I was sent a copy of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror illustrated by Baranger to cover on my blog. I am very grateful for the opportunity, but these will be my honest impressions. If you enjoy my content, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends! You can also always buy me coffee.
Impressions of the Book
Our friends at Free League Publishing have a series of Lovecraft books they’ve been releasing works of Lovecraft illustrated by Baranger, and if you’re a fan of Lovecraftian horror, you need to get yourself some copies. As of writing this, you can pick up The Call of Cthulhu, The Dunwich Horror, and At the Mountains of Madness Vol 1 & Vol 2 for $33.87 each. You can pick up both volules of At the Mountains of Madness for $52.53. If the quality and detail of my copy of The Dunwich Horror is anything to go by, you can’t go wrong with any of these books.
The book turns Lovecraft’s classics into a unique storybook that you’ll need to hold to appreciate. This is a massive book, it does not fit on your traditional shelf. It was designed to fit the story without compromising Baranger’s illustrations, and it works. The illustrations are beautiful and full of rich detail and imagination. I love the style and attention to detail. The way the scenes he chooses to illustrate and the way they interact with the narrative give this classic new life. I love seeing how art inspires art, and this book is a wonderful example of that.
The quality of the book is exceptional. The binding is great, and the work is printed on high-quality paper. I felt guilty flipping through the pages, even though the book is going to outlive me.
If you’re a fan of Lovecraft, the Baranger-illustrated versions are a wonderful addition to your collection. I recommend you get them all, but The Dunwich Horror is a good place to start.
Impressions of the Story
I love H.P. Lovecraft’s clinical and calculated voice. The way he crafts his images describes the sleepy town and contrasts it against the peculiarity of this family creating this decaying image of society. You have this sleepy town of Dunwich that exists isolated outside of industrialized America. Despite the town existing in the middle of all this natural beauty, the isolation sets up the horror. Readers get the sense that whatever happens in Dunwich is inescapable because of how removed it is from the rest of the world.
What’s more terrifying are these ancient evils that exist around mankind. All the institutions, science, and discoveries that have come into existence throughout are meaningless against the might of a single failed ritual. They are meaningless against the might of this other terrifying world. Ultimately, it’s these ancient magics that somehow have seeped into the world that save humanity for the time being, but the danger still exists, and next time it might be successful.
I love how Lovecraft is able to create all this magic, world, and lore in such a small amount of space. The way he uses language, existing works of literature, and even dialect helps create such an authentic experience that the terror comes from the tale’s possibility.
Mostly, I enjoyed the tragedy of The Dunwich Horror. You have a man who spends his whole life trying to complete this ritual, but he dies before he can see it through. You get a mother who only wants to love her child, but her child hates her and becomes a monster. You have Wilbur who spends his entire existence being hated. Whose only reason to live is to complete this ritual, but he’s never strong enough. Finally, you have the horror who spends his existence alone and in agony, spending his final moments calling for a father who is never there for it.
I liked the book, and am glad I got to read it. While the Baranger Illustrated copy is a fantastic way to enjoy this book, a copy from your local library is just as good. And for those who don’t have the time, the Audiobook on YouTube is fantastic and free!
