Selected Book
Alhazred: Author of the Necronomicon
- Paperback
- Author: Donald Tyson
- Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
- Release Date: July 2006
- ISBN-10: 0738708925
- ISBN-13: 9780738708928
- List Price: $29.95
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Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon
SummaryH. P. Lovecraft's compelling character, Abdul Alhazred, is brought to life in this epic tale detailing the mad sorcerer's tragic history and magical adventures. Alhazred tells his own life story, beginning with himself as a poor, handsome boy in Yemen who attracts the attention of the king for his divine skill in poetry. As the court poet, young Abdul lives a luxurious life at the palace, where he studies necromancy and magic. But falling in love with the king's daughter leads to a foolish tryst, which is ultimately discovered. As punishment, Abdul is tortured, brutally mutilated, and cast into the desert, known as the Empty Space. Battling insanity, he joins a tribe of ghouls and learns forbidden secrets from a stranger called Nyarlathotep. Thus begins his downward spiral into wickedness. Renamed Alhazred, he escapes the desert and embarks on a quest to restore his body and reunite with his true love. Traveling across the ancient world and fantastic realms, he is hounded by foes and tormented by the demands of his dark lord. |
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
maybe not what H.P. Lovecraft would've envisioned, but still satisfying
Rating:
In Lovecraft's stories there's very little about the character of Alhazred beyond his nickname and a one paragraph summation of his life, so an entire Lovecraftian book, especially one so large, dedicated to him might seem a little odd. However, Tyson stays true to the source material and does a great job fleshing out what makes Alhazred seem so sinister and insane. Driven by his quest to make himself whole after being mutilated by the King of Sa'ana, he no longer cares about anyone else or what he has to do to get the occult knowledge to restore his missing body parts. And he does quite a few unsavory and deceitful things...
Alhazred isn't a horror book or a scary book like Lovercraft's brooding stories of primeval, nameless horrors from outer space. But it is a terrific story of occult adventures through Medieval Middle East and great character development.
The only quibble I have with the book is the sheer amount of minutia when it comes to describing what the characters do. I'm not sure if I really need to know of every time Alhazred or his accidental companion Martala need to relieve themselves or how long they slept and what they dreamed every time they went to bed.
Still, this level of detail does make the reader feel as if he is Alhazred and is going through every step of his bizarre experiences. And how he becomes accustomed to the warmth of Martala's body next to his and how he takes care of her gives an otherwise cruel, cold and careless character a small sliver of humanity.
Mystified by the tales of Alhazred
Rating:
I purchased this book along with Necronomicon, after reviewing the Tarot Deck, which completes the Trilogy of Donald Tyson. You don't have to have the Tarot Deck, or have read Necronomicon, in order to enjoy this book, although they would aid in the understanding of some parts of the book. The book was extremely enjoyable and kept me in suspense in many places. I did not want to place the book down until I finished the book, however the book is alnost 700 pages in length, and time limitations and eye weariness thwarted my desire. I found Alhazred to be more enjoyable than Necronomicon, although I also enjoyed that book. Alhazred was more of a story than was Necronomicon, with less specific detail and more dialogue. I won't discuss any of the contents of the story, because I don't want to spoil anyone's suspense in reading the book. I can only say, that I was really surprised at the ending of the book. I hope that another book, continuing the story of Alhazred, where this book left off, will be written.
Dribble
Rating:
I received a free copy of this book and felt that I would spend some spare time over the summer reading it. The more I read, the harder I found it to understand the plot. Interestingly enough, I kept reading the book hoping to actually understand what the plot was more than anything else. I completed the book content with the understanding that there isn't any plot at all! It is simply a collection of disconnected and boring 'events' in the main character's adventures. Thank God this book was free for me. I am still trying to figure out if there is any way I can get the wasted hours I spent reading this book back! it is nearly one of the worst books I've read. If anyone wants this book, send me an email before I use it as kindling.
Enjoyable contribution to the Cthulhu literature
Rating:
Like Tyson's Necronomicon, I couldn't put this book down. No serious Lovecraft fan will want to miss this.
I'm impressed
Rating:
After reading the first several chapters of _Alhazred_, I put the book down and almost didn't pick it back up again. The writing was decent, and Tyson had obviously spent a lot of time in historical research (as well as Lovecraftian), but I just wasn't sure where the book was going.
However, I did pick it back up again -- and I'm glad I did. In my opinion, the book got stronger as it went along. I disagree with another reviewer's comment that Alhazred ends up as a "likable rogue" -- I'm not sure how that applies to someone who craves decaying human flesh, who breaks his word and lies through his teeth, who casually causes the death of many people (cf. the escape from the gypsy camp), including children -- or for that matter, who leaves a painful (and possibly fatal) surprise in the jewelry box of a certain princess. Han Solo is a likable rogue; Alhazred is a self-consumed monster barely connected to the human race. Heck, compared to Alhazred, Hannibal Lecter almost qualifies as a likable rogue.
And yet by the end of the book, Tyson makes him fascinating, understandable, and even a bit sympathetic. That, in the end, is what impressed me about this book. _Alhazred_ isn't really a horror novel (hence some of the disappointed reviews); it's a 'historical' novel about a fictional character who happens to end up writing (or compiling) the Necronomicon. And when I was done, I was sorry to see the book come to a close.
Here's hoping a sequel is in the works. ..bruce..
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