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Houdini Under the Pyramids
This early work by H. P. Lovecraft was originally published in 1924. Born in 1890 in Rhode Island, USA, Lovecraft began writing at a very young age, quickly developing a deep and abiding interest in science. In 1913, Lovecraft joined the UAPA (United Amateur Press Association) but it was four years later, in 1917, that he began to focus on fiction, producing such well-known early stories as 'Dagon' and 'A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson'. However, it was during the last decade of his life that Lovecraft produced his most notable works, such as 'the Dunwich Horror' and 'The Call of Cthulhu' which subsequently earned him his place as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th century. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions.
Unknown Binding
First published February 1, 1924
About the author
H.P. Lovecraft
7,057 books19.9k 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 192 reviews
January 23, 2026
3,5/5 stars
January 14, 2018
This tale is unique in the Lovecraft canon, for it was ghost-written for Harry Houdini at the request of J.C. Henneberger, the owner of Weird Tales, which published it in the May-June-July issue of 1924. Henneberger was trying to boost readership, the “Ask Houdini” advice column he had instituted was popular, and the two short stories supposed written by the great magician had gain favorable attention as well. What could be better—Henneberger reasoned—than a true life adventure of Houdini’s, the tale of how he escaped being bound and dropped from a rope into the heart of the Great Pyramid itself?
The story features a lot of padding, and not terribly much tension. Lovecraft must have spent some time at the local library, in the travel and mythology sections, because the tale begins with a typical tour of Cairo and the desert, and soon shifts to a fairly traditional exposition of Egyptian religious lore and symbology. But when Houdini lies bound in the depths of the pyramid, alternating periods of nightmare and waking, the narrative takes a distinctively Lovecraftian turn.
Some say this story reminds them of “The Shunned House,” which Lovecraft completed later the same year, and they certainly share some of the same cosmic atmosphere. But I instead was struck by two things: 1) how H.H.’s explorations in the pyramidal dark evoke the first half of Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum,” and 2) how the procession of beast-headed gods observed by Houdini resembles the march of the frog-fish of Innsmouth.
Here for your enjoyment is a bit of the aforementioned procession:
The tramping drew nearer—heaven save me from the sound of those feet and paws and hooves and pads and talons as it commenced to acquire detail! Down limitless reaches of sunless pavement a spark of light flickered in the malodorous wind, and I drew behind the enormous circumference of a Cyclopic column that I might escape for a while the horror that was stalking million-footed toward me through gigantic hypostyles of inhuman dread and phobic antiquity. The flickers increased, and the tramping and dissonant rhythm grew sickeningly loud. In the quivering orange light there stood faintly forth a scene of such stony awe that I gasped from a sheer wonder that conquered even fear and repulsion. Bases of columns whose middles were higher than human sight . . . mere bases of things that must each dwarf the Eiffel Tower to insignificance . . . hieroglyphics carved by unthinkable hands in caverns where daylight can be only a remote legend. . . .
I would not look at the marching things. That I desperately resolved as I heard their creaking joints and nitrous wheezing above the dead music and the dead tramping. It was merciful that they did not speak . . . but God! their crazy torches began to cast shadows on the surface of those stupendous columns. Heaven take it away! Hippopotami should not have human hands and carry torches . . . men should not have the heads of crocodiles. . . .
May 24, 2017
3.5
by H. P. Lovecraft and Harry Houdini
Under the Pyramids was Lovecraft’s original title but the first time it was published as Imprisoned with the Pharaohs.
Told in the first person, you follow Houdini on his visit to Egypt. The first part of the story reads like a travelogue, but later the story becomes more sinister when he finds himself thrown into some kind of a cave or a tunnel underneath one of the pyramids. He stumbles blindly through the dark following a horrible smell and finds a ceremonial chamber. He is not alone.
There, he gets his answer he was wandering about during the day: 'what huge and loathsome abnormality was the Sphinx originally carven to represent?'.
by H. P. Lovecraft and Harry Houdini
Under the Pyramids was Lovecraft’s original title but the first time it was published as Imprisoned with the Pharaohs.
