A great collection of stories, 07 Jan 2009
First i will say my first impressions of the book. This book is GINORMOUS!
"It looks like a bible" My friend said, and i suppose for some people it is!

I've got the book through, the build is superb like i'd expect from such an anthology and i've read 3 of the short storys inside, for anyone unfamiliar with Lovecraft (As i am) the storys are like those fantastical 'Weird tales' you see on youtube and TV only even more fantastical in the great way a child new to the world might imagine what he hasn't seen or perhaps a man from the 14th centuary might only imagine what lay across the vast oceans and imagine the most amazing things. If you ever plan on having children, or do have young children, i recommend some of these as fireside tales, they will love them (Maybe make some less scary though, i dont find any of them so far as scary, but a child might.)

Also as a note about that dreaded sticker everyone goes on about, yes it is annoying, i left mine on.

For the price buy this book. Totally worth it!

got it, 20 Nov 2008
just got it will start reading soon :)

i got into a few lines and its quite addictive, niceee :D



Pretty good, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this recently, having never read (but often heard about) Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

I'm only about a third of the way through, but it seems pretty good (although the author does seem to have swallowed a thesaurus - and a particularly gibbous and over-nourished one at that, most likely recovered from some Stygian Pit that the mortal mind was not meant to know of). Plus, he does have some rather - ahem - "old fashioned" attitudes to race and class that can seem rather jarring to a modern reader.

This particular edition also does, unfortunately, have a number of typos in the text, some of which ("Necroriomicon", "clay" instead of "day", and "Gthulhu") suggest to me that the publishers had the original text scanned and digitised, but imperfectly. (I'm keeping a note of them as I find them, and will inform the publishers when I've finished the book).

Still, all said, I don't regret getting the book, and if you don't mind those faults, I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the genera.


Just as I remembered!!, 14 Sep 2008
Excellent, worth the wait!! I remember reading this as a child, it's just as good as I remembered. Real Classic stuff!!

I recommend it to anyone looking for some good old creepy stories.

JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!!!, 19 Jul 2008
What can i say that already hasn't been said.
This is truly awesome, a complete collection of lovecraft in a well bound casebound book with faux Leather cover, in black.
All your favorites are there. If you're a real lovecraft fan this is deffinately for you.
And for a very reasanoble price.
100% recommended, buy now & join us on a truly Dark venture into the world of the one & the only H.P.lovecraft

A great collection of stories, 07 Jan 2009
First i will say my first impressions of the book. This book is GINORMOUS!
"It looks like a bible" My friend said, and i suppose for some people it is!

I've got the book through, the build is superb like i'd expect from such an anthology and i've read 3 of the short storys inside, for anyone unfamiliar with Lovecraft (As i am) the storys are like those fantastical 'Weird tales' you see on youtube and TV only even more fantastical in the great way a child new to the world might imagine what he hasn't seen or perhaps a man from the 14th centuary might only imagine what lay across the vast oceans and imagine the most amazing things. If you ever plan on having children, or do have young children, i recommend some of these as fireside tales, they will love them (Maybe make some less scary though, i dont find any of them so far as scary, but a child might.)

Also as a note about that dreaded sticker everyone goes on about, yes it is annoying, i left mine on.

For the price buy this book. Totally worth it!

got it, 20 Nov 2008
just got it will start reading soon :)

i got into a few lines and its quite addictive, niceee :D



Pretty good, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this recently, having never read (but often heard about) Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

I'm only about a third of the way through, but it seems pretty good (although the author does seem to have swallowed a thesaurus - and a particularly gibbous and over-nourished one at that, most likely recovered from some Stygian Pit that the mortal mind was not meant to know of). Plus, he does have some rather - ahem - "old fashioned" attitudes to race and class that can seem rather jarring to a modern reader.

This particular edition also does, unfortunately, have a number of typos in the text, some of which ("Necroriomicon", "clay" instead of "day", and "Gthulhu") suggest to me that the publishers had the original text scanned and digitised, but imperfectly. (I'm keeping a note of them as I find them, and will inform the publishers when I've finished the book).

Still, all said, I don't regret getting the book, and if you don't mind those faults, I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the genera.


Just as I remembered!!, 14 Sep 2008
Excellent, worth the wait!! I remember reading this as a child, it's just as good as I remembered. Real Classic stuff!!

I recommend it to anyone looking for some good old creepy stories.

JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!!!, 19 Jul 2008
What can i say that already hasn't been said.
This is truly awesome, a complete collection of lovecraft in a well bound casebound book with faux Leather cover, in black.
All your favorites are there. If you're a real lovecraft fan this is deffinately for you.
And for a very reasanoble price.
100% recommended, buy now & join us on a truly Dark venture into the world of the one & the only H.P.lovecraft


For the completeists..., 17 Nov 2008
This is essential to get all of Lovecraft's stories.

For some reason, the three excellent omnibuses (omnibi ?)('Omnibus 1: At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels of Terror', 'Omnibus 2: Dagon and Other Macabre Tales' and 'Omnibus 3: Haunter of the Dark and Other Tales') don't include the short story 'Cool Air'.

These four books together are the complete stories.

Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.

Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.

Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.

And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...


Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it.

Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.


Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure.

Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work.

A great collection of stories, 07 Jan 2009
First i will say my first impressions of the book. This book is GINORMOUS!
"It looks like a bible" My friend said, and i suppose for some people it is!

I've got the book through, the build is superb like i'd expect from such an anthology and i've read 3 of the short storys inside, for anyone unfamiliar with Lovecraft (As i am) the storys are like those fantastical 'Weird tales' you see on youtube and TV only even more fantastical in the great way a child new to the world might imagine what he hasn't seen or perhaps a man from the 14th centuary might only imagine what lay across the vast oceans and imagine the most amazing things. If you ever plan on having children, or do have young children, i recommend some of these as fireside tales, they will love them (Maybe make some less scary though, i dont find any of them so far as scary, but a child might.)

Also as a note about that dreaded sticker everyone goes on about, yes it is annoying, i left mine on.

For the price buy this book. Totally worth it!

got it, 20 Nov 2008
just got it will start reading soon :)

i got into a few lines and its quite addictive, niceee :D



Pretty good, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this recently, having never read (but often heard about) Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

I'm only about a third of the way through, but it seems pretty good (although the author does seem to have swallowed a thesaurus - and a particularly gibbous and over-nourished one at that, most likely recovered from some Stygian Pit that the mortal mind was not meant to know of). Plus, he does have some rather - ahem - "old fashioned" attitudes to race and class that can seem rather jarring to a modern reader.

This particular edition also does, unfortunately, have a number of typos in the text, some of which ("Necroriomicon", "clay" instead of "day", and "Gthulhu") suggest to me that the publishers had the original text scanned and digitised, but imperfectly. (I'm keeping a note of them as I find them, and will inform the publishers when I've finished the book).

Still, all said, I don't regret getting the book, and if you don't mind those faults, I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the genera.


Just as I remembered!!, 14 Sep 2008
Excellent, worth the wait!! I remember reading this as a child, it's just as good as I remembered. Real Classic stuff!!

I recommend it to anyone looking for some good old creepy stories.

JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!!!, 19 Jul 2008
What can i say that already hasn't been said.
This is truly awesome, a complete collection of lovecraft in a well bound casebound book with faux Leather cover, in black.
All your favorites are there. If you're a real lovecraft fan this is deffinately for you.
And for a very reasanoble price.
100% recommended, buy now & join us on a truly Dark venture into the world of the one & the only H.P.lovecraft


For the completeists..., 17 Nov 2008
This is essential to get all of Lovecraft's stories.

