Books : The Necronomicon: Selected Stories and Essays Concerning the Blasphemous Tome of the Mad Arab (Call of Cthulhu Horror Fiction, 6034) (Call of Cthulhu Fiction Series, 6034)
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from: Chaosium Ltd.
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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9781568821627
ISBN number: 156882162X
Label: Chaosium Ltd.
Manufacturer: Chaosium Ltd.
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 576
Printing Date: November 01, 2002
Publishing house: Chaosium Ltd.
Sale Popularity Level: 241149
Studio: Chaosium Ltd.
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Product Description:
Although skeptics claim that the Necronomicon is a fantastic tome created by H. P. Lovecraft, true seekers into the esoteric mysteries of the world know the truth: The Necronomicon is the blasphemous tome of forbidden knowledge written by the mad Arab, Abdul Alhazred. Even today, after attempts over the centuries to destroy any and all copies in any language, some few copies still exist, secreted away. Within this book you will find stories about the Necronomicon, different versions of the Necronomicon, and two essays on this blasphemous tome. Now you too may learn the true lore of Abdul Alhazred.
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Rated by buyers -
To begin with, this is the NECRONOMICON published by Chaosium as part of their Mythos fiction line. It is, of course, a fictional work. This anthology does not purport to be anything BUT fiction, so if you are looking for a real grimoire of ancient evil, yeah, good luck with that.
Second, this is absolutely huge. There are 5 "Necronomicons" included, plus some pseudo-Necronomica added as commentary. I agree with previous posters that this is overkill. And truth be known, you will probably do as I did and read the very first two and skip the rest, so chronology trumps merit in this case. I am surprised, though, that any reviewers complained about this "feature" - surely more material for the same price is a good thing, right? I am happy knowing that if I ever need a Necronomicon, I have 5 to choose from (or perhaps the reviewers are worried about a "Nine Gates"-esque dilemma?).
The fiction section of THE NECRONOMICON is quite enjoyable, beginning with Manly Wade Wellman's "The Parchment" and ending with Fed Chappell's "The Adder". These stories cover 185 pages, which would make a respectable book on their own. My favorite is by far "Settler's Wall", which is the mental equivalent of living in a world of rational numbers and then running into the number "pi".
Finally, THE NECRONOMICON opens and closes with pieces by editor Robert Price. I have labored through enough editor's introductions and story notes expounding his theories of higher criticism and his religious opinions that I have finally cracked and decided to become his arch-nemesis. However, I feel I must give him credit where it is due for his materful introduction discussing the Necronomicon, postmodernism, higher-criticism, and holy scriptures. Never before have I read such a clear and obvious testament of a cultist who has studied arcane texts to the point that his brains have turned to cottage cheese and run out his ears. Really, I think I was driven insane halfway through his twenty page postmodernist critique of the existence of the concept "book" (fortunately, the subsequent ten pages drove me further to the point of being sane again. Who knew the mind is a moebius strip?). The scary thing is, that I'm not sure if Price meant it as a satire, a fictional account by a crazed cultist, or if he really believes this stuff? I think the ambiguity only adds to the genius.
So, congratulations Robert Price, you have compiled an outstanding anthology. And, if I may say so, you'd make a dam fine cultist.
Rated by buyers 
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I have been a student of the five elements and ninjutsu since I was nineteen. I studied anything that revolved to the rising, or ARRA star. I encountered the Necronomicon when I was 25, and Heaven and Earth shook inside of me. I am not saying that it is true to the last detail, but I must admit that the conjuration of the Fire God was legitimate. I even went as far as to summmon
Zaghurim. All I am saying is that if one does not believe in magic, or the idea that if one wants something to happen strong enough it may come to pass, then do not read this book. For those among us who do believe that(whatever name one may call them by) there are beings known as watchers, angels, demons, spirits, then this is a book for those that believe in meditation moreso than those who follow the path of mantra. My experiences with this book have led me to believe that one's greatest thoughts can be manifested by summoning these spirits,
but everything that is great has a great price. "It is thy risk".
Rated by buyers -
First off this is a book that offers the chance of a lifetime. I myself have practiced these rituals and saw the truths that are in it. Though i doubt anyone will read this i ask you to even try the rituals with belief that it will work then tell me how wrong it is. I only tried a few rituals and have not found the courage to try more. Sometimes you can study something for so long before you realize how wrong or frightningly true it is!! But remember "Be careful what knowledge you seek, for in the end you still will not Know"
Rated by buyers -
I noticed that this magnificent anthology has garned a few poor reviews. Having read it, I can see way. It may not be an entertaining collection for casual or half-hearted readers. Oh, they will enjoy the pastiche stories, but then find the "translated" passages of "ye booke by ye Arab" to be rough going. This is actually deliberate. If Lovecraft had a chance to review these translated passages, he might concur. The uninitiated should find these pages difficult, but the genuine fan will detect the clever nuggets of wit, rather pokerfaced, and many wil pass right by them. A solid, colorful book. I also enjoyed the description of Abdul Alhazred's demise. In Charles Mitchell's THE COMPLETE H.P. LOVECRAFT FILMOGRAPHY, he cleverly notes how the creature in the film "Sound of Horror" was based on the story of Alhazred's death. It is great that this collection included it. 4 out of 5 stars. Recommended!
Rated by buyers 
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This collection offers the reader a very mixed bag. Pulling off an anthology like this is extremely difficult because the stories threaten to be repetitious, tedious, or both. Robert Price has only moderate sucess here.
The stories are remarkably varied; Price has taken a good cross-section of stories about the Necronomicon and has avoided the repetition problem for the most part. Despite this, some of the stories are quite predictable.
The strength of this collection indeed lies in its variety. When was the last time you read a Mythos story by John Brunner? His story is one of the best of the book. For that matter, Silverberg and Pohl are not well known for Mythos contributions, but they make contributions to this volume.
The real tedium in the collection comes in the versions of the Necronomicon. There's only so much archaically-written gobbledygook a reader can stand. After a page of it, the rest looks like more of the same. Thus, "The Sussex Manuscript" and Lin Carter's contribution are of little interest to the reader. Carter's repeats the same themes again and again, showing some creativity but soon losing the reader's interest.
The value of this collection, then, is limited. Some of Price's other collections present a much more interesting read. This book is one for the dedicated Cthulhu Mythos fan.
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