I stumbled upon the very short story by H.P. Lovecraft on YouTube and, having never heard of it before, I decided to give it a try. Sadly, it didn’t live up to my expectations.

„It is notable as the first story to make use of Lovecraft’s imaginary New England setting, introducing the fictional town of Kingsport. The story, about the fate of three would-be robbers of the titular old man’s house, has been criticized for being an openly xenophobic polemic against immigration.“

Blurb

I’ve read and thoroughly enjoyed several of Lovecraft’s more well-known works, such as “The Call of Cthulhu”, “The Case of Charles Dexter Ward”, and “The Colour Out of Space”. These stories were rich in atmosphere, full of mystery, and had that creeping unease that makes Lovecraft’s writing so compelling. But this one? Not so much.

The plot is paper-thin: three men plan to rob a reclusive old man who lives in a strange house on the edge of town. They enter the house and are never seen alive again. That’s it. The story ends just as it feels like it might be getting started. It reads less like a complete short story and more like a fragment, maybe the first chapter of a longer tale. There’s no real suspense, no buildup, no payoff, just a premise and a punchline.

Worse still, once I looked into the background of the story, I better understood the criticism mentioned in the blurb: that it reads like “an openly xenophobic polemic against immigration”. Sadly, I have to agree. The villains are described with stereotypical, foreign-sounding names and mannerisms, and the story seems to rely on the idea that outsiders are naturally dangerous or deserving of punishment. It’s very uncomfortable.

Overall, I can’t recommend “The Terrible Old Man”. Neither as a written story nor as an audiobook. If you’re new to Lovecraft, you’re much better off starting with one of his more developed and imaginative works. This one felt rushed, shallow, and ultimately forgettable. I’m giving it 2 stars, and that’s being generous.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️