For some reason, the three excellent omnibuses (omnibi ?)('Omnibus 1: At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels of Terror', 'Omnibus 2: Dagon and Other Macabre Tales' and 'Omnibus 3: Haunter of the Dark and Other Tales') don't include the short story 'Cool Air'.

These four books together are the complete stories.

Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.

Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.

Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.

And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...


Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it.

Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.


Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure.

Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work.

First of a great series, 22 Nov 2008
Was leant this book by a work mate,had never heard of Lumley before but i thought id give it a try.So glad i did because now a year later i have read the entire series and can recommend every book in the series.Lumley is a master of creative horror writing and this series is the best ive read by far.

Just read it, 'cos it's really really really good., 24 Apr 2008
I've just finished reading this, my first Brian Lumley book. As is always the case when switching from one author to another I found it a bit difficult to properly 'get into' but once I was familiar with Lumleys writing style I was totally and utterly emersed. I don't read very fast (usually a few pages at night now and again whilst in bed) but I couldn't get this book and it's characters and it's stories out of my head. I read it every night without fail. It's certainly very well constructed - the story goes all over the place but never confuses. One minute you think you're reading a thriller the next a biography and then the next sheer horror. It's nicely in-depth without becoming boring and the many evolving sub-plots all work together seamlessly. I won't give any spoilers but suffice to say when I'd finished it I had a big smile on my face and had to flip back through the book to check just what I'd read on the last couple of pages - a genius moment in storytelling.

It would get a 5 but I felt the ending chapters somewhat rushed, but I can certainly say I'm an avid Necroscope fan now and I'm currently waiting for the second book to arrive in the post...

Imaginitive and unpredictable, 06 Jan 2008
Two words any reader wants to see. Lumley delivers a great piece of horror fiction with Necroscope. It's a slow builder, carefully building a detailed history of the two main characters, the adversaries with paranormal powers. The central plot tells the story of a personal fight between good and evil, saturated with plot twists, foreboding menace and originality. The surrounding influences for the plot are all well described, a factor which no doubt encouraged Lumley to continue the Necroscope series. Necroscope cleverly entwines science and legend to create a book which will demand your attention to the very end - and what a finale. It is a standalone story and a real treat which is in no way dated.

The beginning of a very original horror cycle, 22 Aug 2007
I discovered the Necroscope cycle a little by chance, buying a second hand cheap copy of the second book in the series and began to read it in a train. I got immediately hooked and after finishing it I went back to the first book in the series - and found it equally excellent. This story about a boy (later a man) who is the only person who can actually speak with the dead (who it appears are very lonely and frequently need comfort of a conversation...) is extremely original and very touching, although it finally becomes quite macabre and sad, when his path crosses this of the undead - the vampires... I already knew Brian Lumley from his Lovecraftian writings (some of which are very good), but frankly here he did even better, by creating his own fantasy mythos. His great idea was to cross a classic vampire horror with a spy novel (KGB paranormal section is involved) and the mixed blood fruit of his efforts is of a particularly juicy variety (all puns intended). Even better - this cycle of five books actually improves further on until the great finale (of which I will not say a word). For that reason I warmly recommend to start this dark bloody voyage - if you are a horror fan, you will certainly like it and if you are not, well, there is a strong possibility that you will become one....

Brian Lumley, 26 Jun 2006
The Necroscope is a fantastic book and is well written. The idea behind the necroscope is not original in itself but is written in an original way. This novel is well worth buying. Necroscope No1 is the best out of the Necroscope series in my opinion.

A great collection of stories, 07 Jan 2009
First i will say my first impressions of the book. This book is GINORMOUS!
"It looks like a bible" My friend said, and i suppose for some people it is!

I've got the book through, the build is superb like i'd expect from such an anthology and i've read 3 of the short storys inside, for anyone unfamiliar with Lovecraft (As i am) the storys are like those fantastical 'Weird tales' you see on youtube and TV only even more fantastical in the great way a child new to the world might imagine what he hasn't seen or perhaps a man from the 14th centuary might only imagine what lay across the vast oceans and imagine the most amazing things. If you ever plan on having children, or do have young children, i recommend some of these as fireside tales, they will love them (Maybe make some less scary though, i dont find any of them so far as scary, but a child might.)

Also as a note about that dreaded sticker everyone goes on about, yes it is annoying, i left mine on.

For the price buy this book. Totally worth it!

got it, 20 Nov 2008
just got it will start reading soon :)

i got into a few lines and its quite addictive, niceee :D



Pretty good, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this recently, having never read (but often heard about) Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

I'm only about a third of the way through, but it seems pretty good (although the author does seem to have swallowed a thesaurus - and a particularly gibbous and over-nourished one at that, most likely recovered from some Stygian Pit that the mortal mind was not meant to know of). Plus, he does have some rather - ahem - "old fashioned" attitudes to race and class that can seem rather jarring to a modern reader.

This particular edition also does, unfortunately, have a number of typos in the text, some of which ("Necroriomicon", "clay" instead of "day", and "Gthulhu") suggest to me that the publishers had the original text scanned and digitised, but imperfectly. (I'm keeping a note of them as I find them, and will inform the publishers when I've finished the book).

Still, all said, I don't regret getting the book, and if you don't mind those faults, I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the genera.


Just as I remembered!!, 14 Sep 2008
Excellent, worth the wait!! I remember reading this as a child, it's just as good as I remembered. Real Classic stuff!!

I recommend it to anyone looking for some good old creepy stories.

JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!!!, 19 Jul 2008
What can i say that already hasn't been said.
This is truly awesome, a complete collection of lovecraft in a well bound casebound book with faux Leather cover, in black.
All your favorites are there. If you're a real lovecraft fan this is deffinately for you.
And for a very reasanoble price.
100% recommended, buy now & join us on a truly Dark venture into the world of the one & the only H.P.lovecraft


For the completeists..., 17 Nov 2008
This is essential to get all of Lovecraft's stories.

For some reason, the three excellent omnibuses (omnibi ?)('Omnibus 1: At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels of Terror', 'Omnibus 2: Dagon and Other Macabre Tales' and 'Omnibus 3: Haunter of the Dark and Other Tales') don't include the short story 'Cool Air'.

These four books together are the complete stories.

Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.

Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.

Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.

And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...


Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it.

Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.


Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure.

Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work.

First of a great series, 22 Nov 2008
Was leant this book by a work mate,had never heard of Lumley before but i thought id give it a try.So glad i did because now a year later i have read the entire series and can recommend every book in the series.Lumley is a master of creative horror writing and this series is the best ive read by far.

Just read it, 'cos it's really really really good., 24 Apr 2008
I've just finished reading this, my first Brian Lumley book. As is always the case when switching from one author to another I found it a bit difficult to properly 'get into' but once I was familiar with Lumleys writing style I was totally and utterly emersed. I don't read very fast (usually a few pages at night now and again whilst in bed) but I couldn't get this book and it's characters and it's stories out of my head. I read it every night without fail. It's certainly very well constructed - the story goes all over the place but never confuses. One minute you think you're reading a thriller the next a biography and then the next sheer horror. It's nicely in-depth without becoming boring and the many evolving sub-plots all work together seamlessly. I won't give any spoilers but suffice to say when I'd finished it I had a big smile on my face and had to flip back through the book to check just what I'd read on the last couple of pages - a genius moment in storytelling.

It would get a 5 but I felt the ending chapters somewhat rushed, but I can certainly say I'm an avid Necroscope fan now and I'm currently waiting for the second book to arrive in the post...

Imaginitive and unpredictable, 06 Jan 2008
Two words any reader wants to see. Lumley delivers a great piece of horror fiction with Necroscope. It's a slow builder, carefully building a detailed history of the two main characters, the adversaries with paranormal powers. The central plot tells the story of a personal fight between good and evil, saturated with plot twists, foreboding menace and originality. The surrounding influences for the plot are all well described, a factor which no doubt encouraged Lumley to continue the Necroscope series. Necroscope cleverly entwines science and legend to create a book which will demand your attention to the very end - and what a finale. It is a standalone story and a real treat which is in no way dated.

