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The Robert E. Howard Guide
Presenting the English translation of the award-winning book that introduced a new generation of French fans to the father of sword and sorcery.
The Robert E. Howard Guide was born out of years of scholarship, but took its final form after answering the same questions from fans over and over again. In many ways, Howard remains a "famous unknown writer," the man who single-handedly defined modern fantasy, but whose life and works are still known mostly filtered through adaptations, pastiches and gross approximations. Because of those specificities, he is more often than not known for what and who he wasn't, for sentences he never wrote, or for characters who bear little resemblance—if any—to his original creations. This, in turn, explains how and why this book was conceived. It is sometimes amusing, sometimes sarcastic, but, built on 30 years of Howard scholarship, it is always insightful. A serious work . . . that tries not to take itself too seriously.
The Robert E. Howard Guide was born out of years of scholarship, but took its final form after answering the same questions from fans over and over again. In many ways, Howard remains a "famous unknown writer," the man who single-handedly defined modern fantasy, but whose life and works are still known mostly filtered through adaptations, pastiches and gross approximations. Because of those specificities, he is more often than not known for what and who he wasn't, for sentences he never wrote, or for characters who bear little resemblance—if any—to his original creations. This, in turn, explains how and why this book was conceived. It is sometimes amusing, sometimes sarcastic, but, built on 30 years of Howard scholarship, it is always insightful. A serious work . . . that tries not to take itself too seriously.
- GenresNonfictionPulpBiography
201 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 18, 2021
Excellent introduction to Howard and his work. Readers who already know a lot about Howard may not find it very novel (although for me, at least, there were at least a couple of new facts and interpretations), but for those who've maybe just seen a Conan movie and read a few anthologies with Howard's stories in them, this is a perfect next step.
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February 21, 2022Tras la lectura, no tengo dudas de por qué se considera a Louinet el mayor experto sobre Howard. Si quieres conocer al autor texano, más allá de la visión distorsionada y falsa que dio de él Sprague de Camp, este es el libro.
October 6, 2020
Vamos por partes. A obra, escrita por Patrice Louinet, é de fato uma ótima introdução para a literatura de Robert E. Howard, abrangendo seus personagens, sua biografia, seu estilo... Enfim, um trabalho que se beneficia tanto da experiência direta do autor, que editou os livros de Howard em novas versões, mais fiéis às suas versões originais; quanto do extenso corpo crítico que surgiu nas últimas décadas. O porém fica para esta edição brasileira. A tradução é péssima - surgindo termos bizarros como "pós-humoso" para "posthumous (póstumo)", entre outros absurdos - e a revisão do texto simplesmente não existe. O editor colocou uma série de notas de rodapé remetendo o leitor às edições da Red Dragon - mas, se tiverem sido objeto da mesma "atenção editorial" deste Guia, é melhor ficar longe! E isso é uma pena, dada a inexistência de obras sobre REH no Brasil.
May 1, 2022
No leo mucho ensayo, pero esta guía sobre REH me ha parecido una maravilla. Empieza desmontando falsos mitos sobre el autor. Después hace una breve biografía, para seguir con una selección de los mejores relatos del autor comentados. Hay más partes también interesantes, pero es esta valoración de los cuentos lo que más me ha gustado. Puedes estar de acuerdo o no con sus valoraciones, pero no cabe duda de que están bien meditadas y argumentadas.
Por mi parte, lo que más me gusta de Howard es como conecto emocionalmente con sus personajes, sintiendo su ira, su frustración y sus efímeros momentos de alegría. Nunca me he preocupado por el subtexto y el contexto de la obra, aunque en este libro se habla mucho de ellos.
En resumen, un estudio sobre Howard imprescindible, tal vez el mejor que he leído. Muy recomendable para quien quiera saber más del creador de Conan.
Por mi parte, lo que más me gusta de Howard es como conecto emocionalmente con sus personajes, sintiendo su ira, su frustración y sus efímeros momentos de alegría. Nunca me he preocupado por el subtexto y el contexto de la obra, aunque en este libro se habla mucho de ellos.
En resumen, un estudio sobre Howard imprescindible, tal vez el mejor que he leído. Muy recomendable para quien quiera saber más del creador de Conan.
June 9, 2020
Inutile de faire un pavé, le temps que vous passez à lire cette review est du temps que vous ne passez pas à lire ce livre, Howard, ou tout autre bouquin conseillé dans ce guide que vous ne manquerez pas de vouloir acquérir pour pousser plus loin cette remarquable introduction. Que vous soyez amateur ou fan, ce livre est tout simplement un must-have
November 24, 2020
A good intro to Robert E. Howard’s works and broader influence. Critical of various trends and bad histories about the author, Louinet makes a case for Howard, and especially his creation Conan, to be appreciated in an unvarnished (i.e. non-pastiched) way. Interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews