This is one of the ultimate stories regarding ill content, and to an extent, greed, although it doesn't condemn wanderlust. The message of this story can be summarized like this "The grass is always greener on the other-side, and sometimes you should pursue it. But sometimes it is green, because it is sickly and poisoned."
I used to listen to this guy read this when I switched from jogging to walking the 10-mile Niagara River Trail to the falls and back. Every Friday around 5 until dusk back in 2012 and 2013. Once you've heard it so many times, it becomes real and these places become stained in your mind. And for a long time now I have had this haunting feeling that one day I'm going to be on that boat following that damn bird. I hope I never see those accursed basalt pillars. I will stay in Sona-Nyl and try never to even dream of Cathuria. I swear I've seen visions of those black pillars in a choppy dark sea and the great spraying cataract thereafter. It is horrible. It is just horrible 😞
I've listened to this story so many many times. And I cry every time. My dreams echo my weary sobs and I mourn the loss of imagined happinesses and satisfactions. Wakefulness is synonymous with grey. Drugs barely gift reprieve, and luckily they are plentiful.
Every time I read one of Lovecraft's sadder stories, I wish I could go back in time and go out of my way to be his friend. He seems to have been a very lonely and unhappy person and though I do not and can not know him, I feel very sad for him.
That's a very nice sentiment- but you are going to take away one of America' greatest horror writers ( many people's favorite) by doing so. There are so many lonely people alive today who would better appreciate your overture. Find somebody decent who's now living. Leave the ghosts to their peace.
5:59 I really like that the narrator chose to whisper for this character. I think it really works for the story and atmosphere overall. Who is the narrator?
Therein walk only deamons and mad things that are no longer men, and the streets are white with the unburied bones of those who have looked upon the eidolon.
I've litterly listened to this almost every night for the past 5+years.....it put me to sleep so great when I'm anxious. I'm so afraid one day it will be gone or something and am begging if you could send me the file through email just so I have a backup in case something ever happens ro this one.
I don't he would want to be your friend, not because of you but because Lovecraft was somewhat of a xenophobic misanthrope. Lovecraft was mostly friendless by choice.
He wasn't friendless by any account- and misanthropy gets a bad rap. Just look at the current prez and his policies and all the people that support him- ignorant or evil- that's about half of the human race. Racism was so prevalent in Lovecraft's time, It is extremely presumptive to believe everyone should be wiser than their own time- as if all the newly woken finger waggers are any more ahead of their time than he was.
@@dionmcgee5610 You raise some good points, I guess I'll have to admit I made that comment out of some ignorance. Despite this however~ ;-) He was a relentless shut-in who rarely met people in person and got most of social contact from letters. Not friendless tho, true enough, even far from it. Even for the time Lovecraft was pretty extra about his race and homosexual-hate though, as well as some exceptionally fascist points of view. I don't judge him for being a product of his time despite all that, whatever degrees of hate he subscribed too he was still unavoidably of his time, like you said, we all are. His viewpoints reflect in his work pretty blatantly somtimes and that is definately worth considering when you try to read deeper into some of his work. I think we're doing ourselves and Lovecraft's works a great disservice if we ignore his racism and how it's reflected in the many stories he wrote. Or how he named his cat... But hey, if some accounts are true then Lovecraft went through some big personal changes in his late(as late as you could get with 46 years) life, dropping (some of) his racist and antisemitic views, we can all change(I hope) :)
@@TapKim one would hope he grew as a person. It also should be remembered that when he moved to New York and lived amongst immigrants for the very first time his place was broken into and all his valuables stolen. Not the best circumstance for gaining enlightenment. But Lovecraft was not a politician or even a person who's individual character is a function of our relationship with him. Lovecraft was an artist, whatever one's opinion of the quality (or lack thereof) of his work is. And artists should not necessarily be judged by who they are as human beings but rather what kind of effect their artwork has upon you. Art may perhaps be the least understood human endeavor known to us as a species- and whether or not you believe the act of creativity is tapping into a divine source or not- there's no mistaking that artists suffer - or live for their work like few others do. Insanity and other afflictions or oddities are common place amongst people who are creative, and after centuries of speculation as to the reasons why it is so- no one understands fully. As a person who has been drawing all my life, with a detour into writing for over a decade, I've experienced my own instances of what you might call "temporary insanity", probably mitigated by my talents being less than genius level. But even an average to above average artist like myself can never live a "normal life", if there truly is such a thing-and it has taken me the better half of my existence just to get to a plateau of something close to normality. There is a very old saying " Don't mistake the artist for the art." Artists are conduits to something greater than themselves- and their artwork is often, if not always, experienced by others without input by the artists themselves- making art an extremely subjective experience. The same piece of art can effect different people in different ways-in ways the artist seldom is aware of and almost never originally intended. To interject the actual creator into the experience of the creation serves no real purpose and may ultimately drain the work of it's unique vitality to those who experience it. The case of Michael Jackson gives me second thoughts to how far removed the artist really is- but child molestation or similar horrible acts forced upon others is in no way similar to a person who believed racist thoughts in a time when very few didn't.
