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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Lord Dunsany uses his masterful poetic prose to craft a story full of wonder and imagination. With each stroke of the quill, we are transported to the land of Erl, beautiful, immersive, and inspiring. Beyond the fields we know lays Elfland, a mythical land of mythical beings. Time flows differently there, as we are led to wonder what lies beyond. We are left to briefly glimpse the realm of the unknown, only to be stripped away far too soon and left to wander in the futile search for that which lies beyond comprehension. The world is etherial, full of whimsy, wonder, and longing for the unknown, to know that which can never be understood. For we are human, and to be human is to be curious.
And the theme of otherness permeates the entire story enhanced by writing as lyrical as a song. Each sentence is meaningful, each word carefully chosen, and this is not a story where even a single sentence should be skipped. After reading modern fantasy, full of bloat, unnecessary details, and painfully dull narration, The King of Elfland’s Daughter, published in 1924, was a delightfully refreshing read. It took me longer to read this 240 page book than it did to read the first two Wheel of Time books (almost 2,000 pages combined), in large part due to the intentionality of the language and the feeling that every single word is necessary to the story (the entire Wheel of Time series could be the length of the first book alone, and they might finally start to be good, but that review will be coming soon). This is a story where it is the journey, and not the destination, that is enthralling. A book to be savored, not rushed.
What I loved most of all is the immersiveness of the world. Erl and Elfland are just as vivid, just as real, more real even, than the worlds in modern high fantasy that fill the NYTBS and bombard the reader with useless details that detract from the expansiveness of the world rather than build it. The brevity makes the world more expansive, allowing the reader to fill in the gaps with their imagination, to relive the joy of early childhood make believe. And this is the only story I’ve read where the magic takes on a life of its own, and is just as much a character as Alveric or Lirazel or Orion.
This is a fairy tale, told in the style of old. There are no trope subversions as modern audiences expect, but this book is so masterfully crafted, the landscape so stunning, a subversion would only detract from its beauty. This book is a reminder that fantasy was alive long before Tolkien, and better written too, in a style that is captivating from the very first word (a book is not well written if, like Tolkien’s, even the fans argue “it takes nearly 1,000 pages to ‘understand’ the uniqueness of the style, but give it a chance, you’ll get it by the end of the third book”).
The King of Elfland’s Daughter is proof that a fantasy book can be a literary masterpiece. That vivid and expansive fantasy worlds existed long before modern fantasy authors, the likes of Sanderson and Martin, decided to strip fantasy of the wonder that is the beating heart of magic and imagination, and replace imagination with vapid, meandering, and irrelevant details, telling the reader what is rather trusting the reader to explore the world on their own. Most of all, this book is proof that fantasy writing doesn’t need to be staid, mundane, or formulaic, and that plot, no matter how good, cannot save a story lacking in style.
And the theme of otherness permeates the entire story enhanced by writing as lyrical as a song. Each sentence is meaningful, each word carefully chosen, and this is not a story where even a single sentence should be skipped. After reading modern fantasy, full of bloat, unnecessary details, and painfully dull narration, The King of Elfland’s Daughter, published in 1924, was a delightfully refreshing read. It took me longer to read this 240 page book than it did to read the first two Wheel of Time books (almost 2,000 pages combined), in large part due to the intentionality of the language and the feeling that every single word is necessary to the story (the entire Wheel of Time series could be the length of the first book alone, and they might finally start to be good, but that review will be coming soon). This is a story where it is the journey, and not the destination, that is enthralling. A book to be savored, not rushed.
What I loved most of all is the immersiveness of the world. Erl and Elfland are just as vivid, just as real, more real even, than the worlds in modern high fantasy that fill the NYTBS and bombard the reader with useless details that detract from the expansiveness of the world rather than build it. The brevity makes the world more expansive, allowing the reader to fill in the gaps with their imagination, to relive the joy of early childhood make believe. And this is the only story I’ve read where the magic takes on a life of its own, and is just as much a character as Alveric or Lirazel or Orion.
This is a fairy tale, told in the style of old. There are no trope subversions as modern audiences expect, but this book is so masterfully crafted, the landscape so stunning, a subversion would only detract from its beauty. This book is a reminder that fantasy was alive long before Tolkien, and better written too, in a style that is captivating from the very first word (a book is not well written if, like Tolkien’s, even the fans argue “it takes nearly 1,000 pages to ‘understand’ the uniqueness of the style, but give it a chance, you’ll get it by the end of the third book”).
The King of Elfland’s Daughter is proof that a fantasy book can be a literary masterpiece. That vivid and expansive fantasy worlds existed long before modern fantasy authors, the likes of Sanderson and Martin, decided to strip fantasy of the wonder that is the beating heart of magic and imagination, and replace imagination with vapid, meandering, and irrelevant details, telling the reader what is rather trusting the reader to explore the world on their own. Most of all, this book is proof that fantasy writing doesn’t need to be staid, mundane, or formulaic, and that plot, no matter how good, cannot save a story lacking in style.
Erl and Elfland are separated by a border that lets things slip past. When men of Elr had whished for a magical lord, the border became even more blurred...
Beautiful prose, beautiful book about wonder, magic, and wandering of one's self.
Beautiful prose, beautiful book about wonder, magic, and wandering of one's self.
So many wonderful things have been said by many more eloquent people about this gem, so I'll be brief. Dunsany shows us the limitless possibilities of the imagination. He relies more on the ethereal fairy tales and the mythic rather than the meticulous world-building of Tolkien and his imitators. The lyrical prose begs to be read slowly to drink in the text; I recommend reading it aloud like poetry if you are able. There were no genre conventions to adhere to or subvert in this pre-Tolkein era, and this is what makes this such a beautiful work. There was no precedent for what Dunsany accomplished, and there have been few books since that have as confidently ventured "beyond the fields we know."
adventurous
lighthearted
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
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s like Tolkien but older and not that great. But I loved it.
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The writing in this book is so magical, and so meaningfully muses on the themes of the time, that it forces you to view the restlessness of reality as a magical force.
I hesitate to say this book subverts fantasy tropes because from what I have heard, Dunsany influenced many of the most prominent figures in fantasy. I will say that my preconceptions of what a fantasy story could be, was subverted and I’m excited to read more work inspired by Lord Dunsany’s imaginative vision.
I hesitate to say this book subverts fantasy tropes because from what I have heard, Dunsany influenced many of the most prominent figures in fantasy. I will say that my preconceptions of what a fantasy story could be, was subverted and I’m excited to read more work inspired by Lord Dunsany’s imaginative vision.