Name: Arturo Hernández's review of The Whisperer in Darkness by H. P. Lovecraft
Item: The Whisperer in Darkness
Rating: 2
Author: Arturo Hernández

H. P. Lovecraft

The story is told by Albert N. Wilmarth, an instructor of literature at Miskatonic University in Arkham. When local newspapers report strange things seen floating in rivers during a historic Vermont flood, Wilmarth becomes embroiled in a controversy about the reality and significance of the sightings, though he sides with the skeptics. Wilmarth uncovers old legends about monsters living in the uninhabited hills who abduct people who venture or settle too close to their territory. Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American author of fantasy, horror and science fiction. He is notable for blending elements of science fiction and horror; and for popularizing "cosmic horror" the notion that some concepts, entities or experiences are barely comprehensible to human minds, and those who delve into such risk their sanity. Lovecraft has become a cult figure in the horror genre and is noted as creator of the "Cthulhu Mythos," a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a "pantheon" of nonhuman creatures, as well as the famed Necronomicon, a grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works typically had a tone of "cosmic pessimism," regarding mankind as insignificant and powerless in the universe. Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, and his works, particularly early in his career, have been criticized as occasionally ponderous, and for their uneven quality. Nevertheless, Lovecraft's reputation has grown tremendously over the decades, and he is now commonly regarded as one of the most important horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting an influence that is widespread, though often indirect.

The Whisperer in Darkness

Jessica Pearl

H.P. Lovecraft

The Whisperer in Darkness is a 26,000-word novella by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. Written February–September 1930, it was first published in Weird Tales, August 1931. Similar to The Colour Out of Space (1927), it is a blend of horror and science fiction. Although it makes numerous references to the Cthulhu Mythos, the story is not a central part of the mythos, but reflects a shift in Lovecraft's writing at this time towards science fiction. The story also introduces the Mi-go, an extraterrestrial race of fungoid creatures. The story is told by Albert N. Wilmarth, an instructor of literature at Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts. When local newspapers report strange things seen floating in rivers during a historic Vermont flood, Wilmarth becomes embroiled in a controversy regarding the reality and significance of the sightings. He sides with the skeptics, blaming old legends about monsters living in uninhabited hills that abduct people venturing too close to their territory. He receives a letter from Henry Wentworth Akeley, a man living in an isolated farmhouse near Townshend, Vermont, who claims to have proof that will convince Wilmarth he must stop questioning the creatures' existence. The two exchange letters that include an account of the extraterrestrial race chanting with human agents in worship of several beings, including Cthulhu and Nyarlathotep, the latter of whom "shall put on the semblance of men, the waxen mask and the robe that hides"... Famous works of the author Howard Phillips Lovecraft: At the Mountains of Madness, The Dreams in the Witch House, The Horror at Red Hook, The Shadow Out of Time, The Shadows over Innsmouth, The Alchemist, Reanimator, Ex Oblivione, Azathoth, The Call of Cthulhu, The Cats of Ulthar, The Dunwich Horror, The Doom that Came to Sarnath, The Festival, The Silver Key, The Other Gods, The Outsider, The Temple, The Picture in the House, The Shunned House, The Terrible Old Man, The Tomb, Dagon, From Beyond, What the Moon Brings.

Arturo Hernández

I understand the influence Lovecraft had on the suspense genre however this being my first attempt to understand a little bit more about his writing, I found it quite complex and incoherent at times. I was not a fan definitely :/

Howard Phillips Lovecraft

When strange things are reported to be floating in rivers in rural Vermont after a flood, old myths about hill-dwelling monsters who abduct humans resurface in subsequent debates, much to the annoyance of local academic Albert N. Wilmarth. However, when he starts receiving letters from a man named Henry Wentworth Akeley about the supposed presence near his farmhouse of an extraterrestrial race worshipping ancient cosmic deities, Wilmarth finds himself drawn into an astonishing correspondence that leads to a harrowing discovery.

Scott Wilks

Rating All 19 Lovecraft Stories Within the Necronomicon (Audible Audio Book) ~ Part 5 - The Whisperer In Darkness.

One of the more creepy Lovecraft tales, the story hooks you with the great character development between two scientifically-minded individuals; a sceptical folklorist and an intelligent hermit living in the vicinity of a forest holding a secret aeons old.

I would highly recommend this book as one of the first ones to read when attempting to get yourself or a friend into the Lovecraftian universe, it's creepy, gives you a taste of his writing style and isn't too long.

The story is told by Albert N. Wilmarth, an instructor of literature at Miskatonic University in Arkham. When local newspapers report strange things seen floating in rivers during a historic Vermont flood, Wilmarth becomes embroiled in a controversy about the reality and significance of the sightings, though he sides with the skeptics. Wilmarth uncovers old legends about monsters living in the uninhabited hills who abduct people who venture or settle too close to their territory.

Jana Pashovska

'The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.'

I took my sweet, sweet time reading this collection of short stories, mostly because I am a novice in the Lovecraftian world of death and fear, but also because the ingenuity of the author lays precisely in the slow decent to madness; in being slowly but surely absorbed in the doomsday atmosphere he so marvelously creates by using incredibly creative, never-before thought-of compound adjectives. 

His style of writing is not for those unused to old-fashioned syntax, but having read many, many classics, I found this not troublesome. However, his over-use of adjectives may confound you a bit and you may find yourself losing track of the narrative in certain places because you are overwhelmed by words. But I guess that is a part of that slow decent into madness- you really feel like you are losing yourself in the space-time continuum.

This collection contains some of his best and most famous stories, such as 'The Call of Cthlhu' and 'At the Mountains of Madness', and is a great place for a beginner who doesn't know too much about the Lovecraft Mythos, but is nevertheless ready to plunge into it and enjoy the wild ride.

All in all, I really enjoyed my introduction to Lovecraft and am glad that I took time to slowly read and appreciate each of the stories included here, because it has only left me hungry for more.

Jessica Pearl &
The Whisperer in Darkness by H. P. Lovecraft

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Jessica Pearl &The Whisperer in Darkness by H. P. Lovecraft

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Jessica Pearl &
The Whisperer in Darkness by H. P. Lovecraft