"Dreams in the Witch House" is a horror short story written by H.P. Lovecraft in 1932. The story revolves around a university student named Walter Gilman, who rents a room in an old house with a sinister reputation. As Gilman delves deeper into the mysteries of the house, he experiences recurring, vivid nightmares that blur the lines between dreams and reality. Lovecraft combines elements of cosmic horror, science fiction, and the supernatural to create a uniquely terrifying tale.
Lovecraft combines elements of cosmic horror, science fiction, and the supernatural to create a uniquely terrifying tale. The story ties into Lovecraft's broader Cthulhu Mythos, a shared fictional universe that explores humanity's insignificance in the face of ancient, malevolent beings. In "Dreams in the Witch House," Gilman becomes obsessed with advanced mathematics and quantum physics, leading him to uncover a hidden reality lurking behind the walls of the house.
manny's book of shadows
“The Dreams in the Witch House” first appeared in the July 1933 issue of Weird Tales.
Although often dismissed by critics, H.P. Lovecraft‘s The Dreams in the Witch-House is actually one of my favorite of his latter tales. I’ll admit that it is imperfect, but it is also admirable in it’s scope. Lovecraft mixes Gothic Horror with really high brow Sci Fi. And therein lies the problem. Lovecraft gets so technical and oblique in his descriptions of Walter Gilman’s night-time sojourns that it gets a bit distracting. Also, he introduces elements that don’t really pay off, like the mention of the Elder Things which goes nowhere or even the Black Man of the Witches (an avatar of Nyarlathotep) who never makes a proper appearance and is only glimpsed furtively running around with the witch, Keziah Mason, and her familiar Brown Jenkin. Then there is the all too familiar xenophobia creeping in with Lovecraft’s descriptions of the Polish immigrants, who are portrayed as brutish and uncouth.
Even so, I got a kick out of some of the scenes where Gilman sees Keziah and Brown Jenkin in the outer spheres either as weird geometrical congeries of bubbles and polyhedrons hinting at their earthly forms or when they are seen outright making cryptic hand gestures to guide Gilman to the desired portals into the dream dimensions. I also like the hints of how Keziah used her secrets culled from ancient tracts, like the Necronomicon, to find a way to escape Salem Gaol during the infamous Witch Trials of 1692. The horror elements of the tale are terrifying and very dark: witch’s Sabbaths, black books and child sacrifice, all told in a very effective and convincing way as only Lovecraft can do.
Variant title poster for Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968).
I think the tale has definite cinematic potential and indeed it has been adapted a couple of times before. First in the 1968 film Curse of the Crimson Altar, featuring the triple threat of Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee and my beloved Barbara Steele! It is a very loose adaptation however that, although entertaining, has very little to do with the source material. Stuart Gordon‘s 2005 Masters of Horror adaptation H. P. Lovecraft’s Dreams in the Witch House is much closer to the story, but still makes some notable changes. For starters, Gordon and co-writer Dennis Paoli eschew most of the Sci-Fi parts and only hint at the geometrical basis of the dream travel. They focus on the horror elements but change Gilman’s college buddy Frank Elwood to attractive single mother Frances Elwood, who is presented as a potential love interest, and whose baby ends up replacing little Ladislas Wolejko from the original tale in the final confrontation between Gilman and Keziah.
DVD cover for Masters of Horror 2005 adaptation by Stuart Gordon.
All in all, I think it’s a much more daring and ambitious tale than critics give it credit for. Even August Derleth was critical of it, which made Lovecraft a bit self conscious I think. For more on that, check out the Wikipedia entry here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dreams_in_the_Witch_House#Reception.
It remains, in my estimation, a great work of dark fantasy and I also think, given a thoughtful reworking, it could make a fascinating film.
In a good weird tale, there should be some question as to whether the supernatural doings are real, or simply a hallucination by the protagonist. Lovecraft was trying to do this, but he didn’t. The evidence favoring the supernatural explanation is simply overwhelming. And needlessly drawn out. When an author tells you on page one that a witch and a rat-like monster are up to no good, the final page should contain a bigger pay-off than “a witch and a rat-like monster were up to no good.”
The nightmares Gilman experiences are vivid and disturbing, featuring grotesque creatures, sinister rituals, and encounters with an entity known as "Brown Jenkin," a small rat-like creature with a human face. Lovecraft's superior command of descriptive writing immerses the reader in the terrifying dreamscapes, blurring the distinction between the dream world and waking reality. As the story progresses, Gilman's dreams begin to seep into his waking life, blurring the boundaries between the two realms. Lovecraft's story touches on various themes, including the fragility of the human mind, the unseen forces that govern the universe, and the consequences of dabbling in matters best left untouched. "Dreams in the Witch House" highlights the inherent vulnerability of humankind when confronted with the unknown and the eerie possibility that dreams may hold deeper truths than we can comprehend. Lovecraft's prose style, with its dense, atmospheric descriptions, contributes to the unsettling atmosphere of the story. He employs vivid imagery and vividly evokes a sense of fear and dread, playing on the reader's primal fears and superstitions. Overall, "Dreams in the Witch House" showcases Lovecraft's skill in creating a foreboding and unsettling atmosphere, blending cosmic horror, science fiction, and the supernatural. The story remains a memorable addition to his vast mythos, leaving readers questioning the nature of reality and the boundaries of the human mind..
Reviews for "Exploring the Dementia: The Role of Dreams in Lovecraft's "Dreams in the Witch House"
1. John - 2/5 - I found "Dreams in the Witch House" to be extremely confusing and difficult to follow. The plot seemed convoluted, and I struggled to understand the purpose of certain scenes and characters. Additionally, Lovecraft's writing style was overly verbose and filled with unnecessary descriptions, which further added to the confusion. Overall, I was not impressed with this particular tale and would not recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 2/5 - I must admit, I was highly disappointed with "Dreams in the Witch House." While Lovecraft is known for his ability to create a sense of dread and suspense, this story fell flat for me. The pacing was sluggish, and the lack of character development made it difficult to feel connected to the protagonist. Furthermore, the ending felt rushed and left me feeling unsatisfied. Overall, I found this story to be underwhelming and not on par with Lovecraft's other works.
3. Mark - 3/5 - "Dreams in the Witch House" had some intriguing elements, but overall, I found it to be lacking. The story started off promising, but it quickly became weighed down by excessive exposition and tangents that distracted from the main plot. Lovecraft's use of cosmic horror elements was interesting but could have been more effectively utilized. I appreciated the atmospheric setting and the supernatural elements, but the execution left much to be desired. While not a complete failure, this story did not live up to my expectations.