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H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926
- Narrated by: Finn J.D. John
- Length: 23 hrs and 43 mins
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H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926
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Summary
This is volume one of a two-volume omnibus set comprising the complete fictional works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Every story written for publication under his own name is included in this set, from 1917 through 1935. (Poems, ghostwritten material, and stories written in collaboration with other writers are not included.)
A full ebook copy of this book in interactive PDF format is included and can be downloaded by clicking the "PDF" link in your Audible library (it's in the "Title" column). This PDF includes the audiobook chapter numbers, to make navigation easier.
Highlights of this volume include:
- "Dagon"
- "The Doom That Came to Sarnath"
- "The Music of Erich Zann"
- "Herbert West, Reanimator"
- "The Hound"
- "The Lurking Fear"
- "The Rats in the Walls"
- The Shunned House
- "The Horror at Red Hook"
- "In the Vault"
- "The Call of Cthulhu"
- "The Strange High House in the Mist"
- The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
What listeners say about H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Therion Tiberius Ware
- 14-01-18
Nicely done.
Would you listen to H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926 again? Why?
Yes. Why? Because I want to run in to gibbous night and howl at the moon as a batrachian custodian of the silver key.
What did you like best about this story?
Af ew stories here I'd not read/heard.
Which character – as performed by Finn J.D. John – was your favourite?
Charles Dexter Ward.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, if I had the stamina. Alas going to sleep with the headphones on didn't open the gateway that is Yog-Sothoth. Maybe tonight.
Any additional comments?
Unlike most semi-professional productions, Finn J.D. John can actually read well. The collection is interspersed with a fair amount of Lovecraft's biographical background that puts the tales in context. A longer and deeper exposition of Cosmicism and its post-Lovecraft developments would have been interesting. Other than that it's an excellent and accomplished effort, and clearly a labour of love. Kudos to Finn J.D. John!
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dunlops
- 01-02-18
Brilliant
Any additional comments?
As a long time super fan of Mr Lovecraft this collection (together with Vol2) are superbly put together and wonderfully narrated. The interspersed history of Lovecraft really helps to set the emotions that the author was experiencing at the time and enhances the listening experiences. As mentioned, the narration is exceptional and the almost laconic style builds the tension to fever pitch. Thank You!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Larry P
- 28-09-16
Wonderful tales but under-produced & overpriced
Is there anything you would change about this book?
I would have preferred some longer tales but the format of including date specific bio-snippets precluded that.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Cthulhu of course!
What didn’t you like about Finn J.D. John’s performance?
On the positive side:
a. The amateur reading style is probably in keeping with HPL's "amateur" writing;
b. The narrator clearly put a lot of effort in and I get the feeling Mr. John knows the writings and enjoys them;
c. I liked the bio-snippets.
Room for improvement
It seems likely that the production did not use a professional producer (of it did they should refurbished their fee). Producing audio books is not as easy as it sounds.
For example a good producer would have picked up the following simple pervasive errors:
1. Pronunciation: even though HPL's fictional names are always going to be contentious there is no reason to miss-pronounce known words or names such as Dagon (Day-gone) as Dah-gone or the star Aldebran as AldeBARN;
2. Overly dramatic: I know it is tempting to try and ham up Lovecraft when reading but he does deserve better than doing things like saying the gibbous moooon.
All in all the pedantic listener will struggle and even the casual listener may dose off on occasion.
Do you think H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926 needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
It has one.
Any additional comments?
For the price tag of £25 I would have expected a much better production and a professional voice actor.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Fritz
- 26-07-17
Oh, the narration, THE NARRATION!
To plow this through was an ordeal far greater than my imagination had mercifully capacity to reach, for I would be locked in Arkham asylum had I willingly subjected myself to such horrors.
No, the horror wasn't in Lovectaft's stories, the naivete in these early works was agonizing at worst, humoring at best, the whole collection having 5 or 6 stories worth listening. There's a website with ranked order of stories. You will not miss anything if listening only stories in top 30.
