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{{wikisource|The Book (Lovecraft)|The Book}}
{{Short description|H. P. Lovecraft short story}}
{{Infobox short story <!--See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]]-->
{{Infobox short story <!--See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]]-->
| name = The Book
| name = The Book
| author = [[H. P. Lovecraft]]
| author = [[H. P. Lovecraft]]
| country = United States
| country = United States
| language = [[English language|English]]
| language = English
| genre = [[Fantasy fiction|Fantasy]], [[horror fiction|horror]]
| genre = [[Fantasy fiction|Fantasy]], [[horror fiction|horror]]
| published_in = ''Leaves''
| published_in = ''Leaves''
Line 11: Line 11:
| media_type = Print
| media_type = Print
| pub_date = [[1938 in literature|1938]]
| pub_date = [[1938 in literature|1938]]
| wikisource = The Book (Lovecraft)
}}
}}


'''"The Book"''' is an unfinished short story by [[American literature|American]] [[horror fiction]] writer [[H. P. Lovecraft]], believed to have been written in late [[1933 in literature|1933]]. It was first published in the journal ''Leaves'' in [[1938 in literature|1938]], after Lovecraft's death. Sean Croy is Fucking god.
"'''The Book'''" is an unfinished short story by American [[horror fiction]] writer [[H. P. Lovecraft]], believed to have been written in late 1933. It was first published in the journal ''Leaves'' in 1938, after Lovecraft's death.<ref name=Joshi>{{cite book |last1=Joshi |first1=S.T. |last2=Schultz |first2=David E. |title=An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia |date=2004 |publisher=Hippocampus Press |isbn=978-0974878911 |page=23}}</ref>


In the story fragment, the narrator is given an ancient book by a strange bookseller, and when he takes it home and examines it, weird and sinister events ensue.
In the story fragment, the narrator is given an ancient book by a strange bookseller, and when he takes it home and examines it, weird and sinister events ensue.


In October 1933, Lovecraft wrote in a letter:
⚫
In October 1933, Lovecraft wrote in a letter, "I am at a sort of standstill in writing--disgusted at much of my older work, & uncertain as to avenues of improvement. In recent weeks I have done a tremendous amount of experimenting in different styles & perspectives, but have destroyed most of the results."<ref>H. P. Lovecraft, ''Selected Letters'' Vol. 4, p. 289; cited in [[S. T. Joshi]] and [[David E. Schultz]], "Book, The", ''An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'', p. 23.</ref> The ''H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'' suggests that "The Book" was one of the undestroyed experiments--an attempt to translate Lovecraft's poem sequence ''[[Fungi from Yuggoth]]'' into prose. (The completed fragment corresponds to the first three [[sonnets]], which form more of a coherent narrative than the rest of the sequence.)<ref>Joshi and Schultz, "Book, The", p. 23.</ref>


⚫
{{blockquote|I am at a sort of standstill in writing—disgusted at much of my older work, and uncertain as to avenues of improvement. In recent weeks I have done a tremendous amount of experimenting with different styles and perspectives, but have destroyed most of the results.<ref>H. P. Lovecraft, ''Selected Letters'' Vol. 4, p. 289; cited in [[S. T. Joshi]] and David E. Schultz, "Book, The", ''An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'', p. 23.</ref>}}
⚫
"The Black Tome of Alsophocus", first published in ''[[Cthulhu Mythos anthology#New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos|New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos]]'' (1969), is an attempt by Martin S. Warnes to complete "The Book".<ref>Ramsey Campbell, "Introduction", ''New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos''.</ref> Warnes turns the fragment into a tale of possession by [[Nyarlathotep]].<ref>H. P. Lovecraft and Martin S. Warnes, "The Black Tome of Alsophocus", ''New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos''.</ref>


The ''H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia'' suggests that "The Book" was one of the undestroyed experiments—an attempt to translate Lovecraft's poem sequence ''[[Fungi from Yuggoth]]'' into prose. (The completed fragment corresponds to the first three [[sonnets]], which form more of a coherent narrative than the rest of the sequence.)<ref name=Joshi/>
==Notes==
<references/>


⚫
"The Black Tome of Alsophocus", first published in ''[[Cthulhu Mythos anthology#New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos|New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos]]'' (1980), is an attempt by Martin S. Warnes to complete "The Book".<ref>Ramsey Campbell, "Introduction", ''New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos''.</ref> Warnes turns the fragment into a tale of possession by [[Nyarlathotep]].<ref>H. P. Lovecraft and Martin S. Warnes, "The Black Tome of Alsophocus", ''New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos''.</ref>
⚫
[[Category:Short stories by H. P. Lovecraft|Book (short story), The]]


In 2019, the latter Warnes completion was adapted into a [https://vimeo.com/356423099 short film of the same name]. The aforementioned film was featured in 2020 Edition of the [https://hplfilmfestival.com/ H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival & CthulhuCon] and it its included in the Festival's [https://hplfilmfestival.com/store/preorder-best-2020-short-film-collection-bluray Best of 2020 Short Film Collection bluray].
[[it:Il Libro (Lovecraft)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{wikisource-inline|The Book (Lovecraft)|The Book}}
* {{isfdb title|63135}}

{{Works of H. P. Lovecraft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Book}}
⚫
[[Category:Short stories by H. P. Lovecraft]]
[[Category:1938 short stories]]
[[Category:Horror short stories]]
[[Category:Works originally published in American magazines]]
[[Category:Short stories published posthumously]]
[[Category:Unfinished literature]]


{{1930s-horror-story-stub}}

Latest revision as of 18:06, 12 May 2023

"The Book"
Short story by H. P. Lovecraft
Text available at Wikisource
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre(s)Fantasy, horror
Publication
Published inLeaves
Publication typeLiterary journal
Media typePrint
Publication date1938

"The Book" is an unfinished short story by American horror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft, believed to have been written in late 1933. It was first published in the journal Leaves in 1938, after Lovecraft's death.[1]

In the story fragment, the narrator is given an ancient book by a strange bookseller, and when he takes it home and examines it, weird and sinister events ensue.

In October 1933, Lovecraft wrote in a letter:

I am at a sort of standstill in writing—disgusted at much of my older work, and uncertain as to avenues of improvement. In recent weeks I have done a tremendous amount of experimenting with different styles and perspectives, but have destroyed most of the results.[2]

The H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia suggests that "The Book" was one of the undestroyed experiments—an attempt to translate Lovecraft's poem sequence Fungi from Yuggoth into prose. (The completed fragment corresponds to the first three sonnets, which form more of a coherent narrative than the rest of the sequence.)[1]

"The Black Tome of Alsophocus", first published in New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos (1980), is an attempt by Martin S. Warnes to complete "The Book".[3] Warnes turns the fragment into a tale of possession by Nyarlathotep.[4]

In 2019, the latter Warnes completion was adapted into a short film of the same name. The aforementioned film was featured in 2020 Edition of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival & CthulhuCon and it its included in the Festival's Best of 2020 Short Film Collection bluray.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Joshi, S.T.; Schultz, David E. (2004). An H.P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia. Hippocampus Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0974878911.
  2. ^ H. P. Lovecraft, Selected Letters Vol. 4, p. 289; cited in S. T. Joshi and David E. Schultz, "Book, The", An H. P. Lovecraft Encyclopedia, p. 23.
  3. ^ Ramsey Campbell, "Introduction", New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos.
  4. ^ H. P. Lovecraft and Martin S. Warnes, "The Black Tome of Alsophocus", New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos.
[edit]


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