I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft by S.T. Joshi

I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H.P. Lovecraft Reviews

• 
  Mattia Ravasi

  As much Lovecraft as anyone could ever wish for. If you are a hardcore fan, you simply have to get this, and I swear you will pore over every single word in these thousand pages as if they were the pnakotic fucking manuscripts.
  
  Joshi's sass and personality transpire abundantly through his scholarship (and he often assumes a critical tone worthy of HP himself), but that is an excellent thing: it makes for an interesting, stimulating read. I don't expect you to agree with all of Joshi's points, but his critical integrity, and his dedication to his subject, is nothing short of commendable.
  
  Admittedly, this goes into the tiniest detail on certain topics, like amateur journalism, that I cannot imagine were ever anything but mind-numbingly boring even to the amateur journalists themselves, but it's all necessary context, and the juicy bits, I swear, far outnumber the tedious paragraphs.
  
  People love to talk about Lovecraft these days. They love to hate, they love to love. But the truth is, if the world were a better place, we would all read these tomes before speaking, and realize that reality is more complicated than we thought.* Not because it turns out he was secretly sweet and cool with minorities (ha!), but because he was a complicated person, puzzling in his racism, extraordinary in his generosity with friends, and unshaken in his love of his art form. For hear this: HP Lovecraftthe might well be the greatest aesthete who ever lived. Read Joshi's book.
  
  *as people should know if they ever picked up a book, any book, like, ever.
• 
  Nick Imrie

  Good God, I must stop reading biographies of writers. However much I may love their fiction, they have a terrible inclination to lead boring lives. I suppose we must forgive them - if they didn't spend so much time tucked up inside scribbling then they wouldn't leave us such interesting tales.
  
  S.T. Joshi deserves 5 stars for this enormous work which is stupendously detailed, referenced, footnoted and cross-checked, but I had to knock one off because it was a slog.
  
  I highly recommend it to any Lovecraft scholar who wishes to know the minutiae of his life: here we have out-lined sketches of several generations of Lovecraft's ancestors; more than any sane person would wish to know about the state of early twentieth century amateur writing and the petty politics of their various magazines, clubs, and organisations; exhaustive details of who wrote to Lovecraft and when and how he replied, and who he visited and when, and what they saw, and which buildings he liked and which he didn't and whether they're still standing now, and all sorts of details of that kind.
  
  In between all that is the story of his life, of interest to gawkers who like to know the gossip about interesting people. Born into a well-to-do family he had a wonderfully privileged youth, despite which he was friendless and prey to terrible nightmares. The family fortunes fell away so that by the time he flunked out of high-school, he and his mother were reduced to a dank, funny-smelling duplex where Lovecraft spent years catatonic with depression in a darkened room while his frighteningly over-protective mother told people he was too ugly to leave the house. He was the original NEET.
  
  Honestly, it was the best thing for him when she was confined to the insane asylum (though he would be horrified to hear me say so - he was a loving son and a true gentleman). He got into amateur writing, made some friends, even started selling stories. A brief stint as a married man in New York didn't turn out well. He hated New York: ugly and full of foreigners. And despite his best attempts, he was not cut out for matrimony, being asexual and homosocial. When Sonia told him she wanted a divorce he genuinely tried to persuade her that an epistolary marriage would work - living apart but corresponding in a matrimonial fashion. A proposition so daft that I can't help finding it endearing (but then, I'm not his wife!)
  
  Back to Providence where he lived with his aunt and spent most of his time writing a vast quantity of letters to friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and anyone who loved his fiction and struck up a correspondence on that basis. His vast network of penpals made him the heart of the weird fiction community. Alas, his financial situation did not improve, probably due to the fact that he thought it vulgar to write for money and was unfailingly generous with his revision services. He visited friends when money allowed, which wasn't often, and tried to save by eating as cheaply as possible. Perhaps his early death was hastened by his habit of eating for less than 30¢ a day (one doughnut for breakfast and beans on toast for dinner).
  
