H.P. Lovecraft: A Life

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Summary: This book is now back in print - yippee!
Review: Despite it's "out of print" listing above, this book is again available in a new paperback edition from us, the original publisher, Necronomicon Press ... please urge Amazon.com to begin offering it again ...

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent
Review: I first discovered Lovecraft quite by accident in a small NJ library over 15 years ago. I saw a book on the rack called The Lurking Fear and Other Stories and was impressed by the cover. Needless to say I've read everything by Lovecraft and am an ardent fan. This book is packed w/ information on everything from Lovecraft's political views to his belief of man's meaningless place in the universe. The biography is chock full of HP's letters and offers great insight into his approach to weird fiction and the necessary ingredients of a well-crafted horror tale. Riddled throughout the account of HP's life is Joshi's own criticisms of Lovecraft's stories. Most of the time I agree although he seems to enjoy Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath (which I never really liked) and down-plays The Lurking Fear (one of my favorites). Nevertheless this is a creditable work and certainly one of the best, albeit few, biographies I've ever read.

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Summary: Excellent reference work and definitive biography.
Review: I highly recommend this biography of Lovecraft's life. There is something very relaxing about the way Lovecraft did things-- relaxing to read about. It puts the reader in a good mood to hear about Lovecraft's travels, his publishing squabbles, his loyal friendships, and his love of cats. Joshi's treatment of America's esteemed weird fiction writer is very detailed and intelligent.

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Summary: A life of letters
Review: Joshi's biography will quite probably never be topped. It easily outdistances L. Sprague de Camp's original biographical study, even though it does slip into some of de Camp's finger-wagging mode from time to time. (Joshi, in common with all critics, seems to feel that his OPINIONS about specific stories are OFFICIAL PRONUNCIAMENTOS about them, a form of arrogance that only mars the fine scholarship, indefatigable research and pleasant writing style of this book.) That minor cavil aside, this is a major accomplishment --- and even when you disagree with Joshi, he'll leave you thinking, AND pleased that you read the book. What more can you ask?

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Summary: Detailed, Fascinating and Critical
Review: Joshi's book is an awesome thing to behold. If Lovecraft will go on in the 21st century to be one of America's great writers, much credit will go to Joshi for his incredible research, storytelling and critical view of a very curious man.

At times I felt like skipping around and reading chapters which tell of Lovecraft's life during the creation of a specific story (my favorites like "Call of Cthulhu" and "At the Mountains of Madness") -- easy to due thanks for the great Index compiled for this work. The whole book is very thought provoking -- even if you thought you knew enough about Lovecraft's life. The disassembling of the (Derelith's) mythos too is good to have made official with the keen research Joshi has done.

Have recommended this to friends both Lovecraft-lovers and ones-not-necessarily-so. An example of what a good literary biography should be.

Rating:
Summary: Detailed, Fascinating and Critical
Review: Joshi's book is an awesome thing to behold. If Lovecraft will go on in the 21st century to be one of America's great writers, much credit will go to Joshi for his incredible research, storytelling and critical view of a very curious man.

At times I felt like skipping around and reading chapters which tell of Lovecraft's life during the creation of a specific story (my favorites like "Call of Cthulhu" and "At the Mountains of Madness") -- easy to due thanks for the great Index compiled for this work. The whole book is very thought provoking -- even if you thought you knew enough about Lovecraft's life. The disassembling of the (Derelith's) mythos too is good to have made official with the keen research Joshi has done.

Have recommended this to friends both Lovecraft-lovers and ones-not-necessarily-so. An example of what a good literary biography should be.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to Imagine a Better Biography of HPL
Review: Joshi's work is not only thorough and scholarly, creating a well-rounded and moving impression of Lovecraft and his own interests (as opposed to the interests of his biographers), it is also thoroughly entertaining and compulsively readable. More importantly, it is now back in print for the price of $30. Buy it, read it, and join me in hoping that one day S.T. Joshi will find a publisher for the complete and unabridged version. Yes, even this massive volume is abridged.

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Summary: The first academic-grade biography of H.P. Lovecraft
Review: Probably the finest biography I have ever read, S. T. Joshi's *H.P. Lovecraft: A Life* is a stupendous achievement in literary research and analysis. It is also very well-written and has a narrative drive that makes it difficult to put down. I strongly recommend this book as a first source to anyone interested in this important American writer.

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent
Review: There is little I can add to the kudos already present on this page in reference to "H.P. Lovecraft: A Life." It is every bit as good as the previous readers have said it is: magnificently detailed, critical yet sympathethic, and, yes, "compulsively readable." The point I wish to add is this. The folks who have already reviewed this book here all seem to be inveterate Lovecraftians; in contrast, I am not. While I am slowly warming to Lovecraft as I read more of his fiction, I really ordered this book simply to obtain some background on the writer for a class I teach which will touch briefly on his work. I never had any intention of actually reading all 600 pages---there was some specific information I was looking for, and really only planned to skim the volume. Well! Five days later I staggered away from this magnificent book, dizzy from reading, exhilarated, moved, overwhelmed. The point is: if you have any interest in literary biography, you owe it to yourself to read this book. It is one of the finest examples of the genre published in the past 30 years, and even if you do not much care about Lovecraft the writer, S.T. Joshi will make you care about Lovecraft the man. It should be required reading for anyone planning to write a biography.

"H.P. Lovecraft: A Life" is a great achievement.