The Picture in the House

Acooljt · Post by **Acooljt** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 6:33 pm

Can someone explain to me this story? I read it, and I get that the blood dripped from the ceiling at the end. But I just don't get what Lovecraft was meaning by this story. this is only the second story of his that I've read(though I have many more), it seems as if Lovecraft likes to leave clues and suggestions to the topics he is writing about, but he never comes out and says it. I don't know, this whole story confused though. I realize the narrator came in out of the rain and I understand his talk about how those old houses were where strange people lived, and how the book always dropped open to the twelfth chapter or picture or whatever about the cannibal.

But I don't know, could someone explain this to me, and after your explanation, perhaps I can ask some more specific questions, but at this point I'm just scratching my head. Like is the old man a cannibal? What is the source of the blood(bodies upstairs? or the house is just bleeding?)?

nortonew · Post by **nortonew** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 7:30 pm

The book was opening to the page that had the pictures of butchered people because that was a page that the old man was obsessed with. When a book is opened to a specific page often, the spine cracks at that page, this causes the book to fall open to that page.

The old man was obsessed with the picture because he was fascinated with the idea of cannablism. In fact, he was so obsessed that he apparently was engaging in the practice himself - thus the blood dripping from upstairs. There was, no doubt, at least one slaughtered human corpse on the second floor.

Having reached this point in the story, it appears that Lovecraft was at a loss as to where to proceed. Therefor, he resorted to a deus ex machina in the form of a bolt of lightning burning the house to the ground. Unfortunately, (or perhaps fortunately), this is not Lovecraft's best work. I've always felt that the ending was a bit lame.

Acooljt · Post by **Acooljt** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:45 pm

Thanks for the reply, it really clears a lot up. I enjoy the story a lot more now that I understand it.

It's sometimes hard to predict what Lovecraft means in his stories because he has such a huge imagination, it's kinda like, "Could it be somehthing so simple as a corpse upstairs or does Lovecraft mean that the house itself is bleeding?"

Thanks again.

Jesus Prime · Post by **Jesus Prime** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:09 am

No, corpse on the ceiling, that's why it took so long. Also, there was a line in the first draft, later removed, mentioned red stains down the old man's front. Also, it explains the man's seeming vitality and ruddy face (many people, especially Countess Bathory, believed that the flesh and blood of humans, if consumed, slowed the aging process); his delay in responding the knocking and entry of the narrator; and the ramblings about being curious about the plate, looking at it before and during culling his cattle.

Jesus Prime · Post by **Jesus Prime** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:10 am

When I say "on", I really mean "on the floor above".

odin2 · Post by **odin2** » Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:01 pm

You really shuld check out this site it has alot of information on many of lovecraft's works...

http://www.cthulhucoffee.com/summaries/picture.html

The Lurking Fear · Post by **The Lurking Fear** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:09 pm

Awesome website Odin2, Thanks

Jesus Prime · Post by **Jesus Prime** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:31 pm

That is a good site.

odin2 · Post by **odin2** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 2:53 pm

Thank's

Jesus Prime · Post by **Jesus Prime** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:40 am

Maybe (Al, here's where you chime in), we should update the links section of the page.

AND ONLY THE LINKS, AL!

Post by **Aleister** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 1:26 pm

Just for you

http://www.templeofdagon.com/links/

You know people.. anytime you have a good link to add, or a good bit of mythos related news, or anything else, email it to me and I will use it!!!

Jesus Prime · Post by **Jesus Prime** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:55 pm

See, we're all one big family.

odin2 · Post by **odin2** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 4:10 pm

Cool I got a site added to the Temple!!

If I find any more good sites I will have to pass them on

Jesus Prime · Post by **Jesus Prime** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 5:13 pm

As will we all.

Enkil · Post by **Enkil** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 7:14 am

This is my favorite story by Lovecraft, first one I read too.