  S.T. Joshi goes into some detail on his philosophy which underpinned his approach to life and his unique fiction, but luckily much of his correspondence has survived, so I'm looking forward to exploring that in his own words in the published collections of his letters.
• 
  G.R. Yeates

  A fascinating account with an incredible and staggering amount of detail. I do not think I have ever read a biography so minutely researched. This does mean that I Am Providence is strictly for Lovecraft scholars and admirers but, as one myself, this is no real criticism because S.T. Joshi has set the standard so high for other biographies I read from this point on. I seriously doubt they will be as informative and as entertaining as this account of the Old Gent from Providence, Rhode Island.
• 
  Murray Ewing

  There’s an amusing moment in this mammoth biography of H P Lovecraft where S T Joshi comments on a brief autobiographical essay Lovecraft once wrote: “on the whole this is an exceptionally accurate and compact account of Lovecraft’s life and beliefs, and all that is required to flesh out the picture is masses of detail.” And here, Joshi provides the masses of detail. Sometimes they are masses — I have to admit I skipped a few passages, such as the more involved details of the politics of the early-Twentieth Century amateur press movement, or the exact details of Lovecraft’s many late-life trips up and down the east coast of America. But, for a book of its size and subject, it's an excellent, lively read.
  
  Reviewing a biography, it can be tempting to review the life, not the book — which is a good sign, as it shows the biographer has done their job, getting out of the way to let their subject take the stage. Joshi has certainly done his job here. If nothing else, those “masses of detail” assembled here counter some of the myths about Lovecraft: the travels alone prove him not to have been a recluse (apart from, perhaps, in his teenage years), as do his vigorous epistolary friendships, many of which resulted in actual visits. And his presidency of both of the main amateur press associations of his day surely proves he was far more capable at the sort of tasks that would land him a job than he thought himself to be. The end of Lovecraft’s life comes across as truly sad, and Joshi’s last words are both true and poignant: “He was a human being like any of us—neither a lunatic nor a superman. He had his share of flaws and virtues. But he is dead now, and no amount of praise or blame will have any effect upon the course of his life. His work alone remains.”
• 
  Derek Pegritz

  When
  S. T. Joshi's H. P. Lovecraft: A Life came out in the late 1990s, I was one of the first folks to get a copy, and I devoured it, frequently marveling at how much Lovecraft's early life paralleled my own...and gratefully reading about how HPL wasn't the social misfit and recluse that so many falsely believe him to be. Unfortunately, said volume quickly dropped out of print--
  
  But now it has returned, in a greatly expanded, updated, and much handsome two-volume version. This is the definitive biography and critical survey of HPL and his works. The end. S. T. Joshi is the Big Papa of Lovecraft studies for a reason, and considering the sheer volume of primary source materials that Joshi has read through and catalogued in researching this work...well, you've got to give the man Major Props.
  
  This is a volume which NO serious Lovecraft scholar can lack. And most fans of his fiction should probably check it out, anyway, if only to see that Grandpa Theobald was actually a pretty funny guy...when he wasn't being a racist jackass--but hey, no one's perfect.
• 
  Christopher

  My favorite work of nonfiction and biography is 'Peter the Great: His Life and World' by Robert K Massie, a biography of almost 900 pages which I read in 2007. Considering how much nonfiction I read, being the unquestioned favorite is a very, very lofty perch. This is now my second favorite biography. Almost right up there with that one.
  
  So let us begin. Anyone interested in not just reading Lovecraft as fiction but also as a writer with something to say has no doubt heard of S.T. Joshi. Not only the greatest and most comprehensive of Lovecraft scholars alive, but of them all, period. Joshi lets Lovecraft tell his own story through many letters, as well as letting others who have met him chime in through their impressions of the man. Naturally, as a literary critic he also ads his own exceptionally erudite commentary to also bring a contemporary perceptive on these matters. All of it is handled excellently.
  
  We are taken on a linear tour of HPL's life, with numerous asides about other developments overlapping chapters, and thus get to see the development of a remarkable individual, ridden with high and low points which alike come together to make the man and many of his influences. I need not state the life of the man here.
  
  Joshi's focus on his thought, evolutions in his politics philosophy featuring just as much as literary developments, really help to show where the core perspectives that make HPL so unique really came from. His condemnable racism and questionable early reactionary nature is neither brushed over nor excused, but neither is it taken out of proportion to his many virtues as a man. Most pertinent of which is just what a good and honorable friend he was to those he both new in person, and those he only knew from correspondence. Works of charity, tips and advice, and a lively social circle in which he eventually became the star. Coupled with his wide travels (for the time and his income) and vigorous efforts to go out of his way to relate them to others-the man must have been one one of the best people anyone could have had as friends, and clearly is a far cry from the obtuse recluse narrative which seems to dominate thinking about him.
  
