Under the Pyramids

H.P. Lovecraft · Howard Phillips Lovecraft

Dec 2020 · Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing · Narrated by Peter Coates

About this audiobook

"Under the Pyramids" (in draft form, also published as "Entombed with the Pharaohs") is a short story written by American fantasy author H. P. Lovecraft in collaboration with Harry Houdini in February 1924. Commissioned by Weird Tales founder and owner J. C. Henneberger, the narrative tells a fictionalized account in the first-person perspective of an allegedly true experience of escape artist Harry Houdini. Set in 1910, in Egypt, Houdini finds himself kidnapped by a tour guide, who resembles an ancient pharaoh, and thrown down a deep hole near the Great Sphinx of Giza. While attempting to find his way out, he stumbles upon a gigantic ceremonial cavern and encounters the real-life deity that inspired the building of the Sphinx.

Lovecraft accepted the job because of the money he was offered in advance by Henneberg. The result was published in the May–June–July 1924 edition of Weird Tales, although it was credited solely to Houdini until the 1939 reprint. Despite Lovecraft's use of artistic license, Houdini enjoyed the tale and the two men collaborated on several smaller projects prior to the latter's death in 1926. "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" has been suggested as an early influence on author Robert Bloch and as anticipating the cosmic themes in Lovecraft's later work, including "The Shunned House".

Famous works of the author Howard Phillips Lovecraft: At the Mountains of Madness, The Dreams in the Witch House, The Horror at Red Hook, The Shadow Out of Time, The Shadows over Innsmouth, The Alchemist, Reanimator, Ex Oblivione, Azathoth, The Call of Cthulhu, The Cats of Ulthar, The Dunwich Horror, The Doom that Came to Sarnath, The Festival, The Silver Key, The Other Gods, The Outsider, The Temple, The Picture in the House, The Shunned House, The Terrible Old Man, The Tomb, Dagon, From Beyond, What the Moon Brings.

Ratings and reviews

I enjoyed listening but it was read too fast for my mind to imagine the scenes or feel the fear or excitement. Slower more intense reading with pauses allow the readers imagination to engage. I couldn't fully engage with the story and form contextual images or feel any of the fear, anticipation. dread, or excitement. The telling of the story left zero imprint on my memory. I can't share any specifics from the story not even the what, when, where, why, or how. The narrator could do better if read slower, with more pauses, and more feeling. Lovecraft was never meant to be read with intellectual speed, but with slow, deliberate feeling allowing the listener time to absorb and translate the words.

While I enjoyed the story, it being relatively par for a lovecraft short, the narration was abysmal. While listening to it there would be frequent and obvious cuts at the end of the sentence. Usually cutting off a syllable or two of the last word. The narrator also sounds vaguely unenthusiastic about all the events transpiring which all together really destroyed any immersion of the story.

I haven't read this book in years. I originally read it due to H.Houdini co-rote it. Its definitely worth reading/listening to . Its well read with a light British accent. I had to slow the reading down. I always like the facts that have been proven wrong in older books. IE; Pithdown man, and changes in social thinking.