The beginning of a very original horror cycle, 22 Aug 2007
I discovered the Necroscope cycle a little by chance, buying a second hand cheap copy of the second book in the series and began to read it in a train. I got immediately hooked and after finishing it I went back to the first book in the series - and found it equally excellent. This story about a boy (later a man) who is the only person who can actually speak with the dead (who it appears are very lonely and frequently need comfort of a conversation...) is extremely original and very touching, although it finally becomes quite macabre and sad, when his path crosses this of the undead - the vampires... I already knew Brian Lumley from his Lovecraftian writings (some of which are very good), but frankly here he did even better, by creating his own fantasy mythos. His great idea was to cross a classic vampire horror with a spy novel (KGB paranormal section is involved) and the mixed blood fruit of his efforts is of a particularly juicy variety (all puns intended). Even better - this cycle of five books actually improves further on until the great finale (of which I will not say a word). For that reason I warmly recommend to start this dark bloody voyage - if you are a horror fan, you will certainly like it and if you are not, well, there is a strong possibility that you will become one....

Brian Lumley, 26 Jun 2006
The Necroscope is a fantastic book and is well written. The idea behind the necroscope is not original in itself but is written in an original way. This novel is well worth buying. Necroscope No1 is the best out of the Necroscope series in my opinion.

A good read, 27 Oct 2007
This book was briefly mentioned in Jane Austin's Northanger Abbey adaptation so I thought I'll check it out and, surprisingly found it a good read. Although written a long while back, the language used is extremely easy for today's reader. I considered it is a real page turner with full of events that you just want to find out what happened next. The scenes described are not too graphic, but rather, the writer gives the reader enough details for them to visualise the full extent. Whilst today's reader cannot see the fuss with this book, I can understand why it caused such a stir back then, with such topics as murder, rape etc.

Although this book is titled the Monk, he is not entirely the main character. The book spends some time on the story of the Marquis de la Cisternas and Agnus, although all are linked in some ways.

My only criticism was the speed in which Ambrosia descended from this righteous path. His obsession for Antonia was quite abrupt so you could not understand what he saw in her, and therefore what made him go to such length to possess her.

Overall a good read. I find it amazing that a man of only nineteen could write with such emotion, especially the scene with Agnus holding her dead baby. He was either a genius or a rather disturbed young man.


Enjoyable Georgian trash, 23 May 2007
Simply because a book is old doesn't make it great literature. By the same token, just because something isn't great literature doesn't mean it can't be an enjoyable read. I think anyone who has read The Monk would have to concede that it is primarily in the classics range because of its age rather than any peculiar literary merit - the plot is silly and bit predictable, the dialogue is stilted to the point of actually being quite funny and the characters are as one-dimensional as it is possible to get.

Minor quibbles aside however, The Monk is great fun to read and is surprisingly accessible considering its age. You'll get the whole kitchen sink of gothic horror cliches (and then some) chucked at you in succession: A story about someone eloping with a long dead evil ghost nun that has no relation whatsoever to the main plot; a monk tempted by Satan and aided by his magical silver stick (don't ask) in his schemes to rape and debauch an impossibly virtuous young lady; the Spanish Inquisition; the evil goings on in a convent and that's really only the beginnng!

As an aside, I would also recommend the Dover Thrift edition of the book. Not only is it the cheapest available, it has a genuinely entertaining foreword from 1906 which more than compensates for the occasional typos in the main text.

just awesome, 24 Jun 2006
Written by Matthew Lewis during a short period of ten short weeks when he was just nineteen, "The Monk" proved to be a controversial novel at the time that it was written. Faith, deception, loyalty, sorcery, murder, Satanism, incest, rape, ghosts, and the inquisition gave the novel the popularity it has retained until today. Even though its plot made the novel controversial when it was published in 1796 to the point where it as held to be blasphemous and resulted to censorship, Lewis nevertheless gained in popularity.
The story is basically about Ambrosio, who as an enfant was found at the doors of the abbey, stirring talks that he was a divine-sent child. He grew up to become an ostensibly pious and deeply revered Abbot of the Capuchin monastery in Madrid, a fit in holiness that aroused the resentment of the devil who decides to plot his fall. The devil plotted the fall through the working of a young female who disguised and became a novice under the tutelage of Ambrioso, the immaculate monk. Ambrioso's fall is plotted through out the later stages of the novel as his fight with the deep passions of his body, the machinations of the devil and his attempts at redemption. Anti-Catholic in nature, this Gothic classic is perhaps the best in its genre. I am certain the author enjoyed every moment while he was writing it because the story flowed all the way through to the end. A recommended classic.
Also recommended: THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES, THE MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO, DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE UNION MOUJIK

The Monk, 04 May 2006
Despite its age, this a shocking and grim gothic novel. Some of the plot is predictable but the books is infused with an atmosphere of repressed sexuality and innocence corrupted. Well worth reading.

Lewis was way ahead of his time., 13 Apr 2006
If you like Gothic and Romantic fiction (as in Romanticism, not romance)then this is a must. Written at the same time William Blake was composing his etchings, at the end of the eighteenth century. It was originally banded for being to contraversial as it supported revolution in the uk. Back then it was massively popular and the first editions completely sold out before the government could do anything about it. Written by a very young Lewis (in his late teens), it tells of an adventure that befalls a number of characters belonging to the spanish bourgeoisie. The main focus is on a holier-than-thou monk who is seduced by demons to become the devil's instrument. The story has everything; murder, rape, incest, adultery, banditary, rioting, the supernatural, torture, etc.
If you enjoy classic fiction then you will definitely enjoy this. It is written in a surprisingly modern fashion. Personally I think if it was re-introduced as a modern day work of fiction then very few would realise that it is over 200 yrs old. If you're not into classical fiction, but are more of a modern reader, then I think you'll still enjoy it.
It is the only book that MGL wrote, but it is one of Britain's greatest ever literary works that has been all but forgotten. It's time it was remembered!

A great collection of stories, 07 Jan 2009
First i will say my first impressions of the book. This book is GINORMOUS!
"It looks like a bible" My friend said, and i suppose for some people it is!

I've got the book through, the build is superb like i'd expect from such an anthology and i've read 3 of the short storys inside, for anyone unfamiliar with Lovecraft (As i am) the storys are like those fantastical 'Weird tales' you see on youtube and TV only even more fantastical in the great way a child new to the world might imagine what he hasn't seen or perhaps a man from the 14th centuary might only imagine what lay across the vast oceans and imagine the most amazing things. If you ever plan on having children, or do have young children, i recommend some of these as fireside tales, they will love them (Maybe make some less scary though, i dont find any of them so far as scary, but a child might.)

Also as a note about that dreaded sticker everyone goes on about, yes it is annoying, i left mine on.

For the price buy this book. Totally worth it!

got it, 20 Nov 2008
just got it will start reading soon :)

i got into a few lines and its quite addictive, niceee :D



Pretty good, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this recently, having never read (but often heard about) Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

I'm only about a third of the way through, but it seems pretty good (although the author does seem to have swallowed a thesaurus - and a particularly gibbous and over-nourished one at that, most likely recovered from some Stygian Pit that the mortal mind was not meant to know of). Plus, he does have some rather - ahem - "old fashioned" attitudes to race and class that can seem rather jarring to a modern reader.

This particular edition also does, unfortunately, have a number of typos in the text, some of which ("Necroriomicon", "clay" instead of "day", and "Gthulhu") suggest to me that the publishers had the original text scanned and digitised, but imperfectly. (I'm keeping a note of them as I find them, and will inform the publishers when I've finished the book).

