Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories

By: H. P. Lovecraft

Narrated by: William Roberts

Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

At the heart of these stories, as with all the best of Lovecraft’s work, is the belief that the Earth was once inhabited by powerful and evil gods, just waiting for the chance to recolonise their planet. Cthulhu is one such god, lurking deep beneath the sea until called into being by cult followers who – like all humans – know not what they do. It is because of these dark, mythic tales with their terrified awareness of the limits of Man’s knowledge, that H.P. Lovecraft is one of the most influential American writers.

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©2010 Naxos AudioBooks (P)2010 Naxos AudioBooks

Critic reviews

"Reading Lovecraft is challenge enough, but listening to his work can be fraught with peril - unless William Roberts is at the mike. Readers and listeners either love or hate Lovecraft, most commonly because of his complex language and near overwhelming sentence structure. Roberts takes on this challenge and delivers these short stories beautifully. He seems to have wrangled the leviathan that is Lovecraft's style and bullied it into submission. His delivery is engaging and dramatic. It shows that he has spent time with the text and understands the author's sometimes dizzying style. Best of all, he is able to communicate that understanding to the listener. Roberts's narration provides a perfect introduction for newcomers who are interested in Lovecraft’s work but who are intimidated by his reputation." (AudioFile magazine)

AMAZING

FUN

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Classic but dated

This is clearly a classic of the horror / sci-fi genre but it did not age well to my ear. Not only is the story itself incredible knowing what we do today, but they way the story plays out to stereotypes and prejudice is disturbing. Characters who have physical or mental features different than the "normal" are mistrusted and treated with fear. In all cases that fear is well placed - as if simply being an albino or having large hairy hands makes you much more likely to murder your family.

That said, this is an author who broke fresh ground and inspired many well respected authors of the last several decades. In that context, it is worth reading (or listening to) for the foundation Lovecraft establishes.

The narrator is excellent for this book.

A Classic, but at times hard to follow

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would have preferred the prose to be a little easier to understand. I found listening to the Call of Cthulhu difficult at times because the way Lovecraft wrote it is very formal and kind of strange. The second story "The Hound" was much easier to listen to, as was the third story.

What did you like best about this story?

The idea of the Earth once being inhabited by cruel and monstrous Gods who can never die, but are at this very moment sleeping. The whole idea of the wrongness of the city of Cthulhu was disturbing and intriguing. The story idea was fantastic. I just wish it was executed better in the way it was told.

What aspect of William Roberts’s performance would you have changed?

He talks in a very loud voice and a little more softness and subtlety would have been nice.

Do you think Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes. I would be interested to see a continuation of the Cthulhu mythos and how it affects other people sensitive to the God's dreams.

Any additional comments?

I found the third story "The Dunwich Horror" to be a lot of buildup to an anti-climax. It was a long story to endure when considering there was little payoff at the end. I was disappointed. Cthulhu was definitely the best story, but overall I'd have to say I was expecting more from this great classic.

cthulhu

Not scary at all. Nice rendition though. I was impressed on how the flow from story to story went.

first and best reason I got this app

I loved the story. I've always heard great stuff of lovecraft and finally got to listen to it. the writing was superb and the style of story telling I have never seen. i felt like i was there with the author as he read the sailors notes on what happened upon the island his crew died

Spooky

Reminds me of my adventures slaying aberrations. Good descriptions of Far Realm creatures. Almost went mad then! Anyway, great work and fantastic narration. Wound highly recommend if you like madness and fantasy!

Great narration of great stories.

All for stories are great and are a great primer for Lovecraft. The Hound in particular is short and "sweet" and the narration really brings the story to life.

It cometh through

this one of my favorite stories so I am a bit biased but over all performance was great

Wonderful, haunting, creepy

The narrator's voice is perfect for the macabre story.

The tales build up to the climax better than most movies.

Would be higher recommended if it was less pricy.

master of horror

no one does it like Lovecraft. amazing til the last word. if you like incomprehensible horror, you'll love Cthulhu