Told in the first person, you follow Houdini on his visit to Egypt. The first part of the story reads like a travelogue, but later the story becomes more sinister when he finds himself thrown into some kind of a cave or a tunnel underneath one of the pyramids. He stumbles blindly through the dark following a horrible smell and finds a ceremonial chamber. He is not alone.
There, he gets his answer he was wandering about during the day: 'what huge and loathsome abnormality was the Sphinx originally carven to represent?'.
August 4, 2020
This story was ghost-written for Harry Houdini at the request of J.C. Henneberger, the owner of Weird Tales, and features Houdini has the main character and narrator. Brash Houdini is practically the antithesis of Lovecraft's usual anxious and intellectual main characters, but Lovecraft does a decent job of changing character voice, although the descriptive prose remains pretty typical HPL.
The story itself drags rather. Possibly the descriptions of Egypt and pyramids were more exciting to contemporary audience: Egypt was "in" then and the number of stories and films set there were limited. For a modern reader there are more exciting offerings. Or, you know, just watch an archaeology or travel documentary.
The story itself drags rather. Possibly the descriptions of Egypt and pyramids were more exciting to contemporary audience: Egypt was "in" then and the number of stories and films set there were limited. For a modern reader there are more exciting offerings. Or, you know, just watch an archaeology or travel documentary.
June 21, 2020
Now this is a cool little story. It’s written by HP Lovecraft and has the famous Harry Houdini as the protagonist. Houdini is on vacation in Cairo and is pretty much kidnapped and dropped into a deep hole. Houdini finds himself trapped in an acient temple underneath the Great Sphinx of Giza. While trying to escape, he realizes he’s not alone down there.
It might not be the most exciting Lovecraft story for a modern audience as it does take a little while to really get going, but it’s definitely entertaining. The captivating and atmospheric setting of the Egyptian pyramids in 1910 without a doubt has its charms. And the creepy ending has Lovecraft written all over it.
It might not be the most exciting Lovecraft story for a modern audience as it does take a little while to really get going, but it’s definitely entertaining. The captivating and atmospheric setting of the Egyptian pyramids in 1910 without a doubt has its charms. And the creepy ending has Lovecraft written all over it.
September 14, 2026
This really is a rough one. Under The Pyramids is a story that was ghost written for, narrated by, and starred Harry Houdini. Houdini-as-written-by-Lovecraft isn’t that different from any other Lovecraft protagonist though so the Houdini of it all ends up being more of an interesting bit of trivia about the story then a thing that impacts the writing in any meaningful way.
Under The Pyramids basically has three distinct sections. The first starts off with a sort of travelogue where Houdini journeys to Egypt, does some touristy things in Cairo and around the pyramids and then gets in to a bit of trouble once the sun goes down. This stuff reads very much like Lovecraft checked out a couple of books on Egypt from the library and then wrote up a little book report about what he’d read.
Next comes an absolutely interminable section where Houdini is captured and then stumbles around in the dark for a while. He passes out. He wakes up. He passes out again. He wakes up again. He declares he’s tired from all the passing out and just sort of lays down for a while, but stays awake. Then he passes out again. I’m imagining somebody picking this story up back in 1924, excited to find out about the adventures of famed escape artist Harry Houdini, only to read this weird travelogue/book report/story of a guy who mostly takes naps and it’s kind of a funny thought to put myself in that person’s probably confused and disappointed head. It doesn’t make any of this actually fun to read though, however.
Finally after all of this a proper HP Lovecraft story occurs, as Houdini stumbles in to a giant chamber full of ancient Egypt-themed monsters, creeps and ghouls. This stuff isn’t bad but oh boy does HP make you work to get to this point in the story.
I found this pretty boring overall. If nothing else I’m usually a fan of Lovecraft’s more atmospheric writing, the times when he just sits down and describes a place. There is a lot of that here, but as I said it reads more like it’s being repeated out of a book he read and not so much that he’s imagining something strange and out there.
One star for me. This is easily my least favorite Lovecraft. There’s not much here I liked, and what little there is came after way too much boredom. I don’t like to hand out too many one stars, but to my mind being boring is worse than being bad, and this is boring enough to get me there. Apologies to both Houdini and Lovecraft.
