Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Fontamara (2013), Edition: 2nd, 136 pages
Description
A large scale and much publicized expedition to Antarctica is about to take place. While excitement runs high in the scientific community over this expedition, one geologist tries his hardest to stop the trip from ever happening. This is because William Dyer has been to Antarctica on an expedition before, and knows of the unspeakable horrors that lie in its frigid terrain. Dyer goes into explaining that during his last trip, he and another small group led by Professor Lake, encountered ancient alien life forms dubbed The Elder Things. Told from Dyers perspective, this story goes into detail of Dyer's fatal encounters with the aliens in Antarctica and how this new expedition will surely end in nothing but more tragedy.
User reviews
LibraryThing member auntmarge64
A novella written in the early 1930s and set in Antarctica during that time period. A team of explorers discover a many-millions-of-years old city on the far side of known territory, encountering in the process two ancient races only hinted at in some of the oldest of human mythologies. Usually
All-in-all, quite enjoyable, although I imagined a couple of even more horrible disclosures than those produced by the finale.
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categorized as horror but to my mind equally science fiction, the story is told in florid language which nevertheless pulls the reader inexorably towards each new dreaded revelation. There are many references to places and myths common in Lovecraft's other works, and familiarity with those might make this more chilling. One aspect I found particularly meaningful was several references to Sir Douglas Mawson (my favorite Antarctic explorer), including a contemporaneous expedition he was on in a nearby area of Antarctica. Lovecraft also worked into the story the then-new theory of continental drift. All-in-all, quite enjoyable, although I imagined a couple of even more horrible disclosures than those produced by the finale.
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LibraryThing member MrsLee
An expedition to the Antarctic uncovers an ancient race of beings and their civilization. Also, giant, sightless penguins.
What can I say? I was curious about this author, having heard of Cthulhu references from my friends who are scifi fans, so I thought I should try him. Now that I have, I am
Well, perhaps we are to think that they were upset by the bunches of dogs and men which were killed in the camp, but they don't seem so. They just poke around and get on with business, taking a flight to explore the next day. About that exploration? They deduce a lifetime worth of knowledge in one afternoon of looking at cartouches and statues about this civilization. Nope. I don't buy it. Also, the creature which drives them mad? Really? Scared, OK, but mad? Nah.
And all of this was supposedly written to keep other explorers from going to the area. Are you kidding me? Any scientist worth their salt would be off there in a hot flash after reading this because far from proving there were "unnameable horrors" lurking there, they describe a fascinating culture with great possibilities. For all the foreboding (and there was a LOT of it) in this story, the climax of horror is a real letdown.
The audio narrator, Edward Herrmann, was a pleasure to listen to, which is probably the only reason I listened to the end.
What can I say? I was curious about this author, having heard of Cthulhu references from my friends who are scifi fans, so I thought I should try him. Now that I have, I am
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perfectly willing to leave him alone. The writing is pedantic. I was listening to the audio version and found myself tuning out to large swaths of descriptions and not missing a thing. The author tries to give the impression of imminent danger and oppressive evil, but I couldn't take him seriously because everything he described as "blasphemous" and "diabolic" and "sinister" seemed like very interesting stuff to me. How could serious scientists see all that evidence for another civilization and only feel oppressed by evil? Where is the open mind? Where the scientific distance?Well, perhaps we are to think that they were upset by the bunches of dogs and men which were killed in the camp, but they don't seem so. They just poke around and get on with business, taking a flight to explore the next day. About that exploration? They deduce a lifetime worth of knowledge in one afternoon of looking at cartouches and statues about this civilization. Nope. I don't buy it. Also, the creature which drives them mad? Really? Scared, OK, but mad? Nah.
And all of this was supposedly written to keep other explorers from going to the area. Are you kidding me? Any scientist worth their salt would be off there in a hot flash after reading this because far from proving there were "unnameable horrors" lurking there, they describe a fascinating culture with great possibilities. For all the foreboding (and there was a LOT of it) in this story, the climax of horror is a real letdown.
