The bulk of this book consists of the "dream sequence" story Lovecraft wrote, that stars the intrepid Randolph Carter, in his quest to find an elusive dream-city of great beauty. Also included are three related stories - also concerned with dreams and dream worlds, although not really as good as the main story (which is actually split into three short stories; The Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath, The Silver Key and Through The Gates Of The Silver Key). Rather strangely, the flow of these threelinked stories is broekn after the first, with one of the sandalone short stories (Celephais) thrown in as the second story. It works better than it sounds though, providing a break so that when we return to Randolph Carter, who is now a good deal older (and more cynical), it actually feels more like it than if the second Randolph Carter story had come straight after the first. Of the stories themselves, the title story is by far the best, and also the longest by many pages. It follows Carter as he embarks on an epic journey through a fantastical dream-world, inhabited by all kinds of strange creatures (good, neutral and evil) and full of breathtaking landscapes and buildings. The ending of the last of the Carter stories is also, typically of Lovecraft's writing, somewhat mysterious and still leaving a number of loose ends.
The three standalone stories are worth a read, if only for the twist endings (not always guessable), however at 241 pages, the book does feel rather lightweight, even for only £4.99
If you don't like Lovecraft, or haven't read any/enough to decide, I would recommend you get one of the larger and more varied collections of his stories, but if you like Lovecraft and haven't got the stories in this book yet (The Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath, Celephais, The Silver Key, Through The Gates Of The Silver Key, The White Ship, The Strange High House In The Mist), it is a pretty much essential addition to any fan's collection.
Whilst i'm reviewing a Lovecraft book, i must just mention the website of The Necronomicon Files, here. Only updated when they actually have news (not very often i'm afraid), anyone interested in the lore Lovecraft created (in particular, the Necronomicon) should find it a good starting point for actual facts.
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
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