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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Excellent book. The whole anti-hero idea is done exceptionally well with the writing walking a fine line between the archaic and the modern which in this instance worked, managing to deliver the story very well, which I'm not sure would have been the case with every author.
A very short novel, almost a novella in fact, and therefore a quick read but still, there are many more in the series yet.
Very good. Highly recommended.
A very short novel, almost a novella in fact, and therefore a quick read but still, there are many more in the series yet.
Very good. Highly recommended.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Not nearly as good as the first time I read it when I was 16 or so. This was the audiobook version and the reading was overwrought. The background music throughout was very distracting.
Michael Moorcock, Elric of Melnibonë (DAW, 1972)
Perhaps more than any fantasy series since [b:The Lord of the Rings|34|The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1)|J.R.R. Tolkien|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156043001s/34.jpg|3204327], the six "classic" Elric novels stand as the definitive fantasy novels. Not long after their original American publication in the authorized editions (with stunning Michael Whelan cover art), the TSR folks included a section on Elric in the original AD&D book Deities and Demigods, removed in subsequent printings for legal reasons. Then the gothic metal band Cirith Ungol used some of Whelan's Elric paintings for their album covers. And thus, the legendary books gained fame beyond that of normal readers...
But I digress. Given the unique nature of the growth of the Elric cult, the question needs asked: do the books themselves, the subject matter therein, stand up to all the hype? Yes, they do. Despite having some problems in the execution (clumsy handing of foreshadowing and detail introduction, overuse of exclamation points, inability to call a character by either a first or last name when a character has both [e.g., Dyvim Tvar is never referred to as "Dyvim" or "Tvar," but always "Dyvim Tvar":], etc.), Elric hands us something fantasy readers up to that point hadn't been used to: an antihero, and a sympathetic one to boot.
Elric is the eighty-eighth lord of the island kingdom of Melnibonë, once a power that ruled over the world. Its power has waned in the interim, and some see the sickly Elric as proof of this. His cousin Yyrkoon wants the throne as badly as Elric doesn't. The bulk of the first novel deals with the struggle between Elric and Yyrkoon for the throne, with Yyrkoon's sister Cymoril, who also happens to be Elric's betrothed, caught in the middle between them. It also sets up much of what comes in later books-Elric's meeting with his longtime friend Rackhir, descriptions of the defenses of Melnibonë against outside invasion, the rules which dragons follow on Moorcock's earth.
There are some minor niggles to get through in the way Moorcock presents his characters and their backgrounds; however, that may be retrospect speaking (it's impossible to compare stories Moorock was writing in the sixties, stylistically, to, for example, George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire; Martin is far better at slipping pieces of his characters' backgrounds into the text without drawing our attention to them, but few if any authors working in "genre fiction" were interested in the conventions of high literature at the time these books were written).
An excellent beginning. If you haven't yet read the Elric novels, whether you are a fantasy fan or not, this is where to begin. ****
Perhaps more than any fantasy series since [b:The Lord of the Rings|34|The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1)|J.R.R. Tolkien|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1156043001s/34.jpg|3204327], the six "classic" Elric novels stand as the definitive fantasy novels. Not long after their original American publication in the authorized editions (with stunning Michael Whelan cover art), the TSR folks included a section on Elric in the original AD&D book Deities and Demigods, removed in subsequent printings for legal reasons. Then the gothic metal band Cirith Ungol used some of Whelan's Elric paintings for their album covers. And thus, the legendary books gained fame beyond that of normal readers...
But I digress. Given the unique nature of the growth of the Elric cult, the question needs asked: do the books themselves, the subject matter therein, stand up to all the hype? Yes, they do. Despite having some problems in the execution (clumsy handing of foreshadowing and detail introduction, overuse of exclamation points, inability to call a character by either a first or last name when a character has both [e.g., Dyvim Tvar is never referred to as "Dyvim" or "Tvar," but always "Dyvim Tvar":], etc.), Elric hands us something fantasy readers up to that point hadn't been used to: an antihero, and a sympathetic one to boot.
