Old Bugs by H.P. Lovecraft (1929)
The story revolves around a man who becomes obsessed with an old, mysterious-looking book. He discovers that the book contains forbidden knowledge and rituals that can summon otherworldly beings. As he delves deeper into the book's secrets, he becomes increasingly unhinged and his grip on reality begins to slip.
By H.P. Lovecraft · First published 1929 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Gothic Fiction · 3,401 words
First lines
Sheehan's Pool Room, which adorns one of the lesser alleys in the heart of Chicago's stockyard district, is not a nice place. Its air, freighted with a thousand odours such as Coleridge may have found at Cologne, too seldom knows the purifying rays of the sun; but fights for space with the acrid fumes of unnumbered cheap cigars and cigarettes which dangle from the coarse lips of unnumbered human animals that haunt the place day and night. But the popularity of Sheehan's remains unimpaired; and for this there is a reason-a reason obvious to anyone who will take the trouble to analyse the mixed stenches prevailing there. Over and above the fumes and sickening closeness rises an aroma once familiar throughout the land, but now happily banished to the back streets of life by the edict of a benevolent government-the aroma of strong, wicked whiskey-a precious kind of forbidden fruit indeed in this year of grace 1950.
What this Textopian page supports
Old Bugs is listed on Textopian as a short story by H.P. Lovecraft, dated 1929 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: 1929 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Social Commentary, Gothic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Tragedy
- Length: 3,401 words
- Structure: 1 section, 29 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Old Bugs 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
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Old Bugs?
- How does this short story by H.P. Lovecraft fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- The Street by H. P. Lovecraft
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- The Music Of Erich Zann by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Tomb by H. P. Lovecraft
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Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores deep themes of identity, loss, and the human condition through rich character development and prose.
- Social Commentary — It critiques societal issues such as addiction, class disparity, and the consequences of moral decay.
- Gothic Fiction — The setting and atmosphere evoke a sense of decay and despair, typical of Gothic literature.
- Psychological Fiction — The narrative delves into the psychological states of the characters, particularly the protagonist's internal struggles.
Tags
Horror · Short Story · Supernatural Fiction · Weird Fiction · Gothic Fiction · Dark Fantasy · Mystery · Thriller · Psychological Thriller · Paranoid Delusions · Sanity-Blurring Terror · Cosmic Horror