Still, all said, I don't regret getting the book, and if you don't mind those faults, I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the genera.


Just as I remembered!!, 14 Sep 2008
Excellent, worth the wait!! I remember reading this as a child, it's just as good as I remembered. Real Classic stuff!!

I recommend it to anyone looking for some good old creepy stories.

JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!!!, 19 Jul 2008
What can i say that already hasn't been said.
This is truly awesome, a complete collection of lovecraft in a well bound casebound book with faux Leather cover, in black.
All your favorites are there. If you're a real lovecraft fan this is deffinately for you.
And for a very reasanoble price.
100% recommended, buy now & join us on a truly Dark venture into the world of the one & the only H.P.lovecraft


For the completeists..., 17 Nov 2008
This is essential to get all of Lovecraft's stories.

For some reason, the three excellent omnibuses (omnibi ?)('Omnibus 1: At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels of Terror', 'Omnibus 2: Dagon and Other Macabre Tales' and 'Omnibus 3: Haunter of the Dark and Other Tales') don't include the short story 'Cool Air'.

These four books together are the complete stories.

Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.

Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.

Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.

And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...


Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it.

Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.


Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure.

Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work.

First of a great series, 22 Nov 2008
Was leant this book by a work mate,had never heard of Lumley before but i thought id give it a try.So glad i did because now a year later i have read the entire series and can recommend every book in the series.Lumley is a master of creative horror writing and this series is the best ive read by far.

Just read it, 'cos it's really really really good., 24 Apr 2008
I've just finished reading this, my first Brian Lumley book. As is always the case when switching from one author to another I found it a bit difficult to properly 'get into' but once I was familiar with Lumleys writing style I was totally and utterly emersed. I don't read very fast (usually a few pages at night now and again whilst in bed) but I couldn't get this book and it's characters and it's stories out of my head. I read it every night without fail. It's certainly very well constructed - the story goes all over the place but never confuses. One minute you think you're reading a thriller the next a biography and then the next sheer horror. It's nicely in-depth without becoming boring and the many evolving sub-plots all work together seamlessly. I won't give any spoilers but suffice to say when I'd finished it I had a big smile on my face and had to flip back through the book to check just what I'd read on the last couple of pages - a genius moment in storytelling.

It would get a 5 but I felt the ending chapters somewhat rushed, but I can certainly say I'm an avid Necroscope fan now and I'm currently waiting for the second book to arrive in the post...

Imaginitive and unpredictable, 06 Jan 2008
Two words any reader wants to see. Lumley delivers a great piece of horror fiction with Necroscope. It's a slow builder, carefully building a detailed history of the two main characters, the adversaries with paranormal powers. The central plot tells the story of a personal fight between good and evil, saturated with plot twists, foreboding menace and originality. The surrounding influences for the plot are all well described, a factor which no doubt encouraged Lumley to continue the Necroscope series. Necroscope cleverly entwines science and legend to create a book which will demand your attention to the very end - and what a finale. It is a standalone story and a real treat which is in no way dated.

The beginning of a very original horror cycle, 22 Aug 2007
I discovered the Necroscope cycle a little by chance, buying a second hand cheap copy of the second book in the series and began to read it in a train. I got immediately hooked and after finishing it I went back to the first book in the series - and found it equally excellent. This story about a boy (later a man) who is the only person who can actually speak with the dead (who it appears are very lonely and frequently need comfort of a conversation...) is extremely original and very touching, although it finally becomes quite macabre and sad, when his path crosses this of the undead - the vampires... I already knew Brian Lumley from his Lovecraftian writings (some of which are very good), but frankly here he did even better, by creating his own fantasy mythos. His great idea was to cross a classic vampire horror with a spy novel (KGB paranormal section is involved) and the mixed blood fruit of his efforts is of a particularly juicy variety (all puns intended). Even better - this cycle of five books actually improves further on until the great finale (of which I will not say a word). For that reason I warmly recommend to start this dark bloody voyage - if you are a horror fan, you will certainly like it and if you are not, well, there is a strong possibility that you will become one....

Brian Lumley, 26 Jun 2006
The Necroscope is a fantastic book and is well written. The idea behind the necroscope is not original in itself but is written in an original way. This novel is well worth buying. Necroscope No1 is the best out of the Necroscope series in my opinion.

A good read, 27 Oct 2007
This book was briefly mentioned in Jane Austin's Northanger Abbey adaptation so I thought I'll check it out and, surprisingly found it a good read. Although written a long while back, the language used is extremely easy for today's reader. I considered it is a real page turner with full of events that you just want to find out what happened next. The scenes described are not too graphic, but rather, the writer gives the reader enough details for them to visualise the full extent. Whilst today's reader cannot see the fuss with this book, I can understand why it caused such a stir back then, with such topics as murder, rape etc.

Although this book is titled the Monk, he is not entirely the main character. The book spends some time on the story of the Marquis de la Cisternas and Agnus, although all are linked in some ways.

My only criticism was the speed in which Ambrosia descended from this righteous path. His obsession for Antonia was quite abrupt so you could not understand what he saw in her, and therefore what made him go to such length to possess her.

Overall a good read. I find it amazing that a man of only nineteen could write with such emotion, especially the scene with Agnus holding her dead baby. He was either a genius or a rather disturbed young man.


Enjoyable Georgian trash, 23 May 2007
Simply because a book is old doesn't make it great literature. By the same token, just because something isn't great literature doesn't mean it can't be an enjoyable read. I think anyone who has read The Monk would have to concede that it is primarily in the classics range because of its age rather than any peculiar literary merit - the plot is silly and bit predictable, the dialogue is stilted to the point of actually being quite funny and the characters are as one-dimensional as it is possible to get.

Minor quibbles aside however, The Monk is great fun to read and is surprisingly accessible considering its age. You'll get the whole kitchen sink of gothic horror cliches (and then some) chucked at you in succession: A story about someone eloping with a long dead evil ghost nun that has no relation whatsoever to the main plot; a monk tempted by Satan and aided by his magical silver stick (don't ask) in his schemes to rape and debauch an impossibly virtuous young lady; the Spanish Inquisition; the evil goings on in a convent and that's really only the beginnng!

As an aside, I would also recommend the Dover Thrift edition of the book. Not only is it the cheapest available, it has a genuinely entertaining foreword from 1906 which more than compensates for the occasional typos in the main text.

just awesome, 24 Jun 2006
Written by Matthew Lewis during a short period of ten short weeks when he was just nineteen, "The Monk" proved to be a controversial novel at the time that it was written. Faith, deception, loyalty, sorcery, murder, Satanism, incest, rape, ghosts, and the inquisition gave the novel the popularity it has retained until today. Even though its plot made the novel controversial when it was published in 1796 to the point where it as held to be blasphemous and resulted to censorship, Lewis nevertheless gained in popularity.
The story is basically about Ambrosio, who as an enfant was found at the doors of the abbey, stirring talks that he was a divine-sent child. He grew up to become an ostensibly pious and deeply revered Abbot of the Capuchin monastery in Madrid, a fit in holiness that aroused the resentment of the devil who decides to plot his fall. The devil plotted the fall through the working of a young female who disguised and became a novice under the tutelage of Ambrioso, the immaculate monk. Ambrioso's fall is plotted through out the later stages of the novel as his fight with the deep passions of his body, the machinations of the devil and his attempts at redemption. Anti-Catholic in nature, this Gothic classic is perhaps the best in its genre. I am certain the author enjoyed every moment while he was writing it because the story flowed all the way through to the end. A recommended classic.
Also recommended: THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES, THE MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO, DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE UNION MOUJIK

The Monk, 04 May 2006
Despite its age, this a shocking and grim gothic novel. Some of the plot is predictable but the books is infused with an atmosphere of repressed sexuality and innocence corrupted. Well worth reading.

