At the Mountains of Madness Vol 1

First: This edition of At the Mountains of Madness is currently being slammed by the top reviewer because it is only a portion of the book. Dear Madam/Sir, I say to you: Read for comprehension. The title says Volume 1. Do not criticize a book when the cause is you, not the book.Second: On a completely subjective level, I find the large page format quite nice, and the illustrations complement the story well. The illustrations seem to be somewhat of a computerized effort and I would prefer something that is hand-drawn, but that is nitpicking. Overall I felt it a worthy addition to the HPL collection, and once Volume 2 is published I'll likely send the set out to friends and family as a gift.

The description of this volume, which is beautifully illustrated and well manufactured, should SPECIFICALLY state that this is only the first half, and that the second volume isn't due for publication until the second half of 2021!!!

Every scene in this hardcover book is extremely detailed, the more you stare at the artwork the more things you see in it. Reading this book unfolds like a movie, too much to take in at once. It would not be hard at all to imagine how epic this would be on the big screen. If you like to read about ancient mysteries, lost civilizations or science fiction and survival horror, look no further. Support this incredible artist and buy this book, you won't regret it!For those who have not plunged into this masterpiece of science fiction horror, it first appeared in Weird Tales fantasy magazine in the 1930s. It tells a chilling story of the two survivors of an Antarctic drilling expedition gone terribly wrong. A group of university professors searching for fossils try to find the missing members of their survey team and unwittingly become the explorers of an unknown world. Flying in an airplane over the world's tallest mountain range, a place never seen by humans, they discover a high plateau with the massive ruins of an ancient civilization half buried in the ice. A city from a race lost to time that predated human evolution by millions of years, meant for a different Earth when dinosaurs ruled, destroyed aeons ago by glaciers and volcanoes. Exploring on foot into these tumbling ruins that look disturbingly non-human, they uncover an endless network of tunnels through the stone and ice, leading into bottomless pits of eternal darkness and unknown terrors. As they go ever deeper into the maze like passages, they begin to realize they are not alone. Something evil lurks in the shadows, a nameless terror from beyond the stars...

This may be the closest thing we'll get to seeing Guillermo del Toro's planned IMAX film version of At the Mountains of Madness. The book offers the original text of the story illustrated with absolutely gorgeous artwork, presented in high quality on big glossy oversized pages. This is only Part I of the text (Part II will be published soon), but it's worth every penny.

First and foremost, At the Mountains of Madness is among Lovecraft's best horror fiction stories and a well known staple by anyone with familiarity with his work. Rumors of a film adaptation have been swirling for years with Guillermo del Toro as the producer/director. Recently this seems more of a possibility as he has announced that he will be moving forward with a screenplay.Until this actually materializes, this oversized illustrated book is the best visualization of this story that I have experienced to date. Several other adaptations as comics have been licensed but they have not been able to include the scope and emptiness of Lovecraft's Antarctic landscapes and the horrors they conceal. Offered in two volumes, the book numbers just under 50 pages with each page a panorama of an iconic scene from the story. The illustrations are highly detailed and capture the story elements in nearly photographic quality. Baranger's skill is evident as many of the images are essentially monochrome with the landscape providing little or no color texture as would the actual icy world of the south pole.Like the story, Baranger's illustrations provide subtle hints of the unease and dread portrayed by the expedition's participants without revealing the true nature of their horrific fates. The landscapes themselves transport the reader to the frigid wastes and curious ruins of a long-lost civilization.At the Mountains of Madness vols. 1-2 are an essential addition for any Lovecraft fan.

This is a must have for people who enjoy Lovecraft or play Call of Cthulhu. The images bring this story to life and provide endless inspiration. I love Barager's work and I hope he continues with this series.

I don't go into Lovecraftian works expecting beauty but the illustrations in this book really blow my mind. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to see Cthulhu come to life.

Amazing book. I love it. I need to find more books like this...

This is not a review of Lovecraft's short story. Those who are after this particular edition very probably already know and appreciate the actual story.I'm reviewing Baranger's work, which is a superb piece of art from cover to cover. The illustrator is not only a master of his profession, but demonstrates a confident and intimate knowledge of the Lovecraft story. His pictures are very detailed and accurate, a lot of effort must have gone into research. They also create the perfect atmosphere, bring the story to life and give it a smooth flow.Everything is of the highest quality. Every page is fully illustrated, so that the illustration covers the whole page and forms the background to the script as well. The paper feels sturdy and nice to the touch. The script is easily legible. This is a large book: thin, but rather wide and tall.Note that this volume is only part one of two. I won't hesitate buying part two when it comes out.

I have to give this book five stars as it is absolutely brilliant (as is the call of Cthulhu) but one gripe is that it is volume one and only gets through half the story. Not made clear in the advert. Can’t wait for volume two, but don’t know when it’s going to be available. However, very good as it is.

I’ve never experienced vertigo whilst looking at a book cover before, but I did whilst gawping at the beautiful cover of this version of “At the Mountains of Madness”. This book is MASSIVE.Written by, naturally, H. P. Lovecraft, and stunningly illustrated by François Baranger, this is volume one of two of the classic cosmic horror story set on the roof of the world. The art is breathtaking throughout, and obviously the original Lovecraft story is an unimpeachable classic - this is a match made in heaven. The book as a whole is enhanced by an author’s note stating that while Lovecraft had some dodgy views on other races, they have decided not to censor any part of the story; a rare occurrence in our blinkered modern wakey-wakey society, and very welcome.Baranger’s art has made a terrifying story even more haunting, and this has to be regarded as one of the best adaptations of “At the Mountains of Madness” or any Lovecraft story.

The artwork is just beautiful and I'm happy to hear the artist is doing more of HPL's books. I thoroughly enjoyed The Call of Cthulhu book in this series but must admit I never realised until now how, well, boring Mountains of Madness is as a story. Not a lot happens, and it's spread over two books! So, yes, buy these because the art is gorgeous and any HPL is better than no HPL, but this is NOT one of his best stories so start with CoC and pray Mr Baranger finishes The Dunwich Horror soon.

If you or someone you know is a fan of Lovecraft then this is an essential purchase, its short book in terms of the number of pages. But the book itself is larger in height and width than I was expecting.Each page is beautifully illustrated, really bringing the story and sense of awe to life.As others have noted this is just the first part of the story, so keep that in mind.Personally I can't wait for the second part of the story to be released.