The Shadow Over Innsmouth
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Cthulhu is calling… 📞 Die neue Ausgabe von Der Schatten über Innsmouth ist zwar ein wenig unhandlich, dafür aber umso schöner – im Sinne von schaurig atmosphärisch – illustriert! 𝘗𝘩’𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘶𝘪 𝘮𝘨𝘭𝘸’𝘯𝘢𝘧𝘩 𝘊𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘭𝘩𝘶 𝘙’𝘭𝘺𝘦𝘩 𝘸𝘨𝘢𝘩’𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘭 𝘧𝘩𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘯 Worum geht’s? Der Student Robert Olmstead ist auf einer Reise durch Neuengland, um Familienforschung zu betreiben. Dabei kommt er zufällig in die kleine Küstenstadt Innsmouth – doch das abgelegene Fischerdorf birgt ein dunkles Geheimnis… 🎣 Ich bin großer Fan von der Atmosphäre, die mit dem Cthulhu Mythos einhergeht & allem, was damit zu tun hat, z. B. Arkham Horror (Brettspiel), Call of Cthulhu (Spiel) & Cthulhus Ruf (Hörspielreihe). Der Kosmos verbindet subtilen (kosmischen) Horror, Mächte, die jenseits unserer Vorstellungskraft liegen und damit ein Schrecken, der zwar da, aber nicht wirklich greifbar ist mit verschiedenen zum Teil wiederkehrenden Charakteren, die je nach Kenntnisstand auch in unterschiedlichen Phasen ihrer „geistigen Stabilität“ stecken. Die Illustrationen von François Baranger fangen das Unbehagen, das einem langsam den Rücken hochkriecht, sehr gelungen ein. Selbst wenn ihr die Geschichte bereits kennt, lohnt sich daher ein Blick ins Buch! Solltet ihr euch bisher noch nicht mit Lovecraft beschäftigt haben, aber in den Kosmos abtauchen wollen (höhö 🦑), empfehle ich für einen reflektierten Umgang vorher eine kleine Recherche zu Lovecraft & seinen Ansichten.
Fängt die Lovecraft Atmosphäre perfekt ein
Einige der Geschichten von H. P. Lovecraft kenne ich zwar schon, doch die illustrierten Ausgaben habe ich bisher immer nur von Außen bewundert Nach Schatten über Innsmouth kann ich aber ganz klar sagen, dass definitiv auch noch alle anderen illustrierten Lovecraft Ausgaben bei mir einziehen werden Auch diese Geschichte kannte ich grundsätzlich schon, habe aber sie auch zum zweiten Mal wirklich gerne gelesen und die Illustrationen haben das Leseerlebnis wirklich sehr aufgewertet Zwar sind Lovecrafts Geschichten generell sehr atmosphärisch und bildhaft, die Illustrationen hier bringen das aber nochmal auf ein ganz anderes Level Schatten über Innsmouth ist wirklich einer der Lovecraft Klassiker, der den subtilen Horror, die Ängste des Protagonisten und die mysteriösen okkulten Ereignisse vereint, für die er so bekannt ist Das ungute Gefühl bekommt hier nicht nur der Protagonist, sondern auch der Leser, denn wir tappen anfangs genauso im Dunkeln wie er und stoßen mit ihm gemeinsam auf gruselige Orte und Wesen Auch hat diese Geschichte wirklich viel Spannung und ein absolut geniales Ende zu bieten, weshalb ich sie auch für Lovecraft Einsteiger sehr empfehlen würde Die Illustrationen selbst sind nicht nur wunderschön, sondern setzen die Lovecraftsche Atmosphäre auch wirklich perfekt um und lassen das ganze Buch sehr hochwertig wirken Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass mir die Geschichten noch besser gefallen können, aber jetzt will ich definitiv auch noch alle anderen illustriert erleben
Though I often find some horror novels overly verbose and lacking in brevity, H.P. Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth stands out as a notable exception. This short story, with its enthralling and mysterious setting, surprisingly left me longing for more, a rare sentiment for me. Set in the fictional and deteriorating town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts, the story is narrated by a curious young man. He visits the town to delve into its historical and architectural aspects but soon finds himself immersed in its unsettling mysteries. He encounters locals who are not only unfriendly but also exhibit peculiar appearances and behaviors. The central plot uncovers Innsmouth's dark history, intricately linked to enigmatic sea creatures. The protagonist stumbles upon a horrifying truth involving a sinister pact between the townspeople and these beings, which includes interbreeding and cult practices. A night spent in a dilapidated hotel escalates into a nightmarish experience and a frantic escape. A key strength of the novel is Lovecraft's mastery in building suspense and instilling a sense of impending doom. Innsmouth's atmosphere is dense and oppressive, with its decaying structures and secretive inhabitants intensifying the sense of dread. The story reaches its climax as the narrator discovers his own unsettling connection to Innsmouth, leading to a chilling and tragic revelation. Overall, the novel is a testament to Lovecraft's ability to craft a world that is both terrifying and enthralling. The pacing is well-measured, with each twist heightening the suspense. Despite its concise format, the story left me yearning for a deeper exploration of Innsmouth's eerie streets, a richer backstory of its odd inhabitants, and a more expansive depiction of Lovecraft's atmospherically rich universe.
