The Worm Ouroboros

Rating:
Summary: Old muckhills will bloom at last.
Review: I first read this book about twenty years ago for a class called "Philosophy of Fantasy and Science Fiction." I talked with the professor a few years later and he said that he'd dropped the book because a lot of the students complained that the language was too difficult. If you're looking for a quick and easy read, look elsewhere.

That said, "The Worm Oroborous" is heroic fantasy at its best, and it's told in language befitting the subject matter. The heros are truly heroic, and the villains are truly villainous, but worthy adversaries. And it does as good a job as I've seen of presenting the classical warrior ethic. It's a somewhat difficult book, but well worth the effort.

On the down side, the names of the characters and the places tend to be silly and to detract from the overall presentation. It also probably wouldn't be a bad idea to start at chapter 2.

Rating:
Summary: Elizabethan English at its best
Review: I first read this book in High School, and found it hard going. But I've read it probably twenty times since, and each time it gets better. Eddison was a true master of Elizabethan descriptive prose. If you like herioc fantasy, you simply must read this book.

The world of the Worm is world where the most outrageously "overdone" palaces and language just seem to work naturally; they are the only fitting backdrop for the wonderful characters who inhabit it. Supposedly, the action is set on the planet Mercury, but forget all that; Eddison clearly picked Mercury for its astrological significance.

Here is a sample of his writing (I picked it because I just finished a climb on Mt. Rainier, where I saw a couple of avalanches):

"Far overhead, dazzling white in the sunshine, the broken glacier-edges and splinters jutted against the blue, and icicles greater than a man hung glittering from every ledge: a sight heavenly fair, whereof they yet had little joy, hastening as they had not hastened in their lives before to be out of the danger of that ice-swept face."

It is obvious that Eddison was a climber.

It's hard to describe everything this book has in it. Just get hold of it, put a goblet of wine at your elbow, and dive in.

Then read the "Mistress of Mistresses" trilogy, which is even better.

Rating:
Summary: Worth the search.
Review: I found "The Worm Ouroborus" on the first visit to a used bookstore that has since become one of my numerous sources in my constant search for the ultimate book--or at least a good read. Beside it was "A Fish Dinner in Memison", a sequel. Already loaded down with books, the "Worm" nonetheless caught my eye. Since the store looked little-frequented, I snatched it up, figuring if I dug the "Worm" I could always come back for the "Fish Dinner".

I dug it.

Make no mistake--this isn't for your average TSR mentality. Oh yes, it's better written, though there are some incredibly big flaws in it. For one thing, as someone preceding me said, there's the opening device of the dreaming adventurer, which was done in hideous taste and who thankfully (and inexplicably--our Mr. E. must have had one bad editor)quickly disappears. See ya, Lessingham. Not. Then there's Eddington's great wordiness. When this guy got excited, he got frightfully flowery, even for the time period.

Another reader bites the dust.

Then there's the dialect in which the whole book (I said,"the WHOLE BOOK")is written. Not quite middle english, but a whole squadron of readers just went bye bye.

A fairly tame paragraph(for this book)--

'"Corund answered him,"Thou art a dapper fellow. It is a wonder that thou wilt strut in the tented field with all this womanish gear. Thy shield: how many of those sparkling baubles thinkest thou I'd leave in it were we once to come to knocks.

"I'll tell thee",answered Lord Brandoch Daha,"For every jewel that hath been cut out of my shield in battle, never yet went I to war that I brought not home an hundredfold to set it fair again, from the spoils I obtained. Now will I bid thee, O Corund, for thy scornful words: I will bid thee to single combat, here and in this hour. Which if thou deny, the art thou an open and apparent dastard."'

What it comes down to is a point of view. Once you get used to the excess of flowery speech and description you can ignore it--I actually got to like it. And the dialect? Back at the turn of the century adult fantasy was fairly neglected--the one fantasy writers measured themselves up against was Malory. Eddison's little dialect thing was pretty typical(check out some Cabell some time). The "Worm" was my first independent stab at this particular type of dialect--now the stuff's no trouble for me.