Lewis was way ahead of his time., 13 Apr 2006
If you like Gothic and Romantic fiction (as in Romanticism, not romance)then this is a must. Written at the same time William Blake was composing his etchings, at the end of the eighteenth century. It was originally banded for being to contraversial as it supported revolution in the uk. Back then it was massively popular and the first editions completely sold out before the government could do anything about it. Written by a very young Lewis (in his late teens), it tells of an adventure that befalls a number of characters belonging to the spanish bourgeoisie. The main focus is on a holier-than-thou monk who is seduced by demons to become the devil's instrument. The story has everything; murder, rape, incest, adultery, banditary, rioting, the supernatural, torture, etc.
If you enjoy classic fiction then you will definitely enjoy this. It is written in a surprisingly modern fashion. Personally I think if it was re-introduced as a modern day work of fiction then very few would realise that it is over 200 yrs old. If you're not into classical fiction, but are more of a modern reader, then I think you'll still enjoy it.
It is the only book that MGL wrote, but it is one of Britain's greatest ever literary works that has been all but forgotten. It's time it was remembered!

Nocturnal chills, 25 Oct 2007
H.P. Lovecraft is definitely one of the masters of the horror and gothic genre, and this omnibus contains some of his best work. Lovecraft must have had a very rich imagination indeed to have come up with these bizarre stories, but they work very well because Lovecraft always succeeds in walking the fine line between the totally absurd and the matter-of-fact reality. In the best stories there's always this nagging sense that 'it might be true'.

Reading these stories now and knowing that most of them were written in the 1920s makes you appreciate Lovecraft's complete mastery of the genre all the more.

A Long-dead author revitalises a faltering genre? DEFINITELY!, 04 Apr 2007
Having read a lot of horror, one name always came up as the inspiration for the modern horror writers. That name is HP Lovecraft. I had heard about his works, but never seemed to pick up any of them. Finally, i reached a point with a lot of the modern horror writers where i had seen most of it all before, and was growing tired of the same plots rehashed over and over. Too much horror these days is inspired by cinema, and in many modern horror novels you can almost pick out the set pieces that will be translated into a film scene. Feeling disillusioned, i turned to HP Lovecraft.
These tales are fantastic!They have renewed my enthusiasm for the genre once more. They are dark, malignant stories that serve up horror without falling into cliche, and treat the reader as an equal which is very rare in modern horror. The stories do not take you by the hand and lead you through the plot, with a million signposts to take you to the ending. These stories take you to the entrance of a maze, push you in and then, for good measure, switch off the lights! Superb!
The first 3 stories are excellent pieces of writing.They are called At the Mountains of Madness, the Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and Dreams in the Witch House.These are among the finest horror works you will read.
Mountains of Madness deals with an expedition to the Antarctic, and describes the discovery of a hidden civilisation, only for one half of the team to be brutally slaughtered in a mysterious fashion.The tale then picks up with the remaining team members trying to solve the mystery, by entering this hidden area, and discovering a hidden city that has subterranean passages.This story is brilliant at building up an atmosphere of suspense, foreboding and claustrophobia. It isn't particularly brutal - it rises above this, and leaves you to imagine what went on. I won't spoil the story, but this is a real winner from start to finish.
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, for me, is the gem in this collection.It concerns a young man investigating his family tree and finding a 'black sheep' of the family lurking away in one of the branches. The story deals with the titular character descending into madness, whilst filling in the details of the ancestor's questionable life. This was a real page turner and i rushed through it full of wonder and enjoyment. There is a clear progression in the story, with plenty of subplots but more importantly, plenty of gaps, to allow the reader to feel part of the tale. The ending is quite original and well-thought out.
The third story is the Dreams in the Witch House and concerns a brilliant student becoming involved in outre ideas. What could have been a standard haunted house story is given a new twist, and again shows horror writing at its best.
The final stories are the Dream Quest of Unknown Kaddath,The Silver Key, and Through the Gates of the Silver Key. These to me are much weaker stories. And i didn't enjoy these half as much as the 3 Cthulu Mythos stories. These are more dark fantasy than horror, thought again, there are areas of remarkable brilliance within them.
I loved Lovecraft's style of writing.It is completely different to any other horror writer's - though if you read HG Wells, there are some similarities. The style adds to the horror and the feeling of impending doom.

Who would this appeal to? Any other jaded horror readers out there for one! Fans of Brian Lumley's Titus Crow novels should definitely read this, as Lumley is a Lovecraft fan beyond measure.The fact that these stories are as frightening and original today as when they were written is a real testament to their brilliance. Most horror today is instantly forgettable - Lovecraft is going to have people shivering, and cowering for many years to come................
I loved this collection, and can't wait to read the other 2 in this particular series.


good, but..., 28 Feb 2007
I knew of Lovecrat as a child through a series of radio dramatisations. Those were great and I still have a frightened rememberance of "The closed room" or something like that. Then I remembered him when my Surgery teacher mentioned his monsters when explaining some kind of cancer surgery...

So I bought the whole series. Mind you: the books are good value, but a bit unconfortable to read, because they are squat and thick.

I share the view of some other readers: Lovecraft is good, but sometimes he takes himself so seriously that his writing becomes too much of a good thing. This book is the first in a series of three, comprising his most famous stories. I find this volume to be the best.

The short stories are irregular, some of them are very well written, but many others are lost in a maze of descriptions and hints that in the end are too much for a short story, because the theme is not developed in the limited space offered by a short tale.

However, the short novels in the first volume (this) are good. Particularly I find "The case of Charles Dexter Ward" and "Dreams in the Whitch House" to be the best, because you can see where the story takes you, and at the same time feel your hair standing on end in the nape of your neck. The other stories have good concepts, but Lovecraft roams too much and in the end are a bit disappointing. For example "The Mountains of Madness" starts from quite a good idea - taking it up where Arthur Gordon Pym left it- but in the end, too much Cthulu makes it too long and even a bit confusion. The same can be said for "Dream quest of unknow kadath".

All in all, I think that one shoul read Lovecraft at least once, particularly if you like terror and gothic. This is your opportunity.

The master..., 02 Mar 2006
This collection, the first of three volumes, may well represent the pinnacle of Lovecraft's creative genius. His knack for conjuring the most horrific and fantastical of atmospheres is unparalleled; these stories will have you shuddering with captivated horror at the incredible otherworldly landscapes and monstrosities leaping from their pages.

Plagued with a great sensitivity to cold from a young age, Lovecraft's first novel "At the Mountains of Madness" was perhaps a little closer to home than any other piece he attempted, and its sublime execution would perhaps imply this further. Regardless, this tale is arguably the greatest of the man's catalogue, with a gradual, drawn-out build up of tension and isolation into a frantic climax in a world so alien, beautiful and deadly. Reading this made me long to live in a world where such places as Antarctica still existed unexplored and mysterious, potentially housing that which men of the time could barely dream of. One loses oneself in those icy peaks, those ancient ruins, and yet one always feels as if they are not quite alone...

"The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" is next in line, and one can't help but feel sceptical as to how this piece will fare up against the previous mountain of a story. Don't let the slow start sway you - this one's darn great too! As with "Mountains...", Lovecraft creates an ominous atmosphere this time via gradual exploration of Curwen and Charles' dark discoveries, once again motivated by wild curiosity. Yet in this piece something far more disturbing and horrific lurks, implied constantly in Lovecraft's subtle narrative. Less beautiful, fantastical and isolating perhaps, but all the more human and realistic and TERRIFYING as a result. There is a scene involving darkness and a pit (not going into detail here for fear of spoiling it) which will stay with you for a damn long time - a claustrophobic nightmare.

