Review: The King of Elfland's Daughter
Sep. 2nd, 2009 09:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
talkstowolvesA new edition of Cabinet des Fées is now live with many marvelous wonders therein! Not only is there a full complement of fascinating poetry and prose awaiting to ensnare you in Scheherezade's Bequest No. 8, but erzebet makes a number of pleasure-inducing announcements.
The first is that Cabinet des Fées will be adding an edition to the schedule, bringing your yearly infusion up to the magical number of three. Yes, a third again the number of excellent creativity and reviews!
Furthermore, the blog at Cabinet des Fées will shortly be more dynamic, featuring guest bloggers and interviews and short essays, oh my. Check out Erzebet's editorial to see who will be featured soon.
And, finally, I reviewed The King of Elfland's Daughter for this month's edition:
erzebet makes a number of pleasure-inducing announcements. The first is that Cabinet des Fées will be adding an edition to the schedule, bringing your yearly infusion up to the magical number of three. Yes, a third again the number of excellent creativity and reviews!
Furthermore, the blog at Cabinet des Fées will shortly be more dynamic, featuring guest bloggers and interviews and short essays, oh my. Check out Erzebet's editorial to see who will be featured soon.
And, finally, I reviewed The King of Elfland's Daughter for this month's edition:
Anyone truly interested in the heritage of modern fantasy literature can hardly have missed hearing the name Lord Dunsany: for it is this man, Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, who was one of the pioneers of the genre. Born in London on July 24th, 1878, he went on to be a marvelous jack of all trades — among them pistol-shooting champion, remarkable chess player, loyal and experienced soldier, and prolific writer — who produced over sixty books of plays, poems, essays, and stories during his lifetime. One of these books is The King of Elfland’s Daughter, written in 1924.
The King of Elfland’s Daughter begins with the plan of the Parliament of Erl to get themselves a “magic lord,” for they all desire their beloved valley to become great in the minds and memories of all men. Bowing to their fervent wish and sure of their foolishness, their Lord sends his only son into Elfland to find a bride there. Finding not only a bride but that a surprisingly long time has passed in the “fields we know,” young Alveric returns to rule in his father’s place and begets a son with his fair Lirazel: a son who has both the blood of the fields we know and of Elfland, beyond our ken. What follows is strange and terrible, earthly and fey. Lirazel blows away, unicorns are hunted for sport, all manner of fiendish fairies cavort among the homes of men, Alveric becomes a grey wanderer, and a witch sweeps out the world. [Read the rest of the review at this link.]