If you ever get around to scoping this book, and actually dig it like I did, you'll have a lot of fun. Eddison could be pretty prudish--but sometimes he wasn't. That lady Sriva. O brother. And if that doesn't strike you as being politically correct, the average woman character in this thing tends to be the strong, smart type, if stereo-typically beautiful. And Lord Gro--I don't think I've run across a character quite like him before anywhere else. This guy's a real treat.

When I went back after the "Worm" for the "Fish Dinner" it had been snatched up. There's a lesson in this. If you see this book, pick it up quick. Keep in mind, it may not be your cup of tea.

But you might be surprised.

Rating:
Summary: A delight!
Review: I have two or three copies of this classic, which is often out of print. It's a terrible shame, because Eddison's book features some of the best "playground" you're likely to find anywhere outside of Tolkein. The book is a bit odd---it's essentially the writer's adolescent fantasy-land turned into a novel and the writing form is now a bit antique---but there are so many good adventurous yarns embedded here that you're unlikely to ever forget it. From the doomed, treacherous Lord Gro to the wrestling to the evocative scenes with the basilisk, you be swept away by a fantastic world quite unlike so many modern "epic" fantasies. Oddly, I should add, that this is the equivalent of "The Hobbit" to a trio of novels (including the wonderfully titled "Fish Dinner in Memison" that are quite unlike it in tone and content.

Rating:
Summary: Possibly the worst book I've ever tried to read
Review: I just thought I had better post this to provide some balance to most of the other reviews. I found the writing style very tiring, the story was not engaging, and the setting was completely unbelievable. In short, I didn't think there was one good thing about the book.

Rating:
Summary: Immortal Coil: A Mythos of Hallucinatory Puissance
Review: I must state, before I commence with my critique, that the reviewers on this product-page eagerly betray the peculiar spell *The Worm Ouroboros* weaves upon the casual reader. It emerges in nearly every opinion: spurts of bubbly exuberance: pure _passion_, for life, for the art that contains it; passion mainlined directly from author unto participant. And I too felt this sublime ardor seep forth, from printed page to brain and body, as the adventures of Lord Juss and co. enraptured my senses and took me elsewhere, as only the grandest epics can do - to a place of wondrous lands and astonishing vistas, of stalwart heroes and beautiful damsels, of villains extraordinaire and fell monstrosities birthed in the deepest pits of Hell. For within this text is buried the very lodestone of fantasy fiction - an invented mythos of stunning achievement - one of the genre's seminal if oft-neglected origin-points. It's a corker.

Like several others on this review page, E.R. Eddison's *The Worm Ouroboros* came into my existence at an early age, quickly made an indelible imprint, and then departed from my possession in an untimely manner. The novel was handed down to me in the likewise manner of its nearest contemporary, *The Lord of the Rings,* as a gift from an uncle of generous nature. And thus, at the tender age of thirteen, I delved into the *Worm's* complexities and verbose hallucinatory prose, struggling yet captivated, journeying like ill-conceived Lessingham from fair Galing to the wrestling-ground upon Foliet Isles; laying frightful witness to the occult-like conjuring of Gorice XII.; finally reaching the point where Lord Juss and Brandoch Daha stormed the grim keep of Carce like re-invented avatars of Siegfried and Achilles, swords drawn to rive the strength and sinew of watery Witchland... and alas! the book was then lost to me, misplaced on the bus-ride home, if memory serves me correctly, and not to return into my possession for some fifteen years.

