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kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
2.0
Some of the stories are okay, but in many cases they feel a little dated. The ones about politics, however, are quite funny.
daniy's review against another edition
3.0
Book 15 / 30 days challenge
Some of these stories were charming, but most of them were boring or just meh.
It's ok, it's old fantasy, but I kinda wanted more of that old times whimsy :(
Some of these stories were charming, but most of them were boring or just meh.
It's ok, it's old fantasy, but I kinda wanted more of that old times whimsy :(
aramsamsam's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
colinandersbrodd's review against another edition
5.0
Tales of Wonder from an Appendix N Master
I continue delving into the short weird fiction of Lord Dunsany with the Book of Wonder, which seems to mostly concern fantasy and weird fiction crossovers between the dream worlds of Dunsany (which influenced Lovecraft's Dreamlands heavily) and the waking world of the author. Hence, many characters know both London and the fantastic realms of Dunsany's imagination. The imaginative fiction had clear influences on D&D as part of Appendix N (e.g., the gnolls, originally "gnoles," first appeared in one of these stories - the 2017 Free RPG Day offering for Dungeon Crawl Classics featured an homage to these origins, the short module "Gnole House") and other authors (particularly H.P. Lovecraft, of course). Great stuff.
I continue delving into the short weird fiction of Lord Dunsany with the Book of Wonder, which seems to mostly concern fantasy and weird fiction crossovers between the dream worlds of Dunsany (which influenced Lovecraft's Dreamlands heavily) and the waking world of the author. Hence, many characters know both London and the fantastic realms of Dunsany's imagination. The imaginative fiction had clear influences on D&D as part of Appendix N (e.g., the gnolls, originally "gnoles," first appeared in one of these stories - the 2017 Free RPG Day offering for Dungeon Crawl Classics featured an homage to these origins, the short module "Gnole House") and other authors (particularly H.P. Lovecraft, of course). Great stuff.
kopaka_nuva's review against another edition
4.0
The Book of Wonder is aptly-titled. Its potpourri of tales are not moving dramas, nor are they dense with intellectual themes; rather, each of them seems primarily designed to invoke a sense of wonder in the reader--a goal that might seem trivial, but which in truth is as important as its achievement is elusive. These stories have the power to awaken the feeling CS Lewis called Joy: a supremely pleasant longing for something beyond our experience that would vanish if it were fulfilled. (This is demonstrated particularly clearly in "The Wonderful Window.") Yet Dunsany is not a wide-eyed idealist: he is a bit of a cynic, as evidenced by the ironic twists many of these stories end with. But these twists don't (generally) undercut the sense of wonder: rather, they add to it by revealing to us how narrow and limited our expectations often are. That Dunsany is so capable of blending cynicism with wonder marks him as a great writer.
My one major critique of this collection, though, is that it ultimately does feel a bit lightweight. It's meant to be so, so perhaps I'm being unfair, but I just don't find it quite as satisfying as his more cohesive works like The King of Elfland's Daughter and The Gods of Pegana. From what I know of Dunsnay's personal life, it's no coincidence that he didn't write anything quite like this after the first World War: these are stories from a more innocent time, before the horrors of the 20th century forced mankind to confront evil on a scale unprecedented in history. Still, there are few books better described as wonderful than this.
My one major critique of this collection, though, is that it ultimately does feel a bit lightweight. It's meant to be so, so perhaps I'm being unfair, but I just don't find it quite as satisfying as his more cohesive works like The King of Elfland's Daughter and The Gods of Pegana. From what I know of Dunsnay's personal life, it's no coincidence that he didn't write anything quite like this after the first World War: these are stories from a more innocent time, before the horrors of the 20th century forced mankind to confront evil on a scale unprecedented in history. Still, there are few books better described as wonderful than this.
dibujared's review against another edition
Really enjoyed this! It wasn't until I read "How Nuth..." in The Weird anthology that I was interested in reading Dunsany's work; the Lovecraft stories in the Penguin collections that were allegedly inspired by Dunsany were among my least favorite. But I loved "How Nuth..." and decided to dig into more of his short stories. Glad I did! His stories have a sense of wonder and humor that remind me of classic fairy tales. In fact, I think it is this evocation of classic legends and tales but with an almost ironic and often dark twist that appeals to me so much. Bonus points for the intertextual references to other stories in the book, creating a sense of shared history and a firm establishment of setting.
My favorite stories in the book were: "Probable Adventure of the Three Literary Men," "The Loot of Bombasharna," "The Quest of the Queen's Tears," "The Hoard of the Gibbelins," and, of course, "How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art Upon the Gnoles."
My favorite stories in the book were: "Probable Adventure of the Three Literary Men," "The Loot of Bombasharna," "The Quest of the Queen's Tears," "The Hoard of the Gibbelins," and, of course, "How Nuth Would Have Practised His Art Upon the Gnoles."
unasbast's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
samuel_kane_horrigan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ehays84's review against another edition
4.0
One of the more unique books I have ever read. I know that he was an influence on the inklings, so I gave this one a read. It is a series of short fantasy tales about a little bit of everything written in an erudite and eccentric style. I would recommend it for a quick and fun read if you are a true fantasy fan.