Elric is the eighty-eighth lord of the island kingdom of Melnibonë, once a power that ruled over the world. Its power has waned in the interim, and some see the sickly Elric as proof of this. His cousin Yyrkoon wants the throne as badly as Elric doesn't. The bulk of the first novel deals with the struggle between Elric and Yyrkoon for the throne, with Yyrkoon's sister Cymoril, who also happens to be Elric's betrothed, caught in the middle between them. It also sets up much of what comes in later books-Elric's meeting with his longtime friend Rackhir, descriptions of the defenses of Melnibonë against outside invasion, the rules which dragons follow on Moorcock's earth.
There are some minor niggles to get through in the way Moorcock presents his characters and their backgrounds; however, that may be retrospect speaking (it's impossible to compare stories Moorock was writing in the sixties, stylistically, to, for example, George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire; Martin is far better at slipping pieces of his characters' backgrounds into the text without drawing our attention to them, but few if any authors working in "genre fiction" were interested in the conventions of high literature at the time these books were written).
An excellent beginning. If you haven't yet read the Elric novels, whether you are a fantasy fan or not, this is where to begin. ****
Elric is a strange hero, protagonist, of this story. He is merciful, yet it often comes across as a naivety that traps him. The high fantasy of Moorcock's book is good. I liked it.
always remember that your D&D game is set in Moorcock, not Tolkein!
Difficult to get into and the characters feel very thin, but I found myself intrigued all the same and finish it keen to pick up the next.
The author's use of parentheses is a bit jarring, and the lack of commas in some full paragraphs as well as the lack of contractions in speech makes it all needlessly more tedious.
The story, however, was good enough to keep me involved and I've already got The Fortress of the Pearl ready on my bedside table.
The author's use of parentheses is a bit jarring, and the lack of commas in some full paragraphs as well as the lack of contractions in speech makes it all needlessly more tedious.
The story, however, was good enough to keep me involved and I've already got The Fortress of the Pearl ready on my bedside table.
Introduces Elric, part of Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion series. An albino king, he finds himself set apart from his people with his thoughts on morality and attempting to understand the new kingdoms that are vying for the power Melnibone once had.
Forced into a pact with one of the Chaos gods after his cousin had tried to take the throne, Elric is tasked with finding the magical black swords Mournblade and Stormbringer.
It mixes pulp swords and sorcery style writing with an attempt at high fantasy, and so the story moves at a good pace. The characters are interesting, and this is a good start to the series.
Forced into a pact with one of the Chaos gods after his cousin had tried to take the throne, Elric is tasked with finding the magical black swords Mournblade and Stormbringer.
It mixes pulp swords and sorcery style writing with an attempt at high fantasy, and so the story moves at a good pace. The characters are interesting, and this is a good start to the series.
I've been in the mood for some classic SF/F lately, and since I've been meaning to re-read the Elric saga this seemed like the perfect, timely choice.
What to Expect
A swords-and-sorcery prequel to one of the most famous heroes of fantasy. Moorcock wrote the original stories in the 1960's, but revisited Elric throughout the coming decades. I set out to read the original tales, but started with this prequel that was written when all the first stories were collected into volumes in the early 70's. Publishing, it seems, has always been a madhouse.
The story tells about how Elric came into possession of Stormbringer, his demonic sword. His character here is not as cynical and self-proclaimed evil as in the previous stories, but that is an artefact of Moorcock painting the picture of how Elric got to be the way he is.
What I liked
There is a certain charm (but see below) in old-style swords-and-sorcery. Not every book that has medieval weapons and mages is S&S, there are certain elements of style that stretch from Conan onwards: the personal rather than grandiose conflicts, the low-magic high-adventure, and often a sense of ennui accompanying the hero.
