At The Mountains Of Madness opinions

tsathoggua · Post by **tsathoggua** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:41 pm

Yes, quite

Genus Unknown · Post by **Genus Unknown** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:03 am

CthulhuLegionary wrote:Yeah but...

nobody has answered my question: what do u think Danforth saw on those hellish mountains that left him like a mad man?

I don't think even Lovecraft knew. It's just something impossible, unimaginable, unspeakable, unearthly, unnameable, and indescribable. The long list of bizarre, nonsensical images babbled by Danforth at the end is supposed to hint at the unspeakable craziness of the scene. If HPL had anything specific in mind, he'd have described it. Instead, like the geometry of R'lyeh or the exact appearance and nature of the Colour Out of Space, it's something that literally can't be imagined by the human mind, something so horrible and insane that it can drive a man completely mad just by glancing at it.

Lovecraft's horror revolves around the unknown, and AtMoM is a prime example. The exact nature of the scene witnessed by Danforth must remain a mystery.

meenween · Post by **meenween** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 10:56 am

This same question plagued my mind for hours after I finished ATMOM. I think Danforth saw a hallucination/mirage of all of the evil things Lovecraft describes in other stories-- all of the elder things--- Yugguth, YogSoth-Cthulhu, Shub-Niggarath, tsathogga, etc. (I know my spelling was off) anyways, Danforth sees a mirage of all the evil and knows that the glimpse of the "old ones" and the shoggoth--are nothing compared to the Evil in the rest of the world and the universe.

UncleWesker · Post by **UncleWesker** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 10:29 pm

Were I to guess what Danforth saw, I would have to say that I believe it was what rested at the top of those even higher peaks.

tsathoggua · Post by **tsathoggua** » Thu Nov 26, 2009 10:07 pm

I guess its supposed to leave one guessing in such a fashion as this

I<3Cthulhu · Post by **I<3Cthulhu** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 3:46 pm

I just finished ATMOM, and I have to agree with tsathoggua. The formation of such a cliffhanger has been used many times throughout literature for the very reason of getting people talking. Additionally, if Lovecraft specifically stated what Danforth saw, there would inevitably be some readers who would be left unsatisfied with the conclusion. By leaving it open ended, the reader is able to imagine anything he/she wants.

Good stuff. However, I don't buy how the narrator was able to assume everything he did about the Old Ones' culture, just from a few sculptures.