The H. P. Lovecraft Companion

Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource for Lovecraft's eldritch work...
Review: For those just beginning down the road toward H.P. Lovecraft's extraterrestrial horrors, or for those who have visited many times before, this companion book by Philip A. Shreffler may prove an invaluable literary compass. Helpful to the newcomer will be chapters 3 and 4, "The Mythos Monsters" and "An Encylopedia of Characters and Monsters", respectively. In these chapters, Shreffler irons out the myriad people and super-beings which inhabit Lovecraft's intricate worlds, and explains clearly how they relate to one another in the infamous Mythos cycles. He even includes a "family tree" of H.P.L's wicked gods. Long-time fans of Lovecraft will be delighted as well with the rest of the book, which is chock-full of intriguing facts and anecdotes regarding his theories on literature, his personal life, and various inspirations. Written during a time when Lovecraft's work didn't garner as much attention as that of newcomers like Stephen King, this book unfortunately remains out of print. A new generation of admiring readers and publishers has dawned, however, and Philip Shreffler's book is definitely worth a look by both parties.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource for Lovecraft's eldritch work...
Review: For those just beginning down the road toward H.P. Lovecraft's extraterrestrial horrors, or for those who have visited many times before, this companion book by Philip A. Shreffler may prove an invaluable literary compass. Helpful to the newcomer will be chapters 3 and 4, "The Mythos Monsters" and "An Encylopedia of Characters and Monsters", respectively. In these chapters, Shreffler irons out the myriad people and super-beings which inhabit Lovecraft's intricate worlds, and explains clearly how they relate to one another in the infamous Mythos cycles. He even includes a "family tree" of H.P.L's wicked gods. Long-time fans of Lovecraft will be delighted as well with the rest of the book, which is chock-full of intriguing facts and anecdotes regarding his theories on literature, his personal life, and various inspirations. Written during a time when Lovecraft's work didn't garner as much attention as that of newcomers like Stephen King, this book unfortunately remains out of print. A new generation of admiring readers and publishers has dawned, however, and Philip Shreffler's book is definitely worth a look by both parties.

Rating:
Summary: Required reading for the Miskatonic U. Literary Theory Class
Review: If you believe that the best way to study an author is through his works, this book is an outstanding addition to any Lovecraft collection. Other studies of Lovecraft I have seen either dismiss Lovecraft's philosophy and literary theory as being too complex to study or bog down in exhaustive reviews of Lovecraft's letters.

In 'The H.P. Lovecraft Companion', however, Shreffler has done exhaustive research into what Lovecraft's actual literary influences might have been, as is indicated not only by his letters but also by looking at what authors were in vogue at the time Lovecraft was writing and even what books would have been available on the shelves at the Brown University Library in the early 1900's.

Shreffler also makes a rather fascinating digression into actual magical cults in search of the basis for fictional groups such as the Esoteric Order of Dagon and Cthulu cults, and also sketches the history of real magical grimoires to explain the inspiration for the dreaded 'Necronomicon'. The author also gives bare outlines of some of the best/earliest Lovecraft-inspired stories by other authors.

My only complaint would be that even though almost all of Lovecraft's tales are listed in the book, only some of them are presented with 'back story' information regarding the specific details surrounding the location and inspiration for each one. A bonus in the book are several black and white photos of some surviving buildings mentioned in Lovecraft's stories, as well as maps of Salem, Arkham and Marblehead., Mass, and a map of Lovecraft's dreamland and other miscellaneous illustrations. Another bonus is H.P.L.'s "History of The Necronomicon" which is tacked on as an appendix.

What this book really does is extend to the reader a deep understanding of the literary and thaumaturgic influences on H.P.L. and gives an appreciation for Lovecraft's works, both for being ahead of their time as well as being incredibly (in some cases almost terrifyingly) well researched and even plausible.

Highly recommended.