[Spoiler Free Section] I feel like *I* am going insane with all the praise this book is getting lol. Maybe my expectations were too high? I'll be honest it was quite boring and I have more critique points below, but yeah, it was a short book (about 100 pages), there wasn't much atmosphere as our main character was talking a lot about travel, how ugly the people are and wondering what blood they have (I know Lovecraft was a racist, but I didn't think the book would be that obvious about it, really surprised me how on the nose he was) and then later more running around but secretly. The interesting parts are far and few between and delivered clumsily. Personally I would say horror books profit from less is more, so the low page count isn't that bad, but in this case I felt like it DID need more pages to build the atmosphere and give the author a chance to deliver the main story organically and not through a drunk old man... Oh, and please drink everytime the word "queer" appears. You will die. This man needed a thesaurus, badly. Awful pacing, in my opinion. Still... I will try to read one or two more books, hopefully those are better. Because the concept IS amazing and you can't deny how influential he was, but it feels like he only provided the crumbs and everyone else actually made a cake out of it. [Spoiler section] Where is the suspense when in the middle of the book the whole plot is basically explained by a dude with a very annoyinginly written accent. I'm sorry, but if you want to deliver the whole interesting part through exposition at least make it readable. Genuinely a headache reading that accent for TEN PAGES. Wouldn't it have been better for our main character to piece together the backstory on his own? Or at least divide the exposition throughout the book. I feel like if Lovecraft wasn't so famous people would rip this book to shreds, what other author could just let a drunk man Ted Talk at you for ten fucking pages while our main character doesn't react AT ALL. That's also a problem in this book, our main character is not even a character, not really. And one could argue he is a stand in for us or whatever, but that doesn't work in this book. If you want a stand in who just moves the story and doesn't react the story needs to build the atmosphere and let it speak for itself, so we the reader get spooked. But the book was too short for any of that, so we actually needed the character to react and show us how insane this place actually is. SAY SOMETHING DAMMIT! I don't even remember your name! Something, something, oh no the fishy townspeople are out to get me! Let me talk 10 pages about how I mimick their gait and walk by, never to be caught! Great... good for you. Again: Boring. Where is the suspense? He easily just escapes and the great big bad horror that is so unbelievable was... fish people. I knew about that already before this book and I thought the fish people are just the apperitif, not the damn dessert. I thought he'd actually see something that would make him go properly crazy. But he just fucks off back to his own life and then finds out his family is actually descended from these people and oh no he is one of them. Okaaay... Neat plot twist, if it would've actually mattered. I really wish that "plot twist" would've been at least referenced a bit more while he was in town. It should've affected something. But it didn't. I feel like people just love the concept of cosmic horror and fill in the parts this book didn't bother with and make the book better than it actually is. Or maybe Lovecrafts other books are better and so people look fondly upon this one? It had the idea, but not the execution. It just feels like another popular thing men praise to feel superior and highbrow when actually it's boring with no depth to it and the reader has to do the heavy lifting.