The true horror was in the narration. Oh dear me. With contiously undulating pitch, the narrator dragged along with effort resembling of walking belly deep in a swamp, like every story would be a poem that needs an emphasis on... every.. word.. of
.. every.. sentence.. with.. pitch.. going.. up.. and .. down... without... any.. purpose... or... meaning...
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Geckoo
- 06-11-18
Dreadful narration
I love Lovecraft but this guys narration is so boring, stiff, and robotic.
Awful.
It’s far too monotone and puts me off listening.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Craigie
- 04-01-18
Fantastic Tales from The Master of Horror
All of Lovecrafts early works together and read in style.
Enjoyed this talkie emmensly.
Now for Volume 2!!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AlHazred
- 18-08-17
Horrible narration.
Sleazy. Insidious. As soon as he forgets his contrived dramatic reading the story comes through. Finally. His campfire ghost story tone is heinous. Not recommended
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Matthew Davies
- 13-12-16
Inappropriate Narration
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
A better narrator.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Not the narrator.
How could the performance have been better?
The performance was an awful sing-song take on H.P Lovecraft's literature.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926?
Fire Finn J.D John
Any additional comments?
Terrible narrator.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Norma
- 17-06-17
Good for sending you to sleep
You need to be an ardent Lovecraft fan to enjoy this book. I managed 30minutes then had to admit defeat. Language to archaic and monotone.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- MaidenTiejuan
- 09-06-17
Loving Lovecraft!
I love the stories and enjoy the narration, not sure why others have complained...each to their own!
Well worth the credit :)
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J.J.
- 26-09-16
I really enjoyed this collection
Any additional comments?
Narration sounded great to me, just the same as the other volume which I listened to before, with the later stories in it. The mini-biographical sketches of each year of Lovecraft's life were really interesting and in a couple cases changed the way I thought about the stories that he wrote in that year.
Glad I didn't listen to those other comments from the three guys who left one-star reviews. A couple of those guys seemed to think it was Celebrity Mean Tweets with Jimmy Kimmel. I guess not everybody is going to love anything, so like the one guy said, listen to the sample before you decide.
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31 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Evan Dawson-Greer
- 23-02-17
Great Introduction to Lovecraft (2 hours in)
If you could sum up H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926 in three words, what would they be?
transcendental cheese tales
What other book might you compare H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926 to and why?
Reminds me of a "The Hobbit" reading from a different narrator a few months back in terms of performance. I do not remember the audiobook's performers but the style is similar. It's kind of goofy with the character voices while still staying true to the theme of it's work.
Have you listened to any of Finn J.D. John’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Nope.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I laughed at the voice of the transcendental entity being imprisoned in a dying man's body. It was goofy but that didn't take away from the source material.
Any additional comments?
He hits his stride around an hour and a half in.When he does impersonations I could tell Finn was enjoying himself and it helped to distinguish characters. Longer pauses at the end of sentences would help. I could have used more time to process one thought at a time. Some of the stories could have used more variety in character voices to keep the listener engaged but I'd still stand by it being a 4 star performance.His accent and tone for this reading aligned with the Lovecraft stories. Overall, I was listening to this at my job and also found it nice to listen to while 3-D modelling. Helped to get me in my creative mood while I was world building.
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23 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Michal
- 30-01-18
Cthulhu approves.
Little bit difficult if you're not born english speaker. Definitely worth every penny. The Great Old Ones are waiting for you.
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17 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ryan
- 05-09-16
Great stories but...
Hes like a cathy dobson, and i simply cant listen to him hes a horrible narrator ill leave it at that because theres just so many things wrong with his performance this being said i do have the volume 2 and after listening to that no way could i go another 20+ hours with him. Play the sample if you dont mind his droning voice thisll be great but for me its a deal breaker.
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16 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark
- 24-10-16
Great omnibus, less than stellar narration
I do love H.P. Lovecraft but have been a bit miffed in the past that there weren't any audible compilations of his fiction. Needless to say, I was pleased to finally find this Omnibus in two volumes. The weakness is the narrator, who apparently is an HPL scholar rather than a professional narrator. The presentation suffers for this, but it is not enough to have kept me from grabbing and then the other when they became available.
