by E.R. Eddison, James Stephens
Eddison wrote this somewhat marginalized fantasy classic as a 40-year old, but though he was a highly educated philologist when he committed it to paper, the story had been brewing in his mind for the better part of thirty years. I would like to say that the amount of time Eddison spent on the story...
A flawed classic of high fantasy. Notable for breaking ground where few had tread before in such a sweeping manner. Flawed by being primarily declamation and posturing with little character insight. For instance, why is Lord Gro always tempted to support the underdog? As such, it reads, especial...
The fantasy genre has become unfortunately muddled in recent history. For every Tolkien work you have a Shannara novel, for every Narnia you end up with an Eragon. Now I'm not an elitist type of reader. I don't disqualify a novel from being entertaining simply because it may be poorly written or a '...
The Worm Ouroboros! It goes around and around and around... and back around again!This is the story of the Lords of Demonland, their arch-foes the Lords of Witchland, various others (Lords of Goblinland and Impland and Pixyland et al), and their endless conflicts and political maneuverings and deeds...
this book is the Ulysses of SF - read an annotated edition.
This classic is an epic fantasy masterpiece. A perfect example that proves that works of this kind need not be sprawling volumes in sprawling series. Beautifully told (in an albeit antiquated prose style) and lusciously described it features everything that one might want including perilous journeys...
Housing Works Bookstore Fair! $1 books!I told the significant other that this was one of the first fantasy novels, and that it's so dense that most people can't get through it, and she was sold.
The Worm Ouroboros is probably my all time favorite Fantasy novel. It features some of the most beautiful language and memorable scenes of any novel in Fantasy. I will never forget the wrestling match between Goldry Bluszco and King Gorice XI, or when Gorice XII and Lord Gro attempt to summon a so...
Another love-it-or-hate-it book. Mannered in its language, weird in so many ways, and chock-full of larger than life characters acting in ways that most people just don't get. If you have a problem with something written in an archaic style, then you probably won't get much out of it, but if you lik...
Why read The Worm Ouroboros?Two reasons, chiefly. The first is that it’s fun; the second is that it’s a pleasure to read something whose author is so obviously in love with the English language, reveling in its intricacies.To the first reason, if you’re looking for strong, character-driven plots or ...
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