Lovecraft knows how to write a story that chills you and gives excellent atmosphere in most of his works. He could use help in having more memorable characters, but you can't have everything. It's clear how much how he's inspired by Poe and how much of an influence that he has in literature, comics, and games today. This book has the stories in chronological order, so you can see the progression of him as a writer take form.

Now let's talk about an uncomfortable subject: Racism in Good Writers.
It's no secret that Lovecraft was a collosal racist, in fact most people were in that time. However, while I'm greatly opposed to those viewpoints, I do acknowledge that he's great at writing fiction. There are many famous people living and dead that had wonderful creative talent that we're entertained by. That's all well and good, but always try to separate the work from the person. I know that's not everyone's opinion, but that's why there are so many kinds of books out there. In the end it all boils down to taste. I only bring this up, because at least two people I know here were bullied because they like Lovecraft. If you don't like something, just be respectful to the other person and move on. But you don't have to take my word for it.