  If I had any quibbles with this work, the only one I can think of is very minor, and that is the dismissive way Joshi treats Howard. Granted, I agree that a significant chunk, perhaps even almost half of what Robert E Howard wrote was 'hack-work' (its still fun though), but what he really invested in (a few independent stories, Most of Conan, all of Kull, etc) I think deserves serious literary credit. Of course, its not a book about Howard so that hardly matters. I generally agreed with Joshi on Clark Ashton Smith being a good poet, a great fantasist (Zothique among the best) but that the Averoign stories are banal and forgettable. I also learned about a few authors from that period I need to check out, so that is always good.
  
  I specifically liked Joshi's mentioning Laird Barron and Thomas Ligotti, who recently I have become quite into and agree wholeheartedly that they are amongst the contemporary vanguard of the weird tale. I would also include John Langan and Nathan Ballingrud in that list as well. I clearly have to check out more Pugmire, and will be sure to do so soon.
  
  So, in all, a fantastic work of both scholarship and erudition ( A feat I can be quite sympathetic to having just completed a doctoral thesis myself) but also of heart, soul, and passion. This book is a testament to both the man it is about and the man who wrote it.
• 
  Hugo Negron

  An exhaustedly researched biography of HP Lovecraft. S.T. Joshi crafted probably the definitive bio on the weird fiction writer, who is rightly seen as a master of American horror next to Poe. This volume (part one of two) does an amazing job of bringing Lovecraft to vivid life, presenting new information as well as dispelling many myths. Yes, he was reclusive, depressed, idealizing a more “gentlemanly” 18th century past, loathing the mechanistic present, and a periwig wearing racist to boot. However, with the death of his mother (who had projected a love/hate relationship with her son) and through the many amateur writing groups of the day (which he would participate in and also lead – a very interesting piece to read about!), Lovecraft began to mature in thought and manner, developing a vast circle of friends, fans, and correspondents of such loyalty that few people of a more outgoing nature could ever match.
  
  A recluse? He travelled throughout the East Coast, FL, and Quebec, staying with and accommodating many a friend and correspondent, touring places of antiquarian interest, hanging out with groups of fellow writers in a variety of clubs and organizations, and even finding time to become briefly married.
  
  An unfaltering atheist, he believed in a universe where man’s insignificance was exposed to the unmentionable and uncaring horrors that lurked beyond. It’s ironic in a way that a man who did not believe in God would end up creating a cosmic mythology of extraterrestrials who found their way to Earth, foolishly worshipped by humans as deities. Even back in his day, as he became a well-known writer in amateur publications and circles, he would weave such detail between realistic settings and his horrors that fans would write to him asking if his creatures were real or if the Necronomicon (a book of evil he created in his tales that could summon these monsters) actually existed!
  
  That many persons have continued to believe so to this day would surely have made the atheist Lovecraft giggle with incredulous joy.
  
  Warts and all, Joshi does an amazing job of detailing all that is known of Lovecraft, through many of the letters written back and forth to his fans and friends. Ever a gentleman, he would never decline a response to any letter of inquiry or request for writing aid, and some of these “lost” letters are still being discovered (the HP Lovecraft Historical Society has announced they have come across a collection of 38 letters from Lovecraft to Zealia Bishop, a client of Lovecrafts, which have never been seen, to be released in a book this year).
  
  Joshi also adds a nice mini-summary to virtually every single work of Lovecraft’s, and writes the biography with such detail and clarity, the reader has to root for Lovecraft, feeling his poverty (he would list out with pride how he could get by eating only twice a day, and surviving a week on just a few cans of beans, cold soup, and the occasional piece of bread or other sundry item, sometimes old and possibly even spoiled) and his frustrations at countless story rejections from official publishing houses, while taking in his obvious enjoyment in his travels and the accolades he received from so many fellow writers and followers. There are also some funny moments, involving editorial clients that Lovecraft endured who obviously could not write a wit! The ending is sad, of course, as Lovecraft did not live past 46, and as you near it, you start to feel as if you are approaching an already known climax in a fictional story that you wish could have been avoided.
  
  If you are a student or fan of Lovecraft’s writing, this is a definitive work you cannot miss.
  
