Heald.
Title: “The Man of Stone”
Author: Hazel Heald & H.P. Lovecraft
Dates: 1932 (written), October 1932 (first published)
Genre: Fiction - Short story, science fiction, horror
Word count: 6,441 words
Date(s) read: 5/1/22
Reading journal entry #138 in 2022
Sources:
Link to the story: https://hplovecraft.com/writings/fict...
First publication citation: Wonder Stories vol. 4, no. 5 (October 1932): 440–445, 470.
Derie, B. (2020, August 12). “The Man of Stone” (1932) by Hazel Heald & H. P. Lovecraft [web log]. Deep Cuts in a Lovecraftian Vein. Retrieved from https://deepcuts.blog/2019/03/30/the-...
Joshi, S. T., & Schultz, D. E. (2001). An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia. Greenwood Press.
Link to the image: https://www.deviantart.com/ghostexist...
Written on May 6, 2022
Updated on May 12, 2022
“No one will ever know what I went through as his wife. It was not simply common cruelty—though God knows he was cruel enough, and beat me often with a leather whip. It was more—more than anyone in this age can ever understand. He was a monstrous creature, and practiced all sorts of hellish ceremonies handed down by his mother’s people. He tried to make me help in the rites—and I don’t dare even hint what they were. I would not, so he beat me. It would be blasphemy to tell what he tried to make me do.”
[Portrait of H.P. Lovecraft with a black cat by Ghostexist]
“The Man in Stone” is arguably the 83 oldest extant story by American weird fiction author Howard Philips Lovecraft (1890-1937) and the first of five collaborations that he did with Hazel Heald. I am in the process of reading all of HPL’s fictional works in chronological order. This tale was written during a tough time for HPL. His mood had soured after his inability to publish the great At the Mountains of Madness (1931) and what he considered to be the creative failure of The Dreams in the Witch House (1932-1933). Derie (2019) writes that “Lovecraft’s fiction writing had been dwindling since his collaborations with Zealia Bishop, most of which failed to find publication during his lifetime…” A mutual friend connected the young divorcee and aspiring pulp writer Hazel Heald with Lovecraft, himself a divorcee, to revise a draft of her story “The Man in Stone.” Eddy may have also hoped that a romance would bloom between the two. We will never know if it did, anymore than we will know how much of the published story was actually written by Heald. Derie (2019) estimates “quite a bit” was, “at least in conception, overall plot, and characterization.” The love triangle in the narrative is very unusual for HPL, as in anything from a woman’s perspective. “The latter part of the story especially, with Rose Morris’ diary providing her point of view, is very exceptional for any story Lovecraft had a hand in…it’s rare for any Lovecraftian tale to touch on the personal horror of domestic abuse.” “The Man in Stone” is a very solid horror story. The domestic abuse aspect really brings home the stranger elements and leaves a lasting impression. I look forward to reading HPL’s other collaborations with Heald.
Title: “The Man of Stone”
Author: Hazel Heald & H.P. Lovecraft
Dates: 1932 (written), October 1932 (first published)
Genre: Fiction - Short story, science fiction, horror
Word count: 6,441 words
Date(s) read: 5/1/22
Reading journal entry #138 in 2022
Sources:
Link to the story: https://hplovecraft.com/writings/fict...
First publication citation: Wonder Stories vol. 4, no. 5 (October 1932): 440–445, 470.
Derie, B. (2020, August 12). “The Man of Stone” (1932) by Hazel Heald & H. P. Lovecraft [web log]. Deep Cuts in a Lovecraftian Vein. Retrieved from https://deepcuts.blog/2019/03/30/the-...
Joshi, S. T., & Schultz, D. E. (2001). An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia. Greenwood Press.
Link to the image: https://www.deviantart.com/ghostexist...
Written on May 6, 2022
Updated on May 12, 2022
July 22, 2023
A very interesting premise and one that Lovecraft is known to frequently dabble in, that of the Evil Wizard. Unlike the regal but nefarious Saruman, Lovecraft's evil wizards are always nasty, crusty, twisted people. The entire triggering incident is caused by infidelity of all things and ends with 3 people and a dog turned to stone.
I am getting a tad tired of the "convenient book/journal that explains everything" trope. It's just a lazy way to explain what happened in your story after the fact. There are better ways to present exposition, thank God.
