Will > Recent Status Updates

Just finished the story The Festival. I enjoyed this one much more than the previous story. The setting is gloomy and perfect for October reading. Appears to have been inspired by an actual town that Lovecraft discovered. Similar to Rats in the Walls, it also has the theme of family heritage dealing with the unknown horrors.

Just finished The Rats in the Walls. Another Lovecraft story I’ve come away with mixed feelings. I may just not be used to his writing style, and probably explains why it’s taken me over 10 years to get this far. I probably just need more experience with his writing. I had to look up online to make sure I did understand it, and did in fact not pick up on some key points unfortunately. A good story though.

Chapter 28

Chapter 26

Finished reading The Hound - with only 8 pages, the story takes a long time to get going, and I felt was overly descriptive and had to re-read some lines multiple times to try and understand what the message was. The notes at the back do say that this was intentional by Lovecraft and almost a parody of himself. However, the story turned into a great one of grave robbing, unseen horrors and inevitable insanity.

Just finished Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass. A unique story set in a hotel in a Costa Rican forest, where man is the most dangerous thing to be afraid of.

Just finished the story ‘You’re Not Supposed to Be Here’. A very chilling story that puts you on edge. Only 3 more stories left in the collection.

Finished The Black Stone this morning. Often regarded as one of Howard’s greatest stories, and I can see why it gets such high praise. Unsettling and brutal in places, and written which great prose. I wanted to read it before the end of October, and I’m glad I’ve managed to do that.

Children of the Night - the first John O’Donnell story I’ve read by Howard. An individual who can look back to his Pictish lineage and relive events. A good concept, though the story itself didn’t full stick for me this time. Glad to have appearances of Conrad and Kirowan, characters that I look forward to reading more in the future. Next up, The Black Stone - very excited for this one!

A return to Robert E. Howard’s horror stories with Dig Me No Grave. This is the first story I’ve read from him that’s set within the same shared universe as H. P. Lovecraft’s mythos. Really enjoyed this one - the atmosphere was strong throughout, and it included some genuinely chilling scenes!

Part 1 finished, being the ‘Standard Version’ as translated from the original clay tablets (that have been found and translated). Part 2 contains the Sumerian poems of Gilgamesh. Which will be a retelling and is considered an appendix to Part 1, which also takes the story further than in the ‘standard version’.

Mrs Anderson - 2.5/5 - A story about the average 9-5 and habits we get into whilst on the hamster wheel that is life, and how slight change can push people over the edge.

The Renegade - 2/5 - Just about made it through this one. Whilst it achieved an unsettling atmosphere, not much else went on here other than a focus on how casual someone can talk about death when it doesn’t affect them, or don’t understand it yet. Something most of us are guilty of I expect. 4 stories read and hoping for they pickup soon.

Mrs Spencer and the Oberons -3/5 - an unsettling story that again leads towards social standards and paranoia. Similar to The Nightmare in that way, and with a dream like feeling throughout. The prose is easy to read, and makes for an enjoyable reading experience.

The Witch 2.5/5- a short 5 page story. Not much to say without giving anything away. But easily a filler story that was enjoyable enough.

The first story - Nightmare. 2.75/5

An interesting take on social pressures and paranoia. Similar to that of the ‘spotlight effect’ and ‘existential self consciousness’.

Enjoyable enough and a nice introduction to the collection.

The 4th story in this collection is The Squaw. A story of 2 newlyweds and an American visiting a torture museum in German. The death of a kitten in front of its mother then changes the story into a gory revenge thriller. Reminiscent of The Tomb of Legia or The Black Cat with elements of Black Sunday. This collection has focus on animals in each story, with the final being The Burial of the Rats.

The 3rd story in this collection, Gibbet Hill, was again an enjoyable story, but I'd say that this probably isn't one of Stoker's best known or reviewed stories. I'm still glad to have read it, and for its inclusion in this short collection.

Just finished reading The Judge's House. A really enjoyable horror story including rats, and how the human mind can play tricks when left in solitude. Next up, Gibbet Hill.