Thanks for the links and the great post, kenjib! I have those exact four Lovecraft tomes sitting on my shelf. I purchased the first three all at once and read the stories in chronological order (i.e., I read Lovecraft's early stories first and his late ones last). I then bought the fourth volume that includes the ghost-written stories, collaborations, etc. and read it in chronological order.
I am proud to say, therefore, that I've read all of Lovecraft's fiction. What great stuff! I agree, kenjib, with the order of importance of the four volumes that you give. I suggest that for hardcore, pure Lovecraft Cthulhu mythos, the following nine stories be read:
1. The Call of Cthulhu
2. The Colour Out of Space
3. The Dunwich Horror
4. The Whisperer in Darkness
5. At the Mountains of Madness
6. The Shadow Over Innsmouth
7. The Thing on the Doorstep
8. The Shadow Out of Time
9. The Haunter of the Dark
With the exception of At the Mountains of Madness, all the above eight tales are found in the volume entitled "The Dunwich Horror and Others".
I am proud to say, therefore, that I've read all of Lovecraft's fiction. What great stuff! I agree, kenjib, with the order of importance of the four volumes that you give. I suggest that for hardcore, pure Lovecraft Cthulhu mythos, the following nine stories be read:
1. The Call of Cthulhu
2. The Colour Out of Space
3. The Dunwich Horror
4. The Whisperer in Darkness
5. At the Mountains of Madness
6. The Shadow Over Innsmouth
7. The Thing on the Doorstep
8. The Shadow Out of Time
9. The Haunter of the Dark
With the exception of At the Mountains of Madness, all the above eight tales are found in the volume entitled "The Dunwich Horror and Others".