tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post4835003479831658090..comments2024-03-28T09:39:42.430-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Pulp Fantasy Library: The Dream-Quest of Unknown KadathJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-4609296653226010992012-08-01T22:55:55.482-04:002012-08-01T22:55:55.482-04:00I prefer to think of Dreamlands HPL and Cthulhu My...I prefer to think of Dreamlands HPL and Cthulhu Mythos HPL as separate universes. They're both scary-ish, but the first one is a lot more fantasy, the second one is a lot more sci-fi. -_-Jason Thompsonhttp://twitter.com/khyungbirdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-40700980032305644252012-08-01T22:54:13.681-04:002012-08-01T22:54:13.681-04:00The quoted paragraphs are just a descriptive list ...The quoted paragraphs are just a descriptive list of places. Providence, Arkham, Truro, Gloucester, etc. etc. This book contains almost zero internal-thoughts-of-the-main-character (like many Lovecraft stories), so of course, if the main character is going to remember something, it's not going to go "Randolph Carter suddenly remembered X and Y and Z and felt real homesick...", instead, some other character is going to have to say to him, in archaic style, "Lo! Dost ye not remember X and Y and Z?" Anyway, the whole book is full of long rambling descriptions of stuff -- again, like almost all of Lovecraft's writing -- so if you don't enjoy them, it isn't for you. (Of course, most of the descriptions are of weird fantasy stuff, and not of New England, but for Lovecraft, the New England was the money shot.)Jason Thompsonhttp://twitter.com/khyungbirdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-62077041264130999192012-08-01T22:49:34.279-04:002012-08-01T22:49:34.279-04:00Dream-Quest is definitely my favorite Lovecraft st...Dream-Quest is definitely my favorite Lovecraft story. Maybe not his best written one, definitely an atypical one, but when I read it -- just wow. Of course, like almost all Lovecraft stories it contains zero characterization and dialogue, but the whole time I read it the first time, at age 13ish, I was wondering "Where is this going? What is happening? Is a human character actually going to get to 'talk to the gods' in an H.P. Lovecraft story?!?" And the ending is great.<br /><br /><br />In terms of feel, it reminds me of one of Terry Gilliam's early movies -- Time Bandits, Brazil, etc. This is may seem like a stretch, but it's because of the feeling of 'one lone hero against all the forces of the cosmos', the overabundance of weirdness and fantasy imagery, and the trippy against-all-odds ending.Jason Thompsonhttp://twitter.com/khyungbirdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-90109142601452559072012-06-04T03:37:12.432-04:002012-06-04T03:37:12.432-04:00"Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" is a per..."Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" is a personal favourite of me. This novella, and "Idle Days on the Yann", by Lord Dunsany, had a dreamlike essence that I found really appealing.Carlos de la Cruz Moralesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-51739034586350156692012-06-04T03:33:04.292-04:002012-06-04T03:33:04.292-04:00 I love the "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath&qu... I love the "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath". It's not really the "typical" Lovecrat story, but its dreamlike essence appeals me as much as Lord Dunsany's "Idle Days on the Yann".Carlos de la Cruz Moralesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-21106049076563576162012-06-01T06:13:19.753-04:002012-06-01T06:13:19.753-04:00Yes, a lot of things have changed since Lovecrafts...Yes, a lot of things have changed since Lovecrafts' times... I suppose Innsmouth and Arkham do not look the same anymore, either... ;-)mikolaj kamlerhttp://www.manufaktura.art.pl/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-58807282891234935732012-05-31T19:38:28.013-04:002012-05-31T19:38:28.013-04:00How do you at least get interesting ones? I only h...How do you at least get interesting ones? I only had a few interestingly surreal ones once, the rest were all nightmares about work. :(Nullhttp://pulse.yahoo.com/_AOFTU2AM7WRZZFDC6SPN4XF6KQnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-48121237683468094732012-05-31T19:37:12.122-04:002012-05-31T19:37:12.122-04:00Obviously it's a stylistic preference. In the ...Obviously it's a stylistic preference. In the age before movies were super-popular, painting pictures with words was a much more important skill for writers to entertain their audience. Nowadays, people are looking more for what movies can't do--psychological depth and such.