Next in line comes a little break from the longer novels, with what I consider to be the least absorbing story in the volume, "The Dreams in the Witch-House". It's pretty telling that I can't remember much about this whereas I remember the previous two vividly. I recall being somewhat intrigued with the combination of mathematics, folklore, multi-dimensions and the like, but the main plot isn't all that gripping. Worth reading, nontheless.

The following four stories all focus upon a character named Randolph Carter - a man whose personality is founded upon a pursuit of the beauty found in dreams. It has frequently been said that this character is most representative of Lovecraft himself, and I must admit feeling great empathy towards him in "The Silver Key", a short prequel to "Through the Gates of the Silver Key", which can easily be read as a commentary on a dry and absurd society - as relevant now as it was then.

The best of these tales is perhaps "The Dream-Quest of the Unknown Kadath", which whilst seemingly having less focus and direction than his other two novels, is just filled to the brim with wonderous landscape after wonderous landscape packed full of creatures both stunning and diabolical. Carter's quest for the paradise city of his dreams is bizarre, yet wholly enticing. The previously mentioned "Through the Gates of the Silver Key" is also very atmospheric, though not a journey - this shorter story involves Carter's gradual venture into the realms of beings of chaos which dwarf humankind, and reveals much about the workings of the dream-world Lovecraft has created.

Lovecraft has created a mythos, from terrible beasts and Gods to ancient old writings and lands, which renders his readers both fascinated and ultimately insignificant in comparison. Treat yourselves folks, this is dark, atmospheric literature done properly. 5 stars don't do it justice.

A must have for horror fans, 26 Sep 2003
This book is one of three which, between them, provide MOST (but not all) of Lovecrafts’ stories. Purchase Volume 1, 2 and 3 of this “omnibus”, and you will own a truly magnificent collection of this master’s works! Lovecraft, like Poe, had an untouchable talent for macabre and gothic horror stories – his works being a great influence on the wonderful Stephen King. Lovecraft’s style is simple and yet so very intricate in weaving the most captivating stories. Like Poe, Lovecraft’s works are ageless and the stuff of dreams and nightmares that will remain in your mind for many years after reading.
Sadly, not enough of Lovecraft’s works have been translated into movies, but the movie “Dagon” should give you a taste of his work if you want to view something based on his writings. Amazon stock this movie.
In truth, I would much rather have a decent hardback with all of Lovecraft’s stories – somehow your average paperback seems insufficient a medium to do real honour to such a master of this genre. BUT – this omnibus makes for a great resource and I am sure lovers of this genre will find Lovecraft’s work a real treasure within their collection.

A great collection of stories, 07 Jan 2009
First i will say my first impressions of the book. This book is GINORMOUS!
"It looks like a bible" My friend said, and i suppose for some people it is!

I've got the book through, the build is superb like i'd expect from such an anthology and i've read 3 of the short storys inside, for anyone unfamiliar with Lovecraft (As i am) the storys are like those fantastical 'Weird tales' you see on youtube and TV only even more fantastical in the great way a child new to the world might imagine what he hasn't seen or perhaps a man from the 14th centuary might only imagine what lay across the vast oceans and imagine the most amazing things. If you ever plan on having children, or do have young children, i recommend some of these as fireside tales, they will love them (Maybe make some less scary though, i dont find any of them so far as scary, but a child might.)

Also as a note about that dreaded sticker everyone goes on about, yes it is annoying, i left mine on.

For the price buy this book. Totally worth it!

got it, 20 Nov 2008
just got it will start reading soon :)

i got into a few lines and its quite addictive, niceee :D



Pretty good, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this recently, having never read (but often heard about) Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

I'm only about a third of the way through, but it seems pretty good (although the author does seem to have swallowed a thesaurus - and a particularly gibbous and over-nourished one at that, most likely recovered from some Stygian Pit that the mortal mind was not meant to know of). Plus, he does have some rather - ahem - "old fashioned" attitudes to race and class that can seem rather jarring to a modern reader.

This particular edition also does, unfortunately, have a number of typos in the text, some of which ("Necroriomicon", "clay" instead of "day", and "Gthulhu") suggest to me that the publishers had the original text scanned and digitised, but imperfectly. (I'm keeping a note of them as I find them, and will inform the publishers when I've finished the book).

Still, all said, I don't regret getting the book, and if you don't mind those faults, I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the genera.


Just as I remembered!!, 14 Sep 2008
Excellent, worth the wait!! I remember reading this as a child, it's just as good as I remembered. Real Classic stuff!!

I recommend it to anyone looking for some good old creepy stories.

JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!!!, 19 Jul 2008
What can i say that already hasn't been said.
This is truly awesome, a complete collection of lovecraft in a well bound casebound book with faux Leather cover, in black.
All your favorites are there. If you're a real lovecraft fan this is deffinately for you.
And for a very reasanoble price.
100% recommended, buy now & join us on a truly Dark venture into the world of the one & the only H.P.lovecraft


For the completeists..., 17 Nov 2008
This is essential to get all of Lovecraft's stories.

For some reason, the three excellent omnibuses (omnibi ?)('Omnibus 1: At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels of Terror', 'Omnibus 2: Dagon and Other Macabre Tales' and 'Omnibus 3: Haunter of the Dark and Other Tales') don't include the short story 'Cool Air'.

These four books together are the complete stories.

Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.

Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.

Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.

And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...


Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it.

Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.


Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure.

Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work.

First of a great series, 22 Nov 2008
Was leant this book by a work mate,had never heard of Lumley before but i thought id give it a try.So glad i did because now a year later i have read the entire series and can recommend every book in the series.Lumley is a master of creative horror writing and this series is the best ive read by far.

Just read it, 'cos it's really really really good., 24 Apr 2008
I've just finished reading this, my first Brian Lumley book. As is always the case when switching from one author to another I found it a bit difficult to properly 'get into' but once I was familiar with Lumleys writing style I was totally and utterly emersed. I don't read very fast (usually a few pages at night now and again whilst in bed) but I couldn't get this book and it's characters and it's stories out of my head. I read it every night without fail. It's certainly very well constructed - the story goes all over the place but never confuses. One minute you think you're reading a thriller the next a biography and then the next sheer horror. It's nicely in-depth without becoming boring and the many evolving sub-plots all work together seamlessly. I won't give any spoilers but suffice to say when I'd finished it I had a big smile on my face and had to flip back through the book to check just what I'd read on the last couple of pages - a genius moment in storytelling.

It would get a 5 but I felt the ending chapters somewhat rushed, but I can certainly say I'm an avid Necroscope fan now and I'm currently waiting for the second book to arrive in the post...

Imaginitive and unpredictable, 06 Jan 2008
Two words any reader wants to see. Lumley delivers a great piece of horror fiction with Necroscope. It's a slow builder, carefully building a detailed history of the two main characters, the adversaries with paranormal powers. The central plot tells the story of a personal fight between good and evil, saturated with plot twists, foreboding menace and originality. The surrounding influences for the plot are all well described, a factor which no doubt encouraged Lumley to continue the Necroscope series. Necroscope cleverly entwines science and legend to create a book which will demand your attention to the very end - and what a finale. It is a standalone story and a real treat which is in no way dated.