Under The Pyramids basically has three distinct sections. The first starts off with a sort of travelogue where Houdini journeys to Egypt, does some touristy things in Cairo and around the pyramids and then gets in to a bit of trouble once the sun goes down. This stuff reads very much like Lovecraft checked out a couple of books on Egypt from the library and then wrote up a little book report about what he’d read.
Next comes an absolutely interminable section where Houdini is captured and then stumbles around in the dark for a while. He passes out. He wakes up. He passes out again. He wakes up again. He declares he’s tired from all the passing out and just sort of lays down for a while, but stays awake. Then he passes out again. I’m imagining somebody picking this story up back in 1924, excited to find out about the adventures of famed escape artist Harry Houdini, only to read this weird travelogue/book report/story of a guy who mostly takes naps and it’s kind of a funny thought to put myself in that person’s probably confused and disappointed head. It doesn’t make any of this actually fun to read though, however.
Finally after all of this a proper HP Lovecraft story occurs, as Houdini stumbles in to a giant chamber full of ancient Egypt-themed monsters, creeps and ghouls. This stuff isn’t bad but oh boy does HP make you work to get to this point in the story.
I found this pretty boring overall. If nothing else I’m usually a fan of Lovecraft’s more atmospheric writing, the times when he just sits down and describes a place. There is a lot of that here, but as I said it reads more like it’s being repeated out of a book he read and not so much that he’s imagining something strange and out there.
One star for me. This is easily my least favorite Lovecraft. There’s not much here I liked, and what little there is came after way too much boredom. I don’t like to hand out too many one stars, but to my mind being boring is worse than being bad, and this is boring enough to get me there. Apologies to both Houdini and Lovecraft.
October 28, 2021
Prizonierul Faraonilor-H.P. Lovecraft
264 pagini
Impresiile mele despre această antologie sunt în mare parte multistratificate și ambigue. Cert este că nici de această dată nu am găsit nimic horror în lucrările autorului, nici măcar „mistic”. Aș numi această carte mai mult un basm pentru adulți. Cartea este o metaforă completă, dar nici de cum o poveste realistă, este oarecum trist.
Întreaga narațiune vine de la observator, și nu de la personaj - datorită acestui lucru intriga și interesul pentru soarta eroilor cam dispare. În același timp, povestirea nu pare grabită, dar nici prea lentă, mai mult măsurată.
Pe parcursul lecturii (de exmplu în “strada”) se remarcă sentimentele autorului despre volatilitatea lumii, industrializare și dominația relațiilor de pe piață. O lucrare nostalgică și lirică despre memoria lucrurilor, despre urma pe care oamenii, evenimentele și timpul însuși o lasă în ele. Este simbolic că niște lucruri nesemnificative precum o stradă abstractă amintesc de momentele nașterii orașelor umane, de schimbarea erelor, de războaie, de ciumă, fiind doar un martor mut, o poveste nescrisă... cred că e printre singurile povești care mi-au plăcut din carte.
Un lucru care mă deranjează la Lovecraft este că acesta de multe ori se repetă, chiar și începutul( de acesta dată întâlnit în “Tranziția lui Juan Romero”): „... Despre întâmplările....aș prefera să nu vorbesc....” Această frază în exprimă esența tehnicilor des întâlnite la Lovecraft (și, în general, în genul horror) - aluzie, forțare spre ceva străîn și misterios, atunci când cititorul nu primește aproape niciun răspuns la întrebările rezonabile care apar în el. în timpul lecturii.
Povestea are o atmosferă neobișnuită a unui sat minier - un fundal bun pentru evenimente, dar autorul nu a exprimat în mod corespunzător evenimentele. De parcă partea cea mai importantă, cea mai decisivă, ar fi fost scoasă din poveste...
De fapt, lucrarea de față nu are nici un sens definit. Textul dezvăluie pur și simplu soarta unor nebuni. Cred că am reușit totuși să trag niște concluzii despre întreaga operă a scriitorului și totuși, aprecierea mea este oarecum neutră. Cred că fanii lui Edgar Poe vor aprecia munca lui Lovecraft, clar au un stil similar. La un moment dat am fost abonată la un blog sau o pagină care relata povești horror. Pot să spun că în comparație cu acestea, cele din urmă chiar au fost horror deși scrise de amatori și fără o structura literară bine definită. Am ajuns la concluzia că mai bine citesc câteva povestiri necizelate de acolo în locul celor pline de metafore ale lui Lovecraft dar fără nici un sens.