• 
  Ann

  Best Lovecraft biography available.
• 
  Jeff

  I spent a long time reading this massive, two-volume biography of H.P. Lovecraft, but it was time well spent. I have been a fan of Lovecraft's work since I was a teenager, and the man himself always fascinated me. This is, I believe, the definitive biography. It is the closest we can come, I think, to knowing Lovecraft as a person.
• 
  Oliver Holm

  An astoundingly scrupulous piece of biographical work, containing myriads of trivia, however notably marred by the author's much too categorical 'best'/'mediocre'/'poor' evaluation of the various pieces of fiction that make up Lovecraft's collective authorship.
• 
  Raymond

  The one word review would be 'exhaustive.'
  
  For better or worse 'I am Providence' is the longest and most in-depth biography of H.P. Lovecraft and I predict it will remain so indefinitely. I say for better or worse since its sheer exhaustiveness means that on the one hand you will be getting the perhaps best and most erudiate analysis of Lovecraft and his writing that there is to be found, but unless you're a Lovecraft scholar it's unlikely that you'll be interested in everything this book has to offer and there are hundreds of pages that are only tangentially related to Lovecraft as an author of cosmic horror.
  
  The sections on Lovecraft's childhood and personal life make for absorbing reading, and the long, detailed analysises of his more accomplished works make up the main course of the book. I found myself skimming other sections however, such as the ones covering his venture into amateur journalism and the mini biographies his friends, with the exception of those that are significant in their own right such as Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard.
  
  Speaking of Robert E. Howard, I was somewhat taken aback by Joshi's offhand dismissal of his merits as an author. This was doubly surprising because he makes such fair, accurate assessments of other pulp authors of the era, and Howard has gone a long way from being seen as a hack writer to being considered one of the greats in the history of pulp and sword & sorcery. Joshi's dismissal of Howard echoes that older - I dare say outdated - view, which Lovecraft too suffered from in that his stories were associated with magazines of "low" literary value. While it's true that only a small selection of Howard's literary output is truly excellent, the same applies to Lovecraft.
  
  I won't deduct any stars for this latter gripe as this is a biography of Lovecraft and not Howard, but as one who has greatly enjoyed both of these authors I couldn't let it go unmentioned.
• 
  James

  H. P. Lovecraft stood alone against the world and against life but his own life, as S. T. Joshi recounts in exacting detail was richer and more substantial than we could ever expect. This author of some of the greatest weird fiction devoted years to amateur journalism and writing, was a noted antiquarian and lover of cats, and a true friend and mentor to countless other writers (Richard. E. Howard, Robert Bloch, C. M. Moore among others).
  
  Every aspect of Lovecraft life is covered here from his childhood to his early days as an amateur journalist to his groundbreaking fiction. Joshi cements his reputation as one of the finest Lovecraft and weird fiction scholars by not only chronicling the life of its greatest author but by offering insightful criticism not for Lovecraft but on the other major figures in weird fiction. This is not just a meticulous biography of H. P. Lovecraft but a full account of his aesthetics, philosophy, and metaphysics - Joshi shows a keen understanding of early-twentieth and eighteenth century writing and thought as he systematises Lovecraft’s own beliefs. There is certainly no doubt that Lovecraft was unread or uneducated despite dropping out of school at a young age. His sense of time and place, squarely rooted in Providence but encompassing New England and the eighteenth century demonstrate Lovecraft’s aesthetics and showcase his talented fiction and travelogues.
  
  Joshi is clearly a fan - how else could a 1000-plus page biography like this come about after its initial abridged publication? But he is not slavish in his devotion, he squarely deals with Lovecraft’s failings - both his marriage and especially his racism. These are given necessary context but Joshi makes no apologies for Lovecraft’s racism for it was the only belief of his that failed to change once he was exposed to the wider world. There is also a summary of Lovecraft’s influence and fiction after his death, presaging Joshi’s other seminal works analysing modern weird tales.
  
  “He was a human being like any of us – neither a lunatic nor superman. He had his share of flaws and virtues. But he is dead now, and no amount of praise or blame will have any effect upon the course of his life. His work alone remains.” A fine ending, and reflection on how to treat this man out of time, to the definitive biography of H. P. Lovecraft but the most moving tribute comes from Clark Ashton Smith who wrote in the July 1937 edition of Weird Tales:
  
  “And yet thou art not gone
  Nor given wholly unto dream and dust:
  For, even upon
  This lonely western hill of Averoigne
  Thy flesh had never visited,
  I meet some wise and sentient wraith of thee,
  Some undeparting presence, gracious and august.
  More luminous for thee the vernal grass,
  More magically dark the Druid stone
  And in the mind thou art for ever shown
  As in a wizard’s glass;
  And from the spirit’s page that runes can never pass.“
• 
  Clint

  Joshie’s book does exactly as advertised. He reviews the life of HPL and along the way, just about every story written by the man. So much so, that if you have not done an exhaustive reading of HPL, spoilers abound.
  
