The Worm Ouroboros (Forgotten Books)
by Eric Rucker Eddison
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Book Summary Information
Author: Eric Rucker EddisonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-05-07
ISBN: 1606201751
Number of pages: 458
Publisher: Forgotten Books
Book Reviews of The Worm Ouroboros (Forgotten Books)
Book Review: A grandparent of Speculative Fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
Don't believe the hype!
This book is accessible, anyone with decent vocabulary skills can deduce the meanings of some of the words used, and the ones that escape can be looked up later.
This book draws heavily on modified Jacobian english, and even middle english in some of its prose, and so common words (sword) can take on their more archaic forms (swerde). I found this to be moving personally. It somehow hallowed what I was reading, in the same way as works like Fairy Queen and The Divine Comedy feel hallowed. When it comes to it, this is more than simply a work of heroic fiction, although, that is the form it takes. It is a commentary on western culture that has left its mark on a century, and will likely endure along with its contemporaries into the foreseeable future.
The book itself boils down to this for me; viewing a dream you had as a child after you are grown.
Eddison began what would be precursors to this story when he was only 10 (drawings, names and outlines). Later in life, even though he was a master interpreter of Norse sagas, and middle and early english text, he chose to deliberately use very loose and poorly suited place and surnames. He used the visions from his childhood, really used those names to focus those childish feelings of purity and clarity of vision into a more complex world view.
The theme of this book is the cyclically of all things, and if our childhood dies when we realize that we will as well one day, then this book tries to raise those ideals and dreams from the dead. It is a fulfilling experience, and as speculative fiction goes, almost as introspective, and richly worded as the genre can go before you almost have to classify it as something else entirely.
Cheers
Summary of The Worm Ouroboros (Forgotten Books)
"The Worm Ourorobos is second only to the Lord of the Rings in the pantheon of 20th century English fantasy. E.R. Eddison, who moved in the same literary circles as Tolkien, was praised by Tolkien as "The greatest and most convincing writer of 'invented worlds' that I have read".
The Worm Ourorbos was originally published in a very limited and now very rare edition in 1922 (a used first edition recently listed for $3,750). Eddison wrote three sequels set in roughly the same universe, but none of them have the sustained pacing and invention of Ouroboros.
Before diving in, there are a few things to be aware of. The rich language Eddison uses is based on Tudor and Jacobean English, with some modern anachronisms; it may take some getting used to, and occasionally a trip to the unabridged Oxford English Dictionary. The narrator, one Lessingham, who appears in a very brief framing sequence, disappears a few dozen pages in. The book is set on Mercury; however, keep in mind this is not science fiction, so this is not literally the planet Mercury. Eddison on several occasions in the body of the book calls the world 'Middle Earth', and the setting is recognizably the Midgard of the Norse myths and sagas, although for some unexplained reason the denizens worship the Greek pantheon. The cast of characters, like Tolkien, are principally masculine, albeit with a couple of standout female leads. And lastly the various nationalities (Demons, Witches, Pixies, Imps, etc.) are not really separate species as in Tolkien; they are all essentially humans." (Quote from sacred-texts.com)
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion and Mythology. http://www.forgottenbooks.org
Forgotten Books is about sharing knowledge, not about making money. Our books are priced at wh
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