Rating: 
Summary: A fantasy classic
Review: Before Tolkien told his children bedtime stories about hobbits and dwarves, there was Lord Dunsany. One of the early fantasy writers, Dunsany only wrote a few full-length novels -- one of which was the haunting, beautifully-written "Charwoman's Shadow." (And if anyone thinks that J.K. Rowling made up the immortality elixir and "philosopher/sorcerer's stone," they better read this!)Ramon Alonzo is a young Spanish nobleman sent to find a dowry for his sister Mirandola. He goes to a powerful magician to learn alchemy -- how to turn dross into gold. The magician agrees, at a price: Ramon Alonzo's shadow. At first he's inclined to give up his shadow, but an elderly charwoman warns him not to. She gave up her shadow, and now is shunned by everyone except the magician because if her contact with dark magic. Eventually Ramon Alonzo agrees to give up his shadow in exchange for a replacement, which turns out to be a dud. His attempts at magic for his sister's sake begin to go horribly wrong, and he finds his very soul in peril as he struggles to fulfil his promise to the charwoman, and get back both of their shadows. Most of Dunsany's fantasy stories are set in fictional lands full of magic and wizards and gods. This one is slightly different, as it is set in a sort of semi-fictional part of Spain, and magic is something which seeps naturally to great evil. But the entire world it's set in has the same sort of fantastical edge that his books usually do. Kids with a good attention span can read this, though some may be bored by the gradual pace and flowery language. And the language is very flowery. Dunsany writes in his standard dreamy prose, with a lot of very strange imagery (like the charwoman scrubbing a bloodstained floor stone, or Ramon Alonzo's fake shadow getting up and racing away). Ramon Alonzo is a nice leading character -- he's a good guy who gets enmeshed in bad things for good reasons. His spiritual struggle and chivalrous rescue of the charwoman Anemone and her shadow are central to the plot. Anemone herself remains a mystery for most of the book, although one development is rather obvious early on. The magician is a cold, unsympathetic character who "scorns salvation" and shows no pity to someone he's wronged. Father Joseph serves as the counterbalance for the magician, a kindly priest who helps Ramon Alonzo out. A beautiful story about love, magic, and kindness, this is a must-read for fans of classic fantasy. See why Dunsany is still one of the best.
Rating:
Summary: A classic of fantasy...come learn the magic of language!
Review: Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, better and more succinctly known by his title, Lord Dunsany (pronounced "done-SANEY"), is perhaps the most important British fantasy author to appear before Tolkien. Lord Dunsany's work has little connection to Tolkien's except that both create feelings of wonder in readers that whisk them away to fantastic worlds. Dunsany's work has a less realistic, more ethereal quality than Tolkien's, and draws strongly on the traditional fairy-tale, while at that same time energizing the simplicity of the fairy-tale with his sense of drama (Dunsany was also a playwright) and with his magnificent, fluid, beautiful writing. His 1927 novel, "The Charwoman's Shadow," is one of his greatest works, second only to "The King of Elfland's Daughter." Edward Plunkett was born in 1878, became the 18th Lord Dunsany upon the death of his father in 1899, and made an unsuccessful attempt to run for parliament in 1904. With his failure in politics, he began writing his stories of the fantastic, beginning with the collection (currently in-print) "The Gods of Pegana." He enjoyed great literary success and acclaim until his death in 1957, but sadly, at the end of the century, his literature seemed in danger of vanishing from the minds of all but ardent fantasy historians and those who could afford the out-of-print volumes containing his work. But Dunsany has suddenly roared back into print; if you're a lover of fantasy, you cannot miss "The Charwoman's Shadow." It ranks as one of finest novels of the fantastic. The story takes place in a fantasy vision of medieval Spain: "Picture an evening sombre and sweet over Spain, the glittering sheen of leaves fading to somberer colours...Picture the Golden Age past its wonderful zenith, and westering now towards its setting." Young Ramon Alonzo goes to learn the One True Art -- the art of magic -- from a master magician who lives in an old house in the woods. The Master requires a fee, however: Don Alonzo's shadow. The boy surrenders it, believing it is of no use to him. But even as he advances himself in the magic arts, he soon learns there are serious consequences to losing your shadow. An old charwoman who works for the Master seeks Don Alonzo's aid, for she too lost her shadow many years ago to the Master, and she desires it back. The two enter an alliance, one that Don Alonzo starts to regret when he discovers the youthful beauty of the old charwoman's shadow. There are no action set-pieces in "The Charwoman's Shadow," no epic battles, no swarms of monsters and demons, but every sequence in the book is full of unforgettable images and beauty. The scene of re-attaching the shadow makes the book a masterpiece on its own; it reduced me to tears the first time I read it. Lord Dunsany will remind you of no other writer, and you'll thrill to discover his unique take on fantasy, feeling if you were sharing a secret private encounter. Dunsany's word magic pulses stronger than any of the actual magic that appears in the book. In fact, the book is really about the power of language itself; we spend time with Don Alonzo pouring over words and learning their secrets. As Peter S. Beagle (author of "The Last Unicorn") says in his brief but powerful introduction, Dunsany had "an understanding that the right name for a character can imply an entire culture, a history, a music, a world; that a single word chosen properly can persuade a reader that he shares a folklore he can't possibly know...To open this book is, like Don Ramon Alonzo, to begin learning the true nature of enchantment from a master." I can't give a better recommendation than that, so I will only second him: open this book and fall deep into the fantasy of language.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: I enjoyed this book a lot more than his better known "King of Elfland's Daughter". I found the plot much different than anything else available in the fantasy market today. Certainly it is a different take on the "boy meets girl, boy gets girl" storyline. I thoroughly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantasy or Children's Fairy Tale
Review: I'm a fan of Dunsany's work. I was drawn to this novel due to his magical descriptions of the natural world in his short stories. There is an innocent childish wonder in his narration which works well when the text is inspired. This book, however, I felt is written for children -- more so than his other work. He repeats obvious details over and over, almost chant-like. The plot is obvious and fatalistic. When I read this book, I felt it should be spoken aloud, to children, and each chapter is only a few pages long. I've seen many comparisons here to Tolkien, but I think they are missing the fact that Tolkien brought fantasy to an adult level of text, whereas Dunsany doesn't. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone just recently introduced to Dunsany unless I'd want them to be turned off to his work. However, if you are into story-telling to children, this is an excellent choice!
