"The
most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all its contents."
So
wrote, H.P Lovecraft's famous opening line in The Call of Cthulhu. A tale designed to terrify and shatter the mind, The Call of Cthulhu is about the impassive cosmos, the indifference of its eldritch gods, and of our own position therein.
"All
right, so the universe doesn't care, what is so horrifying about it?"
You said.
I
agree. To some, the understanding, that the universe is not designed and therefore indifferent
to our existence, is not horrifying but liberating. On the one hand, it frees us from the tormenting questions about the origin of evil, suffering, and the cruelties of these so-called gods; for random chance, is fairer than design. On the other hand, such an understanding inspires us to
care more for our fellows and alleviate sufferings, and therefore
opening a channel, both rationally and emotionally satisfying, to
express our compassionate nature. After all, if there is nothing out
there that cares for us, then there is even more reason for us to
care for each other.
However, revealing to some, the indifferent nature of the universe, and the cruelty of the so-called gods, may edge them towards insanity and utter despair; especially to
those long living with the romantic notion, that everything will be
all right because the universe was "meant" to have us in
it. The question, is such a pretence beneficial to mankind's
collective existence?
Douglas
Adams, the author for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
provided some insights:
Quote:
"This is rather as if you imagine a
puddle waking up one morning and thinking, 'This is an interesting
world I find myself in — an interesting hole I find myself in —
fits me rather neatly, doesn't it? In fact it fits me staggeringly
well, must have been made to have me in it!' This is such a powerful
idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as,
gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, frantically hanging
on to the notion that everything's going to be alright, because this
world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so
the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this
may be something we need to be on the watch out for."
Indeed,
if we are not careful, the romantic notion that the universe was
designed for us, may yet become the architect of our very own
extinctions. So, did Dr. John Watson, and his detective friend
Sherlock Holmes, dealt mankind a disfavor when they fabricated the
"Sherlock Holmes" stories to shield us from the deadly
light of truth, so we may continue to live in the peace and safety of
a dark age?
Dear
friends, we live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of
black seas of infinity. Now is the time to voyage far. Now is the
time for revelation.
It
was in the winter of 1880. An epidemic of insanity assaulted the
foggy streets of London. It stripped the city's denizens, men and
women, of their wits, and reducing them to gibbering, incoherent,
ruins. One ameatur detective, Sherlock Holmes, deduced a connection
between the plague and an underground drug lord. During an espionage in a tavern, Holmes encountered and befriended Dr. John Watson. The
duo then set out to unveil the criminal motives behind the pestilence in London, but instead they uncovered vistas of terrifying realities...
The
above paragraphs are my own attempt to capture the essence, and the
mood, for James Lovegrove's novel: The
Cthulhu Casebooks – Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows.
This book is a pastiche to both Arthur Conan Doyle and H.P.
Lovecraft stories. It married Sherlock Holmes to Cthulhu mythos,
pitting the world's greatest detective (a sceptic) against the
supernatural. Does the description interest you? It interested me.
If
you are fond of Sherlock Holmes and Lovecraftian horrors, then this
book will sate your literary hunger with a plentiful of logical
deductions, mysteries, and cosmic horrors. For the book's narratives,
the author mimicked the writing styles of Arthur Conan Doyle, while
drenching the story with an atmosphere that is almost Lovecraftian.
It suffices to say, in this book, the author did a very good job at reconstructing
the vibe and the feel of the source materials.
However, if you are a purist to the source materials, then you can't
help but feel that thematically this book is a piece of fan fiction.
Allow me to explain. The book's premise is "Sherlock Holmes vs
supernatural". In this book, Sherlock Holmes became a believer
of the supernatural, while both Watson and Holmes emerged to be heroes
in the end. Yet in the source material, Sherlock Holmes always remained a sceptic even if a case has a strong inclination towards the supernatural (a case in point is The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire). Meanwhile, in Lovecraftian stories, heroes don't
exist. The prevalent theme in Cthulhu mythos is this - people who
chanced upon the cosmic horror, and come away tormented by the universe's indifference towards mankind's existence.
In
other words, this book may have captured the writings of Doyle, and
the feel of Cthulhu mythos, but in the process of blending them
together to create a new story, the author had to drop the polemic
themes from each of the source material – Holmes lost his skepticism, while Cthulhu mythos lost its philosophy about cosmicism.
The
purists of Doyle and Lovecraft may find things in this book that irk
them. As for me, I am not a purist to these source
materials, so this book provided me with hours of fun and
entertainment. I enjoyed reading about the mysteries, the actions,
the world building, and the deductive prowess of Sherlock Holmes.
Will I recommend this book? Yes, definitely. I read this fast-paced
book in a few sittings and it was a blast. Those who are interested
in mystery, horror, and detective novels may find this book to their
likings.
Stayed
tune for my next book review, where I will talk about another Sherlock Holmes pastiche titled, Unquiet Spirits: Whisky, Ghosts, Adventure, by Bonnie MacBird.
P.S. If you are a fan of Arkham Horror board game, then you will love this novel.
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