<br /><br />That said, personally, it gives me an idea of what Carter's remembering. I lived four years in Boston, and it doesn't completely look like that anymore--there are a lot more high-rises and such. It is, nonetheless, still a lot prettier than its big cousin further to the South on the Hudson, if you get my drift. ;)Nullhttp://pulse.yahoo.com/_AOFTU2AM7WRZZFDC6SPN4XF6KQnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-64696149337207953472012-05-31T09:45:01.669-04:002012-05-31T09:45:01.669-04:00The three unnecessary paragraphs are necessary for...The three unnecessary paragraphs are necessary for depth and detail. Some read only the headlines and some read the full article; those that read only the headlines have (at best) a surface understanding. The rambling, as you put it, are the zooming in on the detail, the detailed strokes in the broadness and the meat on the bones. To know what it is like to miss a place is to get lost in the dizzying detail. As has been said before, this is not for everyone, but for those of us who can relate to it, these are the most important parts.The Recursion Kingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-90092630547591154352012-05-30T14:26:23.420-04:002012-05-30T14:26:23.420-04:00At no point have I made a fool of myself. You on t...At no point have I made a fool of myself. You on the other hand, responded to someone stating his subjective opinion (which he has every right to do) by casting personal insults at him (which you have no right to do). So who is making a fool of himself here?<br /><br />As for my comprehension of Lovecraft, check my reply to mikolaj kamler below. I admit that I haven't read everything Lovecraft ever wrote, or even a quarter of it, but I have never found him to ramble as much as he does here. So I don't feel that this passage is indicative of his style.Guestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-75722197429056103502012-05-30T14:00:44.248-04:002012-05-30T14:00:44.248-04:00A bit over-the-top? I agree, but since DQUK is so ...A bit over-the-top? I agree, but since DQUK is so much like an oriental tale, this cornucopia of strange adjectives fits very well. If you read the 1001 Nights, you'll often find the same narrative devices. And, as a bonus, this is the only HPL story I know of where the Crawling Chaos not only gets quite verbose, but uses a lot of archaic, poetic language, instead of just the usual "Y'ing'ngah wgah'nagl garglll..." type of speech... :-)mikolaj kamlerhttp://www.manufaktura.art.pl/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-35015741856403845112012-05-30T13:44:04.032-04:002012-05-30T13:44:04.032-04:00 When Mike wrote about you stepping in it a third ... When Mike wrote about you stepping in it a third time he was pointing out that you'd already made a fool of yourself twice and wanted to know if you'd care do to it a third time.<br /><br />And stepping in it a third time is exactly what you did.<br /><br />Getting back to your incomprehension regarding the Lovecraft passage, you need to realize you're complaining about Lovecrafts' writing style. You might as well complain that Shakespeare writes in iambic pentameter or that e.e. cummins doesn't use punctuation. The very things you're moaning about are what make Lovecraft Lovecraft. As Mikolaj wrote, you're complaining about sugar being sweet. Instead of merely saying "I don't like sugar because it's sweet", you're suggesting something is wrong with sugar because it is sweet.<br /><br />You don't need to like Lovecraft, plenty of people don't like him. You do, however, need to recognize that he has a certain style, that his style is central to his work, and that he never wanted to publish the piece you're whining about.Bobcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-16392293450915021362012-05-30T12:26:29.776-04:002012-05-30T12:26:29.776-04:00Don't get me wrong, I'm not some kind of L...Don't get me wrong, I'm not some kind of Lovecraft-hater. His wordy style is indeed part of his charm. But he's so over-the-top here that it almost seems like he's parodying himself. I just don't think that does anything to advance the message he's trying to convey.Guestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-10449655305651249522012-05-30T08:49:34.239-04:002012-05-30T08:49:34.239-04:00It's true - some like it hot, some like it col...It's true - some like it hot, some like it cold... But complaining that Lovecraft's writing style is a "sea of unnecessary rambling" is like complaining that sugar is sweet. To me, this kind of baroque logorrhea full of archaic words ("nitrous", anyone?) is what contributes to the atmosphere of his stories. But you're absolutely free to dislike it, of course. Just remember to bar your windows, bolt your door and watch out for strange-looking sailors in the street, if ever you go outside... ;-)mikolaj kamlerhttp://www.manufaktura.art.pl/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-62251111875677638732012-05-30T04:24:02.441-04:002012-05-30T04:24:02.441-04:00Step in it a third time? What is that even suppose...Step in it a third time? What is that even supposed to mean?<br /><br />Obviously people have different tastes--but apparently Bobc thinks anyone with different tastes than his is mentally deficient somehow. Go back and read my first post, I was simply giving my opinion and insulted no one. His reply was hostile and uncalled-for.