The call of Cthulhu

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

68283

Title

The call of Cthulhu

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

H.P. Lovecraft's seminal cosmic horror tale follows narrator Randolph Carter as he investigates the mysterious death of his grand-uncle, a professor of Semitic languages. Through a collection of dreams, police reports, and sailor's logs, the story unveils a secret cult worshipping the Great Old One Cthulhu, who sleeps beneath the waves in the sunken city of R'lyeh. As the stars align, the ancient entity awakens, threatening to plunge humanity into a reign of madness and chaos.

Summary up to 500 words

In H.P. Lovecraft's *The Call of Cthulhu*, the narrator, an executor for his deceased grand-uncle Professor Angell, investigates a locked box containing a strange clay bas-relief and disjointed notes. These documents detail the final days of Henry Anthony Wilcox, a sculptor plagued by vivid dreams of a non-Euclidean city and a subterranean voice chanting "Cthulhu fhtagn." Wilcox eventually succumbs to a mysterious fever, his visions fading as he recovers, though the trauma leaves him permanently scarred. Concurrently, the narrative shifts to New Orleans, where Inspector Legrasse investigates a bizarre voodoo-like orgy in a swamp. The participants worship a monolith depicting Cthulhu, believing they serve the Great Old One who sleeps in the sunken city of R'lyeh until the stars align to restore his rule. An aged informant reveals that these beings are not of flesh but stone, preserved in tombs until a cosmic cycle allows their resurrection. The cult worships entities that came from the stars eons ago and will return when humanity has become as wild and lawless as the Old Ones, bringing a holocaust of ecstasy and destruction. The tale then moves to the sea, following the log of sailor Gustaf Johansen. His ship, the *Alert*, is intercepted by a mysterious vessel, the *Vigilant*, and later encounters the sunken city of R'lyeh. The crew discovers the city features impossible geometry and colossal statues. They open a massive door to a chamber where Cthulhu awakens. The entity, a gelatinous, mountainous horror, attacks the crew, sweeping some away with its tentacles. Johansen drives the vessel head-on into the monster, causing it to recoil and retreat into the depths. The survivors are rescued, but the trauma leaves them permanently scarred. The narrator concludes that the cult still exists and that Cthulhu remains a latent threat, waiting for the stars to align once more. He reflects on the horror of the event, noting that the cult ministers still bellow and prance around idol-capped monoliths in lonely places worldwide. The story serves as a warning that the universe contains ancient, eldritch powers that lie beyond human comprehension, and that the piecing together of dissociated knowledge can open up terrifying vistas of reality that drive men mad.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Fiction
• Horror