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Petr Pour
- 10-03-17
Surprisingly good...
Reading all the negative reviews regarding Finn J. D. John performance I hesitated with purchase. I gave a listen to sample and decided to give this collection a try. I must say that I really enjoyed J. D. Johns narration! Highly recommended! Looking forward to second volume :-)
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14 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Fred P.
- 15-07-17
Interesting, but...
What did you like best about H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926? What did you like least?
I had previously read some Lovecraft and I know that some people whose opinions I respect mark him as one of their favorite authors, so I thought I would dive in to a collection so as to get the full experience. I quite liked the accompanying historical commentary on Lovecraft's life, and his important contribution to the supernatural aspect of the genre is made quite evident. That's good. On the other hand (and this is a matter of personal taste) i find his use of (what I consider to be overly) ornate language a negative factor. Some people like that level of erudition. I find it a bit forced and an overall distraction. Elizabethan (?), when it doesn't need to be. AC Doyle could have written his Sherlock Holmes stories that way, but didn't. It just seems affected in his case.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
There are clearly some stories I liked better than others. "From Beyond" is my favorite. On the other hand, in many of these stories, there is the repetitive use of "unimaginable" or "unnamed" or "indescribable" or "unknown" or etc. horrors that gets a bit tedious after a while. That might be because this is a collection of separated stories written over a lifetime; it might not be such an issue for one reading the stories over a lifetime.
What do you think the narrator could have done better?
The narrator has a pleasant voice and is easy to understand, but this narration has a rhythm of timings, stresses, inflections, and intonations (or the lack thereof) that frequently does not match or is inappropriate to the semantic and/or emotional content of what is being read. Peculiar. Sometimes sounds like something a computer synthesis might fail to process correctly.
I hate to say anything about pronunciation, because God knows I have sinned, and one here and there that doesn't agree with what I might say, makes no big difference. However I do notice these disagreements when they occur. Unfortunately, Lovecraft loves the word "hideous" (go figure!). It pops up quite frequently, and the narrator's unique pronunciation of that particular word and the frequency with which it occurs irritates me like the scratch on an old vinyl record. (Something Lovecraft might have described as "an unimaginable horror akin to the intense torment of an unending series of water droplets ceaselessly burrowing into a single spot on the forehead", but I wouldn't go quite that far. I am, perhaps, too sensitive.)
Do you think H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926 needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
There IS a follow-up book, Volume II, but personally: I've had enough for now. Anyway I've already read the Cthulhu stuff.
Any additional comments?
If you know you like Lovecraft, you will probably like this series. If you don't know if you like Lovecraft, you will find out. (Although I admit: the quality of the narration does complicate matters.)
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Momzombie
- 23-08-17
everything you would expect
Aside from all of lovecraft's supernatural stories contain the relevant information from his life. The book was very good on the whole, particularly the latter half, and I would recommend it to any fan of the science fiction or supernatural horror-mystery genre.
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Eric S Riley
- 31-12-16
THE WORST NARRATION
What would have made H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926 better?
The story selections in this are unparalleled among the Lovecraft anthologies I've seen. Most collections will focus on particular threads of narrative that make up a cycle of stories, but this collection looks at the published works in chronological order, a great thing for completists.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
YES! The reading by Finn J.D. John is absolutely terrible. He has an affected posh accent, and lilting reading quality that is applied to every story. Each one bleeds into the next with no regard for pacing, tone, or even the horror of the story he's reading. Everything sounds like he's gently trying to tell a child a bedtime story. It's completely wrong, and after hours of listening it becomes impossible to continue. It's just bad.
Any additional comments?
I would buy this anthology if they hired a proper narrator who could actually provide some sense of tension or drama to these stories. In their own right they are excellent, but the narrator completely destroys the work.
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 16-09-16
The guy can't narrate
I couldn't stand Finn, so i returned the collections. Look elsewhere for a narrated rendition of Lovecraft.
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