H.P. Lovecraft: The Decline of the West (Starmont Studies in Literary Criticism)

Rating:
Summary: Best Book About the Philosophy of Lovecraft
Review: This book is definitely the best book to date on the market about the complexity that was Lovecraft's thoughts. In an easy, yet gratefully never over-simplifying, language, Joshi unfolds the philosophical contexts in both Lovecraft's letters and his stories. This is done in the best way possible: Joshi focuses on philosophical issues - i.e. metaphysics, ethics, aesthetical, and political thoughts - in, first, Lovecraft's enormeous bulk of letters, and then, second, as these issues come up in the stories that this horror-write wrote. In this tremendous and almost impossible process, Joshi manages to give a clear sight as to Lovecraft's change of views as well as his inspirations on the different issues.
A thing which stroke me as a wonderful addition to the elements discussed, is the fact that Joshi tries to stay true to the facts. For example, he stresses that Lovecraft - contrary to popular belief - did not invent the "cosmic indifferentism" that he is so famed for; instead it is clearly stated that this is a line of thought that was shared by many, more professional, contemporaries. If possible, such statements, instead of dimissing Lovecraft's originality, makes the reader appreciate the undesputable depth of Lovecraft's thoughts and original combination of philosophical insight with literary 'sleight-of-hand' even more.
Of course, one cannot always agree with Joshi, and sometimes it would have been nice with further arguments but overall this is a book no scholar of Lovecraft (professionally or amateurishly) can do without. It doesn't come any better than this.