The audio narrator, Edward Herrmann, was a pleasure to listen to, which is probably the only reason I listened to the end.
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LibraryThing member MarcusH
A very detailed account of a scientific expedition into the Antarctic that serves as a warning to other expeditions. The story is written as a first person account of some horrific and fantastic events that uncover proof of the existence of an civilization that predates any previous civilization by
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millions of years. Lovecraft's attention to minute detail might dissuade some from finishing this novella, but it also helps add to the suspense that is built throughout. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheMadTurtle
I listened to the audiobook read by William Roberts. Roberts' narration is excellent. You can hear the stress and anxiety in the storyteller at all the appropriate times. This is a fun pulp horror story along the vein of Whiteout and Alien.
LibraryThing member ocgreg34
"At the Mountains of Madness" contains four tales from H.P. Lovecraft, one of the foremost writers of horror.
The first tale is the titular "At the Mountains of Madness" which follows a team of explorers as they venture into the unknown territory of the Antarctic. The group splits into two camps,
"The Shunned House" presents a tale of a house with a troubled history. Renters don't stay for long, and those that do seem to quickly waste away into illness and death though they were the strongest, healthiest of people. A young man convinces the owner of the property to allow him to spend the night in the house and discovers the true nature of the evil residing underneath its foundation.
In "The Dreams in the Witch-House", a student finds cheap room and board in a building known to locals as the Witch-House. Tales of the strange goings on spurred him into renting the room directly below the attic, hoping that his stay in such a house will further his studies into mathematics and their relation to magic. But he gets much more than he anticipated as strange dreams of an old hag and her rat-like familiar with a human face take their toll on him both physically and mentally.
"The Statement of Randolph Carter" is a quick tale of two young men who search an old cemetery with the hope of communicating with the spirits. Unfortunately for one of them, the spirits have something else in mind.
These four tales provide a great example of early horror that relies more on atmosphere, glimpses of strange creatures or shadows, and the slow build of tension rather than page after page of blood and guts and gore to scare the wits out of you. As the characters in Lovecraft's tales slowly inch closer and closer to what you know is going to be something awful, you shift uncomfortably in your chair, feel like you're taking part in the tale rather than reading it, and wind up exhausted from the adventure. I still feel that way even after a second reading of the stories. This is a great collection of tales, perfect for fans of horror.
The first tale is the titular "At the Mountains of Madness" which follows a team of explorers as they venture into the unknown territory of the Antarctic. The group splits into two camps,
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one establishing a base while the other begins exploring. The reports they radio back, of mountains higher than any they'd ever encountered, with strange crystalline formations that appeared almost manufactured rather than natural, of the cavern uncovered by accident and the strange creatures they found frozen in large blocks of ice, excite the team at the base camp, and they cannot wait to join the others. A strong overnight storm delays that meeting, and the next morning, worry sets in when no word is received from the explorers. The base camp can't even reach them on the radio. Fearing that the explorers might be in danger, a two-man team sets out from the base camp to find out what happened to the others."The Shunned House" presents a tale of a house with a troubled history. Renters don't stay for long, and those that do seem to quickly waste away into illness and death though they were the strongest, healthiest of people. A young man convinces the owner of the property to allow him to spend the night in the house and discovers the true nature of the evil residing underneath its foundation.
In "The Dreams in the Witch-House", a student finds cheap room and board in a building known to locals as the Witch-House. Tales of the strange goings on spurred him into renting the room directly below the attic, hoping that his stay in such a house will further his studies into mathematics and their relation to magic. But he gets much more than he anticipated as strange dreams of an old hag and her rat-like familiar with a human face take their toll on him both physically and mentally.
"The Statement of Randolph Carter" is a quick tale of two young men who search an old cemetery with the hope of communicating with the spirits. Unfortunately for one of them, the spirits have something else in mind.
