| "The Tree" | |
|---|---|
| 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."
- ^ "The Tree". The Tryout. Vol. 7, no. 7. October 1921. pp. 3–10.
- ^ "Dagon and Other Macabre Tales" (WWW). HP Lovecraft.com. June 19, 2005. Retrieved March 14, 2008.
- ^ Joshi, S. T. (2013). "Lovecraft's 'Dunsanian Studies'". In S. T. Joshi (ed.). Critical Essays on Lord Dunsany. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-81089-234-7.