“The Rats in the Walls” begins in the somewhat leisurely manner which has come to be associated with rather old-fashioned gothic ghost stories, and for some little time nothing really hair-raising happens. But once the full horror comes to light, it simply overwhelms us. We see at once that the leisurely start was intended to lull us a little. Certainly it kept us interested enough to continue, and we did perhaps expect some pretty formidable horrors—but nothing like what we finally encounter! For sheer inhuman horror those twilit grottos under the evil foundations of Exham Priory have yet to be surpassed. In his introduction to “Best Supernatural Stories of H. P. Lovecraft”, August Derleth states: “It has been said of “The Outsider” that if the manuscript had been put forward as an unpublished tale by Edgar Allan Poe, none would have challenged it.” Perhaps this is not literally true, but I agree with the spirit of it. “The Outsider” is one of Lovecraft’s finest stories. It possesses the merit of compression; with rising intensity it achieves its single shuddery effect—and ends. Some aspects of this story call to mind Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death”; both stories achieve their effects with a minimum of wordage, both linger in the mind. “Pickman’s Model” is one of Lovecraft’s strongest stories. It has unity of effect, suspense, a highly original plot idea, and a climax which neatly and forcefully ends the story. It is not quite as tightly knit as “The Music of Erich Zann” or “The Outsider”, but it is still Lovecraft writing at his top-level best. The “nameless blasphemy with glaring red eyes” gnawing at a human head would probably feel at home in one of those unspeakable grottos under the infamous walls of Exham Priory! I have mentioned Lovecraft’s “The Hound” because it has remained in my mind after I first read it many years ago. Its structure is somewhat slight and it does not have the power of Lovecraft’s very best tales, but it has splendid atmosphere and, again, brevity and unity of effect. It might have been written by the early Poe. But I cite it primarily because it has lingered long in my mind. The limitations of this little critique do not permit me to touch on many other good Lovecraft stories. I have mentioned only five which I think are the best. I am merely expressing a personal opinion—a personal taste—and I am more than willing to admit of other opinions—no matter how they may differ from my own. Time alone will decide who is right! I have not yet seen all of Lovecraft’s poetry, but I think I have seen enough to comment briefly. Much of the poetry falls into two main categories: deliberately archaic work imitative of eighteenth-century verse, and a group of weird sonnets known as “Fungi from Yuggoth.” The imitative verse is interesting and often competent, but I think the “Fungi” sonnets are far more arresting and effective. A few of the very best of them may survive.