How did this book become so influential than “The King in Yellow” is so commonly referenced in subsequent cosmic horror shows, books, and movies?

I read it and it completely catfished me. Only the first few stories are even actually horror and the King in Yellow is only referenced in a couple opening lines to some of the stories. After that fully 50% of the book is just love stories about upper class Anglo Americans from New England falling in love with French girls from the rural countryside.

Also weirdly like most of the love stories the French girls are massive whores and start sobbing to the New England WASP about how they don’t deserve them because they’re such sluts and the New Englander tells them they don’t care, they love them anyways, and then they embrace. This happened like 3 times back to back when I was expecting Lovecraftian horror it was surreal