Book Review: The Shadow Out of Time 

By H.P. Lovecraft

5 Stars 

The Shadow Out of Time by Howard Phillips Lovecraft is about Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee and his discovery about what had been happening with his mind and his body for five years. During a strange amnesia which lasted for five whole years, a certain strange “second personality” made its appearance, taking an interest in antiquarian things and ancient eldritch myths. His wife and children cut contact with him, insisting that he had been taken over by an alien presence. When he comes back to his body five years later, his family still refuses to talk to him - all except for his eldest son. He and his son both get a job at Miskatonic University, and their lives return to normal save for the mysterious, eldritch-hinting dreams which haunt him at night. 

This book was enrapturing, and it was so good that I could not put it down and could not help but flip through the pages. The story was intense, and the ideas and lore behind every unfortunate event which beset Peaslee were very intriguing. Even the writing style - old and antique, as is like so for Lovecraft and the writers of his time - fit the narrative perfectly, drowning out every unimportant detail and leaving you with the amazing adventure and the horrifying occurrences that so colour this novella greatly. When Peaslee later finds the mysterious underground, abandoned library of his dreams, and as what is perhaps the most thrilling part of this tale ensues, I could not look up from the pages. If you like horror, mystery, and thriller, you will not regret reading this. 

Reviewed by Ayesha 

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