I also kind of hate that the wife committed suicide. It just feels like robbing her of all agency. She fights for so long to be free and when she has the opportunity to be, she chooses to be a statue like some dude she's known for 4 months. Just kinda shitty.
I am getting a tad tired of the "convenient book/journal that explains everything" trope. It's just a lazy way to explain what happened in your story after the fact. There are better ways to present exposition, thank God.
I also kind of hate that the wife committed suicide. It just feels like robbing her of all agency. She fights for so long to be free and when she has the opportunity to be, she chooses to be a statue like some dude she's known for 4 months. Just kinda shitty.
December 3, 2019
Wordsworth Editions
London 2010.
One of Lovecraft s western horror amalgams.
The language is powerful and vivid. It has high levels of vernacular in it. The vernacular in all Lovecraft s opus could be seen as an antimodernist part of the vibe. Why? Because it is the vernacular of the countryside folk, mostly white, and what do liberals and feminist hate more than the countryside folk, especially white folk. The deluded transgender totalitarians hate all people from the hamlets and fields, because these people are the strongest force of normality and freedom. Leftists hate freedom, leftist want control and slavery. What is more free than a family with plenty toddlers and a strong father figure? What is more normal than that?
Feminism, like all totalitarian ideologies, hates family, because with strong families how can one become a pious social justice warrior? How can one love the State, love Babylon if he loves most his family? How can one question his gender if he was loved by his family?
That is the main reason to destroy family, family is freedom, family is rebelliion in today s degenerate sustainable and feminist world.
But let me show you an example of a vernacular in this novella:
"Wheeler?- he had finally wheezed. -Oh, yeh- that feller as was all the time blastin rocks and cuttin em into statues. So yew knowed him, hey?-"."
Vernacular never has newspeak in it, not any gender neutral neologisms.
Lexically the world "feller" stands as a vernacular form of the standard "fellow". Morphologically we got her "blastin" and "cuttin" as an abstract vernacular phenomenon. The most outstanding morphological example is "yew" an adjective-verb amalgam that I as a Croat never before encountered.
And the content?
This novella depicts "devilish queer conditions up there". A remote area full of Indian legends and a modern sceptic protagonist who will realise how rationalism is naive.
It has a stronger psychologicalhorrorlike nature about it than you usually find in Lovercraft.
I recommend it!
London 2010.
One of Lovecraft s western horror amalgams.
The language is powerful and vivid. It has high levels of vernacular in it. The vernacular in all Lovecraft s opus could be seen as an antimodernist part of the vibe. Why? Because it is the vernacular of the countryside folk, mostly white, and what do liberals and feminist hate more than the countryside folk, especially white folk. The deluded transgender totalitarians hate all people from the hamlets and fields, because these people are the strongest force of normality and freedom. Leftists hate freedom, leftist want control and slavery. What is more free than a family with plenty toddlers and a strong father figure? What is more normal than that?
Feminism, like all totalitarian ideologies, hates family, because with strong families how can one become a pious social justice warrior? How can one love the State, love Babylon if he loves most his family? How can one question his gender if he was loved by his family?
That is the main reason to destroy family, family is freedom, family is rebelliion in today s degenerate sustainable and feminist world.
But let me show you an example of a vernacular in this novella:
"Wheeler?- he had finally wheezed. -Oh, yeh- that feller as was all the time blastin rocks and cuttin em into statues. So yew knowed him, hey?-"."
Vernacular never has newspeak in it, not any gender neutral neologisms.
Lexically the world "feller" stands as a vernacular form of the standard "fellow". Morphologically we got her "blastin" and "cuttin" as an abstract vernacular phenomenon. The most outstanding morphological example is "yew" an adjective-verb amalgam that I as a Croat never before encountered.
And the content?
This novella depicts "devilish queer conditions up there". A remote area full of Indian legends and a modern sceptic protagonist who will realise how rationalism is naive.
It has a stronger psychologicalhorrorlike nature about it than you usually find in Lovercraft.
I recommend it!
April 11, 2024
[Spoilers Ahead]
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, however there was some unconvincing plot holes in the story.
The story begins with two friends searching for the sculptor who had disappeared, Arthur Wheeler. It is revealed that he was the tenant of a guy called Mad Dan. Dan is a member of an occult family from the mother side and is married to a beatiful woman, Rose. Arthur and Rose quickly begin showing affection to each other. Dan feels betrayed and makes a plan to slay both.
