Book Biography Lovecraft

Although I am an avid reader of the ZhZL series, this is, nevertheless, one of the best biographies I have read. Joshi went to his work with the highest measure of responsibility and I am even scared to think about what mass of documents he shoveled and did work - Lovecraft's life was disassembled almost for rent. All possible topics and questions of his life are dismantled-the origin, family, friends, children's hobbies, a place of residence, the attitude of everything around and the circle of interests that he read, what he believed and what he did in childhood, adolescence and vicinity.

The creative path is also disgusted in virtually thoroughly - starting from the first books read and the first works at the level of retelling of the textbook and games to the publishing house, and ending with the most famous and fundamental works. I'm not joking - almost every Lovecraft story is mentioned. Naturally, some are mentioned in one or two lines, but the history of writing the most important works takes several dozen pages.

As in any exciting biography, a sea of ​​interesting facts and stories from Lovecraft’s life is given here. I was surprised to learn that he was from a rich and noble family and was pampering him in every possible way, indulging all the hobbies, although his parents were quite peculiar. It was interesting to read about his games in the publishing house and children's hobbies, about how his communication with his family and friends developed.

Even about family life, although he had never much fought interest in such details. And, of course, how his relationship with publishers developed - he did not suspect that everything was so difficult and during his lifetime even he could not really publish a single full -fledged author's book. The author generally tells about the tragic death of Lovecraft in general, but still breaks into tragedy and emotions, and where detailed symptoms and the alleged diagnosis are given, and where it tells about the reaction of the creative community to the death of his colleague.

The analysis of Lovecraft's work is also devoted to a lot of attention, it, again, is dismantled literally on the shelves - it is explained in more detail what's what. The Dshozhi also says a lot about the influence of Lovecraft, but, I think, extremely not enough. In the last chapter, the author mainly talks about how his legacy developed and published, what authors tried to blindly imitate him, and which were only inspired and developed ideas.

But this is generally the weakest part of the book. Yes, a lot of attention is paid to the literary heritage on the general influence of Lovecraft on the genre of “strange literature”, but it was actually ignored by his contribution to science fiction and fantasy - formally, Joshi mentions this, but in extremely general words.

He writes that Le Guin, Clark, Azimov said something about him there, but it is not even mentioned what exactly. But Lovecraft Motives can be caught in a large number of creations, starting at least with, not to mention the present. Lovecraft is visible both in the DND and in Vaha, by the way. Secondly, in fact there is a review only to literature. A pair of pages is said about cinema based on three lines - about comics, in two - about music, in one - about the tests, not a single mention - about computer games in Lovecraft, which now go out at least ten a year and at least one of them turns out excellent, not a single - about tons of painting, although any search engine will give out simply gigabytes of work by motives.

On the one hand, it would be stupid to blame the author in this - he already did just a titanic work, whether a joke, in a two -volume pages of a clean text, not counting one and a half hundred pages of links. But at the same time, the influence of Lovecraft on painting, comics and games are too huge so as not to pay attention to this at all. But in general, with the exception of this issue, this biography is exhaustive, and the issue of studying Lovecraft's influence on modern culture, let him still appear in a separate very large and good book.

And how much attention was paid to the correspondence of Lovecraft of the epistolary genre, he wrote no less than our Leo Tolstoy. In the final part, Joshi writes that he is preparing a monumental edition of Lovecraft's letters in as much as 25 volumes! In principle, in many ways a biography is built on letters, it is the biographer that draws most of the information from them, even more than the memories of his friends and acquaintances.

Well, the third, no less important source is the work itself. Joshi is a good analyst, he knows how to see the essence of the work, separating the author’s personality and his belief from creativity. I always suspected that Lovecraft is a materialist and an atheist, and was seriously delighted, receiving a direct confirmation of his suspicions in a two -volume.

Joshi is generally good in that he examined in detail Lovecraft's inner world - his worldview, which changing throughout the life of belief, “philosophy”, eelogue, political views, tastes in all areas of culture, etc. All that is necessary as fully as possible to understand man and his work. This is the book and beautiful, and for fans of Lovecraft, it is completely required to read.

Assessment: 9 [7] rovdyr, March 9 G.I will build my review on the identification of the degree of interestingness: for myself, several key thematic blocks, formulated by me, very conditionally, the text adheres to not thematic division, but chronology and, of course, not exhausting the entire multilaterality of the book. GFL has given a lot of time and energy to the so -called amateur journalism will take the courage to draw an analogy with the modern blogosphere in its most intellectual manifestation and its organizations.

At first it seemed interesting to me, but not for long. I admit that I almost did not perceive this topic at all and basically only flipped out fluently. The main problem is that you need to well imagine the then American socio-cultural landscape, which I understand weakly, and it did not seem appropriate to me to delve into it. The worldview of the GFL interested me in my youth, but now it is not so.

His philosophical picture of the world is mostly alien to me, except for reverence for the past and aesthetic views and in many ways incomprehensible; For some reason, the use of the terms “Indifferentism” and “Ataraxia” was most in consciousness. But one and the other can hardly be boldly applied to Lovecraft, and this cannot be considered either a disadvantage or advantage.

As for politics, I would not at all pay attention to it, if not for the fact that this topic is often discussed on forums, including Fantlab in my opinion, unjustifiably and sometimes too hot. Frankly, I am skeptical of the "authority" of the GFL in the field of politics. Firstly, many socio-political views of Lovecraft are simply irrelevant. Secondly, throughout his life they changed quite significantly, and I wonder: how genuine these changes were, or was it the result of a conformism growing with the age of the age?

