"The Tree" | |
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Short story by H. P. Lovecraft | |
Text available at Wikisource | |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre(s) | Horror, mystery |
Publication | |
Published in | The Tryout |
Publication date | 1921 |
"The Tree" is a macabre short story by American horror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft. It was written in 1920, and published in October 1921 in The Tryout.[1][2] Set in ancient Greece, the story concerns two sculptors who accept a commission with ironic consequences.
Lovecraft wrote "The Tree" early in his career. He was dismissive of the story in a 1936 letter. Such stories, he said, "if typed on good stock make excellent shelf-paper, but little else."[3] The assessment of Lovecraft authority S. T. Joshi was that although the story "may be a trifle obvious... it is an effective display of Lovecraft's skill in handling a historical setting."