<br /><br />Back to the matter at hand, I'll concede that the message behind the story is uplifting. But even after being clearly stated, that message is immediately lost in a sea of what I consider to be completely unnecessary rambling. I'm glad others can take enjoyment from it, though. To each his own.Guestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-26832446803506156802012-05-30T03:39:55.874-04:002012-05-30T03:39:55.874-04:00Could you please be more clear... Did you actually...Could you please be more clear... Did you actually forgive HPL for his prose or not? Not that it matters much, anyway...mikolaj kamlerhttp://www.manufaktura.art.pl/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-46082694129750219922012-05-29T23:39:38.680-04:002012-05-29T23:39:38.680-04:00Ya wanna step in it a third time?
Tales like this...Ya wanna step in it a third time?<br /><br />Tales like this are kind of like single malt scotch... not right for everyone, but for those with the taste and patience - the time spent in the moment is magic itself.<br /><br />While we can speculate whether or not a final, submitted, version would have been edited down a bit - I myself enjoy seeing this much raw material for its own value.SMITH Mike Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-37791600546797398222012-05-29T21:56:59.486-04:002012-05-29T21:56:59.486-04:00I've only read a couple of Lovecraft stories. ...I've only read a couple of Lovecraft stories. While the horror stories left me unmoved, Dream Quest fascinated me. It was like pure imagination in printed form. jdh417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-13638792018715934342012-05-29T18:22:04.489-04:002012-05-29T18:22:04.489-04:00Written like a true presumptuous, condescending sn...Written like a true presumptuous, condescending snob.<br /><br />It has nothing to do with attention span. It has to do with repetition of redundant information. The first quoted paragraph, although its prose is sickeningly purple, can be forgiven because it's presenting new information to the reader. The last three paragraphs, however, cannot be forgiven. The audience has long since grasped what's going on (Nyarlathotep explicitly spells it out in the very first sentence of his monologue) but Lovecraft continues to assault us with an adjective-laden geography lesson about New England. It feels as if he is intentionally padding the word count, although I can't figure out why he would do so, since the story was never submitted for publication.Guestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-55284017376930952452012-05-29T14:42:38.700-04:002012-05-29T14:42:38.700-04:00Written like a true Ritalin Ranger of the ADHD Gen...Written like a true Ritalin Ranger of the ADHD Generation... <br /><br />"What, it's going to take 30 more seconds?!!? I can't wait that long, I've got to text about this cat video I just watched on my phone..."Bobcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-32142777605723090022012-05-29T12:59:45.127-04:002012-05-29T12:59:45.127-04:00Dreamlands stories are my favorite Lovecraft stori...Dreamlands stories are my favorite Lovecraft stories, Dreamquest is easily my favorite.Artikidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-1179117850426210412012-05-29T01:16:13.471-04:002012-05-29T01:16:13.471-04:00S.T. Joshi couldn't have cracked the nut as cl...S.T. Joshi couldn't have cracked the nut as cleanly as you have, and that is meant as no disrespect to him. Elegant and true.<br /><br /><i>Well done!</i>xdpaulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-86156819966389320662012-05-28T17:03:42.286-04:002012-05-28T17:03:42.286-04:00Maybe it helps to be a certain age before you can ...Maybe it helps to be a certain age before you can really enjoy Dream-Quest. I read it for the first time a few years ago at 40 and the ending was absolutely stunning. As you said, it is one of the truest things he ever wrote and it was revelatory to find that a weird tale could be both incredibly weird and deeply emotionally resonant.Jeffrey Fleminghttp://transuranic-design.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-36266295846884145182012-05-28T16:51:26.477-04:002012-05-28T16:51:26.477-04:00My feels about this story are very similar. It is ...My feels about this story are very similar. It is a bit hard when you read it for first time, but later you enjoy it because Lovecraft play with many concepts, old characters and his own feelings. If you are a Lovecraft fan or a weird fantasy geek, you enjoy this.José Joaquín Rodríguez Morenohttp://www.facebook.com/josejoaquin.rodriguezmorenonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-22738568454673496232012-05-28T15:56:52.694-04:002012-05-28T15:56:52.694-04:00I only read "Kadath" a couple of years a...I only read "Kadath" a couple of years ago for the first time. I, too, was powerfully moved by that final passage: I so often associate HPL's stories with anti-humanism that I was both surprised and impressed that he pulled off the humanist sentiment of that passage so well.Lucas Picadornoreply@blogger.com