  I read this slowly. I would scan each chapter, note the stories Joshie would be discussing in said chapter, then read those stories first. This took a long time. I think I read this off and on for nearly two years doing this; however, by books end I felt I had a solid grasp on all things HPL.
  
  My plan was to re-read the book after completing this; however, STJ’s style of writing is less than entertaining, and while I still may do so in the future, I’m in no rush.
  
  I give this book two ratings:
  
  1. As an exhaustive and educational review of HPL and all his major works, 5 stars
  
  2. As an enjoyable biography, 3 stars.
• 
  David

  If the idea of reading an exhaustive 1000 page biography about a particular cult writer who lived a short and relatively uneventful life does not appeal to you I recommend you don't bother with this book- if the idea of a 1000 page biography about HP Lovecraft makes you go 'oooh!' however, then I definitely recommend this book as I cannot even conceive of a more authoritative or enjoyable edition.
• 
  Eric Layton

  S. T. Joshi has created what I find to be the definitive biography of Howard Phillips Lovecraft. It must have been a true labor of love for Joshi.

  
  

  There are two things, unfortunately, that will deter many people from picking this book up and giving it a read:

  
  
  - its size alone will be the first detriment (nearly 1200 pages)
  - preconceived, and often false, notions that people have regarding the subject of this book will also be a deterrent, I believe.
  
  

  This is sad. H. P. Lovecraft was an extremely interesting man. Sure, he had his faults, as we all do. He is definitely on my list of authors with whom I would love to spend an evening by a fire in some cozy den discussing many things.

  
  

  This book has truly increased my knowledge of Lovecraft, but it has also brought me closer to the man. You cannot absorb this much about a person without beginning to feel that you actually knew them. My esteem for H. P. Lovecraft has most definitely surged.

  
  

  I'm also extremely impressed with
  S. T. Joshi, the author of this work. I cannot even begin to imagine the years of toil that were involved in researching for this project. It was worth it, though. Joshi has managed to humanize Lovecraft. He doesn't hide the ugliness, but attempts to explain it a bit; understanding assists in developing a less biased opinion of a subject.

  
  

  I would most assuredly recommend a reading of Joshi's book for anyone with the slightest interest or curiousity regarding its subject.. Howard Phillips Lovecraft, his philosophies, his struggles, his likes and dislikes, his life. If life had thrown just a few less curve balls at Howard, one may wonder just how far and how successful he may have been; particularly if he had kept his health and lasted into his 70s or 80s. Instead, he was lost to us way too soon (46 years old), just as one of his inspirational mentors,
  E. A. Poe. (died at 40).

  
  

  Howard never attained any commercial success in his lifetime. He never had a published book of any of his works while still living. His stories were mostly disseminated via amateur presses or magazines, such as
  Weird Tales.

  
  

  There is a decent
  biographical article in Wikipedia regarding Lovecraft that may stir your interest toward the full story found in Joshi's biography on Lovecraft. I hope you give it a go someday.
• 
  Steve Cran

  
  H.P. Lovecraft is the father or founder of weird fiction . Weird fiction is a category in and of itself that focuses on strange things that happen to people. Born in Providence , Rhode Island in 1890 HP lead a real sheltered life.
  
  Born into wealth, thanks to his grandfather Whipple Philips, Howard lived most of his life on 454 Angel Street. When he was two years old his father was committed to a sanatorium. He was sick with syphalis . After this he would be raised by his aunts and grandfather. H.P. was very sheltered by his family , often having little contact with the neighborhood kids. In his own little world he absorbed the mythologies of different cultures and even worshipped some of their gods for fun. He had family that doted on him excessively.
  
  This caused H.P. to have a week constitution and he missed lots of school as a result. As a teenager he was often struck with nerves . He did not graduate high school due to so many abscences. While in high school he managed to run his own magazine which focused on science and astronomy.
  
