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seanwpace's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wanted to give Moorcock a chance and my library had this so it seemed like as good a place to start as any.
To echo what other people have said, these are among Moorcock's earliest stories, so they can be a little rough, but you can tell even from here that there is a strong foundation. The first half, in particular, isn't very strong, but there is noticeable improvement in the Stormbringer half. There are some unfortunate instances of Men Writing Women as Moorcock was in his early 20s and writing in the landscape of '60s short fiction. But I hear his women characters and treatment of them gets better as time goes on.
I find the character of Elric and the setting to be very intriguing, and if it can only get better from here, I will be reading more. I will say, though, that reading this particular collection has complicated my plan for reading the rest of the series since it jumps around the chronology and collects stories that are grouped very differently in other publications. But it hasn't deterred me.
To echo what other people have said, these are among Moorcock's earliest stories, so they can be a little rough, but you can tell even from here that there is a strong foundation. The first half, in particular, isn't very strong, but there is noticeable improvement in the Stormbringer half. There are some unfortunate instances of Men Writing Women as Moorcock was in his early 20s and writing in the landscape of '60s short fiction. But I hear his women characters and treatment of them gets better as time goes on.
I find the character of Elric and the setting to be very intriguing, and if it can only get better from here, I will be reading more. I will say, though, that reading this particular collection has complicated my plan for reading the rest of the series since it jumps around the chronology and collects stories that are grouped very differently in other publications. But it hasn't deterred me.
jameshaus's review against another edition
5.0
Read for the second time. I resonate with this moody weirdo so much. Also, i love moorcock's particular brand of weird.
pidgevorg's review
4.0
Five stars for the stories in “Stealer of Souls”, three for the “Stormbringer” novella, because trying to retrofit Elric into the whole Eternal Champion scheme was just too absurd. It's like trying to fit a tentacly, Cthulhu-shaped peg into a square hole. Elric as the leader of the free world and harbinger of a universe of order? Give me a break...
The Elric books have a very special place in my heart--they're the only source of conspiracy theories in my life. Some people cherish conspiracy theories about the Kennedys, some about Princes Di, some about Obama's birth certificate. I never understood those types of people--that is, until I read the Elric stories. Now I totally get the appeal. I have been converted into the conspiracy camp. You don't believe me? Here is a rant to prove it, complete with arguments with my imaginary opponents. (This is really a summary of plot and themes, I swear...)
Yes I know that Elric is supposed to be a tragic antihero, a helpless, doomed victim of his evil sword, a pawn of cruel fate which made him an Eternal Champion, yada yada. Well, I'm not buying any of that. He's clearly the villain of every story he's in, a sociopath and an evil necromancer who destroys people for fun, even whole civilizations when he's especially bored, until he finally causes the destruction of the whole world. Why do I think so? Because of Michael Moorcock--the way he says one thing about Elric (but always with what seems like hidden sarcasm) and then goes on to show him to be something else completely.
Elric is the Eternal Champion destined to stop the Lords of Chaos from taking over the world? Really? Who was it who called these Lords in the first place? It seems that summoning the Princes of Chaos was a lost art, until, that is, clever Elric figured it out and proceeded to summon Arioch to the material plane every time he stubbed a toe. And then mysteriously all these other mortal sorcerers just happen to come into contact with the Princes of Chaos. Coincidence? I think not. Oh, but wait, I hear someone say, Elric only summoned him because he was desperate to save his fiancée. That's why he called Arioch and retrieved that evil sword in the first place. Yes, he supposedly did it to save Cymoril and thwart his evil cousin's attempt to take over the throne... And then he left that same fiancée hanging and handed his cousin the throne, and went off to “explore” the Young Kingdoms, which mostly involved him getting into fights and using that evil sword to suck out people's souls. I say that he left because he was bored and wanted to play with his new evil toy. Oh, but wait, someone says, he only uses that sword because without it he would be physically weak and even die. Really? He was doing just fine without it before. And what is that horrible illness of his anyway? He claims it's albinism. Really? Is there something about poor eyesight and higher risk of skin cancer that would make him drop dead on the spot? It's obviously something else, something he's trying to keep secret... Something like being an undead evil necromancer who must feed on souls to survive, maybe? And when he gets bored with terrorizing the Young Kingdoms, he comes back and destroys his homeland. It's all to save Cymoril, of course, except then he kills her. Oops. But wait, someone says, his sword did it, it has an evil will of its own. Poor Elric, as the Eternal Champion he gets re-absorbed into the sword and is destined to be resurrected over and over to wield it. So Elric is the sword, the sword is Elric. Potato, potahto. Whether the willpower is contained in the sword or the man, they're obviously one entity, and thus he's the one responsible.
