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Lovecraft Country
- Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
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Lovecraft Country
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Summary
World Fantasy Awards Best Novel 2017
Chicago, 1954. When his father, Montrose, goes missing, 22-year-old army veteran Atticus Turner embarks on a road trip to New England to find him, accompanied by his uncle George - publisher of The Safe Negro Travel Guide - and his childhood friend Letitia. On their journey to the manor of Mr. Braithwhite - heir to the estate that owned one of Atticus’ ancestors - they encounter both mundane terrors of white America and malevolent spirits that seem straight out of the weird tales George devours.
At the manor, Atticus discovers his father in chains, held prisoner by a secret cabal named the Order of the Ancient Dawn - led by Samuel Braithwhite and his son Caleb - which has gathered to orchestrate a ritual that shockingly centres on Atticus. And his one hope of salvation may be the seed of his - and the whole Turner clan’s - destruction.
An imaginative blend of magic, power, hope, and freedom that stretches across time, touching diverse members of two Black families, Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country is a devastating kaleidoscopic portrait of racism - the terrifying spectre that continues to haunt us today.
Critic reviews
"Narrator Kevin Kenerly gives a strong voice to two extended Black families who are victimized by racism in this terrifying blend of horror, history, and pulp noir.... Thanks to Kenerly, this production is a chilling examination of racism, both overt and subtle." (Audiofile magazine)
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What listeners say about Lovecraft Country
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mac
- 08-07-19
Distracting narration
The storyline is interesting and well developed (having read the paperback) so I tried the audio book. Unfortunately the narrator reads as though simply selling a script. The narration is in clipped, sudden sentences with no intonation, emotion or character. I thought I’d adapt to it, but it was too clipped and matter of fact to hold the suspense, awe and emotion of the storyline.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lesley
- 17-10-19
Many tales sublimely crafted
As a fan of Lovecraft, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book which came highly recommended. Glad I went with it! Evocative and clever, never shying away from the realities of the experiences of the main protagonists and giving the reader food for thought as well as some great Lovecraftian horrors.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Customer
- 04-09-20
Amazing, Gripping, Couldnt put it down
stumbled across the book after watching the TV series and blown away. The series is good but the book is so much better and more in depth! Hopefully this introduces people to write cosmic horror stories in a new perspective
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss Dawn K Saunders
- 06-07-20
Sooo goood
Wonderful book, it's a ride from start to finish! I wish it didn't end. I hope there's going to be a sequel or something I want to know more about these interesting people's lives. Fictional but oh so real, truly grounded Sci fi brilliance
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Pete G.
- 07-07-20
Great story
Listened to this over two days. very well written tale - the story just flows, mixing the brutal racism faced together with supernatural horror.
It took a while to get used to the narrator's style and it was confusing at times when there were a number of male characters talking as there was little differentiation used by the narrator so unless it was said 'George said- X' then i found it difficult to determine which character was talking.
definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a cracking tale
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- James Whitehead
- 19-09-20
Greater than the sum of it's parts
I really enjoyed this book, it was an inspired idea to mix the real-world horror of racism with the fictional horror of HP Lovecraft. I have listened to some of Lovecrafts books and have been really uncomfortable with the troubling politics apparent in them, so this book feels like a Lovecraft-ian horror story that has been exorcised of that baggage, whilst leaving the enjoyable parts intact. I can also recommend the BBC's Lovecraft-ian audio series 'The Whisperer in Darkness'.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- R. Maines
- 12-09-20
Wonderful
Basically a collection of short stories with an overall story arc, this is a book I didn’t really want to end. Each story fleshes out the universe the author has created using lovecraftian tropes as backdrop. It’s also a stark reminder of the systemic racism that African Americans suffered in 50s America.
I don’t understand the hatred for the narration as it sounded ok to me.
A fantastic book.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul
- 29-08-20
Awesome, a wonderful book
Sci-fi adventure sit in the deep south, a truly wonderful book I wish there was a sequel.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- A. AKANNI
- 18-06-20
A welcome change in horror
I got this after being intrigued by the trailer for the new tv adaptation.
A horror without many scares, a thriller short on many thrills. It just about hangs together with a few weak chapters slowing things down.
On the plus side it was superb reading about black characters in this genre. And the sense of its place in time was well written.
I would likely have given up, but the narration drew me in and kept me until the end.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Chris parry
- 09-07-19
To much useless information
Lots of unrelated stuff happens that has no relevance to the storyline. Lots of unanswered questions and just really disappointing story. The only thing I found really interesting was hearing how bad it was for African Americans back in that era. Not sure if it was the narrator or the story.... maybe both.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- T
- 18-02-19
Excellent
Enthralling story, exciting premise and fantastic narration. I highly recommend this author and narrator, money well spent.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Magdalena
- 17-09-20
Awesome
Definitely entertaining. Well written and-read as well.
You have to be in the right frame of mind for certain books.
The timing was right for this one. I had to continue listening until the end
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Wakana
- 13-06-20
Not Lovecraft country
I’m sure I’m not the only one to mention this, but borrowing of the name Lovecraft does not mean that this has anything to do with the Lovecraft mythos.
Nothing. A little disappointing if that’s what you’re looking for. But otherwise a good book.
Disappointing though.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Thue Eriksen
- 27-07-21
Not especially Lovecraftian
The book features some intercommected stories and the way racism is portrayed is unnerving and very well done. It is however not especially Lovecraftian in my opinion but a well done story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- szecstom
- 01-07-21
Fun and educational!
To me this book illustrates the racial horror of mid century america brilliantly. Didn't get a lot of Lovecraft other than some general themes, but honestly it is better for it. Lovecraft could never write this well anyway. Time to get go get mad about the HBO adaptation now.
Also I LOVED the narrator. Great work!