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arthurbdd's review against another edition
4.0
Dunsany attempted to follow up The Gods of Pegana by writing stories taking place in the setting suggested by this invented mythology, yielding this collection. Though solid, it's apparent that towards the end Dunsany is finding his existing formula beginning to run dry. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2022/01/08/the-ornate-brevity-of-lord-dunsany/
beton's review against another edition
5.0
Time and the Gods is probably one of the most metal things I have ever read. If I make a prog rock concept album, I have my source material:
"Then Slid went backward growing and summoned together the waves of a whole sea and sent them singing full in Tintaggon's face. Then from Tintaggon's marble front the sea fell backwards crying on to a broken shore, and ripple by ripple straggled back to Slid saying: 'Tintaggon stands.'"
-The Coming of the Sea.
"And far away Trogool upon the utter Rim turned a page that was numbered six in a cipher that none might read. And as the golden ball went through the sky to gleam on lands and cities, there came the Fog towards it, stooping as he walked with his dark brown cloak about him, and behind him slunk the night."
-The Legend of the Dawn
"There in Pegana lay the gods asleep, and in a corner lay the Power of the gods alone on the floor, a thing wrought of black rock and four words graven upon it, whereof I might not give thee any clue, if even I should find it - four words of which none knoweth. Some say they tell of the opening of a flower towards dawn, and others say they concern earthquakes among hills, and others that they tell of the death of fishes, and others that the words be these: Power, Knowledge, Forgetting, and another word that not the gods themselves may ever guess."
-When the Gods Slept
"Then Slid went backward growing and summoned together the waves of a whole sea and sent them singing full in Tintaggon's face. Then from Tintaggon's marble front the sea fell backwards crying on to a broken shore, and ripple by ripple straggled back to Slid saying: 'Tintaggon stands.'"
-The Coming of the Sea.
"And far away Trogool upon the utter Rim turned a page that was numbered six in a cipher that none might read. And as the golden ball went through the sky to gleam on lands and cities, there came the Fog towards it, stooping as he walked with his dark brown cloak about him, and behind him slunk the night."
-The Legend of the Dawn
"There in Pegana lay the gods asleep, and in a corner lay the Power of the gods alone on the floor, a thing wrought of black rock and four words graven upon it, whereof I might not give thee any clue, if even I should find it - four words of which none knoweth. Some say they tell of the opening of a flower towards dawn, and others say they concern earthquakes among hills, and others that they tell of the death of fishes, and others that the words be these: Power, Knowledge, Forgetting, and another word that not the gods themselves may ever guess."
-When the Gods Slept
angrywombat's review against another edition
3.0
This is "Gods of Pegana" squared :)
This is strange, hypnotic, inspiring, confusing. All at once.
Some of the short stories were a little meh, but others were amazing. They are a mythology of a dream world - like stories of creation and what happened next :)
only 3 stars, because while some stories are sublime, others are just bad.... But keep reading for the gems!
This is strange, hypnotic, inspiring, confusing. All at once.
Some of the short stories were a little meh, but others were amazing. They are a mythology of a dream world - like stories of creation and what happened next :)
only 3 stars, because while some stories are sublime, others are just bad.... But keep reading for the gems!
anna_hepworth's review against another edition
3.0
This story, or related set of rambling philosophical attempts at myth, is pretty, and pleasant reading, but sadly unmemorable. It has taken me literal years to get through this slim piece, and while I had completely forgotten most all that had gone before, it didn‰ЫЄt seem to matter for the last little bit. More like reading fragments of prose poem than anything else.
charles_t's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. Quite a disappointing follow up to The Gods of Pegana.
That OG story, though overwritten, completely changed the way many authors of the early 20th century viewed fiction. It was one of the first major works to create an entirely new world. The Gods of Pegana focused on the gods of this universe first and foremost. It's still entertaining today.
But this feels a lot less focused and is hard to get through. The novelty of new places, deities and gods being created begins to wear off and it focuses more on the people of Dunsany's created cosmology. The people are very boring.
It took me 10 days to read this 70 page book.
That OG story, though overwritten, completely changed the way many authors of the early 20th century viewed fiction. It was one of the first major works to create an entirely new world. The Gods of Pegana focused on the gods of this universe first and foremost. It's still entertaining today.
But this feels a lot less focused and is hard to get through. The novelty of new places, deities and gods being created begins to wear off and it focuses more on the people of Dunsany's created cosmology. The people are very boring.
It took me 10 days to read this 70 page book.
italo_carlvino's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Dunsany is one of a kind, sui generis. Each of his stories is like a dark, heavy wine that you have to sip slowly.
sfian's review against another edition
2.0
When the Fantasy and SF Masterworks series came out I thought they would contain books that, as a huge fan of both genres, I SHOULD read. Sadly, there are more in both series that I don't get on with that those that I like.
In terms of fantasy novels, I don't know what it is about older ones that means I can read a page and not remember a single thing from it - the language, maybe, or the style of writing. This series also includes one of just three books that I haven't managed to complete at all.
Time And The Gods isn't the worst of the bunch but there are sections that I knew as I was reading them I wouldn't remember. I was, basically, just skimming over the lines, scanning each one but with no words going into my brain. Having said that, it isn't as difficult to read as some of the Masterworks and there are are a couple of stories that have stuck in my head, but they are almost Gothic horror rather than fantasy. In places the writing is evocative and atmospheric but in others it is, like so many of the books from earlier than (let's say) the 1960's, a dry and, to my mind, hard read.
In terms of fantasy novels, I don't know what it is about older ones that means I can read a page and not remember a single thing from it - the language, maybe, or the style of writing. This series also includes one of just three books that I haven't managed to complete at all.
Time And The Gods isn't the worst of the bunch but there are sections that I knew as I was reading them I wouldn't remember. I was, basically, just skimming over the lines, scanning each one but with no words going into my brain. Having said that, it isn't as difficult to read as some of the Masterworks and there are are a couple of stories that have stuck in my head, but they are almost Gothic horror rather than fantasy. In places the writing is evocative and atmospheric but in others it is, like so many of the books from earlier than (let's say) the 1960's, a dry and, to my mind, hard read.