@@TapKim I forgot to mention that I believe your opening remark about Lovecraft uninterested in friendship was probably accurate. Befriending strangers is a relatively new practice that was extraordinarily uncommon to people in the past. Tribalism and family bonds kept such friendships nearly impossible, and that's without taking into consideration his personal misanthropy. However, as somewhat of a misanthrope myself, it would be my guess that his misanthropy is similar to mine, and so not a blanket hatred of the human race, as most ordinary people presume, but rather toward a particular characteristic of humanity that he despised. Knowing what I do of him, his misanthropy would likely be toward the vulgar, ungentlemanly people that actually make up the majority of the human race. Racism or none- there's no denying a good portion of humanity is crude, uneducated, and in my opinion, less than ideal choices for friendships. How a person was introduced to him would make all the difference.
After 5 years I still find my way back to this reading of this story, it’s just perfect
This is perhaps my favorite story of Lovecraft's, and yours is a beautiful reading. I hope to do this story justice soon, as well.
This is one of the ultimate stories regarding ill content, and to an extent, greed, although it doesn't condemn wanderlust. The message of this story can be summarized like this "The grass is always greener on the other-side, and sometimes you should pursue it. But sometimes it is green, because it is sickly and poisoned."
The grass is always greener...over the septic tank!!!
You are a terrible human being.
@@davidlabelle361 erma bombeck wrote that book
Another great story and narration to listen to while blissfully stoned.
I used to listen to this guy read this when I switched from jogging to walking the 10-mile Niagara River Trail to the falls and back. Every Friday around 5 until dusk back in 2012 and 2013. Once you've heard it so many times, it becomes real and these places become stained in your mind. And for a long time now I have had this haunting feeling that one day I'm going to be on that boat following that damn bird. I hope I never see those accursed basalt pillars. I will stay in Sona-Nyl and try never to even dream of Cathuria. I swear I've seen visions of those black pillars in a choppy dark sea and the great spraying cataract thereafter. It is horrible. It is just horrible 😞
My favorite Lovecraft story, and the best of all his Dream Cycle works.
Thank you
same here!
Been listening to this for what feels like years now, still really wish i knew who the reader was because ive never heard anyone better.
That's precisely what keeps me coming back year on year too
@@BenchSitter same lol. i just cant stop
I've listened to this story so many many times. And I cry every time. My dreams echo my weary sobs and I mourn the loss of imagined happinesses and satisfactions. Wakefulness is synonymous with grey. Drugs barely gift reprieve, and luckily they are plentiful.
Every time I read one of Lovecraft's sadder stories, I wish I could go back in time and go out of my way to be his friend. He seems to have been a very lonely and unhappy person and though I do not and can not know him, I feel very sad for him.
That's a very nice sentiment- but you are going to take away one of America' greatest horror writers ( many people's favorite) by doing so. There are so many lonely people alive today who would better appreciate your overture. Find somebody decent who's now living. Leave the ghosts to their peace.
you’re both wrong, lovecraft had many friends and wasnt very lonely in adulthood
Enjoyed the reading, nice voice and diction.
Professionally read my man! Thanks.
A great story. Thanks
5:59 I really like that the narrator chose to whisper for this character. I think it really works for the story and atmosphere overall.
Who is the narrator?
disagree...tooo ASMR...kills the vibe
7:11 that freaking whispering is a no go.
Therein walk only deamons and mad things that are no longer men, and the streets are white with the unburied bones of those who have looked upon the eidolon.
War
I would love to know who the narrator of this story is. His voice is perfection. Does anyone know?
I've litterly listened to this almost every night for the past 5+years.....it put me to sleep so great when I'm anxious. I'm so afraid one day it will be gone or something and am begging if you could send me the file through email just so I have a backup in case something ever happens ro this one.
Lovecraft was far from friendless. Look to his voluminous correspondence and you'll see what I mean,
what's the name of the lector?
Darn spectral visitors!!! Good stuff
who's the narrator
I would like to listen to some alike stories so much PLEASE "))
Who is the speaker?
Great story.
