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comment by coffeesp00ns
coffeesp00ns  ·  2827 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: July 18th is a good day for a book thread

I'm slowly working my way through the "complete" H.P. Lovecraft. I say "complete" because apparently it's not complete and if it was it would be even more massive than it already is. Lots of short stories, which I like because i'm reading it on my phone, and also because I believe the short story and the Novella are super underrated.





user-inactivated  ·  2827 days ago  ·  link  ·  

You don't really want a truly complete Lovecraft.

coffeesp00ns  ·  2827 days ago  ·  link  ·  

yeah, i mean, even a lot of the Cthulu universe stuff features "brave upper class german officers" in ww1. Pretty gross, but at the same time, there's a lot of good writing.

It's a bit like Wagner - you have to take his operatic genius with the fact that he was a vehement antisemitic.

user-inactivated  ·  2827 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I think Lovecraft's racism, when it goes beyond what was just in the air in his day, is different from Wagner's antisemitism in that it's cosmic horror writ small and so very entwined with what he's trying to express. Not only is the universe not for humans, but humanity isn't for humans like Lovecraft. It's the horror at realizing nothing about you matters, at least not in any absolute way. I think that's why we see more Lovecraft-inspired work more sympathetic to his cultists than his heroes as time goes on; they at least embrace their insignificance.

OftenBen  ·  2827 days ago  ·  link  ·  

It's possible to appreciate art separate from the artist.

Can be difficult, might be a moral grey area in some cases, but it can be done.

goobster  ·  2827 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Bill Cosby.

OftenBen  ·  2827 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Woody Allen.

coffeesp00ns  ·  2827 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I agree.