That's the beauty of these stories--they present the seemingly straightforward high fantasy theme “guy with magic sword must save world”--but with a wicked twist. It's not the hero's journey you are following along, but really a villain's schemes. You get drawn into it inadvertently, and before you know it, you can't help but sympathize with the villain's point of view, which is something like “I was just minding my own business, manipulating and mocking people, stealing their money, sucking out their souls, summoning evil chaos demons, destroying civilizations, you know, normal everyday stuff, and then for some reason the world just fell out of balance and into chaos. I have no idea how it happened and I certainly had nothing to do with it. It must have been those upstart humans from the Young Kingdoms. The minute me and my evil empire stop torturing and enslaving them, they try to imitate us. I swear, give some guys an inch...” And you know, right from the very beginning, that this Elric guy is pure evil, but you don't care because he's so fascinating, and you just can't wait to see what moral lapse he's going to stumble into next, and what whining excuses he'll make for himself this time.
So, Michael Moorcock, thanks for your insightful essays--the bonus material in this edition--some of which claim that Elric is really a well-meaning guy who just happens to go through bouts of existential angst. Sorry, I don't believe you. I'm sure you were saying it tongue in cheek... These stories are too brilliant, Elric is just too delicious as a villain, and I have spent too many hours cackling with evil glee over his “heroic” exploits. There is no going back now.
The Elric books have a very special place in my heart--they're the only source of conspiracy theories in my life. Some people cherish conspiracy theories about the Kennedys, some about Princes Di, some about Obama's birth certificate. I never understood those types of people--that is, until I read the Elric stories. Now I totally get the appeal. I have been converted into the conspiracy camp. You don't believe me? Here is a rant to prove it, complete with arguments with my imaginary opponents. (This is really a summary of plot and themes, I swear...)
Yes I know that Elric is supposed to be a tragic antihero, a helpless, doomed victim of his evil sword, a pawn of cruel fate which made him an Eternal Champion, yada yada. Well, I'm not buying any of that. He's clearly the villain of every story he's in, a sociopath and an evil necromancer who destroys people for fun, even whole civilizations when he's especially bored, until he finally causes the destruction of the whole world. Why do I think so? Because of Michael Moorcock--the way he says one thing about Elric (but always with what seems like hidden sarcasm) and then goes on to show him to be something else completely.