Im 22, but I think it still sounds a bit like Orson Welles, but a bit lighter-pitched
Anyone else wondering what Buzz Aldrin is doing in a HP Lovecraft story
Complete
Lovecraft was familiar with C. G. Jung. Compare this story with the concept of the Collective Unconscious.
watch citizen kane or listen to war of the worlds/ the mercury theater one then tell me who this sounds like kid
How did his grandfather and father reproduce?! THEY ARE NOT HUMAN!
I know, that was a joke
The question is, who actually does understand female humans? lol
@@jimicusjolcen9460 as a female human I can tell you... No one I understands. Not even us.
very similar to Dante's version of Ulysses' story in the Divine Comedy
this sounds like Orson Welles, kinda
What I want to know is who's making up all this BS about cathoria and why are they doing it? Some people will do anything to mess with folks.
I don't he would want to be your friend, not because of you but because Lovecraft was somewhat of a xenophobic misanthrope. Lovecraft was mostly friendless by choice.
He wasn't friendless by any account- and misanthropy gets a bad rap. Just look at the current prez and his policies and all the people that support him- ignorant or evil- that's about half of the human race. Racism was so prevalent in Lovecraft's time, It is extremely presumptive to believe everyone should be wiser than their own time- as if all the newly woken finger waggers are any more ahead of their time than he was.
@@dionmcgee5610
You raise some good points, I guess I'll have to admit I made that comment out of some ignorance.
Despite this however~ ;-)
He was a relentless shut-in who rarely met people in person and got most of social contact from letters. Not friendless tho, true enough, even far from it.
Even for the time Lovecraft was pretty extra about his race and homosexual-hate though, as well as some exceptionally fascist points of view.
I don't judge him for being a product of his time despite all that, whatever degrees of hate he subscribed too he was still unavoidably of his time, like you said, we all are. His viewpoints reflect in his work pretty blatantly somtimes and that is definately worth considering when you try to read deeper into some of his work. I think we're doing ourselves and Lovecraft's works a great disservice if we ignore his racism and how it's reflected in the many stories he wrote. Or how he named his cat...
But hey, if some accounts are true then Lovecraft went through some big personal changes in his late(as late as you could get with 46 years) life, dropping (some of) his racist and antisemitic views, we can all change(I hope) :)
@@TapKim one would hope he grew as a person. It also should be remembered that when he moved to New York and lived amongst immigrants for the very first time his place was broken into and all his valuables stolen. Not the best circumstance for gaining enlightenment.
But Lovecraft was not a politician or even a person who's individual character is a function of our relationship with him. Lovecraft was an artist, whatever one's opinion of the quality (or lack thereof) of his work is.
And artists should not necessarily be judged by who they are as human beings but rather what kind of effect their artwork has upon you. Art may perhaps be the least understood human endeavor known to us as a species- and whether or not you believe the act of creativity is tapping into a divine source or not- there's no mistaking that artists suffer - or live for their work like few others do. Insanity and other afflictions or oddities are common place amongst people who are creative, and after centuries of speculation as to the reasons why it is so- no one understands fully.
As a person who has been drawing all my life, with a detour into writing for over a decade, I've experienced my own instances of what you might call "temporary insanity", probably mitigated by my talents being less than genius level. But even an average to above average artist like myself can never live a "normal life", if there truly is such a thing-and it has taken me the better half of my existence just to get to a plateau of something close to normality.
There is a very old saying " Don't mistake the artist for the art."
Artists are conduits to something greater than themselves- and their artwork is often, if not always, experienced by others without input by the artists themselves- making art an extremely subjective experience. The same piece of art can effect different people in different ways-in ways the artist seldom is aware of and almost never originally intended. To interject the actual creator into the experience of the creation serves no real purpose and may ultimately drain the work of it's unique vitality to those who experience it.
The case of Michael Jackson gives me second thoughts to how far removed the artist really is- but child molestation or similar horrible acts forced upon others is in no way similar to a person who believed racist thoughts in a time when very few didn't.
@@TapKim I forgot to mention that I believe your opening remark about Lovecraft uninterested in friendship was probably accurate. Befriending strangers is a relatively new practice that was extraordinarily uncommon to people in the past. Tribalism and family bonds kept such friendships nearly impossible, and that's without taking into consideration his personal misanthropy.
However, as somewhat of a misanthrope myself, it would be my guess that his misanthropy is similar to mine, and so not a blanket hatred of the human race, as most ordinary people presume, but rather toward a particular characteristic of humanity that he despised. Knowing what I do of him, his misanthropy would likely be toward the vulgar, ungentlemanly people that actually make up the majority of the human race. Racism or none- there's no denying a good portion of humanity is crude, uneducated, and in my opinion, less than ideal choices for friendships. How a person was introduced to him would make all the difference.
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