He stumbles upon an old spell from his book that was inherited through his family. A spell that turns living beings into statues of stone. He begins experimenting with this spell on animals, starting with parrots and then finally with Rose's beloved dog, Rex. He succesfully kills Rex and goes on to poison Arthur. He tricks Arthur into drinking poison and forces his wife to drink it while she is in captivity. Long story short, Rose manages to escape and kills Dan.
I really like the narrative of a woman succesfully getting out of an abusive relationship and the one where you emphatize with Dan -excluding the killing part- but it turns out he was, in fact, abusive and had used sorcery to make Rose fall in love with her. That was really great, however, the only problem I have is with the "guy that records everything in his journal" type of narrative. It doesn't make sense that although Rose is half paralized instead of trying to get help she commits suicide to be with a guy she barely knew. Why not ask for help? Anyway, this whole journal narrative starts batching to your eye more and you get bored when you rapidly read H.P Lovecraft's entire bibliography and see how overused it is.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, however there was some unconvincing plot holes in the story.
The story begins with two friends searching for the sculptor who had disappeared, Arthur Wheeler. It is revealed that he was the tenant of a guy called Mad Dan. Dan is a member of an occult family from the mother side and is married to a beatiful woman, Rose. Arthur and Rose quickly begin showing affection to each other. Dan feels betrayed and makes a plan to slay both.
He stumbles upon an old spell from his book that was inherited through his family. A spell that turns living beings into statues of stone. He begins experimenting with this spell on animals, starting with parrots and then finally with Rose's beloved dog, Rex. He succesfully kills Rex and goes on to poison Arthur. He tricks Arthur into drinking poison and forces his wife to drink it while she is in captivity. Long story short, Rose manages to escape and kills Dan.
I really like the narrative of a woman succesfully getting out of an abusive relationship and the one where you emphatize with Dan -excluding the killing part- but it turns out he was, in fact, abusive and had used sorcery to make Rose fall in love with her. That was really great, however, the only problem I have is with the "guy that records everything in his journal" type of narrative. It doesn't make sense that although Rose is half paralized instead of trying to get help she commits suicide to be with a guy she barely knew. Why not ask for help? Anyway, this whole journal narrative starts batching to your eye more and you get bored when you rapidly read H.P Lovecraft's entire bibliography and see how overused it is.
May 31, 2019
Бен і Джек дізнаються про скульптури, знайдені в Адіронадкських горах. Вони нібито точно передають всі деталі чоловіка і собаки. Може, це співпадіння, але в ті гори поїхав скульптор Артур Вілер, від якого вже деякий час немає звісток. Тому двоє друзів вирішують відправитися на пошуки. Розпитавши місцевих жителів про Вілера і дізнавшись декілька нових подробиць, вони спершу вирушають у печеру зі скульптурами. Дійсно, собака і чоловік, яких вони там знаходять не здаються творіннями людських рук, а радше справжніми, але закам'янілими істотами. Найжахливіше, що кам'яним чоловіком виявляється сам скульптор Артур Вілер.
Оглянувши скульптури, Бен і Джек йдуть в хижу Деніела Морріса, у якого мешкав Вілер. Всередині вони знаходять ще дві статуї - певно самого скаженого Дена, як його називають, і його дружини. Друзі знаходять щоденник скаженого Дена, в якому він зізнається, що після приїзду скульптора почав помічати, що між його дружиною і гостем зароджуються якісь стосунки.
Ображений чоловік вирішив провчити парочку зрадників, підмішавши їм зілля, яке перетворює людей на камінь. Йому вдалося вбити Вілера, але дружина, хоч і майже паралізована, дочекалася слушного моменту і покінчила з самим вбивцею, а потім і з собою, тому що втратила сенс життя.
Оглянувши скульптури, Бен і Джек йдуть в хижу Деніела Морріса, у якого мешкав Вілер. Всередині вони знаходять ще дві статуї - певно самого скаженого Дена, як його називають, і його дружини. Друзі знаходять щоденник скаженого Дена, в якому він зізнається, що після приїзду скульптора почав помічати, що між його дружиною і гостем зароджуються якісь стосунки.
