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franklyfrank's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
cubehead27's review against another edition
Ideally I'll still read this at some point in the future, but the language is too dense to make an audiobook at all practical, so I'm putting it off until I have access to a physical copy.
showell's review against another edition
I picked this up because I read somewhere that Morris inspired Tolkien, invented the Celtic fantasy, etc. etc. Seemed important. Sadly it is written in a faux-epic style that I'm willing to put up with when reading, say, Beowulf, but it remains to be seen whether I can stomach this just for the sake of reading an author reputed to have inspired Tolkien. Right now it seems to me most likely that he inspired Tolkien in the sense that Tolkien read Morris and said, "Hey I can do this MUCH better!"
tollkeen's review against another edition
3.0
If anyone considers reading it, I would recommend giving the first ten or so pages a try. If you think Tolkien is apt to writing prose in an archaic way, Morris will make you more sympathetic to Tolkien.
It’s absolutely dense, but it’s also a really interesting example of sort of proto-fantasy that might make you look at more modern (like post 1900) stuff in a new light. The story itself does also pick up around the halfway point. The Hall-Sun and Wood-Sun were both really interesting and unique characters, especially for the publishing era.
All that being said, I don’t think I could make it through the density of the book again.
It’s absolutely dense, but it’s also a really interesting example of sort of proto-fantasy that might make you look at more modern (like post 1900) stuff in a new light. The story itself does also pick up around the halfway point. The Hall-Sun and Wood-Sun were both really interesting and unique characters, especially for the publishing era.
All that being said, I don’t think I could make it through the density of the book again.
baddogjordan's review against another edition
4.0
Great read. While the plot is not extraordinary and is more or less the story you expect it to be, what IS special are the scene descriptions. Extremely cinematic and vivid. A pleasure to read.
bartlebybleaney's review against another edition
1.0
Very disappointed. Put it down a third of the way through. The verse bits are just unbearably plodding. You know a book has failed you (or you it, I suppose) when you give up in the middle of a battle scene. *yawn*
bobbytrucktricks's review against another edition
4.0
I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy reading this as much as I liked the idea of it, and that its age would make it too inaccessible, but that ended up not being the case at all. I found it enjoyable and very readable. The archaic vocabulary, which I think was probably archaic when it was written, helps to build the mythic feeling of the story.
octoberdad's review against another edition
3.0
William Morris discovered the most tedious way to tell a story, and he demonstrated his discovery in "A Tale of the House of the Wolfings." I find it hard to believe that he was once offered the office of Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland, upon the death of Lord Tennyson, given how poor the meter and rhyme of his verse in this book is — perhaps the council which presented it to him did so in jest. I applaud Morris for turning it down on the pretense of political differences rather than merit.
That said, I still give this book 3 stars (perhaps beyond my better judgment), because if one can get past Morris's absurd archaicism and defective balladry, the story is actually fairly engaging. Perhaps this supports C.S. Lewis's argument in [b:An Experiment in Criticism|80007|An Experiment in Criticism (Canto)|C.S. Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347790855s/80007.jpg|77261] that some stories are universal, regardless of their form.
That said, I still give this book 3 stars (perhaps beyond my better judgment), because if one can get past Morris's absurd archaicism and defective balladry, the story is actually fairly engaging. Perhaps this supports C.S. Lewis's argument in [b:An Experiment in Criticism|80007|An Experiment in Criticism (Canto)|C.S. Lewis|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347790855s/80007.jpg|77261] that some stories are universal, regardless of their form.
smcleish's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Considered the first modern fantasy novel, and an acknowledged inspiration for Tolkien, this book is now put in the shade by many of those which followed it (including some also written by William Morris).
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