ympathetic feelings was no human at all, but instead a monster or zombie of some sort. This dramatic realization not only startles the reader, but also "evokes emotional responses that are not fully explained by critical exegesis" (Nielson 1509), due to the seemingly trivial and yet profound plot idea. Most readers have found that "This Mixed reaction is characteristic of many of Lovecraft's stories, and any attempt to asses his importance must somehow take it into consideration" (Nielson 1509). However, many critics call "The Outsider" the best Lovecraft story, and some have analyzed it as "autobiographical, psychological, metaphysical, philosophical, and political" (Nielson 1509) or a mix of these.
             In the "Music of Erich Zahn," Lovecraft uses the first person nameless narration to insight a theatrical understanding. A major difference noted between "The Outsider" and "The Music of Erich Zann" is his elaboration on the setting. Whereas "The Outsider" focuses mainly on the lack of the sun and murkiness to create an aura of despair, "The Music of Erich Zann" goes into great detail of the setting. He does this because the odd setting creates an eerie alertness. The basis of the story is a character who is recalling his life years ago on a road called Rue d'Auseil. Though he can not find this road on any map, he goes into great details from his memory. He describes how the street itself is very narrow so no cars traveled on it, the buildings seem to defy gravity in how they lean at various angles over the street and to the sides, and lastly how one side of the street overlooks a cliff, but walls and buildings cover any view of this overhang. His first night in his new apartment he hears strange, majestic music coming from the above floor. He starts to listen and becomes intrigued by the music coming from the floor above
             his. One day h...