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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
My experience with fantasy is pretty limited. I enjoyed Tolkein's [b:Lord of the Rings|34|The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)|J.R.R. Tolkien|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156043001s/34.jpg|3204327] books (although some parts are so tedious you'd think they were written by a tenured old linguistics professor), and I really love Martin's [b:A Song of Fire and Ice|13496|A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)|George R.R. Martin|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1239039164s/13496.jpg|1466917] saga (if it ever ends). But the few other fantasy books I've read over the years, recommended by friends or tried on a whim, left so little impression on me that I can't remember their titles or authors. Unfortunately, this one falls into that last category.
I don't remember how I became interested in reading this one. It seemed to always pop up in discussions of famous fantasy books or series. When I happened upon the first three books of the series, I thought I'd give them a try. Luckily for me, the first one was so bad I have no need to try the next two.
Perhaps the first one was bad because it was an "origin" story, setting up the world and characters for the adventures to come. Maybe this book was written for young adults. Either way, it was pretty bad. The descriptions were lengthy, and yet still basic. The characters were black and white cut-outs, and the minor characters were indistinguishable. I also grew weary of the need to add extra y's and r's and v's to people and place names to make them sound more foreign. The bad guy's name is Yyrkoon? Really?
I can admit that I'm probably not the target audience for this book, but it seems to me a good book should be enjoyable by everyone. This is not a good book.
I don't remember how I became interested in reading this one. It seemed to always pop up in discussions of famous fantasy books or series. When I happened upon the first three books of the series, I thought I'd give them a try. Luckily for me, the first one was so bad I have no need to try the next two.
Perhaps the first one was bad because it was an "origin" story, setting up the world and characters for the adventures to come. Maybe this book was written for young adults. Either way, it was pretty bad. The descriptions were lengthy, and yet still basic. The characters were black and white cut-outs, and the minor characters were indistinguishable. I also grew weary of the need to add extra y's and r's and v's to people and place names to make them sound more foreign. The bad guy's name is Yyrkoon? Really?
I can admit that I'm probably not the target audience for this book, but it seems to me a good book should be enjoyable by everyone. This is not a good book.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm currently reading through all the Elric of Melnibone stories, and I can see why Michael Moorcock is so highly revered. This really is soke of the best fantasy you're going to find. Quick paced, intriguing world building and delicious prose, which went on to inspire many inferior (and unjustly more popular) imitators. I'm looking forward to more adventures with the doomed Albino and the Black Blade, Stormbringer.
A refreshing fantasy tale. Elric in particular is a noteworthy protagonist who is not hard to root for. The first book of the Elric Saga might be short of 200 pages, but the story it gives you trumps many BFFs (Big Fat Fantasy). Probably the best feature is the protagonist making certain decisions which logically you’d expect to lead to horrible consequences and then thinking “I guess it won’t be so bad” only to find out it did not end up so bad at all. Things became significantly worse.
A story I am definitely interested in continuing.
A story I am definitely interested in continuing.
When I first read this book around forty years ago, I was looking for an epic fantasy like LOTR and I didn't care for this flawed and tragic hero Elric, but now I can appreciate this novel for the great work of fantasy that it is and my favorite Sword and Sorcery series.
General Overview
A short, punchy bit of pulp fantasy, Elric of Melniboné is a classic hero, who helped create the genre as we see it today.
Style
[a:Michael Moorcock|16939|Michael Moorcock|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1424079041p2/16939.jpg] has a classic style for the story of Elric. It is nothing fancy, or new, but it is done very well. With the age of this story, it is clear to see how it went on to effect the genre to come.
Mr Moorcock's descriptions are strong. I very quickly picked up the feel of Melniboné, the intrigue therein, and the world around it. It seeps with age and grandeur, and hints at the darkness of its people. The minor elements of horror are well used, along with the great sense of mystery to some of the forces and powers in the world of Elric.
Story
This is Elric's origin story. How he came to wield the sword, Stormbringer, and the eventual doom that will befall Melniboné and its people. This I know, because this novel was written after the original stories of Elric were published in magazines. Later on, they were compiled into novels, including the origins of Elric.
