Although Lovecraft's book is interesting when read as a psychyatrical case study, it lacks even the most basic elements of the horror genre. The fact that there is no central character with which one can associate and sympathise is one of the worst features of The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward for it prevents the reader from being involved in the story (something that the horror novel needs to do to captivate the reader).Still, I believe that this book is worth reading (127 quick pages). But it's a shame that Lovecraft did not have a litterary skill that matched his spectacular imagination.