Ображений чоловік вирішив провчити парочку зрадників, підмішавши їм зілля, яке перетворює людей на камінь. Йому вдалося вбити Вілера, але дружина, хоч і майже паралізована, дочекалася слушного моменту і покінчила з самим вбивцею, а потім і з собою, тому що втратила сенс життя.
February 2, 2024
the first Lovecraft i've ever read. i know the author is famous for the universe of monsters that he created, but i don't particularly like monster fiction, so i've always avoided reading him in the past.
this is a short story about an evil man meeting his end through the things he wanted to inflict on others. i recognise the evil wizard motif found in other Lovecraft work from various graphical fan fiction online, and i had to roll my eyes, first story i read, and there it is. the story is not in any way gory, and a few details are interesting and presented in an eerie way, suitable for what i would call a good horror story, but the rest has a very sluggish pace where it felt the reader is going through too much embellishment of the plot or just descriptive constructions. this can have a big impact on any writing, but especially on a short piece of fiction.
so far, i'm not sure i like Lovecraft's style, but i would need to see a bit more of what he wrote.
overall the story is not that bad, but did not feel that good either, especially when i compare it to other old stories with similar themes.
this is a short story about an evil man meeting his end through the things he wanted to inflict on others. i recognise the evil wizard motif found in other Lovecraft work from various graphical fan fiction online, and i had to roll my eyes, first story i read, and there it is. the story is not in any way gory, and a few details are interesting and presented in an eerie way, suitable for what i would call a good horror story, but the rest has a very sluggish pace where it felt the reader is going through too much embellishment of the plot or just descriptive constructions. this can have a big impact on any writing, but especially on a short piece of fiction.
so far, i'm not sure i like Lovecraft's style, but i would need to see a bit more of what he wrote.
overall the story is not that bad, but did not feel that good either, especially when i compare it to other old stories with similar themes.
March 17, 2019
You can tell which parts are not Lovecraft because there is a female character who is not a mother, and she has feelings and they are actually significant to the plot.
I wonder if this petrifaction formula is related to the one in The King in Yellow? If so, does that mean or does it work differently if you drink it instead of bathe in it?
I wonder if this petrifaction formula is related to the one in The King in Yellow? If so, does that mean or does it work differently if you drink it instead of bathe in it?
January 25, 2018
A local bad man, literally named ‘Mad Dan’ by neighbours discovers through books of black magic left by distant relatives how to turn living things into stone.
He uses this to wreak havoc on his lodger who is a sculptor, and his wife who has formed a strong attachment to the new occupant of the house.
Enjoyable and original horror.
He uses this to wreak havoc on his lodger who is a sculptor, and his wife who has formed a strong attachment to the new occupant of the house.
Enjoyable and original horror.
June 6, 2019
This was an interesting one. Much more of a mystery story than usual, with a direct series of events and an unambiguous ending. It's also one of the only times Lovecraft wrote a female character who is not only prominent but agent, and outwits her male counterpart. I like the way the story was delivered, too.
January 21, 2019
Enjoyable tale that suffers from being framed as an investigative mystery rather than just, say, alternating between two diaries, maybe with an occasional newspaper article. Cruel husband gets his just deserts, but too late to save his victims.
January 6, 2021
Abusive relationship and a little bit of cosmic horror. Working with Hazel really paid off in this one. I’ve never seen such an appropriate woman character in Lovecraft’s works as Rose. The most interesting thing about the book is that it lets you see the story from two different perspectives.
November 10, 2022
Ну не надо приглашать в дом скульпторов при молодой жене.
Это уже вторая история не про космический ужас, а про измены.
Это уже вторая история не про космический ужас, а про измены.
May 29, 2023
Enjoyed this one!
August 30, 2024
Cool supernatural element in this one, creative.
January 1, 2025
لعنات كائنات لافكرافت ....
March 2, 2025
Reads like a modern creepypasta. I thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was, but it's definitely not on the level of some of Lovecraft's other works
March 28, 2025
Reminds me of the King in Yellow since it involves stone statues and a love triangle
June 16, 2025
Interessante Geschichte, hat mit gut gefallen
August 15, 2025
Holy hell. Another hidden gem. Incredible characters. An actual page turner from Lovecraft. Somehow not overwritten as well
September 23, 2025
Weird, horror, short story written by a master and Hazel Heald
November 18, 2025
Actual rating: ★★☆☆☆- 2 out of 5 stars.