264 pagini
Impresiile mele despre această antologie sunt în mare parte multistratificate și ambigue. Cert este că nici de această dată nu am găsit nimic horror în lucrările autorului, nici măcar „mistic”. Aș numi această carte mai mult un basm pentru adulți. Cartea este o metaforă completă, dar nici de cum o poveste realistă, este oarecum trist.
Întreaga narațiune vine de la observator, și nu de la personaj - datorită acestui lucru intriga și interesul pentru soarta eroilor cam dispare. În același timp, povestirea nu pare grabită, dar nici prea lentă, mai mult măsurată.
Pe parcursul lecturii (de exmplu în “strada”) se remarcă sentimentele autorului despre volatilitatea lumii, industrializare și dominația relațiilor de pe piață. O lucrare nostalgică și lirică despre memoria lucrurilor, despre urma pe care oamenii, evenimentele și timpul însuși o lasă în ele. Este simbolic că niște lucruri nesemnificative precum o stradă abstractă amintesc de momentele nașterii orașelor umane, de schimbarea erelor, de războaie, de ciumă, fiind doar un martor mut, o poveste nescrisă... cred că e printre singurile povești care mi-au plăcut din carte.
Un lucru care mă deranjează la Lovecraft este că acesta de multe ori se repetă, chiar și începutul( de acesta dată întâlnit în “Tranziția lui Juan Romero”): „... Despre întâmplările....aș prefera să nu vorbesc....” Această frază în exprimă esența tehnicilor des întâlnite la Lovecraft (și, în general, în genul horror) - aluzie, forțare spre ceva străîn și misterios, atunci când cititorul nu primește aproape niciun răspuns la întrebările rezonabile care apar în el. în timpul lecturii.
Povestea are o atmosferă neobișnuită a unui sat minier - un fundal bun pentru evenimente, dar autorul nu a exprimat în mod corespunzător evenimentele. De parcă partea cea mai importantă, cea mai decisivă, ar fi fost scoasă din poveste...
De fapt, lucrarea de față nu are nici un sens definit. Textul dezvăluie pur și simplu soarta unor nebuni. Cred că am reușit totuși să trag niște concluzii despre întreaga operă a scriitorului și totuși, aprecierea mea este oarecum neutră. Cred că fanii lui Edgar Poe vor aprecia munca lui Lovecraft, clar au un stil similar. La un moment dat am fost abonată la un blog sau o pagină care relata povești horror. Pot să spun că în comparație cu acestea, cele din urmă chiar au fost horror deși scrise de amatori și fără o structura literară bine definită. Am ajuns la concluzia că mai bine citesc câteva povestiri necizelate de acolo în locul celor pline de metafore ale lui Lovecraft dar fără nici un sens.
June 13, 2017
This is the story Lovecraft ghost wrote for Houdini.
August 9, 2023
Die Unterstützung von Lovecraft ist natürlich unverkennbar, aber der Schauplatz der großen Pyramiden und die ägyptische Mythologie haben viel Potenzial, das Houdini stimmungsvoll zum Einsatz bringt. Manches mag aus einem Baedeker entliehen sein, aber das tut der Sache keinen Abbruch, im Gegenteil: Eine ordentliches Substrat, auf dem der Schrecken keimen kann. Das Finale dürfte hingegen weitestgehend von HPL stammen und fügt sich in seinen dunklen Kosmos.
Faszinierend finde ich Queen Nitokris, von der ich bislang nie etwas gehört hatte:
The lady of the pyramid, die einstmals alle ihre Gegner zum Fest einlud und ertränkte; bei Lovecraft die Königin der Ghoule, auch The Queen With Golden Hair.
Eine schillernde Figur, über 4000 Jahre alt! Hier leider nur beiläufig erwähnt, aber wie schreit der kleine Häwelmann: Mehr, mehr!
Mal recherchieren, was zu Nitokris spannendes zu finden ist.
Faszinierend finde ich Queen Nitokris, von der ich bislang nie etwas gehört hatte:
The lady of the pyramid, die einstmals alle ihre Gegner zum Fest einlud und ertränkte; bei Lovecraft die Königin der Ghoule, auch The Queen With Golden Hair.
