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68 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well-Researched, November 25, 2005
This review is from: Necronomicon: The Wanderings of Alhazred (Necronomicon Series) (Paperback)
Necronomicon: The Wanderings of Alhazred is author Donald Tyson's attempt to recreate H. P. Lovecraft's fictional tome of cosmic horrors which form the basis of his Cthulhu Mythos. There have been other attempts to recreate mythical tomes that form the basis of Lovecraft's world, from James Blish notable attempt to recreate The King in Yellow in his short story, More Light to Chaosium Press' absolutely total artistic failure to recreate The Book of Eibon.
The reason Tyson's attempt works is simply because he has done his homework, he has an obvious love for the work of Lovecraft and his circle, and unlike Simon's execrable Necronomicon published by Avon, Tyson writes a work of fiction the Old Gentleman From Providence would have eagerly blessed.
The story starts with a young Abdul Alhazred telling his story of being thrown into the Great Desert in the Arabian Peninsula to die and his wanderings through the sand and dunes and its horrors as he learns the arcane, forbidden secrets of the Cthulhu Mythos. He wanders the labyrinth beneath the lost city of Irem, travels along the Nile where he visits monasteries and ancient tombs, the evil alleys and oubliettes of ancient Thebes, Memphis, and Alexandria and steals arcane secrets from the Monastery of the Magi and the horror they have entrapped there. Eventually Alhazred settles in Damascus to pursue his evil studies where through obvious supernatural means he dies horribly one day in the presence of its citizens.
Throughout, Lovecraft's quotes from the Necronomicon are seamlessly interwoven into the story line adding a spirit of "legitimacy" to the work.
It's a delightful read. It works. It isn't an insult to the intelligence.
Word of warning. There are some very strange people out there who believe the Necronomicon is real and actually base their world view on Lovecraft's fictional work. Don't let those who have never seen the world outside of mommy's basement ruin your enjoyment of a great work of horror fiction.
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49 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hoax? No, A tribute., January 5, 2005
This review is from: Necronomicon: The Wanderings of Alhazred (Necronomicon Series) (Paperback)
Tysons "Necronomicon" is the best, nay the only Nec a fan of lovecraft should even think about reading. A well researched, well planned, and well exicuted Tribute to Lovecraft's most infamos creation. Tyson touches on almost everything the Lovecraft alludes to being in the maligned text in his fiction. Fans who wish to search for the passage from "Dunwitch Horror" will find it. The famos couplet? it's in there!
Tyson also does a terific job of keeping the tone of the book in line with the style and attetude of Lovecraft. The stories are great and even, in parts, quite disturbing.
As for the old "Shame on the Hoaxer" thing, i must reffer readers to the back cover. ""..i have spent my life writing about the arcane and my sense of kinship with the mad Arab has lead me to offer my own rendition of his teachings..." one does not have to be a scholar to figure this one out. The author of the book is DONALD TYSON not Abdul Alhazred. It does not proport to be anything other than a peice of entertainment. Is it writen with a perverbial 'straight face'? yes, that's what make this so much fun. Why would any one want to read a Nec that had "THISIS NOT REAL" plastered in big red letters across every page? Who needs to be told this over and over again? There are no magic spells or incanations that will bring about the end of days anywhere in the book. Is does not even resemble a book of magic or even magic therory.
This is a fine book for fans of the mythos, and of H.P. Lovecraft and it is even enjoyable to people totally unfamilliar with them. it's well written, engaging and fun. Those in the know will get a kick out of the fine little inside jokes and obscure references to the Mythos in H.P.'s fiction.
the only small complaits I had with it was the total lack of cool pictures of monsters and Tyson flubs the couplet a bit. Otherwise, it's appocolyptic fun for the whole family!
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent fictional biography..., March 28, 2005
This review is from: Necronomicon: The Wanderings of Alhazred (Necronomicon Series) (Paperback)
of one the most infamous and mysterious characters in the Mythos. Great read, both in reference to Lovecraft's stories and an independent story in an of itself. Alhazred's narration is told in a present tense, second person voice. Once you get used to this unusual style, the necromancer becomes three dimensional, with his own wisdom, madness, and occasional humor portrayed wonderfully by the author. The forward by Theodorus and Wormius should defintely be read to set up the backstory, as Abdul begins his tale with his exile to the desert. This is not a spellbook or a hard and fast examination of every technicality of the Mythos, though it covers many of them great detail--this is a work of fiction. "Hoax" or not, it's an interesting and often morbidly fascinating portrait of a complex character. For fans of Lovecraft and his themes (death, decay, those terrible things between the stars that will consume us pale prideful foolish men...etc, etc) , this is a must--though those who are unfamiliar with his stories might have a difficult time with it.
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