The reminiscing above should give testament to the power of *The Worm Ouroboros*. Picking up the text after so long an absence, I remembered fondly and accurately the grandiose action described, and hungered to continue upon the wild wake of Eddison's imagination - for this tale ~lingers~, it ~haunts~. I loathe to call it mere fantasy, and thus draw comparison to the gutter-rags of current popularity (Jordan, Brooks, the Badkind and other such ilk) - rather, this is an Epic, right at home on my bookshelf with the Illiad & Odyssey, the Aeneid, Volsungsaga, Nibelungenlied...and LotR.

A devoted scholar of Norse and Icelandic epics, Eddison shaped his own personal mythos in the early 1920's, a full decade before the arrival of Professor Tolkien's fantastical exegesis/extension; and the influence of his saga-study is obvious. Pure archetypes exist in the *Worm*: heroes of impeccable bearing and action; villains of the lowest activity and murderous rapacity; unclimbable mountains and impossible beasts; regions of vivid beauty and divine haunt, coupled with dark domains utterly "alien and sinister," to paraphrase fellow-Inkling C.S. Lewis. The prose is as extravagant as the settings. Much has been made of Eddison's Elizabethan word-forge, and understandably: by today's standards, the *Worm* glowers with prose so purple it often escapes that sphere of the color-wheel, becoming positively violet.

An example of a tamer passage:

"Midsummer night, ambrosial, starry-kirtled, walked on the sea, as the ship that brought the Demons home drew nigh to her journey's end...Smoothly they had passage through that charmed night, where winds were hushed asleep and nought was heard save the waves talking beneath the bows of the ship, the lilting changeless song of the steersmen, and the creak, dip, and swash of oars keeping time to this singing." (Chapter VIII)

And a more evocative:

"Suddenly a window opened in the clouds to a space of clean wan wind-swept sky high above the shaggy hills. Surely Juss caught his breath in that moment, to see those deathless ones where they shone pavilioned in the pellucid air, far, vast, and lonely, most like to the creatures of unascended heaven, of wind and fire all compact, too pure to have aught the gross elements of earth and water. It was as if the rose-red light of sundown had been frozen to crystal and these hewn from it to abide to everlasting, strong and unchangeable amid the welter of earthborn mists below and the tumultuous sky above them. (etc.)" (Chapter XII)

There are flaws. Eddison opened his epic with a clumsy `narrator's dream' device, the better to initiate readers into his tale. Amusingly, Lessingham the astral-wanderer disappears entirely from the text by chapter three. The various races draw an initial pause, as well: this is the first and probably only fantasy in existence in which the heroes are called Demons! Additionally, some of the names are really quite over the top. But these minor eccentricies, along with the heady, intoxicating prose, make *the Worm* all the more invaluable, and unique: these elements would never survive today's market atmosphere of bookseller-space focus, committee-editing and prefabricated hype.

And the ending...! Ye Gods! Not to spoil it for prospective initiates (though reviewers below do so; beware) - I found it entirely appropriate to the archetypical roles of the lead characters, and it works on more levels, I think, than Eddison intended. For not only are we given a conclusion fitting to the hardy mythos of Norse Valhalla, and a delightful post-modern twist therein; but a stern reminder that men of war and adventure are never quite satisfied with peace and contentment - an imperative insight in these tryingly chaotic times.

A feast of imagination - the Serpentine Saga - the Worm Ouroboros, its immortal coil wound through heaven and earth. This is an essential text for scholars of myth and the fantasy genre.

Highest Recommendation

Rating:
Summary: A reading experience lost & then refound!
Review: I read this book when I was a freshman in high school and found it to be slow reading but amazing as a story. I put it back in the library and then promptly forgot the title as I then went on to read thousands (literally) of other fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, and non-fiction books over the ensuing years. But every so often I would remember the scenes, events, and language of the book and want to read it over again. But, alas, I had moved on and I didn't remember the title anymore! I knew the storyline well enough to describe it to numerous bookstore clerks and owners but no one seemed to know anything about this work of art. Every time I went into any used book store I would go through all of the books looking for this lost treasure. This went on for years. Then one day I was visiting my sister who lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere in North Dakota. When we went to rent a video at the little local market there was a small shelf of used paperbacks. Out of habit I looked through all of the titles and "Eureka!" there it was: "The Worm Ouroboros" by Eddison! Amazing.

