Current Events > Would it be fair to call Lovecraft's writing horror without character?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Lovecraft seems to have little to no interest in developing his characters into anything but an observer in most cases. I think that's my biggest problem with him, I can remember all the evil but none of the main characters.

All his characters are liars! Every story begins with "I dare not recount the horrors I've seen or my mind will shatter into a million pieces" followed by them recounting the horrors they've seen in great detail.
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Shadow over Innsmouth I remember the character. He likes architecture and ---

I'd say so.

on the other end of the spectrum, I think it'd also be fair to say that Charles Dickens' writing doesn't really have characters -- they're generally more like archetypes than actual people

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tote_all posted...

I'd say it's fair. It's not the appeal of his work anyway. He's great as portraying ancient, cosmic, overwhelming, out-of-human-scale horror. As you say, characters are just spectators to that.

It's definitely not a failure, just a different kind of story.

I would still call it horror. What else could you call it?

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Southernfatman posted...

I would still call it horror. What else could you call it?

Definitely horror :)

Southernfatman posted...

I would still call it horror. What else could you call it?

Nobody, just making sure I'm being respectul

There are a few small exceptions. Charles Dexter Ward has a phenomenal villain, and the good guys win.

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RadiantJoyrock posted...

Definitely horror :)

Read the question wrong. >.<

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Some more that stand out but still aren't character clinics or anything close.

Charles Dexter Ward is his longest book and spends most of that time fleshing out the villain, who is incredible.

The Thing on the Doorstep has a great villain too and some very sad, tragic elements to the characters.

Color Out of Space really develops the family and their reputation in the community too which, easily, culminates in a few of the most unsettling scenes in any of his books. Wife in the attic is fucking haunting.

Shadow Out of Time has a cool MC and his relationship with his son is interesting. What happens to him and his agency is probably the highest of any Lovecraft story.

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https://youtu.be/X2glYVf6Oy4

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Most of the characters are self inserts anyways. It's not really about them. They're just a vessel for the story.

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