Elric is the Eternal Champion destined to stop the Lords of Chaos from taking over the world? Really? Who was it who called these Lords in the first place? It seems that summoning the Princes of Chaos was a lost art, until, that is, clever Elric figured it out and proceeded to summon Arioch to the material plane every time he stubbed a toe. And then mysteriously all these other mortal sorcerers just happen to come into contact with the Princes of Chaos. Coincidence? I think not. Oh, but wait, I hear someone say, Elric only summoned him because he was desperate to save his fiancée. That's why he called Arioch and retrieved that evil sword in the first place. Yes, he supposedly did it to save Cymoril and thwart his evil cousin's attempt to take over the throne... And then he left that same fiancée hanging and handed his cousin the throne, and went off to “explore” the Young Kingdoms, which mostly involved him getting into fights and using that evil sword to suck out people's souls. I say that he left because he was bored and wanted to play with his new evil toy. Oh, but wait, someone says, he only uses that sword because without it he would be physically weak and even die. Really? He was doing just fine without it before. And what is that horrible illness of his anyway? He claims it's albinism. Really? Is there something about poor eyesight and higher risk of skin cancer that would make him drop dead on the spot? It's obviously something else, something he's trying to keep secret... Something like being an undead evil necromancer who must feed on souls to survive, maybe? And when he gets bored with terrorizing the Young Kingdoms, he comes back and destroys his homeland. It's all to save Cymoril, of course, except then he kills her. Oops. But wait, someone says, his sword did it, it has an evil will of its own. Poor Elric, as the Eternal Champion he gets re-absorbed into the sword and is destined to be resurrected over and over to wield it. So Elric is the sword, the sword is Elric. Potato, potahto. Whether the willpower is contained in the sword or the man, they're obviously one entity, and thus he's the one responsible.
That's the beauty of these stories--they present the seemingly straightforward high fantasy theme “guy with magic sword must save world”--but with a wicked twist. It's not the hero's journey you are following along, but really a villain's schemes. You get drawn into it inadvertently, and before you know it, you can't help but sympathize with the villain's point of view, which is something like “I was just minding my own business, manipulating and mocking people, stealing their money, sucking out their souls, summoning evil chaos demons, destroying civilizations, you know, normal everyday stuff, and then for some reason the world just fell out of balance and into chaos. I have no idea how it happened and I certainly had nothing to do with it. It must have been those upstart humans from the Young Kingdoms. The minute me and my evil empire stop torturing and enslaving them, they try to imitate us. I swear, give some guys an inch...” And you know, right from the very beginning, that this Elric guy is pure evil, but you don't care because he's so fascinating, and you just can't wait to see what moral lapse he's going to stumble into next, and what whining excuses he'll make for himself this time.
So, Michael Moorcock, thanks for your insightful essays--the bonus material in this edition--some of which claim that Elric is really a well-meaning guy who just happens to go through bouts of existential angst. Sorry, I don't believe you. I'm sure you were saying it tongue in cheek... These stories are too brilliant, Elric is just too delicious as a villain, and I have spent too many hours cackling with evil glee over his “heroic” exploits. There is no going back now.
blackbird9805's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jpwright87's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ronsos's review
3.0
I enjoyed the short stories but the novellas less so. It was interesting to see the similarities and influences on fantasy works that came after. A well known one is D&D. Elric is basically the OG of the Warlock class. Also the Eastern influenced cosmology, common in fantasy.
ashleylm's review
2.0
I only got about halfway, before it was due back (interlibrary loan), and I can't say I was too broken-up about it. I'll seek out whichever is supposedly the best volume, and give it a read in the future, but this collection of stories didn't impress too much.
A) Elric is supposedly this wonderfully atypical protagonist, who is forced to kill against his will by his sentient sword (or so I was given to understand). Instead, he's pretty ruthless, apparently destroying what was left of his entire nation (men murdered, women enslaved, buildings destroyed) because he was mad at his cousin. He continues in a mostly amoral fashion throughout.
B) He's (again, my understanding of him) apparently weak, and hooked on either his sword's power or drugs to give him strength. Well, sure, but since he always has his sword and/or drugs, he's basically no different from anyone else.
C) The writing is flowerly, the characterization is slim-to-none, and the plots no advance over 1930s pulp. My comparison, I'm reading the complete Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series, and they feel fresh as the day, enjoyable, lively, with wonderful evocative place settings and nifty plot turns, I'm loving them, and poor Elric pales in comparison.
I gather these are early works, which is why I'm willing to find the best, and give it a whirl.