  Later in his career he would focus on amateur work. Later on he would publish in Weird Tales. He had difficulty publishing later on. Basically the man and his life in a nutshell. H.P. was an atheist who had no beLife in god. He believed the Anglo Saxon culture to be superior and he shunned inter ethic marriage. He looked down on anyone who was not white. The book was overly long and Burdened with excessive details that made for slow reading . Book should have been condensed to three to four hundred pages.
• 
  Christian Brandt-Hansen

  This biography is probably way more detailed than anybody really needs it to be, but if you want to know all there is to know about Lovecraft, good and bad, this is your book. If you are after a quick and light read, it is not. Highly recommended for those who want to submerge themselves in the life and work of the master of cosmic horror.
• 
  Zachary

  A perfect biography of an extraordinary talent. Nobody writes about Lovecraft like Joshi, and the attention to detail (both historical and psychological) is superb, creating a truly lifelike portrait of this genius from Providence.
• 
  Adam Lee

  Looking foward to reading the second 500-page volume #selfisolation #loneliness
• 
  Rckay

  Hopefully now that he is finally finding his artistic feet by the end of this tome the second tome will be much more interesting.
• 
  Jay Rothermel

  First-rate work
• 
  Sean O'Hara

  The most daunting thing about picking up any biography is the knowledge that you're going to be subject to at least one chapter on the subject's childhood, no matter how prosaic and unremarkable it is -- schooling and siblings, family homes and vacations, illnesses and potty training -- before getting to the stuff the person's actually notable for. In the worst case scenario, the biographer will inflict upon his reader the full extent of his research by detailing his subject's family history back to the Twelfth Century. It's like one of those 18th Century novels Sterne was parodying in Tristram Shandy, where you're three quarters of the way through the book before the hero finally encounters the plot.
  
  Well, no fear with H.P. Lovecraft. The guy was fascinating right from the get-go. Even his family background was interesting -- syphilitic father locked in a mad house and all that -- and when he starts translating Homer before starting kindergarten, you know you're not going to be stuck with a bunch of boring details about how he had to chop wood in the afternoon. Soon he's printing his writing on his very own hectograph and selling it to friends and family. (Strangely Stephen King did pretty much the same thing as a kid. Coincidence? I think not.) Eventually this, along with a tendency to write pugnacious letters to literary magazines, brought him into the world of amateur journalism -- the early 20th Century version of LiveJournal, but less civilized and more widely read (the average amateur publication having tens of readers).
  
  After a few years, Lovecraft made the transition to professional publication in pulp magazines where his pompous know-it-all style rapidly convinced people that Cthulhu, the Necronomicon, etc. were all real. He also got married and moved to New York, though the success of his relationship can be measured by the fact that within a few weeks he decided to spend his nights wandering through dark alleys rather than sleeping with his wife. This may have something to do with the fact that Lovecraft was an anti-Semite and his wife a Jew. Alternatively it may have been the discovery that vaginas do not have tentacles like in H.R. Giger paintings (this is also the leading cause for Japan's declining birth-rate).
  
  Lovecraft's wife soon left him to find work elsewhere in the country, and he survived for several years in New York from the sale of short stories and money sent to him by his wife and aunts. What exactly he did all day during this period is unclear, but we can speculate it involved playing Call of Duty and smoking massive amounts of weed, as is the case with most men who find women foolish enough to support their loafing habit.
  
  Sadly New York was not to his liking, so Lovecraft moved back to his home town of Providence, where he sponged off his spinster aunts for the rest of his life. Well, that's not entirely fair. He did, for several months each year, take to the road, traveling extensively up and down the Eastern Seaboard, occasionally shacking up with women, but just as often taking up residence with teenage boys.
  
  Lovecraft lived in this manner for almost a decade, writing increasingly more occasional fiction which sold even more increasingly occasionally to pulp magazines. Then in 1937, brought on by a diet of raw and often expired canned foods, Lovecraft contracted cancer of the ass and died. In the fashion of the characters of his own stories, who often kept diaries even as they were being driven mad and dragged off to the nether realms of Michigan, Lovecraft recorded his excruciating pain in detail right up until the very end.
• 
  Christopher Law

  Don't read the unabridged version - spare yourself. I suspect the abridged is just as sycophantic and blind to Lovecraft's faults but you'll not have to drag yourself through the three pages Joshi felt it was vital to include about the first time Lovecraft ate spaghetti. HP will always be one of my favourite authors, but this biography is blasphemously dull, badly written and too close to hagiography to be of any actual worth.