H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Omnibus Collection, Volume I: 1917-1926

What can I say but that its a book of horror stories by Howard Phillip Lovecraft, the greatest horror writer of all time and this book is a classic of horror fiction and fantasy. Just read it but be prepared to be scared out your skin by the things Lovecraft writes about. Of course, Lovecraft was from New England (Rhode Island to be exact) and taught Stephen King how to write horror fiction. Without Lovecraft, there never would have been a horror fiction genre at all. Then, in the future when the initial fear subsides and you can sleep at night again, you can thank me for steering you to his writings.

The structure of this collection, by introducing and explaining its selection of content (noting specifically the exclusion of ephemera, etc...,) chronologically and with biographical information, appeals instantly for new readers and may also for familiar readers. The compilation from someone who clearly appreciates both Lovecraft and his cultural influence on the genre, presents the work with a subtle cleverness. The enthusiasm is further augmented by the accompanying Audiobook , and I strongly recommend getting both. Really enjoyable and definitely an #EpicWin ! ~*gw

I'm familiar with many of the tales in this book and found them to be narrated with complete competency and obvious enthusiasm for the source material. Aside from the fiction itself, the author provides relatively brief but informative accounts of certain periods of H.P. Lovecraft's life, which give satisfying insight into his mindset during the time he wrote his stories. While the vast bulk of the book is devoted to Lovecraft's writings, these short asides make the Omnibus itself a sort of journey through the author's life, using his own text to inform the reader instead of exhaustive biography.All in all, a supremely satisfying read. I mostly listen while I'm working, so I'm really hoping to see aa Audible narration off Volume II very soon!

As others have said, this narrator reads poorly and also brings a goofy tone to the stories. I listened to two of them after purchasing and went back to the free versions on YouTube that are vastly superior. Don't be fooled by the of five stars. I think moxt of these people must have just rated it highly just because it was Lovecraft regardless of how poor this narrated edition is.

Narration is goofy and annoying. Ruins the whole mood of the stories. Such a shame, as it would be amazing to have the whole collection all in one place. Look up The Dark Worlds of H P Lovecraft narrated by Wayne June for a more appropriate reading.

Narration can be poor at times.

** Review of Audio Format **This is my first foray into Lovecraft after hearing for years all of the other people inspired by him. I'm not gonna lie, the narration detracted from my enjoyment. It wasn't that Finn's voice is irritating or that he doesn't read well. For me, it was that he was constantly trying to sound like he was telling a scary story in front of a campfire. He whispered a lot and it became hard not to just tune him out. And I'm a hardcore, prolific reader. If this couldn't hold my attention, you're in trouble. I listened on 1.5 speed and it didn't help the delivery. For me, this is one book that I think I would have enjoyed more if I had read it.I do think many of the stories were excellent and were finely developed if a little less varied in content than I would expect. I have to give credit to Finn for adding in the forwards and the life history of Lovecraft before each new section and letting the listener know what was going on in Lovecraft's personal life to set the stage. It was the most interesting part of the listen and really helps the listener know where Lovecraft was in his mind at the time he wrote many of his stories.

Then don't miss his Audiobook versions of both Omnibus volumes, along with his Fungi from Yuggoth sonnet cycle as well. Recommended!

Excellent selection with useful background