With what Cthulhu book should I begin?

[Breten]

So I popped over to the mall for lunch, as I need to get away from the office for lunch or I lose my mind.  Popped into Chapters and saw the HPL Tales book, but it was shrink-wrapped.  Figured I should buy a book as I don't own any except a copy of The Lurking Fear and other stories.  But in my old age I have a tough time with the print. 

So I nabbed a lare copy of "The Best of H.P. Lovecraft, Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre".  It contains:

The Call of Cthulhu
The Dunwich Horror
The Shadow Over Innsmouth
The Colour out of Space
The Rats in the Walls
The Picture in the House
The Outsider
Pickman's Model
In the Vault
The Silver Key
The Music of Erich Zann
The Whisper in the Darkness
The Haunter of the Dark
The Thing on the Doorstep
The Dreams in the Witch House
The Shadow out of Time

And has an Intro by Robert Bloch.  And a wicked wraparound cover by Michael Whelan.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-H-P-Lovecraft-Bloodcurdling/dp/0345350804

[Breten]

I think my favourite HPL short story (and it is short, at about six pages or so) is 'The Statement of Randolph Carter'.  Problem was, I never could remember the title!

I just read this one at those free sites, great story.

[keeper]

I kept reading this thread thinking, should I take the advice, then I read your post, Breten, at the same time as ordering the Good Lady Keeper's birthday present from Amazon, so I added a copy of this to the order

Thanks Breten!  And Damn you, Amazon! for making it so easy to order books! 

So I popped over to the mall for lunch, as I need to get away from the office for lunch or I lose my mind.  Popped into Chapters and saw the HPL Tales book, but it was shrink-wrapped.  Figured I should buy a book as I don't own any except a copy of The Lurking Fear and other stories.  But in my old age I have a tough time with the print. 

So I nabbed a lare copy of "The Best of H.P. Lovecraft, Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre".  It contains:

The Call of Cthulhu
The Dunwich Horror
The Shadow Over Innsmouth
The Colour out of Space
The Rats in the Walls
The Picture in the House
The Outsider
Pickman's Model
In the Vault
The Silver Key
The Music of Erich Zann
The Whisper in the Darkness
The Haunter of the Dark
The Thing on the Doorstep
The Dreams in the Witch House
The Shadow out of Time

And has an Intro by Robert Bloch.  And a wicked wraparound cover by Michael Whelan.

http://www.amazon.com/Best-H-P-Lovecraft-Bloodcurdling/dp/0345350804

[Breten]

No problem, I was surprised to find a book with pretty much all the recommended stories.  I'd have like to grab the hardcover Tales book, but it's $40 CAN.