Another mixed bag from our friend Eichpee-elh. As usual, I really enjoy Lovecraft's writing style (a hill I will die on, and I don't care what anyone thinks *dies on hill*). He manages to create anticipation and build-up in really simple ways such as the way he . The sense of alarm and the way he delays showing what causes the alarm just enough to create a sense of anxiety and horror is exactly why he's been copied thoughout the ages by the masters of horror all the way to today's age. I'm also keen on the concept of the story itself, and Lovecraft's classic brand of atmosphere build-up at the beginning of the story.
Sadly, the build up doesn't hold up all the way till the end. Usually, Lovecraft is great at charging the horror punch before it hits squarely in our faces. The way we see *spoilers for The Thing o the Doorstep and Dunwich Horror* But the climax in this story hits so incredibly weak, my dead grandma is Mike Tyson next to it; and it's got much to do with the fact that there's barely any build-up for the crucial elements at the end. The moment the protagonists pick up the notebook and it transforms into epistolary style is when it goes downhill. The wizard in this story doesn't have the psychotic, non-human vibe from his other stories; some of the Mythos references feel a bit artificially added (probably due to the issue previously mentioned), the things he and his wife do make no sense, and it just fails to really create a lasting impact on me.
Besides, *spoilers for Out of the Aeons*, so yeah. Not one I will cherish much.
Another mixed bag from our friend Eichpee-elh. As usual, I really enjoy Lovecraft's writing style (a hill I will die on, and I don't care what anyone thinks *dies on hill*). He manages to create anticipation and build-up in really simple ways such as the way he . The sense of alarm and the way he delays showing what causes the alarm just enough to create a sense of anxiety and horror is exactly why he's been copied thoughout the ages by the masters of horror all the way to today's age. I'm also keen on the concept of the story itself, and Lovecraft's classic brand of atmosphere build-up at the beginning of the story.
Sadly, the build up doesn't hold up all the way till the end. Usually, Lovecraft is great at charging the horror punch before it hits squarely in our faces. The way we see *spoilers for The Thing o the Doorstep and Dunwich Horror* But the climax in this story hits so incredibly weak, my dead grandma is Mike Tyson next to it; and it's got much to do with the fact that there's barely any build-up for the crucial elements at the end. The moment the protagonists pick up the notebook and it transforms into epistolary style is when it goes downhill. The wizard in this story doesn't have the psychotic, non-human vibe from his other stories; some of the Mythos references feel a bit artificially added (probably due to the issue previously mentioned), the things he and his wife do make no sense, and it just fails to really create a lasting impact on me.
Besides, *spoilers for Out of the Aeons*, so yeah. Not one I will cherish much.
March 16, 2016
A very enjoyable story written by H.P. Lovecraft with Hazel Heald, and published back in 1932. Heald's influence is strong (and positive). Among other things, this is probably the only Lovecraft's story where a woman is one of the central characters and she is given some agency.
Jack, our narrator, and his friend Ben Hayden, heard from a mutual acquaintance about two strangely lifelike statues near Lake Placid, New York, at the same location where their friend and realist sculptor Arthur Wheeler disappeared recently. Hayden and Jack decide to investigate. They arrive in the rustic village of Mountain Top and quiz loafers at the general store. None are eager to talk about Wheeler, though one garrulous old fellow tells them the sculptor lodged with "Mad Dan" up in the hills. Maybe Dan's young wife and Wheeler got too cozy, and Dan sent the city feller packing. Dan's no one to interfere with, and now he's so moody he and his wife haven't appeared in the village for a while.
Jack, our narrator, and his friend Ben Hayden, heard from a mutual acquaintance about two strangely lifelike statues near Lake Placid, New York, at the same location where their friend and realist sculptor Arthur Wheeler disappeared recently. Hayden and Jack decide to investigate. They arrive in the rustic village of Mountain Top and quiz loafers at the general store. None are eager to talk about Wheeler, though one garrulous old fellow tells them the sculptor lodged with "Mad Dan" up in the hills. Maybe Dan's young wife and Wheeler got too cozy, and Dan sent the city feller packing. Dan's no one to interfere with, and now he's so moody he and his wife haven't appeared in the village for a while.
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