By Matt Molgaard
As a man treks into a dark and mysterious village notorious for terrifying rumors and reports of missing people, he learns that sometimes the truth is far more terrifying than the myth. In fact, sometimes the truth opens the door to an entirely different world. In that world, humans have been transformed into fish-like creatures, who crave human sacrifices and raid beaches in the dead of night when their carnal requests are denied. This is HP Lovecraft’s amazingly creative tale of terrors in the sea and a village with a sinister side that no rational person could have imagined.
There is a lot more to this story, but at less than 100 pages, it is better to read it yourself than to listen to someone else telling it. Please really understand that this is a fascinating, clever and unique story. The several characters that appear in the book are memorable even if they are not likable, thanks to Lovecraft’s comprehensive display of their personalities. The conflict seems grotesque at first, but it becomes very terrifying as Lovecraft’s narrative enters deeper waters (it has to do so); one man fights for survival in a territory occupied by unfathomable things… The story is well-prepared, and the author of perhaps the most influential legend in history really succeeds in keeping the reader glued to the page. We want to know what will happen next. What horrors will this curious traveler encounter? What exactly lives in Innsmouth? Can the protagonist of the story survive this ordeal? Is this ordeal real?
Like much of Lovecraft’s work, this one is full of eerie atmosphere and terrifying descriptions. We were literally thrown into this desolate and infinitely dangerous environment, and we felt as uneasy as the story’s protagonists. As much as we loved the concept, its effective sense of terror, and Lovecraft’s gorgeous performances, we wanted to get out as quickly as possible. At times, the tension was too intense to bear.
The Shadow over Innsmouth is an excellent novel, one of the most terrifying and surprising works of fiction ever written, and it is not to be missed. The Call of Cthulhu usually takes the vote for the best Lovecraft story, but in my opinion, The Shadow over Innsmouth is just as enjoyable, if not more so.
Order yours here.
grade:5/5
