‘New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft’

Howard Phillips (H.P.) Lovecraft is a towering figure in the world of horror, short stories, American literature and the just plain weird. Collecting many noteworthy and beloved stories, Leslie Klinger’s “The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft” delves deeply into Lovecraftian scholarship with a passion and depth to satisfy the most ardent fan while maintaining the highest level of scholarship. There is no hiding the divisive fact of Lovecraft’s racism; it is presented in its full context, yet balance is maintained with the obvious love for the works of this flawed story-teller.

New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft

This is a gorgeous book filled with enough amazing pictures, letters, illustrations and maps to qualify as a work of bibliographic art. This volume hosts the definitive, unaltered versions of many of Lovecraft’s most beloved works, from to “The Shadow over Innsmouth” to “Herbert West: Animator” and of course, “The Call of Cthulhu.” My only complaint is that the huge volume isn’t even bigger. There are so many great Lovecraft stories.

These strange, gripping stories have shed the pallor of the penny dreadful and are now studied in the highest ivory towers in the land. The academic twist gives Lovecraft a depth and breadth that go far beyond his status as sci-fi royalty. “The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft” contains the historical set pieces, linguistic touch stones and philosophical mood lighting to serve as illumination and grounding at the same time. It is intellectually riveting, exhaustively researched and completely accessible. It’s the perfect gift for that person on your holiday list — you know, the one who’s just a little bit weird.

Review by Julie Goodrich

Liveright Publishing
928 pp
Oct. 13, 2014
$39.95

Julie is a collector of pretty words, cat hair and obsolete college degrees. She lives in Grimes with an obscene number of books. For Christmas she is asking Santa for a recount in Iowa’s senate election.