Rating: 
Summary: Intelligent, insightful work--and an adventure, too
Review: I can't believe this went out of print. It's a classic. Holdstock takes the myths buried deep in our racial memory and brings them to life--literally. If you acquire a copy, don't let it go.
Rating: 
Summary: Needed a bit more polishing
Review: I finished Robert Holdstock's Mythago Wood today. I'm still trying to decide if I liked it or not.
The premise is that the titular wood is the home to creatures of myth, but that these creatures are created out of a kind of race-memory of people. So for instance if enough people truly believe in Bigfoot, Bigfoot would be found in this wood.
It was an interesting premise but it made the story feel kind of artificial; like it was one huge delusion. And the fact that the protagonist took everything pretty much in stride when he learned about what was happening in the wood made it all feel even more so. There was very little time spent on disbelief and coming to grips with what was going on. "Ah, so Robin Hood and King Arthur's Knights and some kind of proto-druid tribe all live in the 6 mile stretch of woods? OK, I'll buy that. Let's go explore it!" Umm...?
There are a lot of little details that were left hanging or that didn't make sense. For instance, the protagonist says of a companion that he was good company for the first few days of a journey. Then they travel together for several weeks with no indication of the companion being less good company.
Lastly, the ending was a kind of deus ex machina that reminded me of the end of Lord of the Rings in some ways. But not in an homage kind of way. More like a rip-off.
If you can set these issues aside, (or if you aren't as picky about little details as I am) then it was a really enjoyable book. What added a nice layer to the whole story was that `present day' for the protagonist was 1948 or thereabouts. Shortly after the war, in any case. So even the non-fantastical portions of the book had an air of `other-worldliness' to those of us too young to have lived through that time.
I guess I can best sum it up this way. I liked it enough to add the next book in the series (Lavondyss) to my Amazon wishlist, but I'm not going to run around raving about the book. Holdstock's "voice" is what makes it worth reading. I'm hoping the next book has just a tad more polish. If it does, it should be truly great.
Rating:
Summary: Imaginative, sometimes scary... an amazing concept
Review: I just re-read Mythago Wood and am further struck by this amazing story of fantasy and, to some extent, horror. The hauntings of Ryhope Wood (the small woodland of the title) emerge from humanity's deepest and darkest senses, and Holdstock presents these "Mythagos" in a manner that excites, intrigues, and terrifies... all at the same time. Having just seen the film "The Blair Witch Project," I recalled the genuine sense of fear I sensed upon my first excursion into Ryhope Wood. After reading the book again, I am further haunted by this magical world of subconscious night-terrors, elusive hopes, and primeval temptations. I highly recommend this book... if you can find it.
Rating: 
Summary: A disturbing, enchanting, savage journey
Review: I read this book in my youth when a friend lent his copy to me, and was spellbound. Years later I finally found it again and it remains just about as consuming as I remember. Be prepared to stay up late reading this one.
Rating:
Summary: A bizarre true fantasy
Review: Mythago Wood is easily the most bizarre book I have ever read. This is probably because of the many different elements which are included which one usually never finds together. The basic reason I suppose is that it is real fantasy, meaning fantasy which occurs in the real world (e.g. Imagine the Old Forest of Middle-Earth being near Orangeville or Kelmscott or wherever - real fantasy is the mixing of the real world and a fantasy world).The main character is Steven Huxley who, at the beginning of the book, is living in France just after the end of the war having served in the British Army. He keeps contact with his brother Christian who is still living at their old parental home in Oak Lodge which is situated on the edge of Ryhope Forest in England. At length he returns home to live with his brother. He has changed almost beyond recognition and acts strangely and his eyes often have a faraway gaze ... The Forest is not your regular kind of forest. It is primal untouched old forest never penetrated by modern man. It is inhabited by mythagos which turn out to be products of one's mind (in some way). This forest was studied by their father (to the family's regret) and he wrote a detailed diary of his findings. Themes of myth, earth, wood, timelessness and time travel, occult, humans becoming animals and vice versa, love and hate, hope and despair are all intertwined in a most intricate and perplexing manner. Because of all these combinations, particularly the real mixed with the fantasy with some occult and ancient legend thrown in, the book has the power to communicate a unique and unsettling feeling. I'm not quite sure what the point of the story is. There seems to be some idolization of the ancient forest and Celtic times; sometimes it has a New Agey feel. I also wonder whether the name given to the brother "Christian" is purely coincidental ... Purely plotwise it is a gripping read, though because it is so bizarre I did feel the need to put it down frequently and read or do something else, something which I did not have with _Ender's Game_ which is tame and realistic compared with this book, which has a sequel called _Lavondyss_. I may be curious enough to read it. As such the book is also well written though the content often overshadows the good writing style. All in all, I can understand why it won the World Fantasy Award.