Eine schillernde Figur, über 4000 Jahre alt! Hier leider nur beiläufig erwähnt, aber wie schreit der kleine Häwelmann: Mehr, mehr!
Mal recherchieren, was zu Nitokris spannendes zu finden ist.
March 12, 2014
One of the best. The creatures he describes are just so morbid. I think it's incredible how an author can make you so interested and surprise you in very few pages.
May 14, 2024
(2.5 Stars) I can't deny being a tad disappointed with this one, even though I still recommend it and has its moments. I particularly liked his descriptions of Giza. Better Lovecraft stories lie ahead and some I've already read.
January 6, 2015
This is first story I've read by HP Lovecraft. I'm a huge Poe fan (as you all know) and my friend Court let me borrow her collection of Lovecraft's works, so I give him a go.
Ugh. This one was boring. :/ I skimmed a lot. However, I loved the ending...that was creepy and unexpected and awesome. Honestly, the author should have shortened it up, but thats just my opinion.
Not a great intro to Lovecraft, so onto the next short story.
Out of five stars, I stamp this with 2 stars.
Favorite Character(s): The half animal-mummies? LOL
Not-so Favorite Character(s): No one really
Ugh. This one was boring. :/ I skimmed a lot. However, I loved the ending...that was creepy and unexpected and awesome. Honestly, the author should have shortened it up, but thats just my opinion.
Not a great intro to Lovecraft, so onto the next short story.
Out of five stars, I stamp this with 2 stars.
Favorite Character(s): The half animal-mummies? LOL
Not-so Favorite Character(s): No one really
October 23, 2019
No es uno de mis preferidos pero no esta mal. Para mi gusto el final mejora un poco ya que la primera mitad me ha parecido más "una clase de historia".
October 25, 2019
Pues... me encanta como escribía Lovecraft, pero este relato no ha terminado de gustarme y eso que utiliza para narrarlo a un personaje como Houdini, que me encanta!! pero no.
La primera parte parte parece una guía turística de Egipto y la segunda, aunque mejora, es un poco caótica y precipitada.
En fin, 2 estrellas sobre 5 porque sigue siendo Lovecraft y eso ya son para mí 2 aseguradas.
La primera parte parte parece una guía turística de Egipto y la segunda, aunque mejora, es un poco caótica y precipitada.
En fin, 2 estrellas sobre 5 porque sigue siendo Lovecraft y eso ya son para mí 2 aseguradas.
November 18, 2013
Somehow this is the first H.P. Lovecraft story I have ever read. Kind of a strange one to read first, considering that it's the only thing he ever ghost-wrote, and it's ghost-written for Harry Houdini, which is just incredibly random.
I think there's something about Lovecraft's writing style that just inherently bugs me. It's overly descriptive, which sometimes I like, but in this situation it just annoyed me. I really liked the dark tone and the descriptions of the setting, but it's just....to many words or something.
Besides all that, I did kinda like this story. It's been a month or so since I read it, and it did actually stay with me a little. It's creepy and dark and grotesque, and made me want to learn more about Harry Houdini, actually :)
I think there's something about Lovecraft's writing style that just inherently bugs me. It's overly descriptive, which sometimes I like, but in this situation it just annoyed me. I really liked the dark tone and the descriptions of the setting, but it's just....to many words or something.
Besides all that, I did kinda like this story. It's been a month or so since I read it, and it did actually stay with me a little. It's creepy and dark and grotesque, and made me want to learn more about Harry Houdini, actually :)
November 10, 2017
“Egypt . . . truly, this dark cradle of civilization was ever the wellspring of horrors and marvels unspeakable!”
Excellently evokes the sense of superstitious horror connected to the mysteries of Ancient Egypt and the pharoahs in popular imagination. Atmospheric and maintains a horrid claustrophobic feeling of terror and suspense which Lovecraft is renowned for.
This was ghost written by Lovecraft for Harry Houdini and originally published in Weird Tales Magazine. Not a recommended starting point if you haven’t read Lovecraft before, but essential reading for fans of his writing.
