Lord of a Visible World: An Autobiography in Letters - Softcover

S. T. Joshi; David E. Schultz; Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0821413333 ISBN 13: 9780821413333

Publisher: Ohio University Press, 2000

Synopsis

In Lord of a Visible World, the editors have amassed and arranged the letters of this prolific writer into the story of his life. The volume traces Lovecraft's upbringing in Providence, Rhode Island, his involvement with the pulp magazine Weird Tales, his short-lived marriage, and his later status as the preeminent man of letters in his field.

In addition to conveying the candid details of his life, the volume also traces the evolution of his wide-ranging opinions. Lovecraft shows himself to be deeply engaged in the social, political, and cultural milieu of his time.

The editors, two of the leading Lovecraft scholars, have meticulously edited the text, transcribing the letters from manuscript sources and supplying explanatory annotations throughout. Lord of a Visible World is of interest to both the general reader and the scholar, presenting for the first time a well-rounded portrait, in his own words, of a writer whose work has fascinated millions of readers.

About this title

About the Author

S. T. Joshi, who lives in upstate New York, is the author and editor of many books, including H. L. Mencken on American Literature (Ohio University Press, 2002), Mencken’s America (Ohio University Press, 2004), and Closing Arguments: Clarence Darrow on Law, Society, and Religion (Swallow Press).

David E. Schultz is a technical editor for an environmental engineering firm in Milwaukee and has prepared several editions of works by Lovecraft and Ambrose Bierce.

Reviews

Arguably the father of modern horror fiction, H.P. Lovecraft has attained the status of a classic. Editors Joshi and Schultz have worked diligently to put his life, as told in his words through letters, in better perspective. This work succeeds, for the most part, because the editors are careful to give readers a context for the letters. In one letter, they explain, Lovecraft waxes philosophic about marriage"especially revealing in light of his virtual abandonment of his wife three years previously. There is always the danger of lack of balance in allowing an author!s posthumous words to speak for him; fortunately, that does not seem to be the case here. Lovecraft!s foibles (his racism and anti-Semitism, for example) are openly acknowledged, and some new and interesting facts are revealed, particularly regarding his state of mind when writing to other authors. Tracing not only Lovecraft!s life but his work is a daunting task, and the editors have done a commendable job. Recommended for academic libraries and larger public libraries."Alicia Graybill, Lincoln City Libs., NE
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Ohio University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0821413333
• ISBN 13: 9780821413333
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 404