Description
Book Information
Posts
Cthulhu is calling… 📞 Die neue Ausgabe von Der Schatten über Innsmouth ist zwar ein wenig unhandlich, dafür aber umso schöner – im Sinne von schaurig atmosphärisch – illustriert! 𝘗𝘩’𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘶𝘪 𝘮𝘨𝘭𝘸’𝘯𝘢𝘧𝘩 𝘊𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘭𝘩𝘶 𝘙’𝘭𝘺𝘦𝘩 𝘸𝘨𝘢𝘩’𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘭 𝘧𝘩𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘯 Worum geht’s? Der Student Robert Olmstead ist auf einer Reise durch Neuengland, um Familienforschung zu betreiben. Dabei kommt er zufällig in die kleine Küstenstadt Innsmouth – doch das abgelegene Fischerdorf birgt ein dunkles Geheimnis… 🎣 Ich bin großer Fan von der Atmosphäre, die mit dem Cthulhu Mythos einhergeht & allem, was damit zu tun hat, z. B. Arkham Horror (Brettspiel), Call of Cthulhu (Spiel) & Cthulhus Ruf (Hörspielreihe). Der Kosmos verbindet subtilen (kosmischen) Horror, Mächte, die jenseits unserer Vorstellungskraft liegen und damit ein Schrecken, der zwar da, aber nicht wirklich greifbar ist mit verschiedenen zum Teil wiederkehrenden Charakteren, die je nach Kenntnisstand auch in unterschiedlichen Phasen ihrer „geistigen Stabilität“ stecken. Die Illustrationen von François Baranger fangen das Unbehagen, das einem langsam den Rücken hochkriecht, sehr gelungen ein. Selbst wenn ihr die Geschichte bereits kennt, lohnt sich daher ein Blick ins Buch! Solltet ihr euch bisher noch nicht mit Lovecraft beschäftigt haben, aber in den Kosmos abtauchen wollen (höhö 🦑), empfehle ich für einen reflektierten Umgang vorher eine kleine Recherche zu Lovecraft & seinen Ansichten.
Fängt die Lovecraft Atmosphäre perfekt ein
Einige der Geschichten von H. P. Lovecraft kenne ich zwar schon, doch die illustrierten Ausgaben habe ich bisher immer nur von Außen bewundert Nach Schatten über Innsmouth kann ich aber ganz klar sagen, dass definitiv auch noch alle anderen illustrierten Lovecraft Ausgaben bei mir einziehen werden Auch diese Geschichte kannte ich grundsätzlich schon, habe aber sie auch zum zweiten Mal wirklich gerne gelesen und die Illustrationen haben das Leseerlebnis wirklich sehr aufgewertet Zwar sind Lovecrafts Geschichten generell sehr atmosphärisch und bildhaft, die Illustrationen hier bringen das aber nochmal auf ein ganz anderes Level Schatten über Innsmouth ist wirklich einer der Lovecraft Klassiker, der den subtilen Horror, die Ängste des Protagonisten und die mysteriösen okkulten Ereignisse vereint, für die er so bekannt ist Das ungute Gefühl bekommt hier nicht nur der Protagonist, sondern auch der Leser, denn wir tappen anfangs genauso im Dunkeln wie er und stoßen mit ihm gemeinsam auf gruselige Orte und Wesen Auch hat diese Geschichte wirklich viel Spannung und ein absolut geniales Ende zu bieten, weshalb ich sie auch für Lovecraft Einsteiger sehr empfehlen würde Die Illustrationen selbst sind nicht nur wunderschön, sondern setzen die Lovecraftsche Atmosphäre auch wirklich perfekt um und lassen das ganze Buch sehr hochwertig wirken Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass mir die Geschichten noch besser gefallen können, aber jetzt will ich definitiv auch noch alle anderen illustriert erleben
Though I often find some horror novels overly verbose and lacking in brevity, H.P. Lovecraft's The Shadow Over Innsmouth stands out as a notable exception. This short story, with its enthralling and mysterious setting, surprisingly left me longing for more, a rare sentiment for me. Set in the fictional and deteriorating town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts, the story is narrated by a curious young man. He visits the town to delve into its historical and architectural aspects but soon finds himself immersed in its unsettling mysteries. He encounters locals who are not only unfriendly but also exhibit peculiar appearances and behaviors. The central plot uncovers Innsmouth's dark history, intricately linked to enigmatic sea creatures. The protagonist stumbles upon a horrifying truth involving a sinister pact between the townspeople and these beings, which includes interbreeding and cult practices. A night spent in a dilapidated hotel escalates into a nightmarish experience and a frantic escape. A key strength of the novel is Lovecraft's mastery in building suspense and instilling a sense of impending doom. Innsmouth's atmosphere is dense and oppressive, with its decaying structures and secretive inhabitants intensifying the sense of dread. The story reaches its climax as the narrator discovers his own unsettling connection to Innsmouth, leading to a chilling and tragic revelation. Overall, the novel is a testament to Lovecraft's ability to craft a world that is both terrifying and enthralling. The pacing is well-measured, with each twist heightening the suspense. Despite its concise format, the story left me yearning for a deeper exploration of Innsmouth's eerie streets, a richer backstory of its odd inhabitants, and a more expansive depiction of Lovecraft's atmospherically rich universe.