Excellently evokes the sense of superstitious horror connected to the mysteries of Ancient Egypt and the pharoahs in popular imagination. Atmospheric and maintains a horrid claustrophobic feeling of terror and suspense which Lovecraft is renowned for.
This was ghost written by Lovecraft for Harry Houdini and originally published in Weird Tales Magazine. Not a recommended starting point if you haven’t read Lovecraft before, but essential reading for fans of his writing.
August 11, 2021
Poate nu-s eu in stare, dar unde o fi macabrul ala pentru care este renumit Lovecraft ?
In acest volum, ca sa fie clar...
In afara de torentul de epitete gen dezgustator, nebun, oribil etc etc.
Mie mi s-a parut doar foarte plictisitoare, intreaga carte, si am citit-o mai mult din de respect pentru Stephen King, sub influenta caruia am si purces la citit Lovecraft...
In acest volum, ca sa fie clar...
In afara de torentul de epitete gen dezgustator, nebun, oribil etc etc.
Mie mi s-a parut doar foarte plictisitoare, intreaga carte, si am citit-o mai mult din de respect pentru Stephen King, sub influenta caruia am si purces la citit Lovecraft...
November 17, 2019
Wordsworth Editions
2010.
This sharp and swifty story is unstoppable and unbelievable as presidency of Donald Trump. It cuts through your inner core.
Astonishingly atmospheric, eerie, dark and adventurous, it gave me feelings of excitement that I have not felt since finishing reading Blacwood s "The Willows" or even as a kid when I watched dinosaur cartoons, I mean specifically on that dinosaur circus cartoon from the nineties.
Eh, where is my youth? Where is Scooby Doo?
The autodiegetic narrator (aka the protagonist himself) is a semi-voice of mister Houdini.
What? Mister Houdini?
Yes, because this novella was written in collaboration between Lovecraft and Houdini. They were a crew back then, like Hezbollah and Iran today. This novella is a megafictionalized itinerary fragment of Houdini s real trip to Egypt.
The content is a fantastically fantastical fiction with the undead, semi- animals and semi-humans and a beast with five heads!
The parts of the novella which partake in the tunnels make a parallel with "The Manuscript Found in Saragossa" by the romanticistic Jan Potocki. Even the plot is very similar, an occult religion and closed society, arcane knowledge and a terrified protagonist. But Potocki has naked women so in that way he is better than Lovecraft, not even Lovecraft can beat romanticism.
The transhuman animallike rulers drop a connection to David Icke.
You must, and I repeat, must read this novella!
If you do not read this novella you will never be able to become a citizen of Vatroslavia.
When I take over the world people who have not read this novella are going to have a hard time.
¡Hasta luego!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3riXg...
2010.
This sharp and swifty story is unstoppable and unbelievable as presidency of Donald Trump. It cuts through your inner core.
Astonishingly atmospheric, eerie, dark and adventurous, it gave me feelings of excitement that I have not felt since finishing reading Blacwood s "The Willows" or even as a kid when I watched dinosaur cartoons, I mean specifically on that dinosaur circus cartoon from the nineties.
Eh, where is my youth? Where is Scooby Doo?
The autodiegetic narrator (aka the protagonist himself) is a semi-voice of mister Houdini.
What? Mister Houdini?
Yes, because this novella was written in collaboration between Lovecraft and Houdini. They were a crew back then, like Hezbollah and Iran today. This novella is a megafictionalized itinerary fragment of Houdini s real trip to Egypt.
The content is a fantastically fantastical fiction with the undead, semi- animals and semi-humans and a beast with five heads!
The parts of the novella which partake in the tunnels make a parallel with "The Manuscript Found in Saragossa" by the romanticistic Jan Potocki. Even the plot is very similar, an occult religion and closed society, arcane knowledge and a terrified protagonist. But Potocki has naked women so in that way he is better than Lovecraft, not even Lovecraft can beat romanticism.
The transhuman animallike rulers drop a connection to David Icke.
You must, and I repeat, must read this novella!
If you do not read this novella you will never be able to become a citizen of Vatroslavia.
When I take over the world people who have not read this novella are going to have a hard time.
¡Hasta luego!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3riXg...