Why do I write so much before actually reviewing the book? Because I wanted to illustrate how much the prose and storytelling of Eddison affected me and kept me searching for this book for well over 15 years! Now, to review:

As others have stated, the prose in this work is old fashioned and a bit stilted. In a way it is a little like reading Shakespeare for the first time. A little slow to start but once you really get into the story you forget all about the language and become immersed in the story. But don't be put off by any comparison to the language of Shakespeare! It is much easier to read than Romeo and Juliet! The flowery language just adds depth and character to the classic fantasy story of good vs. evil and a war between the good and the just against the evil elements of Eddisons world. To avoid being too confused, don't read the first chapter which awkwardly sets up the story as a dream of the narrator. This device was only used because the whole idea of a fantasy story as we know it did not exist and the author needed a way to "fool" the reader into accepting the unreality of the setting. Once you have read it one time you will be able to read the preface chapter with amusement. And believe me, if you like this book even a little, you will love it and it will become one of your all time Favorites.

A brief idea of the storyline is: The world is populated by many races of humanoid (and not so humanoid) beings. The Witches and Demons are the primary antagonists with the Demons the good guys and the Witches the bad guys. There are Goblins, Chimera and other assorted beings with familiar names but just take them as you find them instead of applying traditional descriptions. Eddison describes a whole new world which has, I believe, never truly been equaled. The whole story revolves around the adventures of the Demon brothers as they war against the Witch king for domination of the world (from the Witch perspective, the Demons only want to be left alone). There is no way to really describe this book in any way other than a simple outline for fear of misguiding a potential reader. Just read it!!! If you get past the first (really the second) chapter I think that you will be hooked until the end. Then you will be hooked forever as the story never really ends! LOL ~Good Luck!

Rating:
Summary: A reading experience lost & then refound!
Review: I read this book when I was a freshman in high school and found it to be slow reading but amazing as a story. I put it back in the library and then promptly forgot the title as I then went on to read thousands (literally) of other fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, and non-fiction books over the ensuing years. But every so often I would remember the scenes, events, and language of the book and want to read it over again. But, alas, I had moved on and I didn't remember the title anymore! I knew the storyline well enough to describe it to numerous bookstore clerks and owners but no one seemed to know anything about this work of art. Every time I went into any used book store I would go through all of the books looking for this lost treasure. This went on for years. Then one day I was visiting my sister who lived in a small town in the middle of nowhere in North Dakota. When we went to rent a video at the little local market there was a small shelf of used paperbacks. Out of habit I looked through all of the titles and "Eureka!" there it was: "The Worm Ouroboros" by Eddison! Amazing.

Why do I write so much before actually reviewing the book? Because I wanted to illustrate how much the prose and storytelling of Eddison affected me and kept me searching for this book for well over 15 years! Now, to review:

As others have stated, the prose in this work is old fashioned and a bit stilted. In a way it is a little like reading Shakespeare for the first time. A little slow to start but once you really get into the story you forget all about the language and become immersed in the story. But don't be put off by any comparison to the language of Shakespeare! It is much easier to read than Romeo and Juliet! The flowery language just adds depth and character to the classic fantasy story of good vs. evil and a war between the good and the just against the evil elements of Eddisons world. To avoid being too confused, don't read the first chapter which awkwardly sets up the story as a dream of the narrator. This device was only used because the whole idea of a fantasy story as we know it did not exist and the author needed a way to "fool" the reader into accepting the unreality of the setting. Once you have read it one time you will be able to read the preface chapter with amusement. And believe me, if you like this book even a little, you will love it and it will become one of your all time Favorites.

