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Lovecraft Country A Novel Matt Ruff Books

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Lovecraft Country A Novel Matt Ruff Books

Being a fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction means also having to face the uncomfortable truth that Lovecraft the man was an unabashed racist and xenophobe. Needless to say, I was thrilled to come across Lovecraft Country, which promised to confront this head on, employing Lovecraftian tropes as a vehicle for examining race and racism in 1950s America.

It’s such an exciting premise, but it just didn’t deliver in quite the way that I had hoped. The story follows 22-year-old Atticus Turner and his family, who discover that they are inextricably linked to a secret organization that harnesses occult powers.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time ever finding a rhythm. The book hops around to different narratives without enough focus on character development, which left me feeling disconnected and uninvested. Rather than fully exploring the many moral complexities at his disposal, Ruff instead delivers a convoluted plot that’s arguably more of an homage to Scooby Doo or The DaVinci Code than Lovecraft.

I loved his idea of applying the cosmic existential dread at the heart of Lovecraft’s stories to the terror of being black in Jim Crow America, but the story lacked the awe and atmospheric tension that one would expect from a Lovecraft tribute. If I’m being honest, there really wasn’t any narrative tension at all.

Such a great concept, but such lackluster execution. If I were rating it purely on the premise alone (and for that AMAZING cover art), it would be a 5-star book, but alas, a stellar premise does not make a great book.


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Lovecraft Country A Novel Matt Ruff Books Reviews

Let me say, period pieces really are my favorite niche in any genre. While working as a colorful backdrop, it also ought to really become a character in and of itself. That's to say, the characters within the story should be effected in some way, both great and small. You can't just say your on the 1950s and not have some sort of conflict within the boundaries of that era. And Lovecraft Country is sweating Jim Crow. Every action and resolution is weighed against a concise and chillingly real understanding of what it was like for African Americans during segregation. I'm actually a big fan of studying this precarious time in our country. Yes, there are lots of harrowing moments and events, but to me at least there are a lot of heroes that are born from the era. Author Matt Ruff capitalized on that, I think. His characters, the Berry's and Turner's, had to face extreme racism and event he more subtle and more sinister forms of it, but they stood the test, in their own way. Atticus' father, Montrose, for example, I did not favor him in the beginning, to me he seemed a harsh kind of father figure, but later on, discovering his history and his ultimate message to the black youth around him, I began to like him more and more. For the historic setting and the story surrounding it, top marks.

But as a Lovecraft inspired work of fiction? Some debate could be made. There is a feeling, a vibe that hints at a cosmic dread, but nothing on the level as H.P. And for those looking for Lovecraft are bound to be disappoint, at least a little bit, right? And that's okay. Truthfully, I had hopes of seeing more of Lovecraft's world, not just having his work mentioned between a group of unlikely sci fi fans. The supernatural is certainly there, or as they call it "natural philosophy." But what Lovecraft Country really lacked was teeth, especially if stamping the title with Lovecraft's name. Lovecraft Country was like a PG romp into some rather serious issues dealing with race in America and reading the characters all coming out unspoiled seemed disingenuous. Fun, but not realistic.

In summary, Lovecraft Country works as a reminder and a warning regarding the legacy of Jim Crow America. The tension is clearly defined and some parts were hard to get past. The history was spot on and believable. But as a Lovecraft stamped title...it lacked that sense of dread, lurking creatures or not, that ought to come with every Lovecraft inspired book. An argument could be made that the dread was with the characters having to survive the effects of segregation, that the hidden lurking unfathomable monstrosity was in fact racism itself. Still, in the end it felt as if most things had been resolved, more or less. Parts of the book, which was designed in short story increments that connected eventually together, wrapped up too neatly. And the lack of death or any serious permanency felt strange compared to the real threat this part of our history posed to those who lived it.

My rating 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Plot The official summary of the book only describes the first part of the book. After the family is involved in a surreptitious ritual undertaken by a secretive cabal, they find themselves in a struggle for power between various factions of magical practitioners. Throughout the book, there are several distinct stories that involve one or several members of the same black family in 1950s America, with all the racism that came along with that time period. The book is equal halves a look at the violence and hatred spurred by that racism, and the compelling plot filled with subtle yet powerful magic. The title for the book, by the way is perfect, in that it's the type of fantasy that Lovecraft would write, but it also discusses how Lovecraft was an unapologetic racist.

Impressions The writing is crisp and clear, and the various stories all work together at the end to set up the book's final climactic scene. The only thing I didn't like at times was that each story delves into a type of magic that could be the subject of a book in its own right, straining my suspension of disbelief. Here you'll find ghosts and interplanetary travel standing out among the backdrop of magic. But once you get over that, the book is hard to put down, and once you begin to see how it's all working together, it makes for a really enjoyable story. I would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy mixed with historical fiction.
Being a fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s fiction means also having to face the uncomfortable truth that Lovecraft the man was an unabashed racist and xenophobe. Needless to say, I was thrilled to come across Lovecraft Country, which promised to confront this head on, employing Lovecraftian tropes as a vehicle for examining race and racism in 1950s America.

It’s such an exciting premise, but it just didn’t deliver in quite the way that I had hoped. The story follows 22-year-old Atticus Turner and his family, who discover that they are inextricably linked to a secret organization that harnesses occult powers.

Unfortunately, I had a hard time ever finding a rhythm. The book hops around to different narratives without enough focus on character development, which left me feeling disconnected and uninvested. Rather than fully exploring the many moral complexities at his disposal, Ruff instead delivers a convoluted plot that’s arguably more of an homage to Scooby Doo or The DaVinci Code than Lovecraft.

I loved his idea of applying the cosmic existential dread at the heart of Lovecraft’s stories to the terror of being black in Jim Crow America, but the story lacked the awe and atmospheric tension that one would expect from a Lovecraft tribute. If I’m being honest, there really wasn’t any narrative tension at all.

Such a great concept, but such lackluster execution. If I were rating it purely on the premise alone (and for that AMAZING cover art), it would be a 5-star book, but alas, a stellar premise does not make a great book.