This novel does not assume that knowledge however; a benefit to it.
Elric is a dark hero, tortured by his own morality. Emperor of ancient Melniboné, he does not think like emperor's before him, or embrace Melniboné culture. This is the cause of the main conflict in the story. We see Elric, over the course of his adventures grow and change, for the better and the worse.
There are a collection of minor characters, but all pale against our albino hero. None of them really stood out to me, and all just seems tools of the author and Elric to advance the plot.
Final Thoughts
A great piece of pulp-fantasy history to read. Not the most creative or original story, but one worth reading regardless.
A short, punchy bit of pulp fantasy, Elric of Melniboné is a classic hero, who helped create the genre as we see it today.
Style
[a:Michael Moorcock|16939|Michael Moorcock|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1424079041p2/16939.jpg] has a classic style for the story of Elric. It is nothing fancy, or new, but it is done very well. With the age of this story, it is clear to see how it went on to effect the genre to come.
Mr Moorcock's descriptions are strong. I very quickly picked up the feel of Melniboné, the intrigue therein, and the world around it. It seeps with age and grandeur, and hints at the darkness of its people. The minor elements of horror are well used, along with the great sense of mystery to some of the forces and powers in the world of Elric.
Story
This is Elric's origin story. How he came to wield the sword, Stormbringer, and the eventual doom that will befall Melniboné and its people. This I know, because this novel was written after the original stories of Elric were published in magazines. Later on, they were compiled into novels, including the origins of Elric.
This novel does not assume that knowledge however; a benefit to it.
Elric is a dark hero, tortured by his own morality. Emperor of ancient Melniboné, he does not think like emperor's before him, or embrace Melniboné culture. This is the cause of the main conflict in the story. We see Elric, over the course of his adventures grow and change, for the better and the worse.
There are a collection of minor characters, but all pale against our albino hero. None of them really stood out to me, and all just seems tools of the author and Elric to advance the plot.
Final Thoughts
A great piece of pulp-fantasy history to read. Not the most creative or original story, but one worth reading regardless.
Elric is one of the proto sad boys of fantasy and Moorcock's first Elric lays a pretty rich tapestry for this iteration of the Eternal Champion. Before we get to the multi-verse and all of the well known parts of Elric's story, we have to get to learn who Elric currently is and how he is different than the other resident's of The Dragon Isle. Moorcock does not provide with perfect prose or the most epic of stories but he does provide ample world building and great internal character development for Elric. Most other characters are one sided. We are introduced to the Stormbringer, one of the coolest swords in fantasy. We also learn a bit that this is a multi-verse story, which seems common in 2024 but was less so for fantasy in the '70s.
I've come back to read this first Elric story 3 times in about as many years and enjoy more each time.
I've come back to read this first Elric story 3 times in about as many years and enjoy more each time.
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
No había leído nada de la saga de Elric y este primer libro ha sido una sorpresa agradable. Es fantasía heroica clásica, y es de un estilo bastante "blanco" sin incestos, carnicería innecesaria ni nada parecido, y es fantasía de aventuras en la que los protagonistas van aquí, allá, hablan con dioses, buscan objetos mágicos...
Quizá sea demasiado pronto para hacer un análisis psicológico de Elric, un protagonista que por pasajes no quiere hacer más que morirse, pero es encomiable su intento de cambiar las cosas en una ciudad tan cruel como Melniboné (que sin llegar a la Mezoberranzan tiene también su miga). Gran cierre que desde luego deja con ganas de más, aunque solo sea por curiosidad de ver qué putadas le pasan al guerrero y emperador albino de Moorcock.
Quizá sea demasiado pronto para hacer un análisis psicológico de Elric, un protagonista que por pasajes no quiere hacer más que morirse, pero es encomiable su intento de cambiar las cosas en una ciudad tan cruel como Melniboné (que sin llegar a la Mezoberranzan tiene también su miga). Gran cierre que desde luego deja con ganas de más, aunque solo sea por curiosidad de ver qué putadas le pasan al guerrero y emperador albino de Moorcock.