Rating:
Summary: Classic book, but not that good
Review: I've found that my best fantasy doesn't stay on my shelves for me to reread. I tend to give the ones I really like away. This book and everything I had by L. S. de Camp are gone. My Conan by Howard is gone. My Barsoom classics are gone... Lord Dunsany left us a place like that of the Grim brothers in the mind of literature.
Rating:
Summary: A Master of the Magic of words
Review: I've found that my best fantasy doesn't stay on my shelves for me to reread. I tend to give the ones I really like away. This book and everything I had by L. S. de Camp are gone. My Conan by Howard is gone. My Barsoom classics are gone... Lord Dunsany left us a place like that of the Grim brothers in the mind of literature.
Rating:
Summary: A fable, a fantasy, a golden myth
Review: It is easy too see how Dunsany might have influenced such potent imaginations as H.P. Lovecraft and J.R.R. Tolkien (among others). "The Charwoman's Shadow" - originally published in 1926 - is a novel rich with the best possibilities of the fantasy genre. That is not to pigeonhole the book as a fantasy novel only - for like all true art, it transcends genre. The tale of young Ramon Alonzo is so deftly woven that it reads like a fable in some ancient book of lore. Dunsany possessed a sense of the fantastic that was both whimsical and profound. He also possessed a mastery of language which enabled him to fashion an entire world, culture, history, with only a few poetic turns of phrase. The Golden Age of Spain created thus in "The Charwoman's Shadow" resonates with the power of myth. "The Charwoman's Shadow" is a classic. Kudos to Del Rey for making it accessible.
Rating:
Summary: A true classic fantasy from a great writer - worth a try !
Review: Perhaps less well-known than "The King of Elfland's Daughter", this book is one of two Dunsany works in Iberian settings in a world that never was (the other is "Don Rodriguez"). It is a wonderful fantasy which just flows for the reader. The language is rich, the description powerful - the keen introdction gives a classic example on the art of writing. This is not some basic overused plot but is interesting enough to have been a real legend. Nor is there a simple black & white setup - the hero's opponent is a character of substance who contributes some of the book's great moments. Any lover of good fantastic fiction deserves a read of this kind of book (they're all too rare). Give it a try and keep an eye out for any other Dunsany volumes - this author, gone over forty years now, could show (and has shown) the way for so many today. The sheer volume of compliments from authors of today speaks to the contribution Lord Dunsany made (and still makes). Publishers, any chance or reprinting more of the canon ?
Rating:
Summary: A true classic fantasy from a great writer - worth a try !
Review: Perhaps less well-known than "The King of Elfland's Daughter", this book is one of two Dunsany works in Iberian settings in a world that never was (the other is "Don Rodriguez"). It is a wonderful fantasy which just flows for the reader. The language is rich, the description powerful - the keen introdction gives a classic example on the art of writing. This is not some basic overused plot but is interesting enough to have been a real legend. Nor is there a simple black & white setup - the hero's opponent is a character of substance who contributes some of the book's great moments. Any lover of good fantastic fiction deserves a read of this kind of book (they're all too rare). Give it a try and keep an eye out for any other Dunsany volumes - this author, gone over forty years now, could show (and has shown) the way for so many today. The sheer volume of compliments from authors of today speaks to the contribution Lord Dunsany made (and still makes). Publishers, any chance or reprinting more of the canon ?
Rating:
Summary: A true classic fantasy from a great writer - worth a try !
Review: Perhaps less well-known than "The King of Elfland's Daughter", this book is one of two Dunsany works in Iberian settings in a world that never was (the other is "Don Rodriguez"). It is a wonderful fantasy which just flows for the reader. The language is rich, the description powerful - the keen introdction gives a classic example on the art of writing. This is not some basic overused plot but is interesting enough to have been a real legend. Nor is there a simple black & white setup - the hero's opponent is a character of substance who contributes some of the book's great moments. Any lover of good fantastic fiction deserves a read of this kind of book (they're all too rare). Give it a try and keep an eye out for any other Dunsany volumes - this author, gone over forty years now, could show (and has shown) the way for so many today. The sheer volume of compliments from authors of today speaks to the contribution Lord Dunsany made (and still makes). Publishers, any chance or reprinting more of the canon ?
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