At the Mountains of Madness [Blackstone Edition] cover art

At the Mountains of Madness [Blackstone Edition]

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At the Mountains of Madness [Blackstone Edition]

By: H. P. Lovecraft
Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
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About this listen

A master of terror and nightmarish visions, H.P. Lovecraft solidified his place at the top of the horror genre with this macabre supernatural tale.

When a geologist leads an expedition to the Antarctic plateau, his aim is to find rock and plant specimens from deep within the continent. The barren landscape offers no evidence of any life form - until they stumble upon the ruins of a lost civilization. Strange fossils of creatures unknown to man lead the team deeper, where they find carved stones dating back millions of years. But it is their discovery of the terrifying city of the Old Ones that leads them to an encounter with an untold menace.

Deliberately told and increasingly chilling, At the Mountains of Madness is a must-have for every fan of classic terror.

Public Domain (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Adventure Classics Horror Science Fiction Scary Fiction Polar Region Paleontology

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All stars
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Enjoyed the story one of Lovecraft's best the only thing that let it down for me was the Narrator as its told in the same tone all the way through as if he's talking to a friend and did not give the feel of dark and doom mysteries going on.

Good Story just let down by the Narrator

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One of Lovecrafts best stories and apparently the longest. It is very captivating and the narrator does an excellent job reading the story.

Absolutely fantastic

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This is the longest of lovecrafts stories and the best example of how his tales build tension, and the atmospheric horror he was famous for. Told in a first person perspective, at the mountains of madness recounts a failed expedition to the vast unexplored lanscapes of Antartica. Shortly after arriving at their campsite, one of the group sets out on a solo trip in one of the planes. He sends word to the rest of the party that he has made several amazing discoveries, discoveries that defy belief. He relays several updates back to excited camp and informs them of large fossils which he has managed to make ready for the return flight, but which seem to set the huskies on edge.
Soon after the contact stops, leaving the party no choice but to set out on a rescue mission. As the two man rescue party finally spot the landing site of their missing member and land the plane, they are met with a scene of disturbing signs.
From this point on, Lovecraft builds the terror expertly but never shows the creature or presence that is overshadowing every step the explorers take. The setting of Antarctica is used as one of the characters in this tale to great effect. Lovecraft uses the isolation as a sharpening stone to the growing paranoia of the explorers.
This is a master of atmospheric horror at his best!

Classic horror by the master!

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Where does At the Mountains of Madness [Blackstone Edition] rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I am not sure if I can honestly answer the question having listened to many audiobooks, almost none of which were horror. Despite the only exception being the Audible edition of the Dracula novel I believe this is one of the best in my collection. Brilliant world-building and nightmareish atmosphere turn this story into one of exquisite terror I could hardly put down!

What was one of the most memorable moments of At the Mountains of Madness [Blackstone Edition]?

I will try my best not to spoil any major story elements for new listeners as I was but I will say that my favourite part would be during the major storm and immediately afterwards. And also...the chants at the end. Horror itself.

What about Edward Herrmann’s performance did you like?

The performance I originally found somewhat unusual due to the fact that it sounded much like a classical radio broadcast. However given the age of the original source material it fits. I particularly enjoyed the sense of overcoming dread that the quiet gentle nature of the narration gave the performance. There were moments where - 80 plus years on - I could sense the abject fear on the page and in the character's minds as well as the scientific curiosity. Bravo Mr Herrmann.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes! I highly recommend this book. Buy it as soon as you can.

An Excellent Introduction! Madness Indeed!

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Lots of fun to listen to and very well read - sure it's a bit repetitive, overly long (though it's not even a full novel) and old HP loves telling you something is "terrifying" "ghastly" "eldritch" etc without actually then describing what it is but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Polar petrification!

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Would you consider the audio edition of At the Mountains of Madness [Blackstone Edition] to be better than the print version?

Yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of At the Mountains of Madness [Blackstone Edition]?

*Spoiler
Finding the remains of the party that ventured to the Mountains first.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Not necessarily a scene but the descriptions of the Plateau were fun.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Respect Your Elders

Any additional comments?

Lovecraft's literary skills are widely understated. If his subject matter were romance or classic adventure, he would no doubt be a household name. He is in his field, and slightly wider so, very famous and undoubtedly one of, if not the most influential writer and author.
Somehow this doesn't feel like it does him justice. If he had written a "King Solomon’s Mines" he might have reached new heights of notoriety. It is his subject matter that means children don't read him in school and people don't study him en masse. This is a huge shame. A shame because people won't read sentences like:

"...I felt myself on the edge of the world; peering over the rim into a fathomless chaos of eternal night..."
Or
"...Who knows the end? What has risen may sink, and what has sunk may rise. Loathsomeness waits and dreams in the deep, and decay spreads over the tottering cities of men..."

Maybe this is a good thing because he writes about his world, his mythos and his creations and it’s his subject's niche market that both makes him outstanding and it unique.


"....Heaven knows where I'll end up - but it's a safe bet that I'll never be at the top of anything! Nor do I particularly care to be...." H.P.L

Masterful

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As it sounds; The story is that of an Explorer's, and it is an adventure that your imagination tunes to.
Told with artistic literacy, and creative flair.

Nothing To Hate And A Lot Of Exploration To Love!

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This is the first H.P. Lovecraft I've listened to and it will be the last. In fact, as soon as I'm finished this review, I'm going to take advantage of audible's lovely refund policy.

This came across like an author's world-building notes rather than a story. It focused almost entirely on detailed descriptions (down to minute level, which often made it feel like a science textbook), lacked any sort of character building (no character interaction or insights, zero dialogue), and relied on the protagonist's occasional declaration of feeling (e.g. 'it was terrifying') to establish any sort of atmosphere and even then it was minimal. I found it terribly dull.

The narration was without fault; unfortunately it couldn't save the book.

Boring. Reads like a world-building summary...

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