H.P. Lovecraft: A Life

by S.T. Joshi

Book Overview

The basic facts of H.P. Lovecraft's life have long been known, but before this book the only account of his life worth having was L. Sprague de Camp's 1975 biography, which was lively but sketchy,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0940884887
• ISBN13: 9780940884885
• Release Date: October 1996
• Publisher: Necronomicon Pr
• Length: 708 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Hard to Imagine a Better Biography of HPL

Joshi's work is not only thorough and scholarly, creating a well-rounded and moving impression of Lovecraft and his own interests (as opposed to the interests of his biographers), it is also thoroughly entertaining and compulsively readable. More importantly, it is now back in print for the price of $30. Buy it, read it, and join me in hoping that one day S.T. Joshi will find a publisher for the complete and unabridged version. Yes, even this massive volume is abridged.

Detailed, Fascinating and Critical

Joshi's book is an awesome thing to behold. If Lovecraft will go on in the 21st century to be one of America's great writers, much credit will go to Joshi for his incredible research, storytelling and critical view of a very curious man.At times I felt like skipping around and reading chapters which tell of Lovecraft's life during the creation of a specific story (my favorites like "Call of Cthulhu" and "At the Mountains of Madness") -- easy to due thanks for the great Index compiled for this work. The whole book is very thought provoking -- even if you thought you knew enough about Lovecraft's life. The disassembling of the (Derelith's) mythos too is good to have made official with the keen research Joshi has done.Have recommended this to friends both Lovecraft-lovers and ones-not-necessarily-so. An example of what a good literary biography should be.

A life of letters

Joshi's biography will quite probably never be topped. It easily outdistances L. Sprague de Camp's original biographical study, even though it does slip into some of de Camp's finger-wagging mode from time to time. (Joshi, in common with all critics, seems to feel that his OPINIONS about specific stories are OFFICIAL PRONUNCIAMENTOS about them, a form of arrogance that only mars the fine scholarship, indefatigable research and pleasant writing style of this book.) That minor cavil aside, this is a major accomplishment --- and even when you disagree with Joshi, he'll leave you thinking, AND pleased that you read the book. What more can you ask?

Magnificent

There is little I can add to the kudos already present on this page in reference to "H.P. Lovecraft: A Life." It is every bit as good as the previous readers have said it is: magnificently detailed, critical yet sympathethic, and, yes, "compulsively readable." The point I wish to add is this. The folks who have already reviewed this book here all seem to be inveterate Lovecraftians; in contrast, I am not. While I am slowly warming to Lovecraft as I read more of his fiction, I really ordered this book simply to obtain some background on the writer for a class I teach which will touch briefly on his work. I never had any intention of actually reading all 600 pages---there was some specific information I was looking for, and really only planned to skim the volume. Well! Five days later I staggered away from this magnificent book, dizzy from reading, exhilarated, moved, overwhelmed. The point is: if you have any interest in literary biography, you owe it to yourself to read this book. It is one of the finest examples of the genre published in the past 30 years, and even if you do not much care about Lovecraft the writer, S.T. Joshi will make you care about Lovecraft the man. It should be required reading for anyone planning to write a biography."H.P. Lovecraft: A Life" is a great achievement.