May 22, 2024
Wow. What an absolutely brilliant story this was. This is probably my favorite Lovecraft story so far other than “Herbert West—Reanimator.” So original, exotic, atmospheric, haunting, and horrid all at once! 🤩
And, most importantly, it has something which some of Lovecraft’s other stories don’t have: a solid ending without leaving too many questions at the end. (I’m a simple lass. I like knowing things. 🤓 I own that cliffhangers are only good when there’s more content ahead.)
I really like the main character here, who is a magician. He is obviously based off of Harry Houdini since Lovecraft was hired to write about an experience Houdini had that he claimed was real, though Lovecraft quickly knew it was fictitious and thus gave himself creative liberty. 😂
All in all, a BRILLIANT short story that I very much recommend.
PG-13 for several uses of God’s name in vain, references to other (lowercase g) gods, sacrifices, mentions of blood and wounds, and of course disturbing (mental) images. Come on; it’s Lovecraft. What were you expecting? 😉😂
And, most importantly, it has something which some of Lovecraft’s other stories don’t have: a solid ending without leaving too many questions at the end. (I’m a simple lass. I like knowing things. 🤓 I own that cliffhangers are only good when there’s more content ahead.)
I really like the main character here, who is a magician. He is obviously based off of Harry Houdini since Lovecraft was hired to write about an experience Houdini had that he claimed was real, though Lovecraft quickly knew it was fictitious and thus gave himself creative liberty. 😂
All in all, a BRILLIANT short story that I very much recommend.
PG-13 for several uses of God’s name in vain, references to other (lowercase g) gods, sacrifices, mentions of blood and wounds, and of course disturbing (mental) images. Come on; it’s Lovecraft. What were you expecting? 😉😂
February 6, 2017
Absolutely, one of my favorite Lovecraft tales. Who doesn't like ancient Egypt, mummies and archaeologists. I know it sounds like an Indiana Jones movie and it kind of is in slow motion. I love his tales and this is my favorite non-Cthulhu tale.
June 4, 2025
La idea de una asociación entre Lovecraft y Houdini en un entorno como las pirámides de Guiza me atrajo desde el principio. Y supongo que los editores de la publicación ‘pulp’ Weird Tales pensaron lo mismo en 1924, cuando se publicó por primera vez, tras encargarle el trabajo al poco conocido escritor por aquellas fechas.
Esta historia nació de una visita real en 1920 al país de las pirámides más famosas del mundo del mundialmente afamado escapista. Supongo que la publicidad que esta novella le supuso no sería nada desdeñable, teniendo en cuenta que inicialmente solo la firmó Houdini. Fue una manera de decirle al mundo que ni siquiera los faraones difuntos ni los dioses podían frenarlo.
En esta atípica y primera aproximación mía a Lovecraft he recorrido la meseta de Guiza y sus pirámides —amén de otras partes del antiguo Egipto—, me he introducido en el interior de los pasadizos descubiertos en aquel momento, a los cuales había que acceder cual espeleólogos deslizándose a través de grietas estrechas. He visto y sentido la infalibilidad de Houdini a la hora de zafarse de las más complicadas ataduras. Y, por fin, pude conocer de primera mano los relatos que tan famoso y adorado han hecho al gran Lovecraft.
Y, sí, ha sido toda una experiencia: arqueología, escapismo y terror monstruoso, todo en uno.
Esta novela participa en el reto La vuelta al mundo en 12 libros en el mes de junio.
Esta historia nació de una visita real en 1920 al país de las pirámides más famosas del mundo del mundialmente afamado escapista. Supongo que la publicidad que esta novella le supuso no sería nada desdeñable, teniendo en cuenta que inicialmente solo la firmó Houdini. Fue una manera de decirle al mundo que ni siquiera los faraones difuntos ni los dioses podían frenarlo.
En esta atípica y primera aproximación mía a Lovecraft he recorrido la meseta de Guiza y sus pirámides —amén de otras partes del antiguo Egipto—, me he introducido en el interior de los pasadizos descubiertos en aquel momento, a los cuales había que acceder cual espeleólogos deslizándose a través de grietas estrechas. He visto y sentido la infalibilidad de Houdini a la hora de zafarse de las más complicadas ataduras. Y, por fin, pude conocer de primera mano los relatos que tan famoso y adorado han hecho al gran Lovecraft.
