Re: CAS had "stinkers"...how about HPL?
Posted by:
Sawfish (IP Logged)
Date: 13 September, 2020 10:13AM
Ashurabani Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm shocked no one nominated "The Horror at Red
> Hook", considering it is completely nonsensical
> and is very badly composed even from a narrative
> perspective.
I certainly tend to agree that it's somehow not a good story, Anshurabani, but what specifically do you mean about "nonsensical", and also "badly composed"?
I think you have something interesting in mind and I'm eager to read it, and I'll prime the ol' analytical pump--so to speak--by saying up front:
1) My first thought is that once you accept that an author's output will routine treat seriously, in the context of the narrative, an octopus-headed alien entity who lies in a dormant state in a sunken city, or others of his ilk, pretty much anything goes. The reader has basically accepted that normal rules of reality don't apply, that it's OK, and so long as the narrative both forms its own rules--by implication or directly--and doesn't violate *its own rules*, it's at least minimally acceptable.
So the basic premise will likely be acceptable, but perhaps the way the plot is structured--manipulated artificial, etc.--this, too, might be nonsensical.
2) My overall impression of Lovecraft's published output is that he was a competent storyteller and his composition (POV, narrative sequence, resolution, etc.) was solid if not artistic. But I can easily be convinced otherwise.
3) Yep. It's definitely not a good story, so far as my recollection of it, but I'm uncertain of the specific reasons why.
It would be fun to kick this around in the group, if you are OK with it. ED is developing to be a lot like the upper division Lit seminars I attended way back when when Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth--stimulating, enjoyable, collegial.
Hope to hear from you!!
--Sawfish
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~