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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
This story just wasn't working for me. The characters were very fairy tale-like. The narrator kept a very distant view from them and events happened very rapidly. I never felt like I cared for the characters and what was happening in the story.
slow-paced
I wanted to give this book a higher score since it is a rare opportunity to experience the worlds of Lord Dunsany in long form. However, reading it I recall Lovecraft's statement that the aesthetic can be hard to maintain outside of a short story. (Lovecraft's statement was about the weird horror aesthetic of his own work, as well as of similar writers; however, I believe it also applies to Dunsian fantasy.) For me, the plot began to drag about halfway through.
The problem is, I don't believe these sorts of stories fall into either a plot driven or a character driven story. They are aesthetic driven stories. In short form, you can get away with a weak plot or weak characters, but in long form, it's harder to pull off. Even those Dunsian elements that make this sort of fantasy so enjoyable, such as the setting, the language, and the creatures, didn't work as well for me.
This reminds me of Lovecraft's [b:The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath|722667|The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath|H.P. Lovecraft|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1293312354l/722667._SY75_.jpg|926162], which also loses some of the power of the aesthetic (although I did enjoy Dream Quest far more than The King of Elfland's Daughter). Sadly, I would only recommend this book for Dunsany fans; if you haven't read his work before, his short stories are a far better introduction.
The problem is, I don't believe these sorts of stories fall into either a plot driven or a character driven story. They are aesthetic driven stories. In short form, you can get away with a weak plot or weak characters, but in long form, it's harder to pull off. Even those Dunsian elements that make this sort of fantasy so enjoyable, such as the setting, the language, and the creatures, didn't work as well for me.
This reminds me of Lovecraft's [b:The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath|722667|The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath|H.P. Lovecraft|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1293312354l/722667._SY75_.jpg|926162], which also loses some of the power of the aesthetic (although I did enjoy Dream Quest far more than The King of Elfland's Daughter). Sadly, I would only recommend this book for Dunsany fans; if you haven't read his work before, his short stories are a far better introduction.
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautifully written
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
I've read that Edward Plunkett, Lord Dunsany, wrote with a quill, filling page after page just letting the words flow. That is how The King of Elfland's Daughter reads, a tone poem of fantasy, magic, and words. The story meanders on a river of prose, some of it somewhat archaic but always beautiful.
This is high fantasy at its best. An earthling prince falls in love with an Elf princess and brings her away from her kingdom. They have a son, part magic and part human. But life in fantasies is never smooth.
This is a small book but took me some time to read, partly because I often stopped to savor the prose.
"And her voice had the music that, of earthly things, was most like ice in thousands of broken pieces rocked by a wind of Spring upon lakes in some northern country."
Dunsany was hailed as the "Kings of Dreams". I think this passage from this book illustrates his writing best:
"And little he knew of the things that ink may do, how it can mark a dead man's thought for the wonder of later years, and tell of happenings that are gone clean away, and be a voice for us out of the dark of time, and save many a fragile thing from the pounding of heavy ages; or carry to us, over the rolling centuries, even a song from lips long dead on forgotten hills."
This is high fantasy at its best. An earthling prince falls in love with an Elf princess and brings her away from her kingdom. They have a son, part magic and part human. But life in fantasies is never smooth.
This is a small book but took me some time to read, partly because I often stopped to savor the prose.
"And her voice had the music that, of earthly things, was most like ice in thousands of broken pieces rocked by a wind of Spring upon lakes in some northern country."
Dunsany was hailed as the "Kings of Dreams". I think this passage from this book illustrates his writing best:
"And little he knew of the things that ink may do, how it can mark a dead man's thought for the wonder of later years, and tell of happenings that are gone clean away, and be a voice for us out of the dark of time, and save many a fragile thing from the pounding of heavy ages; or carry to us, over the rolling centuries, even a song from lips long dead on forgotten hills."
I really didn't like this book much. I wanted to like it; expected to like it mainly because my friends who I invariably agree with loved it.
There is no doubt that the writing is beautifull and sometimes that alone is enough to enthrall me. It was also very repetitive and it's lyrical quality couldn't compensate for the dullness of the story. There was no character development as they remained these type of storybook cardboard cutouts with no growth or emotions at all. I am disappointed but it just wasn't for me.
There is no doubt that the writing is beautifull and sometimes that alone is enough to enthrall me. It was also very repetitive and it's lyrical quality couldn't compensate for the dullness of the story. There was no character development as they remained these type of storybook cardboard cutouts with no growth or emotions at all. I am disappointed but it just wasn't for me.
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No