These four tales provide a great example of early horror that relies more on atmosphere, glimpses of strange creatures or shadows, and the slow build of tension rather than page after page of blood and guts and gore to scare the wits out of you. As the characters in Lovecraft's tales slowly inch closer and closer to what you know is going to be something awful, you shift uncomfortably in your chair, feel like you're taking part in the tale rather than reading it, and wind up exhausted from the adventure. I still feel that way even after a second reading of the stories. This is a great collection of tales, perfect for fans of horror.
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LibraryThing member Coach_of_Alva
This is my third audiobook of Lovecraft’s classic sci-fi story of Antarctic explorers who discover an abandoned alien city whose murals tell the true history of the earth. The narrator of the story is a New England college professor unnerved by having his beliefs about the past demolished. I
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heard Wayne June read the man as a sober middle class man of action and Edward Herrmann read him as an upper-class WASP scholar. Another reviewer took the words out of my mouth by noting that William Roberts told the tale in the air of a 1940s newscaster, say, Lowell Thomas. He meant that as a criticism but I think Robert’s tone fits the story well. He gives a very emotive reading, sounding like an old man who has lost his certainties at the end of his life. Show Less
LibraryThing member alanteder
Elder Things, Shoggoths, and Tekeli-li, Oh My!
Felt more drawn out and repetitious in its audiobook format (which I picked up as an Audible Daily Deal) than I remember it in print, which I had read several times previously. Perhaps the shock factor has worn off.
The professorial tone by narrator
This edition contained only the novella of about 50,000 words/5 hours narration. Some editions contain other Cthulhu Mythos stories and/or bonus introductory material. I thought the Modern Library print edition of "At the Mountains of Madness" edited by S.T. Joshi with an introduction by China Miéville was excellent.
Felt more drawn out and repetitious in its audiobook format (which I picked up as an Audible Daily Deal) than I remember it in print, which I had read several times previously. Perhaps the shock factor has worn off.
The professorial tone by narrator
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Edward Herrmann (in the Blackstone Audio 2013 edition) suited the material (which is an explorer warning a future expedition not to go to Antarctica due to the horrors that they will find there) but it reduced the level of excitement and fear.This edition contained only the novella of about 50,000 words/5 hours narration. Some editions contain other Cthulhu Mythos stories and/or bonus introductory material. I thought the Modern Library print edition of "At the Mountains of Madness" edited by S.T. Joshi with an introduction by China Miéville was excellent.
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LibraryThing member Dreesie
I have read a few HP Lovecraft stories, and they have all disappointed me. This one is actually a novella, and I liked it much more. I can actually see form this story why people might enjoy his work.
This story has all the usual Lovecraft themes--exploration (Antarctica this time), strange
I do think that the novella format allowed Lovecraft to get into the meat of the story. There is lots of description, and a map or illustration might have been nice--but I have my own in my head now. I also read this on the Serial Reader app, so maybe text versions do have some illustrations. I wonder how close what is in my head is what Lovecraft was trying to describe.
I do still think I would have enjoyed Lovecraft's work a lot more if I had found it in middle or high school. I was obsessed with Agatha Christie at the time.
This story has all the usual Lovecraft themes--exploration (Antarctica this time), strange
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happenings, strange beings, fear. And the usual narrator saying "It was so awful I can't actually say it!" which drives me crazy. This narrator, though, did actually finally explain what he saw--but not what his co-pilot saw that caused a breakdown. An improvement nonetheless!I do think that the novella format allowed Lovecraft to get into the meat of the story. There is lots of description, and a map or illustration might have been nice--but I have my own in my head now. I also read this on the Serial Reader app, so maybe text versions do have some illustrations. I wonder how close what is in my head is what Lovecraft was trying to describe.
I do still think I would have enjoyed Lovecraft's work a lot more if I had found it in middle or high school. I was obsessed with Agatha Christie at the time.
