Doesnt need a disclaimer on every piece of history

I have no massive problem with those who say things about HP Lovecraft, the man had a penchant for doing things that he himself found correct, his cat's name being one of the most interesting things given his ideals.

But like I said in the header, the list of "you need to remember, this was in X date and things were different then" mantra to try and stop people from getting upset at the use of a singular particular word that is used in the books MANY times gets tiring very quickly. We don't need to be told that he changed over the years or that he wasn't what some would call him.

We didn't come to be reassured that the author isn't a racist

we came to hear psychological and eldritch horror stories where we're not 100% sure that the narrator is being honest in their retelling of events or whether they are simply insane.

All in all this omnibus of stories from HP Lovecraft is definitely worth the pricetag or credit, the vocal talent does a decent job at getting across both suspense and darkness when needed - even if part of it feels like a stuffy college professor - it's definitely in my list of favourites.

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Wonderful tales but under-produced & overpriced

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have preferred some longer tales but the format of including date specific bio-snippets precluded that.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Cthulhu of course!

What didn’t you like about Finn J.D. John’s performance?

On the positive side:
a. The amateur reading style is probably in keeping with HPL's "amateur" writing;
b. The narrator clearly put a lot of effort in and I get the feeling Mr. John knows the writings and enjoys them;
c. I liked the bio-snippets.

Room for improvement
It seems likely that the production did not use a professional producer (of it did they should refurbished their fee). Producing audio books is not as easy as it sounds.

For example a good producer would have picked up the following simple pervasive errors:
1. Pronunciation: even though HPL's fictional names are always going to be contentious there is no reason to miss-pronounce known words or names such as Dagon (Day-gone) as Dah-gone or the star Aldebran as AldeBARN;
2. Overly dramatic: I know it is tempting to try and ham up Lovecraft when reading but he does deserve better than doing things like saying the gibbous moooon.

All in all the pedantic listener will struggle and even the casual listener may dose off on occasion.

Do you think H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926 needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It has one.

Any additional comments?

For the price tag of £25 I would have expected a much better production and a professional voice actor.

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4 people found this helpful

Brilliant

Any additional comments?

As a long time super fan of Mr Lovecraft this collection (together with Vol2) are superbly put together and wonderfully narrated. The interspersed history of Lovecraft really helps to set the emotions that the author was experiencing at the time and enhances the listening experiences. As mentioned, the narration is exceptional and the almost laconic style builds the tension to fever pitch. Thank You!

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4 people found this helpful

Nicely done.

Would you listen to H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926 again? Why?

Yes. Why? Because I want to run in to gibbous night and howl at the moon as a batrachian custodian of the silver key.

What did you like best about this story?

Af ew stories here I'd not read/heard.

Which character – as performed by Finn J.D. John – was your favourite?

Charles Dexter Ward.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, if I had the stamina. Alas going to sleep with the headphones on didn't open the gateway that is Yog-Sothoth. Maybe tonight.

Any additional comments?

Unlike most semi-professional productions, Finn J.D. John can actually read well. The collection is interspersed with a fair amount of Lovecraft's biographical background that puts the tales in context. A longer and deeper exposition of Cosmicism and its post-Lovecraft developments would have been interesting. Other than that it's an excellent and accomplished effort, and clearly a labour of love. Kudos to Finn J.D. John!

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7 people found this helpful

The book would be good if not for the narrator

The performance only became bearable when I increased the speed! It just felt VERY laboured and as if he was reading in the style of Orson Welles! Orson Welles he is not however so it just felt unnecessarily slow and dull!

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1 person found this helpful

Fantastic Tales from The Master of Horror

All of Lovecrafts early works together and read in style.
Enjoyed this talkie emmensly.
Now for Volume 2!!

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2 people found this helpful

Bad narrator

I really struggled with the narrators performance. His delivery was too closely akin to the spooky voice you tell children ghost stories with.

"Chapter twoooo"
*wiggles fingers spookily*

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Loving Lovecraft!

I love the stories and enjoy the narration, not sure why others have complained...each to their own!
Well worth the credit :)

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1 person found this helpful

Inappropriate Narration

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A better narrator.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Not the narrator.

How could the performance have been better?

The performance was an awful sing-song take on H.P Lovecraft's literature.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926?

Fire Finn J.D John

Any additional comments?

Terrible narrator.

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2 people found this helpful

Great book - horrible narration

I gave up after 30 minutes of listening to this audio book because the narrator couldn't keep my attention. The monotonous narration made my thoughts drift off and I found the myself daydreaming. It sounds like the narrator is reading the script rather than actually telling the story.

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