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The Shadow over Innsmouth

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The Shadow over Innsmouth

Written by: H. P. Lovecraft
Narrated by: Richard Coyle
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About this listen

The perfect H. P. Lovecraft title to follow on from 2010's At the Mountains of Madness, and the only HPL title not to appear in a periodical! Perfect also because it is split in to 5 distinct chapters...ripe for abridgement into five half-hour episodes!

The Shadow Over Innsmouth tells the first-person story of a young historian, Robert Olmstead, who, while investigating his family genealogy in New England, is intrigued to learn about a hated and mysterious fishing town called Innsmouth. When he visits he finds the place to be run-down and near-deserted, with a cult-like religion and a strange, degenerate population. His investigation soon turns into a race to escape the town and the the evil creatures he sees emerging from the sea.

The Shadow Over Innsmouth was written by H. P. Lovecraft in 1931 and is the only one of his works of fiction not to have initially been published as part of a periodical. It continues HPL's Cthulhu Mythos, featuring townspeople worshipping the elder sea god Dagon and mentioning the mysterious Shoggoth creature of his other works.

Howard Phillips "H. P." Lovecraft (August 20, 1890 - March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction. As early as the 1940s, Lovecraft had developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fiction featuring a pantheon of humanity-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical.

Although Lovecraft's audience was limited during his life, his reputation has grown and he is now regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century. Stephen King called him "the 20th century's greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale." This 2011 adaptation comprises five episodes, originally aired on BBC Radio 4 Extra, once again read by the superb Richard Coyle and featuring music by acclaimed composer Jon Nicholls. The series is offered here in exclusive extended edition.

©2011 Ladbroke Productions (Radio) Ltd (P)2011 Spokenworld Audio/Ladbroke Audio Ltd
Classics Entertainment & Performing Arts Scary Fiction Cult
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What listeners say about The Shadow over Innsmouth

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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic audio version!

Lovecraft's stories have always been immersive, and the narration + the soundscape take the listener to an even deeper level than one could have expected. It was amazing. Thank you for the nightmares !

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Classic Lovecraft

Completely enthralling, excellent performance and what a story line! If you have enjoyed any of his other works, you will love this.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Horror

Actual horror. Not reliant on gore, blood, and shock; but instead chooses the use of the wandering corners of the human pysche. The images painted by this man's linguistic ability are haunting and brought to life by such a fantastic narrator make this short audiobook truly a masterpiece.

At first the ambient sounds felt unnecessary, but by 10 minutes in I felt the addition was fantastic. If ever I hear these sounds while attending to daily activities I'm sure an audible double take won't be enough to shudder the uncomfortable, spine tingling feeling.

Can't recommend this product enough. I'd say enjoy, but that isn't the word; maybe experience.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Endless repeating music was annoying

Richard Coyle's reading of the store was wonderful, but the background music was unnecessary, distracting, and repetitive to the point of ruining a wonderful Lovecraft tale.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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nice and creepy. a classic

narrator was excellent and really brought the story to life. accompanying music and sound effects did well to bring me into the creepy atmosphere. whets my appetite for more Lovecraft.

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A very good story

I come late to H.P. Lovecraft. Slowly and surely I am discovering and enjoying his stories. This one is my second, and as per my rating I enjoyed it a lot. Great narration by Richard Coyle.

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This is exactly what an audiobook should be

I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this title. Having read some Lovecraft before, I definitely enjoyed the story - well put together, beautifully evocative atmosphere, and the language itself is a joy to listen to. But beyond the story, the narrator's voice was ten out of ten and just right for the story. And the background sound effects were just right - well timed, and just the right volume level. I've run across many audiobooks on the auduble site that have such poor narration, or mismatch between the narrator and the tone of the story, or just basic bad editing and volume choices, that it's really a delight to come across such a refreshing piece of work.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great story, amazing detailed Horror.

This was my first H.P Lovecraft book I've ever read/listened to, and I was very enthralled with the world building and detailed writings of the protagonists peril. Loved the ending, and loved the added sounds for atmosphere. My only critic was the voice actors choice for the villagers of inmsmouth. Instead of a Massachusetts accent he opted for a southern drawl, which bothered me and took me out of the experience sometimes. But still loved it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Ambience

The background 'music' creates the right mood. The narrator fits the story. If you're looking for gory, you won't find it here, but if your imagination is good, you'll shiver. Quick listen if you're pressed for time

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