Celephaïs by H.P. Lovecraft (1922)
The story revolves around a man who becomes obsessed with the idea of visiting Celephaïs, a mystical city that exists outside of time and space. He believes it holds the key to ultimate knowledge and power. The protagonist's obsession grows stronger as he delves deeper into the mysteries of Celephaïs, eventually leading him to make a pact with dark forces to gain access to the city.
By H.P. Lovecraft · First published 1922 · Genre: Fantasy, Dream Literature, Weird Fiction · 2,758 words
First lines
In a dream Kuranes saw the city in the valley, and the sea-coast beyond, and the snowy peak overlooking the sea, and the gaily painted galleys that sail out of the harbour toward the distant regions where the sea meets the sky. In a dream it was also that he came by his name of Kuranes, for when awake he was called by another name. Perhaps it was natural for him to dream a new name; for he was the last of his family, and alone among the indifferent millions of London, so there were not many to speak to him and remind him who he had been. His money and lands were gone, and he did not care for the ways of people about him, but preferred to dream and write of his dreams. What he wrote was laughed at by those to whom he shewed it, so that after a time he kept his writings to himself, and finally ceased to write. The more he withdrew from the world about him, the more wonderful became his dreams; and it would have been quite futile to try to describe them on paper. Kuranes was not modern, and did not think like others who wrote. Whilst they strove to strip from life its embroidered robes of myth, and to shew in naked ugliness the foul thing that is reality, Kuranes sought for beauty alone. When truth and experience failed to reveal it, he sought it in fancy and illusion, and found it on his very doorstep, amid the nebulous memories of childhood tales and dreams.
What this Textopian page supports
Celephaïs is listed on Textopian as a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, dated 1922 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: H.P. Lovecraft
- Date: 1922 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Dream Literature, Weird Fiction, Romanticism, Philosophical Fiction
- Length: 2,758 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Celephaïs by H.P. Lovecraft
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Similar titles
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- Ex Oblivione by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Descendant by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Other Gods by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Nameless City by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Haunter Of The Dark by H. P. Lovecraft
Genres
- Fantasy — The narrative centers around a dream world filled with magical cities, mythical landscapes, and fantastical elements.
- Dream Literature — The story explores the nature of dreams and the protagonist's experiences within them, emphasizing the dreamlike quality of the narrative.
- Weird Fiction — The work incorporates elements of the bizarre and the uncanny, typical of the genre, with surreal settings and strange occurrences.
- Romanticism — Themes of beauty, nostalgia, and the idealization of childhood and dreams reflect Romantic ideals.
Tags
Cthulhu Mythos · Fantasy · Horror · Supernatural Fiction · Short Story · Mythopoeic Fiction · Occultism · Ancient Deities · Dreams · Psychological Horror · Atmospheric Setting · Cosmic Horror