Rating:
Summary: An original re-telling of ancient myths
Review: Mythago Wood was one of those books I loved when I was about 15 or 16. A year ago I read it again, and I must say it didn't seem a pure classic now, but still it's an original, charming book - surely worth reading. Holdstock's ideas about myths, tales and their effect on modern man are very interesting. He creates a world which is 1/3 reality, 2/3 fantasy: the ultimate blend if you ask me. The problems are mainly in the field of the storyline, which seems somehow narrow... but as far as I can remember, he's got better in the other Mythago Wood books.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but lacking
Review: Mythago Wood's exalted reputation within the fantasy field reveals just how low the literary standards are within the genre. The premise is clever and the plot is well developed, but the prose! Cliched descriptions, amateurish grammatical errors and missed opportunities abound. The writing only shines when Holdstock emulates the style of ancient tales; the discipline of the skillful pastiche brings out the best in Holdstock's prose, and throws a harsh light on the slackness of his usual style. The female romantic lead makes matters worse; she's the same "strong" but giggly fantasy doll who moes, minces and flits through so much bad fantasy fiction. Perhaps Mythago Wood's clever premise makes it worth a read, but poorly written books with good ideas are minor books, even in the ghetto of genre fantasy. This is why Tolkien and Mervyn Peake have credibility in the literary world as a whole, while many other good "idea writers" don't.
Rating:
Summary: Good premise, sloppy writing
Review: Mythago Wood's exalted reputation within the fantasy field reveals just how low the literary standards are within the genre. The premise is clever and the plot is well developed, but the prose! Cliched descriptions, amateurish grammatical errors and missed opportunities abound. The writing only shines when Holdstock emulates the style of ancient tales; the discipline of the skillful pastiche brings out the best in Holdstock's prose, and throws a harsh light on the slackness of his usual style. The female romantic lead makes matters worse; she's the same "strong" but giggly fantasy doll who moes, minces and flits through so much bad fantasy fiction. Perhaps Mythago Wood's clever premise makes it worth a read, but poorly written books with good ideas are minor books, even in the ghetto of genre fantasy. This is why Tolkien and Mervyn Peake have credibility in the literary world as a whole, while many other good "idea writers" don't.
Rating:
Summary: Magical and thought provoking
Review: On the recommendation of a second hand book seller I bought and read. This story stands as a true classic. Taking an unforgettable journey into a timeless world. Spellbinding. I hope somewhere there is a sequel to be found because my journey has not ended.
Rating:
Summary: The most sophisticated fantasy of the decade
Review: Readers obsessed with discovering the next "Tolkein" will no doubt be disappointed by this book. Holdstock eschews the traditional themes of "light vs. dark," melodramatic romance, and charming little people (hobbits). Instead, he employs Joseph Campbell's notion of myth and the subconscious to weave an innovative and sophisticated tale new to the genre of fantasy. Mythago Wood is the story of a young man returning to his childhood home and his fascination of nearby Ryhope wood. The wood, he discovers, generates magical creatures, mythagos, rooted the subconscious mythic archetypes unique to each culture. Embroiled in a love quarrel with his brother Christopher, who himself has in way become a part of the wood, the young man embarks on attempt to save the wood and rescue his love, a exotic whose myth dates back to Roman times. In many ways, this work actually is a successor to Tolkein in its genesis. Readers familiar with Tolkein's writings (including the Simirillion and Book of Lost Tales) recognize the importance of Germanic, English, and Scandavian myths in the construction of the history of Middle Earth. Holdstock, who adopts none of epic themes essential to the Lord of the Rings, likewise greatly relies on myth. Anyone in search of a truly revolutionary fantasy will find this book well worth the while.
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