A brief idea of the storyline is: The world is populated by many races of humanoid (and not so humanoid) beings. The Witches and Demons are the primary antagonists with the Demons the good guys and the Witches the bad guys. There are Goblins, Chimera and other assorted beings with familiar names but just take them as you find them instead of applying traditional descriptions. Eddison describes a whole new world which has, I believe, never truly been equaled. The whole story revolves around the adventures of the Demon brothers as they war against the Witch king for domination of the world (from the Witch perspective, the Demons only want to be left alone). There is no way to really describe this book in any way other than a simple outline for fear of misguiding a potential reader. Just read it!!! If you get past the first (really the second) chapter I think that you will be hooked until the end. Then you will be hooked forever as the story never really ends! LOL ~Good Luck!

Rating:
Summary: The Highest of the "High Fantasies"
Review: I reviewed this book some years back right here on amazon.com, though amazon seems to have washed that effort away long ago. In fact I read the book many years earlier still and so I'm a little tentative about returning here to review this book again. Can I do it justice after such a long remove? Will I even remember enough to talk about it? Still, since it's one of the great ones in the much-maligned (often deservedly so) fantasy genre, I feel I must. Readers here will certainly have heard of J. R. R. Tolkien, the father, if you will, of modern fantasy. And, presumably, those finding this page will also know something of E. R. Eddison, the author of this wonderful book. Suffice it to say that, in this book at least, Eddison outshines the estimable Professor Tolkien, despite this book's clumsy opening. Although he lacked Tolkien's comprehensive and detailed mind and was certainly not the scholar, or perhaps even the craftsman, Tolkien was, Eddison's WORM has a magnificent poetic sweep that even Tolkien's great trilogy of magic and adventure and ancient worlds decidedly lacked. Here is a tale of magical beings and high adventure set, oddly enough, on a mystical version (vision?) of the planet Mercury to which we are spirited in the form of an astral projection of one Lessingham, an adventurer and dreamer, who is taken one night on a journey by a spiritual guide in the form of a little bird. All very strange and distracting and, ultimately, unimportant. For Lessingham soon fades into the background of the narrative as the vision he sees on this strange world swells and surrounds and overpowers him and the reader both. We are soon caught up in the sweep of a tale that is a veritable medieval tapestry, never mind the awkward and almost childish nomenclature which Eddison relies on. This is the story of a Demon kingdom besieged by its enemies in Witchland and their evil ruler, King Gorice XII, who conspire to overthrow and consume the heroic Demons under the rule of heroic brothers and kinsmen. There is treachery and mighty deeds to redeem the fallen and great battles and an ending which is as surprising and strange as it is oddly satisfying. If Tolkien's trilogy is an epic fairy tale writ large, this one is a veritable medieval saga of heroic proportions. That it is ultimately magical and fantastic places it squarely in the fantasy tradition which Tolkien gave credibility and new life to. But Eddison came first (he wrote this tale in the mid-1920's I believe), though he is still little heard of today. He deserves better as does this book. (He's also the author of a straight historical novel which deserves to be read, STRYBIORN THE STRONG, based on the old Icelandic saga tradition which, to some degree, also influenced THE WORM. More, he did a translation of one of the original sagas, EGIL'S SAGA, which is one of the best of that literary tradition and among the best-known of the sagas -- though this translation is also hard to come by. For those here who are interested in the saga as novel, I've also done one of my own, though I doubt it is up to Eddison's STYRBIORN, though, of course, I certainly took my best shot! It's called THE KING OF VINLAND'S SAGA and can be found right here on amazon.com by searching its title.) -- SWM

Rating:
Summary: What a book
Review: I'm reading a lot of reviews about Eddison's prose and how hard it may be to understand but, curiously, I didn't find it hard to follow that much at all (and I don't credit myself with a lot of intelligence) and highly enjoyable. It's part, if not most, of the book's charm. I don't want to give away anything about this book because another part of this book's charm is not knowing anything about it before reading it. I highly recommend it.