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LibraryThing member booksandliquids
Lovecraft got paid by number of words and, well... it's noticable. I feel the suspense would have profited from less adjectives, adverbs and repetitions. Still I had fun listening to this on the Classic Tales Podcast and At the Mountains of Madness is one of my favourite stories by Lovecraft, so
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it's 4.5 stars for the story itself. Show Less
LibraryThing member twinkley
I discovered the Serial Reader app this month and have been reading some classics through it and have been enjoying them. I was ultimately disappointed with this one though. But I did like how the suspenseful atmosphere was built and the writing. I have never read this author before and I am glad
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to have finally read something by him. But I think I prefer the older classic sci-fi authors like Wells and Verne to Lovecraft. They had the atmosphere, the writing, and a good story. Show Less
LibraryThing member bhiggs
I got about a 1/3rd of the way through this before I lost my mind. Not because of cthulhu horrors, but because the way its written drove me crazy. I swear HP spent 3-4 pages describing a building, and like he just used a thesaurus for every neat word he could think of and crammed it into the
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sentence. It was mind numbingly bored. I was too confused, bored, and distracted to be scared. I do not recommend this, sadly. I read that some people love it, I am not one of those people. Show Less
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
I still don't get why this one is heralded as one of Lovecraft's best. To me, it's not even close.
Once again, is it a great idea? Hell yes.
But Lovecraft stuffs so many measurements, so many longitudes and latitudes, so many elevations, so much architectural detail into what is a shockingly simple
When I first listened to this in audio format (big mistake, it was an amateur reader that pronounced all Ls and Rs as Ws, as in "H. P. Wovecwaft" so it felt like Elmer Fudd was telling me the story). I described this at the time, as less a horror story and more an article from Architectural Digest From Hell.
Five years later, I still agree with that. In fact, the backup story that helped, in part, to inspire At The Mountains of Madness, called In Amundsen's Tent, was the far superior story (and one that Lovecraft enjoyed, but felt it was "clumsy").
There's better Lovecraft out there than this.
Once again, is it a great idea? Hell yes.
But Lovecraft stuffs so many measurements, so many longitudes and latitudes, so many elevations, so much architectural detail into what is a shockingly simple
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story, that it simply bogs down. Honestly, this thing is less than 150 pages, and I had to take break after eye-drooping break just to get to the last payoff, a quick little footrace with the only living thing we finally get that's horrible, and that's not until the last ten pages or so.When I first listened to this in audio format (big mistake, it was an amateur reader that pronounced all Ls and Rs as Ws, as in "H. P. Wovecwaft" so it felt like Elmer Fudd was telling me the story). I described this at the time, as less a horror story and more an article from Architectural Digest From Hell.
Five years later, I still agree with that. In fact, the backup story that helped, in part, to inspire At The Mountains of Madness, called In Amundsen's Tent, was the far superior story (and one that Lovecraft enjoyed, but felt it was "clumsy").
There's better Lovecraft out there than this.
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LibraryThing member teafancier
Spooky and haunting rather than bloody and violent
LibraryThing member bookworm12
A geologist on an expedition in Antarctica finds himself in a terrifying situation when he discovers an ancient civilization of "Elder" creatures. Lovecraft is a master at slowly building suspense. At times, this classic gets bogged down in scientific details, but it still captures a great sense of
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foreboding. We've become used to thrillers that share every detail early on, but in 1936, this story was cutting edge. Show Less
LibraryThing member skavlanj
A Book That Scares You
As with every book in this category of my themed reading list, no, it didn't. Plenty of movies have made me jump and kept me awake at night; I've yet to experience the same level of fear from a book.
It may just be me, because At the Mountains of Madness is a well-written story
Dr. Dyer provides many of the facts hidden from the public when the team's discovery of an ancient civilization was first broadcast to the world. His account conveys first the excitement, then the terror, as most of the team is mysteriously killed at a remote site. He and the survivors fly to the scene of the tragedy to investigate what is at first described as a windstorm of horrific destructive power. Leaving part of the team there, Dyer and a graduate student named Danforth fly further into the mountains, where they spend sixteen harrowing hours in what they believe to be a deserted city of rock. As they descend into the underground labyrinth, they interpret the murals which both decorate the city and tell its history. Despite the revelation of the dangers ahead, the men push, driven by morbid curiosity. Danforth is so traumatized by their final encounter that he suffers a nervous breakdown and leaves us maddeningly ignorant of what he saw.