Oh, and I was particularly excited for this edition because it's illustrated ... but the illustrator seems to have no eye for fantasy whatsoever. He mostly likes drawing people's faces. It's dispiriting to see the Rachel haircut from friends, or an apparently hideous creature (Elric's sidekick, Moonglum) look like a normal teenager. When I think of the great fantasy illustrators of the past, Sidney Sime, Arthur Rackham, or more current artists like Thomas Canty, or Ashe Samuels, and what they could have done with this, it's disspiriting.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
A) Elric is supposedly this wonderfully atypical protagonist, who is forced to kill against his will by his sentient sword (or so I was given to understand). Instead, he's pretty ruthless, apparently destroying what was left of his entire nation (men murdered, women enslaved, buildings destroyed) because he was mad at his cousin. He continues in a mostly amoral fashion throughout.
B) He's (again, my understanding of him) apparently weak, and hooked on either his sword's power or drugs to give him strength. Well, sure, but since he always has his sword and/or drugs, he's basically no different from anyone else.
C) The writing is flowerly, the characterization is slim-to-none, and the plots no advance over 1930s pulp. My comparison, I'm reading the complete Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series, and they feel fresh as the day, enjoyable, lively, with wonderful evocative place settings and nifty plot turns, I'm loving them, and poor Elric pales in comparison.
I gather these are early works, which is why I'm willing to find the best, and give it a whirl.
Oh, and I was particularly excited for this edition because it's illustrated ... but the illustrator seems to have no eye for fantasy whatsoever. He mostly likes drawing people's faces. It's dispiriting to see the Rachel haircut from friends, or an apparently hideous creature (Elric's sidekick, Moonglum) look like a normal teenager. When I think of the great fantasy illustrators of the past, Sidney Sime, Arthur Rackham, or more current artists like Thomas Canty, or Ashe Samuels, and what they could have done with this, it's disspiriting.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
allegedmusician's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
devon_marie's review
Meh.
That pretty much sums up my feelings on this book. I only made it about 100 pages in... I was just so bored. Maybe it gets better, but for me, I've got too many books in my to-read shelf to bother with something I struggle to read every time I pick it up. Maybe I'll give it another chance in the future, but for right now the prose, characters, and overall plot left me too apathetic to continue.
That pretty much sums up my feelings on this book. I only made it about 100 pages in... I was just so bored. Maybe it gets better, but for me, I've got too many books in my to-read shelf to bother with something I struggle to read every time I pick it up. Maybe I'll give it another chance in the future, but for right now the prose, characters, and overall plot left me too apathetic to continue.
jrug's review
2.0
2.5 stars
I feel like I should apologize for not getting this book. Moorcock and the Elric stories come highly recommended from a lot of different sources, and the experience of reading this volume mostly left me wondering why.
Moorcock's style in these stories doesn't sit very well with me. He uses a kind of hyperbolic, trope-laden, fantasy-cliche speak. My first reaction to the opening paragraphs was that it was a bit, and there was some sort of parody I was missing.
Seriously, help me out - did I miss something?
To Moorcock's credit, it's not an un-alleviated groan fest. He does know how to craft an entertaining story, and, when you can get past the prose, Elric is an interesting character. It's just that I spent large sections of the book unable to get past the prose. So, if that's your sort of thing, or if you feel a compulsion, as I do, to read as many of the foundational works of science fiction and fantasy as possible, give it a try. I guess.
I feel like I should apologize for not getting this book. Moorcock and the Elric stories come highly recommended from a lot of different sources, and the experience of reading this volume mostly left me wondering why.
Moorcock's style in these stories doesn't sit very well with me. He uses a kind of hyperbolic, trope-laden, fantasy-cliche speak. My first reaction to the opening paragraphs was that it was a bit, and there was some sort of parody I was missing.
Seriously, help me out - did I miss something?
To Moorcock's credit, it's not an un-alleviated groan fest. He does know how to craft an entertaining story, and, when you can get past the prose, Elric is an interesting character. It's just that I spent large sections of the book unable to get past the prose. So, if that's your sort of thing, or if you feel a compulsion, as I do, to read as many of the foundational works of science fiction and fantasy as possible, give it a try. I guess.