The Tomb: And Other Tales

by H.P. Lovecraft

Book Overview

This extraordinary collection features 13 spine-tingling tales of delicious terror by the unquestioned master of the horror genre, as well as portions of stories he never fully completed. Discover how... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345336615
• ISBN13: 9780345336613
• Release Date: December 1970
• Publisher: Del Rey Books
• Length: 190 Pages
• Weight: 0.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Real Horror for Real Lovers of the Occult Horror genre

Three words can describe this book: tongue in cheek. One of the best written works of horror fiction that any author can ever write about! Only Lovecraft fully knows the potential of using the occult in the work of fiction! This book is a must along with the other books that Ballantine has compiled for Lovecraft! It is also a must for those interested in using Lovecraft's fiction for their rituals, too! I suggest all Masonic Temple of Satan and Order of the Horned Goat members to read up on this.

Fascinating, but Lovecraft beginners should start elsewhere

In terms of readability or pure enjoyment, this title ranks low among the myriad Lovecraft titles. However, for the Lovecraft devotee, it offers enlightening insights into the author's writing. There is quite a hodge-podge of tales to be found in these pages. "The Tomb" is a fairly standard horror piece, "Imprisoned With the Pharoahs" is a story ghost written for Harry Houdini which I count among Lovecraft's lesser tales, "In the Walls of Eryx" is a compelling, uniquely Lovecraftian science fiction story set on Venus. "The Horror of Red Hook," while harkening to the types of unworldly themes Lovecraft came to be known for, is a somewhat dense story which I had unaccustomed trouble reading--largely, I feel, because it was written in the third person. "The Festival," "He," and "The Strange High House in the Mist" concern ancient rites and hints of unearthly terrors while also hinting at the dream worlds that Lovecraft so often contemplated; not surprisingly, I find these stories to be the best ones in this collection. The really interesting parts of this book consist of a number of early tales and fragments. There are four stories Lovecraft wrote during his teens, and it is almost incredible to see the distinctive Lovecraft voice and style so well developed at such an early age. "Poetry and the Gods" and "The Street" are unusual and bear an ethereal air that did not find its way into his mature writings, while "The Beast in the Cave" and "The Alchemist" foreshadow the stories whose fame we now celebrate. The four story fragments are fascinating; though incomplete, they easily fit into a Lovecraftian world in that certain sometimes obscure references point to elements, characters, and themes developed more fully in other stories. One begins to see that all of Lovecraft's tales, Mythos and non-Mythos, share a mysterious thread or foundation. It is for this reason that I would not recommend reading this book without having read some of Lovecraft's better known stories. Certainly, those not yet fascinated by Lovecraft will reap small rewards from reading the fragments and early writings, and the other tales collected here are much less satisfying than those of the Cthulhu Mythos.

It's H.P.L...i mean...Duh

If u have not heard of Lovecraft, then i highly recommend that you purchase atleast one Lovecraft book NOW. The man was a genius and it is a shame that he died at such a young age. This book, or At The Mountains of Madness is a good place to start. This next comment is directed towards the first review of this book: At no point in Lovecraft's life was he mentally insane. He probably was eccentric but certainly not insane.

Lovecraft express, climb aboard!

This book offers a perfect way to introduce someone to the works of Lovecraft. The tales within offer chills in a way only Lovecraft could do. Ordinary people thrust into the heart of madness. The pace of the stories builds nicely, often erupting into a frightening climax. Be sure to check out "The Strange High House In The Mist" and "The Evil Clergyman". There are also some early work and fragments here for your reading pleasure