Comments on: A Dunsanian Diptych http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/a-dunsanian-diptych/ A literary blog Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:42:23 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Max Cairnduff http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/a-dunsanian-diptych/#comment-532 Max Cairnduff Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:01:55 +0000 http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/?p=419#comment-532 Swelter, Thanks for that, I've always been nervous about Ourobouros because of the prose, and because oddly enough I tried it as a teenager and was less successful with it than you were. It's useful to know the others don't hold up so well, but this one does. I'll look out a copy and add it to my to be read pile. Great comment by the way, very informative. Swelter,

Thanks for that, I’ve always been nervous about Ourobouros because of the prose, and because oddly enough I tried it as a teenager and was less successful with it than you were.

It’s useful to know the others don’t hold up so well, but this one does. I’ll look out a copy and add it to my to be read pile.

Great comment by the way, very informative.

]]> By: Swelter http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/a-dunsanian-diptych/#comment-527 Swelter Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:44:51 +0000 http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/?p=419#comment-527 Hi Max, "Swelter" from the guardian website comments. I couldn’t reply to your question about Eddison there, so found my way to your website, which I am greatly enjoying. I would strongly recommend reading The Worm Ouroboros, especially given your admiration for Dunsany. I originally read Eddison back in the late 60s when I was 13, along with Dunsany, Peake, and other older fantasy authors then coming back into print in the wake of Tolkien. I remembered Worm as being slow going but with enough narrative drive to keep me reading. As for his Zimiamvian books (Mistress of Mistresses and A Fish Dinner at Memison), though I got through them shortly after reading Worm, I felt that the characters’ sexual and philosophical pursuits were a bit too adult for my experience and perceptions at that time. The sexual element was not at all pornographic, but it was at a level of sensibility that I could not relate to at that age. A few years ago I re-read Eddison. Getting into the first chapter of the Worm, I thought I had made a mistake – the prose was so thick I was sure I would shortly find myself immobilized by it, but without too much perseverance I got through the “wrastling” match in chapter 2 and I found myself caught up in the story, reading through to the end with great pleasure. Lord Gro in this book is one of the great characters of fantasy, a contrast and foil to the heroic and villainous crew that makes up the rest of the cast. Eddison’s other books did not fare so well on re-reading; Mistress of Mistresses does have a war going on, which sustains interest, and the Vicar is a great villain, but it and Fish Dinner have longueurs which I did not find in The Worm. Hi Max, “Swelter” from the guardian website comments. I couldn’t reply to your question about Eddison there, so found my way to your website, which I am greatly enjoying.
I would strongly recommend reading The Worm Ouroboros, especially given your admiration for Dunsany. I originally read Eddison back in the late 60s when I was 13, along with Dunsany, Peake, and other older fantasy authors then coming back into print in the wake of Tolkien. I remembered Worm as being slow going but with enough narrative drive to keep me reading. As for his Zimiamvian books (Mistress of Mistresses and A Fish Dinner at Memison), though I got through them shortly after reading Worm, I felt that the characters’ sexual and philosophical pursuits were a bit too adult for my experience and perceptions at that time. The sexual element was not at all pornographic, but it was at a level of sensibility that I could not relate to at that age. A few years ago I re-read Eddison. Getting into the first chapter of the Worm, I thought I had made a mistake – the prose was so thick I was sure I would shortly find myself immobilized by it, but without too much perseverance I got through the “wrastling” match in chapter 2 and I found myself caught up in the story, reading through to the end with great pleasure. Lord Gro in this book is one of the great characters of fantasy, a contrast and foil to the heroic and villainous crew that makes up the rest of the cast. Eddison’s other books did not fare so well on re-reading; Mistress of Mistresses does have a war going on, which sustains interest, and the Vicar is a great villain, but it and Fish Dinner have longueurs which I did not find in The Worm.

]]> By: Max Cairnduff http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/a-dunsanian-diptych/#comment-243 Max Cairnduff Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:40:43 +0000 http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/?p=419#comment-243 It is, isn't it? Dunsany is I think now a much neglected writer, showing what the fantasy genre used to be capable of. I still find the small gods story very funny though, which is why it's my favourite of this collection. It is, isn’t it? Dunsany is I think now a much neglected writer, showing what the fantasy genre used to be capable of.

I still find the small gods story very funny though, which is why it’s my favourite of this collection.

]]> By: Jonathan M http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/a-dunsanian-diptych/#comment-241 Jonathan M Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:07:18 +0000 http://pechorinsjournal.wordpress.com/?p=419#comment-241 "The Gibbelins eat, as is well known, nothing less good than man" ...is a great line :-) “The Gibbelins eat, as is well known, nothing less good than man”

…is a great line :-)

]]>