Was H.P Lovecraft one of the best writers ever, or just a decent writer?
People I knew were constantly hyping him as a sort of master of literature, but when I decided to read him I found he was... Nice. Not bad, but not engaging in an artistic way. He was engaging as a Mistery writer though.
Also, why is he considered a writer of Horror? I would classify his works as Supernatural Thriller, rather than Horror. And he was not that racist in his writings.
>>8131685
In my opinion he was not even a decent "writer", in the sense that his prose was very bad.
His ideas (or monsters) were interesting though, and the creepy atmosphere is maintained somehow.
He is considered horror in the sense that his descriptions often stick with you for a long time, and he always portrays that there is something "unfathomable" beneath everything we know. IDK, his horror is really his own, hence the term Lovecraftian.
I'm no master on Lovecraft, and that might be obvious. I have read his recommended works and they left me with the above impression.
>>8131685
Literally autistic
>>8131698
Definitely, yet I love some of his stories. I can't remember what it's called, the one with the comet that lands in a well or something? "The Color from space" or so?
>>8131706
The Colour Out of Space
Most of his stories felt really dragged. But then he was submitting them to magazines, so that makes sense.
>>8131685
>And he was not that racist in his writings.
lmao
What did you read of his exactly? He's super-duper racist. And not even the cool type - he shat his pants around black people, absolutely pathetic.
general consensus here is that he's a bad writer with very interesting and memorable ideas. anyone hyping him as a master writer either doesn't read very much, or they're one of the Cthulhu memers who hasn't actually read any of his work.
btw try the archive next time. there have been a trillion threads about Lovecraft here.
>>8131719
0/10, please try harder next time, /pol/. You're dealing with a different class of people on this board.
>>8131685
Lovecraft is a lot of people's gateway into classic literature, I guess. He's accessible and fascinating, but he's not the best there is on offer.
Lovecraft certainly got me into more reading and his works hold a special place in my heart (that's corny, I know, but I was 13 when I discovered his works and I still enjoy reading a few on lazy days).
I just kind of hope people who read Lovecraft and act like he's the greatest of all time also have begun reading over classics.
>>8131731
Not that guy, but what Lovecraft works have you read? Lovecraft definitely let his prejudices influence his works, like referring to black people as ape-like or having a cat called Nigger Man in one of his stories (I believe it's called the Rats in the wall or something like that).
It doesn't bother me so much because I think it gives insight into the introverted nature of the writer, plus racism in literature is nothing new, especially during the time he was writing and centuries before.
Is Lovecraft well loved on /lit/?
>>8131813
He generally gets praise around here but there's bound to be people who aren't keen on his works, kinda like most of everything mentioned around here. I wouldn't worry if you brought up Lovecraft in a discussion on here.
>>8131813
Well loved is a stretch.
It's more like tolerated because he had some pretty good stories, well like 5 of them.
Racism is definitely a big part of his work. The idea that the uncivilized races might be in communion with the actual truth of things, for example in The Call of Cthulhu, reflects a deep anxiety in the West. The Shadow over Innsmouth is entirely about race mixing and the fear of unknowingly having tainted blood, as is Pickman's Model to a degree. Racism is a big part of the horror in certain stories of his. Of course it's absent from many others and it isn't a big deal anyway unless you're one of those insufferable SJWs.
>>8131821
I don't think anybody here, at least the talkies, know anything about deep about his work. I just checked the archive, as well as various reddit archives (because there's an occasional actual smart person there), and nobody has said anything beyond the superficial in terms of his writing style. Any "fans" who haven't plumbed much further than what's been remarked on here should be ashamed of themselves. Any older gents who've kept information to themselves out of selfishness should be ashamed as well.
>>8131857
Try twenty. There are only a handful of masterpieces though.
>>8131685
He's a mediocre prose stylist, plain an simple. Only retards who don't actually read think otherwise.
>>8132195
This.
>>8131685
>Not racist in his writings
What?
He had stretches of his career where genetic/cultural inferiority and otherness were recurring themes. Entire stories where the monstrous shock is that groups and people were products of degenerate impure breeding.
I personally like Lovecraft but that dude was racist as hell and it shows
I wouldn't say he's a great writer, but he has a unique quality to his work, and a good atmosphere and build up. Some of his flaws work in his favor too, he can't write dialogue at all, but the stilted otherness of character's words and thoughts really works for the horror aspect.
Hes shit
>>8132265
Also he hated penguins.
>>8131731
You're dumb and you fell for a shitpost mate.
Protip: /pol/ LOVE Lovecraft as much as the next guy. It's just they appreciate his racial honesty.
Anyway, I remember buying a few hardback collection of his work. Pretty good stuff if you're a young lad, and really good for a winter read. Though be prepared for occasional bouts of boredom, as the action was dragged out for the original magazine.
>>8131685
Top tier world-builder; boring author w/ mostly expository prose.
>>8131813
Well loved by people of taste, and hated by pseuds.
>>8131685
>Was H.P Lovecraft one of the best writers ever, or just a decent writer?
He never intended to be either. He wrote for his own sake more than anything. He even said even if nobody read his work he would write. He didn't especially give a shit about fitting the writer image.
>master of literature
Yeah, mainly because of his mythos not because of his writing abilities. He was extremely original you must admit.
>why is he considered a writer of Horror
He counts as cosmic horror or weird fiction. It's distinct. He basically made his own genre but for the sake of categorizing he is best suited as horror. Why? Well imagine being in one of his stories. You would end up terrified!
>>8131813
Not especially. He gets respect but then this is 4chan so obviously some people will attack him for the sake of being an edgy cunt on the internet
He was an autistic fuck writing in the mos purple prose ever. Read Borges' "The Circular Ruins" and you will see how Lovecraft for Adults sounds.
why is /lit still antiracist, organized commies?
Good ideas, meh execution.
>>8131685
>and he was not that racist in his writings.
On The Creation Of Niggers - Poem by Howard Phillips Lovecraft
When, long ago, the gods created Earth
In Jove's fair image Man was shaped at birth.
The beasts for lesser parts were next designed;
Yet were they too remote from humankind.
To fill the gap, and join the rest to Man,
Th'Olympian host conceiv'd a clever plan.
A beast they wrought, in semi-human figure,
Filled it with vice, and called the thing a Nigger.