The beginning of a very original horror cycle, 22 Aug 2007
I discovered the Necroscope cycle a little by chance, buying a second hand cheap copy of the second book in the series and began to read it in a train. I got immediately hooked and after finishing it I went back to the first book in the series - and found it equally excellent. This story about a boy (later a man) who is the only person who can actually speak with the dead (who it appears are very lonely and frequently need comfort of a conversation...) is extremely original and very touching, although it finally becomes quite macabre and sad, when his path crosses this of the undead - the vampires... I already knew Brian Lumley from his Lovecraftian writings (some of which are very good), but frankly here he did even better, by creating his own fantasy mythos. His great idea was to cross a classic vampire horror with a spy novel (KGB paranormal section is involved) and the mixed blood fruit of his efforts is of a particularly juicy variety (all puns intended). Even better - this cycle of five books actually improves further on until the great finale (of which I will not say a word). For that reason I warmly recommend to start this dark bloody voyage - if you are a horror fan, you will certainly like it and if you are not, well, there is a strong possibility that you will become one....

Brian Lumley, 26 Jun 2006
The Necroscope is a fantastic book and is well written. The idea behind the necroscope is not original in itself but is written in an original way. This novel is well worth buying. Necroscope No1 is the best out of the Necroscope series in my opinion.

A good read, 27 Oct 2007
This book was briefly mentioned in Jane Austin's Northanger Abbey adaptation so I thought I'll check it out and, surprisingly found it a good read. Although written a long while back, the language used is extremely easy for today's reader. I considered it is a real page turner with full of events that you just want to find out what happened next. The scenes described are not too graphic, but rather, the writer gives the reader enough details for them to visualise the full extent. Whilst today's reader cannot see the fuss with this book, I can understand why it caused such a stir back then, with such topics as murder, rape etc.

Although this book is titled the Monk, he is not entirely the main character. The book spends some time on the story of the Marquis de la Cisternas and Agnus, although all are linked in some ways.

My only criticism was the speed in which Ambrosia descended from this righteous path. His obsession for Antonia was quite abrupt so you could not understand what he saw in her, and therefore what made him go to such length to possess her.

Overall a good read. I find it amazing that a man of only nineteen could write with such emotion, especially the scene with Agnus holding her dead baby. He was either a genius or a rather disturbed young man.


Enjoyable Georgian trash, 23 May 2007
Simply because a book is old doesn't make it great literature. By the same token, just because something isn't great literature doesn't mean it can't be an enjoyable read. I think anyone who has read The Monk would have to concede that it is primarily in the classics range because of its age rather than any peculiar literary merit - the plot is silly and bit predictable, the dialogue is stilted to the point of actually being quite funny and the characters are as one-dimensional as it is possible to get.

Minor quibbles aside however, The Monk is great fun to read and is surprisingly accessible considering its age. You'll get the whole kitchen sink of gothic horror cliches (and then some) chucked at you in succession: A story about someone eloping with a long dead evil ghost nun that has no relation whatsoever to the main plot; a monk tempted by Satan and aided by his magical silver stick (don't ask) in his schemes to rape and debauch an impossibly virtuous young lady; the Spanish Inquisition; the evil goings on in a convent and that's really only the beginnng!

As an aside, I would also recommend the Dover Thrift edition of the book. Not only is it the cheapest available, it has a genuinely entertaining foreword from 1906 which more than compensates for the occasional typos in the main text.

just awesome, 24 Jun 2006
Written by Matthew Lewis during a short period of ten short weeks when he was just nineteen, "The Monk" proved to be a controversial novel at the time that it was written. Faith, deception, loyalty, sorcery, murder, Satanism, incest, rape, ghosts, and the inquisition gave the novel the popularity it has retained until today. Even though its plot made the novel controversial when it was published in 1796 to the point where it as held to be blasphemous and resulted to censorship, Lewis nevertheless gained in popularity.
The story is basically about Ambrosio, who as an enfant was found at the doors of the abbey, stirring talks that he was a divine-sent child. He grew up to become an ostensibly pious and deeply revered Abbot of the Capuchin monastery in Madrid, a fit in holiness that aroused the resentment of the devil who decides to plot his fall. The devil plotted the fall through the working of a young female who disguised and became a novice under the tutelage of Ambrioso, the immaculate monk. Ambrioso's fall is plotted through out the later stages of the novel as his fight with the deep passions of his body, the machinations of the devil and his attempts at redemption. Anti-Catholic in nature, this Gothic classic is perhaps the best in its genre. I am certain the author enjoyed every moment while he was writing it because the story flowed all the way through to the end. A recommended classic.
Also recommended: THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES, THE MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO, DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE UNION MOUJIK

The Monk, 04 May 2006
Despite its age, this a shocking and grim gothic novel. Some of the plot is predictable but the books is infused with an atmosphere of repressed sexuality and innocence corrupted. Well worth reading.

Lewis was way ahead of his time., 13 Apr 2006
If you like Gothic and Romantic fiction (as in Romanticism, not romance)then this is a must. Written at the same time William Blake was composing his etchings, at the end of the eighteenth century. It was originally banded for being to contraversial as it supported revolution in the uk. Back then it was massively popular and the first editions completely sold out before the government could do anything about it. Written by a very young Lewis (in his late teens), it tells of an adventure that befalls a number of characters belonging to the spanish bourgeoisie. The main focus is on a holier-than-thou monk who is seduced by demons to become the devil's instrument. The story has everything; murder, rape, incest, adultery, banditary, rioting, the supernatural, torture, etc.
If you enjoy classic fiction then you will definitely enjoy this. It is written in a surprisingly modern fashion. Personally I think if it was re-introduced as a modern day work of fiction then very few would realise that it is over 200 yrs old. If you're not into classical fiction, but are more of a modern reader, then I think you'll still enjoy it.
It is the only book that MGL wrote, but it is one of Britain's greatest ever literary works that has been all but forgotten. It's time it was remembered!

Nocturnal chills, 25 Oct 2007
H.P. Lovecraft is definitely one of the masters of the horror and gothic genre, and this omnibus contains some of his best work. Lovecraft must have had a very rich imagination indeed to have come up with these bizarre stories, but they work very well because Lovecraft always succeeds in walking the fine line between the totally absurd and the matter-of-fact reality. In the best stories there's always this nagging sense that 'it might be true'.

Reading these stories now and knowing that most of them were written in the 1920s makes you appreciate Lovecraft's complete mastery of the genre all the more.

A Long-dead author revitalises a faltering genre? DEFINITELY!, 04 Apr 2007
Having read a lot of horror, one name always came up as the inspiration for the modern horror writers. That name is HP Lovecraft. I had heard about his works, but never seemed to pick up any of them. Finally, i reached a point with a lot of the modern horror writers where i had seen most of it all before, and was growing tired of the same plots rehashed over and over. Too much horror these days is inspired by cinema, and in many modern horror novels you can almost pick out the set pieces that will be translated into a film scene. Feeling disillusioned, i turned to HP Lovecraft.
These tales are fantastic!They have renewed my enthusiasm for the genre once more. They are dark, malignant stories that serve up horror without falling into cliche, and treat the reader as an equal which is very rare in modern horror. The stories do not take you by the hand and lead you through the plot, with a million signposts to take you to the ending. These stories take you to the entrance of a maze, push you in and then, for good measure, switch off the lights! Superb!
The first 3 stories are excellent pieces of writing.They are called At the Mountains of Madness, the Case of Charles Dexter Ward, and Dreams in the Witch House.These are among the finest horror works you will read.
Mountains of Madness deals with an expedition to the Antarctic, and describes the discovery of a hidden civilisation, only for one half of the team to be brutally slaughtered in a mysterious fashion.The tale then picks up with the remaining team members trying to solve the mystery, by entering this hidden area, and discovering a hidden city that has subterranean passages.This story is brilliant at building up an atmosphere of suspense, foreboding and claustrophobia. It isn't particularly brutal - it rises above this, and leaves you to imagine what went on. I won't spoil the story, but this is a real winner from start to finish.
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, for me, is the gem in this collection.It concerns a young man investigating his family tree and finding a 'black sheep' of the family lurking away in one of the branches. The story deals with the titular character descending into madness, whilst filling in the details of the ancestor's questionable life. This was a real page turner and i rushed through it full of wonder and enjoyment. There is a clear progression in the story, with plenty of subplots but more importantly, plenty of gaps, to allow the reader to feel part of the tale. The ending is quite original and well-thought out.
The third story is the Dreams in the Witch House and concerns a brilliant student becoming involved in outre ideas. What could have been a standard haunted house story is given a new twist, and again shows horror writing at its best.
The final stories are the Dream Quest of Unknown Kaddath,The Silver Key, and Through the Gates of the Silver Key. These to me are much weaker stories. And i didn't enjoy these half as much as the 3 Cthulu Mythos stories. These are more dark fantasy than horror, thought again, there are areas of remarkable brilliance within them.
I loved Lovecraft's style of writing.It is completely different to any other horror writer's - though if you read HG Wells, there are some similarities. The style adds to the horror and the feeling of impending doom.

