The Herbert West Reanimator series by H. P. Lovecraft is six short stories which were published episode by episode in a magazine. Each one was required to have a cliff-hanger ending, drawing a person to buy the next magazine issue. Each story was required to have a recap at the beginning so that a person who happened to pick up magazine #2 could catch up and enjoy the story without having to track down issue #1 to read the first story.
For these reasons, it’s a really good idea to NOT binge-read these. I recommend reading story 1, giving yourself some time to digest, reading story 2, and so on. That helps the repetitive nature of the introductions seem less egregious. It could even be a bit helpful to be reminded of the storyline.
We begin episode 1, From The Dark, knowing that we have a pair of precocious college students. There’s an unnamed narrator and there’s his domineering friend Herbert West. We also know that 17 years in the future something mysterious happens to West. But we’re not going to learn WHAT that is for quite a while.
For now, we’re immersed in the college years. West loves slaughtering cats, dogs, monkeys, etc. all in the name of trying to bring one back to life. Then he gets bored with bland life and wants to start playing with human beings. ‘Two negroes’ are able to acquire dead humans from who-knows-where, and soon there’s a rogue lab set up in an abandoned farmhouse. Now West-plus-narrator are digging up random bodies.
The body they find is “youth of wholesome plebeian type—large-framed, grey-eyed, and brown-haired—a sound animal without psychological subtleties” – clearly the two college students look down on this inferior creature. Oh, it gets far worse going forward.
Anyway, they try their experiment, think they’ve failed, only to have him spectacularly erupt to life. The two students run screaming and the house burns down. And then, 17 years later …
cliffhanger.
I’m just not drawn to this story. Yes, it’s one of the first-ever zombie stories. But the main character is a bland blond-blue-eyed-frail jerk. His best friend is never described and just mindlessly follows him. What is up with Lovecraft writing about strong-willed main characters and weak males who follow around behind them?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Here’s the story.
https://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/hwr.aspx
My video review of Herbert West Reanimator series Part 1 / From The Dark –
