I was sorely tempted to put in an order for the Library of America's edition of the Tales of H. P. Lovecraft, edited by Peter Straub towards the end of last year. I'm now glad I didn't. Luckily I opted for the less substantial Penguin edition, edited by S.T. Joshi, which I finished over the weekend, and that was just perfect for my needs. The notes were excellent and the range of stories proved enough to satisfy my appetite without overdoing things.
Don't get me wrong. Lovecraft is a fine writer in his way and I've come to admire certain aspects of his art. But it's a narrow art, fuelled by obsessions that are better kept at a distance. And it's a repetitive art. I wouldn't like to claim that having read one story, you've read them all. But I think it's reasonable to say that having read eight you have.
There are twenty-two stories in the LOA edition, by the way; a few too many for me, I'm afraid.
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