I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft

Hippocampus Press has just published a 2-volume version of HPL scholar S.T. Joshi's definitive Lovecraft biography:

http://tinyurl.com/3987ewt

I've never read the single-volume original, H. P. Lovecraft: A Life, so I'm looking forward to this.

Received both hefty volumes. Hippocampus did a wonderful job. I only wish they were slipcased. These look to be beyond extensive. Plenty of photographs, too. More after I start reading Vol. 1...

Well, I finally finished Vol. 1. A DENSE and thoroughly researched bio, but what else would you expect from Joshi on the subject of HPL? Luckily, he makes even the minutiae interesting. This first volume tracks Lovecraft from his boyhood (make that toddlerhood!) up until his ill-fated marriage and relatively brief residency in New York City. It should be noted that I AM PROVIDENCE isn't simply an accomplished warts-and-all biography - it's also a balanced critique of HPL's writings, from the amateur journals that were his early passion to the short stories that would become his true legacy. For the hardcore Lovecraft-phile, this is nothing short of manna.

On my TBR, to be sure, but not sure when it'll slither down to my reading desk.

Thanks for updating us on these volumes. I haven't made the leap and purchased them yet, but I plan to. Please let us know how you find Vol. 2 when you finish it as well!

KentonSem, I am glad to hear you enjoyed it. I am still reading it myself. Though he subject matter interest me greatly I have been very slow to finish it. I am not quite done with the first volume yet. I have become so addicted to my Nook Color though that I wish books came with free digital copies the way some movies do. It would have been finished much faster that way.

It is an excellent and engaging read though to be sure.

I read both volumes earlier this year and given both their size and the minutaie I think it is a credit to S.T. Joshi's scholarship that I have already been thinking about diving back in and reading it from cover to cover. The only thing I could say by any way of criticism is that it *is* for the Lovecraftian only but then I doubt anyone note obsessively fascinated by the Old Gent would want to pick up such a shelf-breaking volume. But yes, if in doubt and also an ardent admirer of Lovecraft, I can only recommend this book.

Would LOVE to get my hands on this, but it would have to be through inter-library loan or something like that, as there's no way I can justify dropping 100 bones on 1 book purchase, even one as surely awesome as this.

Anyone have a recommendation for a single volume more affordable bio? I'd love to learn a bit about the man, but no way I can justify 100 quid.

H.P. Lovecraft: A Life is the one-volume edition of I Am Providence & was considered to be the definitive bio before IAP came out.

If you're looking for a REALLY affordable short critical bio(i.e., free), S.T. Joshi has posted a really good one here:

http://www.themodernword.com/scriptorium/lovecraft.html

(I really love that whole site, actually.)

And a happy 124th to ol' Grandpa!