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A review by zach_collins
The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison
3.0
Compared to fantasy classics like The Hobbit and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Worm Ouroboros is a different kind of fantasy novel. In fact, calling it a novel might be a little misleading; the long, descriptive passages, arcane language and themes of conflict and glory make Ouroboros feel more like an Old Norse epic than a modern fantasy novel. Some may consider this a bad thing, but I think this was my favorite part about reading Ouroboros. Fantasy stories are supposed to take part in fully formed worlds different from our own, and even though I didn’t particularly like the ending, I found myself wanting full immersion into this alternate world of heroes, legends and gods.
But this book isn’t flawless, and these flaws do a lot to keep the audience at arms length. Ouroboros starts with a bizarre dreamlike sequence where a man goes to sleep in a special bedroom and is transported to the planet Mercury where a talking bird informs him that he is invisible before narrating the events of the story as they unfold. However, not three chapters into the story, Eddison suddenly stops identifying the two narrators. The man, the bird and the special bedroom are never mentioned again in the entire novel, not even a hint is given to suggest the ultimate fate of the transported man and the talking bird.
The biggest complaint I have is over Eddison’s choice of names for the characters and places in Ouroboros. The kingdoms in Ouroboros are called of Demonland, Witchland, Goblinland, Impland and Pixieland, but they are all inhabited by surprisingly normal humans called Demons, Witches, Goblins, etc. The Demons of Demonland have small horns, the king of Witchland casts spells and some people have tails but never once was there an actual demon, witch, goblin, imp or pixie. It took a while to get used to reading about clashes between armies of Witches and Demons that had no trace of a demon or a witch, and it took even longer to get used to the good guys (well, not really good guys, but the protagonists) being called Demons. Also, the characters themselves have incredibly dumb names like Gro, Sriva, Spitfire, Vizz and Bradoch Daha. Something as superficial as names shouldn’t detract too much from a book, but when the book sometimes reads like a long list of names, bad names can quickly become grating.
If the rest of Ourodoros wasn’t so ornate and meticulously detailed, I’d accuse Eddison of being sloppy and careless, misplacing narrators and making up names on the fly. The fascinating language and grand scope went a long way toward making The Worm Ouroboros an enjoyable fantasy story, but the weak points are huge distractions.
But this book isn’t flawless, and these flaws do a lot to keep the audience at arms length. Ouroboros starts with a bizarre dreamlike sequence where a man goes to sleep in a special bedroom and is transported to the planet Mercury where a talking bird informs him that he is invisible before narrating the events of the story as they unfold. However, not three chapters into the story, Eddison suddenly stops identifying the two narrators. The man, the bird and the special bedroom are never mentioned again in the entire novel, not even a hint is given to suggest the ultimate fate of the transported man and the talking bird.
The biggest complaint I have is over Eddison’s choice of names for the characters and places in Ouroboros. The kingdoms in Ouroboros are called of Demonland, Witchland, Goblinland, Impland and Pixieland, but they are all inhabited by surprisingly normal humans called Demons, Witches, Goblins, etc. The Demons of Demonland have small horns, the king of Witchland casts spells and some people have tails but never once was there an actual demon, witch, goblin, imp or pixie. It took a while to get used to reading about clashes between armies of Witches and Demons that had no trace of a demon or a witch, and it took even longer to get used to the good guys (well, not really good guys, but the protagonists) being called Demons. Also, the characters themselves have incredibly dumb names like Gro, Sriva, Spitfire, Vizz and Bradoch Daha. Something as superficial as names shouldn’t detract too much from a book, but when the book sometimes reads like a long list of names, bad names can quickly become grating.
If the rest of Ourodoros wasn’t so ornate and meticulously detailed, I’d accuse Eddison of being sloppy and careless, misplacing narrators and making up names on the fly. The fascinating language and grand scope went a long way toward making The Worm Ouroboros an enjoyable fantasy story, but the weak points are huge distractions.