[Spoiler Free Section] I feel like *I* am going insane with all the praise this book is getting lol. Maybe my expectations were too high? I'll be honest it was quite boring and I have more critique points below, but yeah, it was a short book (about 100 pages), there wasn't much atmosphere as our main character was talking a lot about travel, how ugly the people are and wondering what blood they have (I know Lovecraft was a racist, but I didn't think the book would be that obvious about it, really surprised me how on the nose he was) and then later more running around but secretly. The interesting parts are far and few between and delivered clumsily. Personally I would say horror books profit from less is more, so the low page count isn't that bad, but in this case I felt like it DID need more pages to build the atmosphere and give the author a chance to deliver the main story organically and not through a drunk old man... Oh, and please drink everytime the word "queer" appears. You will die. This man needed a thesaurus, badly. Awful pacing, in my opinion. Still... I will try to read one or two more books, hopefully those are better. Because the concept IS amazing and you can't deny how influential he was, but it feels like he only provided the crumbs and everyone else actually made a cake out of it. [Spoiler section] Where is the suspense when in the middle of the book the whole plot is basically explained by a dude with a very annoyinginly written accent. I'm sorry, but if you want to deliver the whole interesting part through exposition at least make it readable. Genuinely a headache reading that accent for TEN PAGES. Wouldn't it have been better for our main character to piece together the backstory on his own? Or at least divide the exposition throughout the book. I feel like if Lovecraft wasn't so famous people would rip this book to shreds, what other author could just let a drunk man Ted Talk at you for ten fucking pages while our main character doesn't react AT ALL. That's also a problem in this book, our main character is not even a character, not really. And one could argue he is a stand in for us or whatever, but that doesn't work in this book. If you want a stand in who just moves the story and doesn't react the story needs to build the atmosphere and let it speak for itself, so we the reader get spooked. But the book was too short for any of that, so we actually needed the character to react and show us how insane this place actually is. SAY SOMETHING DAMMIT! I don't even remember your name! Something, something, oh no the fishy townspeople are out to get me! Let me talk 10 pages about how I mimick their gait and walk by, never to be caught! Great... good for you. Again: Boring. Where is the suspense? He easily just escapes and the great big bad horror that is so unbelievable was... fish people. I knew about that already before this book and I thought the fish people are just the apperitif, not the damn dessert. I thought he'd actually see something that would make him go properly crazy. But he just fucks off back to his own life and then finds out his family is actually descended from these people and oh no he is one of them. Okaaay... Neat plot twist, if it would've actually mattered. I really wish that "plot twist" would've been at least referenced a bit more while he was in town. It should've affected something. But it didn't. I feel like people just love the concept of cosmic horror and fill in the parts this book didn't bother with and make the book better than it actually is. Or maybe Lovecrafts other books are better and so people look fondly upon this one? It had the idea, but not the execution. It just feels like another popular thing men praise to feel superior and highbrow when actually it's boring with no depth to it and the reader has to do the heavy lifting.