Despite its novella length, At the Mountains of Madness is rich in details and ideas and better written than much of the science fiction I've read.
As with every book in this category of my themed reading list, no, it didn't. Plenty of movies have made me jump and kept me awake at night; I've yet to experience the same level of fear from a book.
It may just be me, because At the Mountains of Madness is a well-written story
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filled with mythological creatures and darkly hinted at dangers. Tension builds through deliberate pacing and rich details which divert attention from the unfolding horror. H.P. Lovecraft builds a fantastical world at the South Pole and sends a naive team of university scientists there on a geological survey in 1930. Their ensuing disaster is recounted by Dr. William Dyer, one of the survivors, and takes the form of a plea against subsequent trips.Dr. Dyer provides many of the facts hidden from the public when the team's discovery of an ancient civilization was first broadcast to the world. His account conveys first the excitement, then the terror, as most of the team is mysteriously killed at a remote site. He and the survivors fly to the scene of the tragedy to investigate what is at first described as a windstorm of horrific destructive power. Leaving part of the team there, Dyer and a graduate student named Danforth fly further into the mountains, where they spend sixteen harrowing hours in what they believe to be a deserted city of rock. As they descend into the underground labyrinth, they interpret the murals which both decorate the city and tell its history. Despite the revelation of the dangers ahead, the men push, driven by morbid curiosity. Danforth is so traumatized by their final encounter that he suffers a nervous breakdown and leaves us maddeningly ignorant of what he saw.
Despite its novella length, At the Mountains of Madness is rich in details and ideas and better written than much of the science fiction I've read.
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LibraryThing member tuusannuuska
When I pick up a book, I want to do one of three things:
1) learn something real and/or
2) read a story and/or
3) look at pictures.
I do not pick up a book solely to have someone describe to me what sculptures or landscapes look like. Now, detailed descriptions of things' appearances can make a good
And a story is what this book lacks.
1) learn something real and/or
2) read a story and/or
3) look at pictures.
I do not pick up a book solely to have someone describe to me what sculptures or landscapes look like. Now, detailed descriptions of things' appearances can make a good
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story great, but there needs to be a story. And a story is what this book lacks.
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LibraryThing member andyray
After decades of hearing about this writer, I've read him. There is not one line of dialogue in his writing. It is an amorphous mass of description, much like pointillistic painting with words. I like it, but it is a bit rich for my blood as a steady diet. I shall use him as my brandy alexander, my
At the Mountains of Madness is a brilliant horrific story, building consistently, although much is left to the imagination, especially with the carvings and sculptures on the walls at varying levels of the narrator's descent. The reader who digests Lovecraft must, by necessity, have a vivid imagination, as he paints the picture with a light darkness and lets the reader interpret the depth of that darkness. I'm glad, though, that finally I took the plunge and am looking forward to reading more by this master.
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cherry cordial, my Black Forest cake slice, between more palatable writers.At the Mountains of Madness is a brilliant horrific story, building consistently, although much is left to the imagination, especially with the carvings and sculptures on the walls at varying levels of the narrator's descent. The reader who digests Lovecraft must, by necessity, have a vivid imagination, as he paints the picture with a light darkness and lets the reader interpret the depth of that darkness. I'm glad, though, that finally I took the plunge and am looking forward to reading more by this master.
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LibraryThing member A.Godhelm
One of the most complete feeling Lovecraft stories, but still falls into the trap of being a post-event narration which although a common contemporary format to Lovecraft, serves to diffuse most of the tension of the story itself. The cosmic horror is supposed to come from the revelations of
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powerful forces beyond our comprehension hiding beneath a thin veil of ignorance, ready to reclaim the earth and level mankind's petty accomplishments. Unfortunately for the horror, the eldritch horror at the core of this story is sympathetic, and even the narrator points this out. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1936
ISBN
9684762062 / 9789684762060
Other editions
En las montañas de la locura by H.P. Lovecraft (Paperback)