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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great idea!, September 2, 2000
This review is from: Lovecraft Remembered (Hardcover)
There have been a number of biographical sketches or personal recollections of the immortal H. P. Lovecraft issued over the decades since his untimely death, but many of these were privately printed or issued in paper pamphlets of less than 100 copies total, since so many of Lovecraft's friends were in the Amateur Press movement, and it was natural for them to publish their memories and research through AP publishers. What editor Cannon has done here is to gather together as much of this material as he could find, and give it the relative permanence of hard covers. Although the popular notion of Lovecraft has him as a hermit or recluse, he in fact had a surprisingly large circle of close friends and an even hugher circle of correspondents. It is not a surprise that most of those who have committed memories to paper are other writers, but in the case of Lovecraft, one must particularly lament the absence of detailed accounts of him from female friends. His wife Sonia wrote two short accounts of Lovecraft and their life together, but they are fairly reticent as regards personal details.... both are here, combined, and you can be the judge. Even more disappointing is a brief note by the surpassingly beautiful Helen Scully, who went on a date with Lovecraft in which he treated her to a seafood dinner (!) and carried her to a cemetary where he proceeded to frighten her into a panic! Her account can best be described as "extremely reticent" where a firsthand impression of what Lovecraft was like might be hoped for. I found all the contributions fascinating, and bought the book even though I have probably 3/4th of the contents already in their original pamphlet forms. Unless you are a pure-quill, top-rank Lovecraft expert, there is a good deal here that will be new to you. Recommended!!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Gathering of Memories, July 13, 2001
This review is from: Lovecraft Remembered (Hardcover)
Cannon gathers together in one volume a wide range of memoirs of H P Lovecraft. The best are those writings from the early amateur press while Lovecraft was still alive, which comprise a small part of his book. It's fascinating to read these contemporary accounts of Lovecraft at an amateur press convention, visiting the Eddys, etc. For someone who just wants to read his tales, this book is not essential. For those who want some glimpse into the writer behind the scariness, this is a great book. Cannon, as editor, could have done a better job of putting the writers' memories into context, explaining references that are otherwise obscure, but overall, this book is a treat to anyone who wants to find out more about what HPL was like. Recommended.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rich in content., January 2, 2010
This review is from: Lovecraft Remembered (Hardcover)
Absolutely delightful! These firsthand accounts give the sensation of being transported in a time-capsule back to Lovecraft's day, or peeping through a lens. Visiting Providence, walking alongside his person and seeing him moving there and hearing his voice. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, for one feels sneaking and spying like an uninvited ghost from the future.
Perfect companion to Lovecraft's Selected Letters if one wants to get to know the man.
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