Y, sí, ha sido toda una experiencia: arqueología, escapismo y terror monstruoso, todo en uno.
Esta novela participa en el reto La vuelta al mundo en 12 libros en el mes de junio.
August 24, 2020
În ceea ce privește povestirile lui Lovecraft, cele din prezentul volum se încadrează în temele sale predilecte. El reușește să creeze o lume vastă, necunoscută omului obișnuit chiar dacă trăiește în mijlocul ei. Este un semn al îngîmfării ridicole a umanității confruntate cu realitățile ascunse ale unui cosmos ostil. Dintre povestiri se remarcă, în opinia mea, Prizonierul faraonilor, avînd la bază experiența lui Harry Houdini, cu un fundal arăbesc tipic ce duce la un scenariu de coșmar al captivității și experiențelor de dincolo de cunoscut. Fiara din peșteră ne poartă din situația tipică a unui turist rătăcit într-o peșteră într-o confruntare pe viață și pe moarte cu o arătare bizară. Între zidurile din Eryx diferă prin fundalul SF, oferind o dilemă fără scăpare și reprezentînd un precursor al temei avariției umane explorate în filme precum Aliens sau Avatar.
Ca o critică la adresa ediției prezente, povestirile El și Sărbătoarea apar și în volumul Chemarea lui Cthulhu și alte povestiri apărut în 2019 la editura Polirom
Ca o critică la adresa ediției prezente, povestirile El și Sărbătoarea apar și în volumul Chemarea lui Cthulhu și alte povestiri apărut în 2019 la editura Polirom
October 30, 2019
Horror stories with Egyptian settings might have lost their lustre in the last hundred years or so, but Lovecraft's stands, not always tall, the test of time.
Starring Harry Houdini, it begins to drag at a point or two, but by the next page or so it absolves itself.
By and large, it is a good read for All Hallows Eve.
Starring Harry Houdini, it begins to drag at a point or two, but by the next page or so it absolves itself.
By and large, it is a good read for All Hallows Eve.
May 3, 2021
Houdini? Strange. The Egypt setting is interesting, I didn't expect that. This one just didn't draw me in at all. I wish it was more ''show, not tell'', I think that would have made it more thrilling.
December 31, 2013
My main impression of this book is that it contains lots of SAT words.
April 4, 2018
Horror story--terrible (1 star)
Travelogue--right on! (5 stars)
Travelogue--right on! (5 stars)
July 22, 2018
the mummy movie traumatized me as a kid; and now this
March 12, 2021
Las pirámides de la locura con Harry Houdini de prota, meh. Además es claramente misógino y racista.
El prota va con su mujer a Egipto y ni se menciona el nombre de ella, es más una preocupación y un estorbo que un personaje. Cuando los separan y lo secuestran no tiene ni un sólo pensamiento por ella en todo lo que resta de historia.
Los árabes son malvados. No es que sean una cultura desconocida, no es que esos en concreto sean cultistas de los dioses exteriores, no. Son malos por ser árabes y punto.
Sé que no hay que juzgar historias pasadas con el prisma del presente, pero es que encima era aburrida a más no poder. Una despreciable estrella para este relato.
El prota va con su mujer a Egipto y ni se menciona el nombre de ella, es más una preocupación y un estorbo que un personaje. Cuando los separan y lo secuestran no tiene ni un sólo pensamiento por ella en todo lo que resta de historia.
Los árabes son malvados. No es que sean una cultura desconocida, no es que esos en concreto sean cultistas de los dioses exteriores, no. Son malos por ser árabes y punto.
Sé que no hay que juzgar historias pasadas con el prisma del presente, pero es que encima era aburrida a más no poder. Una despreciable estrella para este relato.
November 26, 2017
Una de mis historias favoritas de Lovecraft. Si bien es atípica (no la escribió a nombre propio, sino para que Harry Houdini la publicara), es un perfecto ejemplo de lo descriptivo y oscuro que era el autor. Las historias del antiguo Egipto siempre me han movido mucho y son mis favoritas; ésta en particular revela una de las peores pesadillas de todo explorador: quedar atrapado en los secretos de las pirámides y ser juzgado por esas criaturas que consideramos mitológicas e inexistentes. Sobra decir que el final es arrasador.
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