The Haunter of the Dark
Ratings5
Average rating4
15
Ratings5
Average rating4
In Providence, Rhode Island, Robert Blake, a young writer with an interest in the occult, becomes fascinated by a large disused church on Federal Hill which he can see from his lodgings on the city's Upper East side. His researches reveal that the church has a sinister history involving a cult called the Church of Starry Wisdom and is dreaded by the local migrant inhabitants as being haunted by a primeval evil ... "The Haunter of the Dark" was published in the December 1936 edition of Weird Tales. It was the last-written of the author's known works, and is part of the Cthulhu Mythos.
Reviews with the most likes.
Creepy little story - which was just perfect for a grey rainy afternoon!
This one just joined the ranks of my favourite Lovecraft stories. The storytelling and pacing was pretty solid. I really enjoyed the sense of mystery and paranoia that the plot induces, giving you images and impressions through description and implications as opposed to to direct storytelling. It was told from the point of view of an investigator into the death of Robert Blake, by giving us the story as they are told by the Robert Blake himself through his diary.
I'm not sure whether the finale would turn some readers off, as it raises more questions than answers, but I think that's the whole point - it perpetuates the whole feeling of strangeness and unexplainable circumstances that the author was trying to convey. I just happen to find it to be a superb ending, jacking up the creepy feeling even more.
