The King of Elfland's Daughter: A Novel (Del Rey Impact) - Softcover

Lord Dunsany

Softcover

ISBN 10: 034543191X ISBN 13: 9780345431912

Publisher: Del Rey, 1999

Synopsis

“No amount of mere description can convey more than a fraction of Lord Dunsany's pervasive charm.”—H.P. Lovecraft

With an introduction by Neil Gaiman

The poetic style and sweeping grandeur of The King of Elfland's Daughter has made it one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time, a masterpiece that influenced some of the greatest contemporary fantasists. The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following the “happily ever after.”

Praise for The King of Elfland's Daughter

“We find that he has but tranfigured with beauty the common sights of the world.”—William Butler Yeats

“I shall indeed be happy if this volume contributes to the rediscovery of one of the greatest writers of this century.”—Arthur C. Clarke

“Del Rey is to be thanked for bringing these works back into print. No one can understand modern fantasy without understanding its roots, and Lord Dunsany's work is immediately significant as well as enjoyable even today.”—Katharine Kerr

“A fantasy novel in a class with the Tolkien books.”—L. Sprague de Camp

About this title

Review:

All fantasy and horror fans owe it to themselves to read Lord Dunsany (1878-1957). The sword & sorcery genre was born in his early stories, and high fantasy was indelibly transformed by his novels. His profound influence on 20th-century fantastic fiction is visible in authors as dissimilar as Neil Gaiman, H.P. Lovecraft, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Lord Dunsany's best-known novel is The King of Elfland's Daughter (1924), wherein the men of Erl desire to be "ruled by a magic lord," and the lord's heir, Alveric, ventures into Elfland to win the king's daughter, Lirazel. Their story does not progress as a reader weaned on the diluted milk of formulaic fantasy would expect; and the novel's unique journeys and events are matched by Dunsany's rich and lyrical prose and by his contagious intoxication with the magic and marvels of both Elfland and our own world. --Cynthia Ward

From the Back Cover:

The poetic style and sweeping grandeur of THE KING OF ELFLAND'S DAUGHTER has made it one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time, a masterpiece that influenced some of the greatest contemporary fantasists. The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following the "happily ever after."

About this edition

• Publisher: Del Rey
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 034543191X
• ISBN 13: 9780345431912
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240