Who would this appeal to? Any other jaded horror readers out there for one! Fans of Brian Lumley's Titus Crow novels should definitely read this, as Lumley is a Lovecraft fan beyond measure.The fact that these stories are as frightening and original today as when they were written is a real testament to their brilliance. Most horror today is instantly forgettable - Lovecraft is going to have people shivering, and cowering for many years to come................
I loved this collection, and can't wait to read the other 2 in this particular series.


good, but..., 28 Feb 2007
I knew of Lovecrat as a child through a series of radio dramatisations. Those were great and I still have a frightened rememberance of "The closed room" or something like that. Then I remembered him when my Surgery teacher mentioned his monsters when explaining some kind of cancer surgery...

So I bought the whole series. Mind you: the books are good value, but a bit unconfortable to read, because they are squat and thick.

I share the view of some other readers: Lovecraft is good, but sometimes he takes himself so seriously that his writing becomes too much of a good thing. This book is the first in a series of three, comprising his most famous stories. I find this volume to be the best.

The short stories are irregular, some of them are very well written, but many others are lost in a maze of descriptions and hints that in the end are too much for a short story, because the theme is not developed in the limited space offered by a short tale.

However, the short novels in the first volume (this) are good. Particularly I find "The case of Charles Dexter Ward" and "Dreams in the Whitch House" to be the best, because you can see where the story takes you, and at the same time feel your hair standing on end in the nape of your neck. The other stories have good concepts, but Lovecraft roams too much and in the end are a bit disappointing. For example "The Mountains of Madness" starts from quite a good idea - taking it up where Arthur Gordon Pym left it- but in the end, too much Cthulu makes it too long and even a bit confusion. The same can be said for "Dream quest of unknow kadath".

All in all, I think that one shoul read Lovecraft at least once, particularly if you like terror and gothic. This is your opportunity.

The master..., 02 Mar 2006
This collection, the first of three volumes, may well represent the pinnacle of Lovecraft's creative genius. His knack for conjuring the most horrific and fantastical of atmospheres is unparalleled; these stories will have you shuddering with captivated horror at the incredible otherworldly landscapes and monstrosities leaping from their pages.

Plagued with a great sensitivity to cold from a young age, Lovecraft's first novel "At the Mountains of Madness" was perhaps a little closer to home than any other piece he attempted, and its sublime execution would perhaps imply this further. Regardless, this tale is arguably the greatest of the man's catalogue, with a gradual, drawn-out build up of tension and isolation into a frantic climax in a world so alien, beautiful and deadly. Reading this made me long to live in a world where such places as Antarctica still existed unexplored and mysterious, potentially housing that which men of the time could barely dream of. One loses oneself in those icy peaks, those ancient ruins, and yet one always feels as if they are not quite alone...

"The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" is next in line, and one can't help but feel sceptical as to how this piece will fare up against the previous mountain of a story. Don't let the slow start sway you - this one's darn great too! As with "Mountains...", Lovecraft creates an ominous atmosphere this time via gradual exploration of Curwen and Charles' dark discoveries, once again motivated by wild curiosity. Yet in this piece something far more disturbing and horrific lurks, implied constantly in Lovecraft's subtle narrative. Less beautiful, fantastical and isolating perhaps, but all the more human and realistic and TERRIFYING as a result. There is a scene involving darkness and a pit (not going into detail here for fear of spoiling it) which will stay with you for a damn long time - a claustrophobic nightmare.

Next in line comes a little break from the longer novels, with what I consider to be the least absorbing story in the volume, "The Dreams in the Witch-House". It's pretty telling that I can't remember much about this whereas I remember the previous two vividly. I recall being somewhat intrigued with the combination of mathematics, folklore, multi-dimensions and the like, but the main plot isn't all that gripping. Worth reading, nontheless.

The following four stories all focus upon a character named Randolph Carter - a man whose personality is founded upon a pursuit of the beauty found in dreams. It has frequently been said that this character is most representative of Lovecraft himself, and I must admit feeling great empathy towards him in "The Silver Key", a short prequel to "Through the Gates of the Silver Key", which can easily be read as a commentary on a dry and absurd society - as relevant now as it was then.

The best of these tales is perhaps "The Dream-Quest of the Unknown Kadath", which whilst seemingly having less focus and direction than his other two novels, is just filled to the brim with wonderous landscape after wonderous landscape packed full of creatures both stunning and diabolical. Carter's quest for the paradise city of his dreams is bizarre, yet wholly enticing. The previously mentioned "Through the Gates of the Silver Key" is also very atmospheric, though not a journey - this shorter story involves Carter's gradual venture into the realms of beings of chaos which dwarf humankind, and reveals much about the workings of the dream-world Lovecraft has created.

Lovecraft has created a mythos, from terrible beasts and Gods to ancient old writings and lands, which renders his readers both fascinated and ultimately insignificant in comparison. Treat yourselves folks, this is dark, atmospheric literature done properly. 5 stars don't do it justice.

A must have for horror fans, 26 Sep 2003
This book is one of three which, between them, provide MOST (but not all) of Lovecrafts’ stories. Purchase Volume 1, 2 and 3 of this “omnibus”, and you will own a truly magnificent collection of this master’s works! Lovecraft, like Poe, had an untouchable talent for macabre and gothic horror stories – his works being a great influence on the wonderful Stephen King. Lovecraft’s style is simple and yet so very intricate in weaving the most captivating stories. Like Poe, Lovecraft’s works are ageless and the stuff of dreams and nightmares that will remain in your mind for many years after reading.
Sadly, not enough of Lovecraft’s works have been translated into movies, but the movie “Dagon” should give you a taste of his work if you want to view something based on his writings. Amazon stock this movie.
In truth, I would much rather have a decent hardback with all of Lovecraft’s stories – somehow your average paperback seems insufficient a medium to do real honour to such a master of this genre. BUT – this omnibus makes for a great resource and I am sure lovers of this genre will find Lovecraft’s work a real treasure within their collection.

The orignal and only master, 13 Apr 2003
Not only is Lovecraft the orignal master of the horror genre, to my mind he is among the greatest authors of all time. I can't explain quite how appealing his work is, but among other characteristics it is his style of thoroughness. He never leaves a loose end or an unexplained point. His is methodical and full. A writer really in touch with his imagination, his work comes across with the feel of an unlimited universe to which the reader is invited, if they dare. I go back to his stories over and over again.
Many critics talk of his early death and connect it with his imagination and an all too real link with the dark world about which he writes...maybe so, maybe not. But for sure his death was all too early because I believe his best was yet to come. You will not be dissapointed with this work whether or not you are a fan of horror or just a fan of good writing.