Howard Phillips Lovecraft

A cura di C. Aira, A. Finotto e J. Pignet 
 Five short stories by the great American writer of fantasy and horror fiction, who was E.A. Poe's follower and Stephen King's main inspirer: The Alchemist (his first tale written when he was 18), The Color Out of Space (one of the most famous short stories of cosmic horror), The Outsider (considered his best short story by many critics), The Thing on the Doorstep (shocking story of occultism and body transmigration), Imprisoned with the Pharaohs (commissioned by Houdini, the great illusionist famous for his apparently impossible escapes).
 The reader is accompanied by in-depth analyses on Lovecraft's themes (among which supernatural horror), his debt to his predecessors (Poe, Hawthorne, Bierce, Stoker), the gothic novel and the 'double', as well as his influence on writers, cinema, music and games. 
 
 Teacher's Resources available online: Answer Key - Audioscripts - Summing-up Activities
 
 Cinque short-stories del grande scrittore americano della narrativa fantastica e horror, epigono di E.A. Poe e ispiratore di Stephen King: The Alchemist (il primo racconto scritto all’età di 18 anni), The Colour Out of Space (uno dei più famosi racconti di orrore cosmico), The Outsider (da molti considerato il suo più bel racconto), The Thing on the Doorstep (allucinante storia di occultismo e trasmigrazione dei corpi), Imprisoned with the Pharahos (dedicato a Houdini, il grande illusionista famoso per le sue fughe impossibili).

Lovecraft’s Themes

Story 1 - The Color Out of Space

Extension: Supernatural horror

Story 2 - The Outsider

Extension: Lovecraft’s debt to his predecessors

Story 3 - The Thing on the Doorstep

Extension: The double

Story 4 – The Alchemist

Extension: H.P. Lovecraft’s influence and fortune

Story 5 – Imprisoned with the Pharaohs

Extension: Films, games and music inspired by Lovecraft’s works

Summing-up activities

Glossary

4 The Alchemist BEFORE READING Story 1 What does an alchemist do? Tick the suggestion/s you think correct. He... sells precious stones. transforms metals into gold. knows the secrets of chemistry. prepares magic potions. knows how to prolong life. cures diseases. 2 Which of the following words can you use to talk about a castle? Write them down. arrow   corridors   courtyard   farm   forest   hall   hill   horse   moat   tree   turret   wall CASTLE: ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Find in column A the opposite of the word in column B. a. slow b. burn c. predecessor d. birth e. thin f. clear g. sinister h. whisper 1. benevolent 2. shout 3. thick 4. fast 5. indistinct 6. descendant 7. go out 8. death  My family s castle stands on the top of a green hill,    54 

Weird Stories The Alchemist Story 4 Written in 1908 (when Lovecraft was only 18) and published in 1916, the story tells of the terrible destiny of the male heirs of a noble French family. But the last descendant will be able to solve the mystery. My family s castle stands on the top of a green hill, covered with old, twisted1 trees at its foot. For centuries its strong walls, now covered with moss2, have dominated the countryside around, and have been the home and refuge for my honored family. The ancient turrets3 of the castle are now ruined because of the slow but powerful action of time. In feudal times the castle was the most formidable fortress in all France. Barons, Counts and even the King have attacked it, but the sound of invaders has never been heard in its big halls. All has changed since those glorious years. My ancestors4 were unable to maintain their estates5 in their original splendor and refused to become merchants. The poverty and decline of my family can be seen outside in the ruined towers and walls, in the dry moat6 around the castle, the thick vegetation of the garden and the broken stones in the courtyards. Inside, the floors are sinking7, and the tapestries8 are losing their color. Finally, only one of the four great turrets remained standing, and here lived the descendants of that once powerful family. I, Antoine, last of the unhappy and unfortunate Counts de C-, was born in one of the large and gloomy9 rooms of this tower, ninety long years ago. I never knew my parents. A month before I was born, my father was killed, at the age of thirty-two, by a stone 5. estate: castle and lands around. 6. moat: narrow channel filled with water. 7. sinking: going down. 8. tapestry: colored carpet used to decorate and protect a wall. 9. gloomy: dark, with little light. 1. twisted: contorted. 2. moss: soft green plant that grows on wet ground, trees and stones. 3. turret: small circular tower which is part of a castle or a large building. 4. ancestor: person in your family who lived a long time ago. 55 

Esplora 5 short-stories di Lovecraft: The Alchemist, The Colour Out of Space, The Outsider, The Thing on the Doorstep, Imprisoned with the Pharaohs.

Weird Stories Collana RAINBOWS

Level B1 • Pre-Intermediate - Collana RAINBOWS

Weird Stories

Flowbooks è una piattaforma di distribuzione dedicata al mondo della scuola e dell'università.  Con questa piattaforma di distribuzione, il team di sviluppo Flowbooks  si impegna a soddisfare le esigenze degli utenti digitali, rendendo l'utilizzo accessibile e piacevole.  Entra nella tua area di interesse!

Edisco è una Casa editrice indipendente che opera prevalentemente nel settore educativo.

Edisco

Flowbooks è innovazione didattica a portata di click