The writing style was interesting, employing a choice of words and sentence construction that fits well with the vaguely archaic saga-feeling and that one does not often see today. Elric himself is somewhat more relatable in this volume than the original stories, but in true pulp style having a character *interesting* is not the same as *sympathetic* - don't expect the deep attachment common in today's prurient YA styles.
I also enjoyed the cosmology and mythology, done in a style that perfectly fits the blurry border between Sci-Fi and Fantasy, the tone of low-magic Swords & Sorcery and themes common in the era (order vs chaos), and it probably a big factor in the series overall success.
What to be aware of
This word is dated, and it's emulating a style even older (that of the pulps). There are certainly things that would look so to a modern reader, from the adverb-heavy descriptions to the rampant chauvinism. This is the style of work that was never meant to be inclusive for women or anyone beyond the "typically masculine" hero. It is interesting to read in context, but even for the time it was written there were already plenty of SF/F works that were ahead of their times, rather harking going back.
Felix's Review
Felix found this a lot more relatable. Probably because he himself comes from an older culture. He enjoyed the adventure, could see the dangers of emperors and their cruelties, and while he sympathises with the benefits of using magic and demonic swords, he'd rather keep otherworldly beings where they belong - elsewhere.
Summary
It's a dated work, and it shows. I'd recommend it for those trying to explore classic Swords & Sorcery, to learn from both the (good) style of storytelling and the (bad) way of handling diversity.
--
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1596954987p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500700|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457914061l/29500700._SY75_.jpg|46845657]: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
A swords-and-sorcery prequel to one of the most famous heroes of fantasy. Moorcock wrote the original stories in the 1960's, but revisited Elric throughout the coming decades. I set out to read the original tales, but started with this prequel that was written when all the first stories were collected into volumes in the early 70's. Publishing, it seems, has always been a madhouse.
The story tells about how Elric came into possession of Stormbringer, his demonic sword. His character here is not as cynical and self-proclaimed evil as in the previous stories, but that is an artefact of Moorcock painting the picture of how Elric got to be the way he is.
What I liked
There is a certain charm (but see below) in old-style swords-and-sorcery. Not every book that has medieval weapons and mages is S&S, there are certain elements of style that stretch from Conan onwards: the personal rather than grandiose conflicts, the low-magic high-adventure, and often a sense of ennui accompanying the hero.
The writing style was interesting, employing a choice of words and sentence construction that fits well with the vaguely archaic saga-feeling and that one does not often see today. Elric himself is somewhat more relatable in this volume than the original stories, but in true pulp style having a character *interesting* is not the same as *sympathetic* - don't expect the deep attachment common in today's prurient YA styles.
I also enjoyed the cosmology and mythology, done in a style that perfectly fits the blurry border between Sci-Fi and Fantasy, the tone of low-magic Swords & Sorcery and themes common in the era (order vs chaos), and it probably a big factor in the series overall success.
What to be aware of
This word is dated, and it's emulating a style even older (that of the pulps). There are certainly things that would look so to a modern reader, from the adverb-heavy descriptions to the rampant chauvinism. This is the style of work that was never meant to be inclusive for women or anyone beyond the "typically masculine" hero. It is interesting to read in context, but even for the time it was written there were already plenty of SF/F works that were ahead of their times, rather harking going back.
Felix's Review
Felix found this a lot more relatable. Probably because he himself comes from an older culture. He enjoyed the adventure, could see the dangers of emperors and their cruelties, and while he sympathises with the benefits of using magic and demonic swords, he'd rather keep otherworldly beings where they belong - elsewhere.
Summary
It's a dated work, and it shows. I'd recommend it for those trying to explore classic Swords & Sorcery, to learn from both the (good) style of storytelling and the (bad) way of handling diversity.
--
[a:Assaph Mehr|14422472|Assaph Mehr|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1596954987p2/14422472.jpg], author of [b:Murder In Absentia|29500700|Murder In Absentia (Felix the Fox, #1)|Assaph Mehr|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457914061l/29500700._SY75_.jpg|46845657]: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.