Thirdly, the context of American politics does not cause me a big desire to delve into it. The topic of literary criticism is very informative and useful. But it should be noted that Joshi’s opinions in some cases are excessively categorical and preferenced because of this number of works are devoted, in my opinion, undeservedly little attention. In terms of literary criticism, it is also curious to get acquainted not only with the analysis of Lovecraft's works, but also with his own analysis of the work of other writers.

This analysis varies from the insightful understanding to ridiculous curioses for example, the GFL stated that Dickens did not create a single living human image - who would say! The most interesting for me was the psychological portrait of Lovecraft; I emphasize his image of genuine! About some I knew before history, astronomy, chemistry, carefully planned cognitive travels.

Something was in a novelty: who would have thought that in the youth of the GFL he practiced a lot in shooting, and there was a period of rather active music and choral singing in his life. And these are only a few curious examples, and in general, this topic has become a genuine storehouse for me of curious facts. The whole last chapter is not devoid of entertaining, although a little -worth excursion for me into different forms of creativity “based on” the Lovecraft heritage, like the notorious “myths of Kthulhu”.

At the very end, the beautiful touching resume is an Oda Lovecraft, which unconditionally deserves to read. Bottom line: “Lovecraft. I am Providence ”is the standard of significance and quality, and even if the reader is already thoroughly“ fed ”in Lovecraft Studies, I am sure that he can find something new, unexpected and important for himself. For example, I discovered, among other things, two delightful bright pearls - the coat of arms, which Lovecraft painted for himself, as well as Wilfred B.

Talman Exlibis can be found on the Internet. Assessment: 9 Fail of Reality, February 9, the recluse from Providen. LIV Kristine. I read little stories and novels by Howard Lovecraft: this famous horror master, father of cosmic htony and just a good writer. But I was lucky with him in three relations: I still read it, and this is already great, his first works for me were “ridges of madness”, “shadow above the Innsmouth” and “Call of Kthulhu” Late Lovecraft-Mmm, Vei NiS Hood Night, and these stories came to me when I was about fifteen or fourteen, the best time for such literature, since such literature, since such literature, is for such literature.

It is remembered for life. Yes, and the game “Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth” was remembered for the point that I still hiccups sometimes ... In general, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that there was, so to say, “Lovecraft”-philological and biographical attempts to analyze and describe this person, his life, creativity, context, the spirit of the times and the spirit of the times and the spirit of the times and the spirit of the time Other.

Many authors wrote about Lovecraft, including biographies. But, I think, it is already indisputable that in this industry there is no equal Sunand Joshi - literary criticism that has devoted the lion's share of life to study the work of this writer. And in Russian in the years, Joshi’s monumental work “Lovecraft.I am Providence ”, which I immediately bought and began to master.

I want to briefly describe my impressions of this heavy two -volume. Firstly, of course, it is worth noting an interesting syllable and a qualitative translation of the book: it is clear that the translators tried straight. I understand something in translation and I can imagine what incredible, titanic and painstaking work Marina Strepetova and Mikhail Vostrikov did ...

Yes, they need to erect a monument! Secondly, Sunand Joshi. I would call this person as an ascetic of science fiction and the main “Lovecraft” of those living. I read the first volume of biography from Joshi day and at night, despite its impressive volumes, - of course, it was possible to break away, but with difficulty. Just like in childhood, you know.

I so quickly “swallowed” the first book that I am already thinking that I would need to re-read it in a couple of months. For proper assimilation. The second part also read quickly, especially I liked the analysis of Lovecraft's later works and the description of the last years of his life. The pages of how and why this writer died, they left a heavy feeling in his soul: it is necessary, such a versatile person-and died such a death, in poverty, hunger and cold, struck the detail and depth of biographical research.

I read the first part of the biography somewhere in a week. The second is about the same period. I can say that for the first time I see such a detailed study. This is not even the level of “life of wonderful people”, but something even more meticulous, up to dates, hours and places. Unfortunately, such meticulousness sometimes harms and looks superfluous: the initial pages of two hundred hundred, I used to miss the excess of small details from the life of G.

Well, say, some specific dates of letters, or how many hours and minutes Lovecraft sat on the train, or that he ate in a cafe with friends, and so on. Then you get used to such details. Naturally, this is only my impression, and it is not a fact that when repeated acquaintance with the book, it will remain the same. Well, fourthly, it is very pleasing that Sunand Joshi not only describes Lovecraft’s biography, not only briefly retells the plot of his stories and stories, but also makes quite specific, balanced conclusions and generalizations.

Joshi’s position on Lovecraft is argued, thought out, strong. Such an approach to the study of biography and creativity is pleasing - it is true that all good writers of the same good biographers as Sunand Joshi would be. And sometimes they will write this, even in the printed form, that at least stand, even fall an example of this - the recent biography of Alexander Belyaev in the ZhZL series.

It is also pleased that the author of the book does not seek to “cancel” a horror master for racist views from which G., but it would be possible to “cancel” Lovecraft, I hope that modern culture will not reach, and spit on his grave: they say, a racist, chauvinist, evil anti -Semite, wife ... but Sunand Joshi is careful in conclusions and appraisers: he gives arguments and appraisers and appraisers and appraisers.

Facts, but agreeing with them or arguing is everyone’s business.