The King of Elfland's Daughter

by Dunsany, Lord

• ISBN13: 9780486835457
• ISBN10: 0486835456
• Edition: Unabridged
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2020-02-12
• Publisher: Dover Publications

Summary

"A fantasy novel in a class with the Tolkien books."—L. Sprague de Camp
"It could be the very best fairy story ever written."—Gahan Wilson
"No amount of mere description can convey more than a fraction of Lord Dunsany's pervasive charm."—H. P. Lovecraft
One of the most influential and acclaimed works in all of fantasy literature, this captivating tale is the forerunner of modern sword and sorcery novels. It tells of a young lord's quest through a supernatural world in search of a fairy princess bride, recounting the lovers' romance, separation, and reunion. Rich in metaphor, vivid in imagery, the lyrical storytelling evokes a sense of innocent wonder. Its fans range from W. B. Yeats, who wrote that Dunsany "had transfigured with beauty the common sights of the world," to Arthur C. Clarke, who felt that the novel helped elevate the author to "one of the greatest writers of this century."

Author Biography

World traveler, soldier, big-game hunter, and chess champion, Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett (1878–1957) was the 18th Baron Dunsany and scion of a family whose lineage predates the Norman Conquest. His obsession with the supernatural and the fantastic fueled his prolific writings, which include eight novels, twice as many short story collections, and over 40 plays. J. R. R. Tolkein, H. P. Lovecraft, and Neil Gaiman are but a few of the fantasy writers inspired by Dunsany's fiction.

Table of Contents

Preface
I The Plan of the Parliament of Erl
II Alveric Comes in Sight of the Elfin Mountains
II IThe Magical Sword Meets Some of the Swords of Elfland
IV Alveric Comes Back to Earth After Many Years
V The Wisdom of the Parliament of Erl
V The Rune of the Elf King
VII The Coming of the Troll
VIII The Arrival of the Rune
IX Lirazel Blows Away
X The Ebbing of Elfland
XI The Deep of the Woods
XII The Unenchanted Plain
XIII The Reticence of the Leather-Worker
XIV The Quest for the Elfin Mountains
XV The Retreat of the Elf King
XVI Orion Hunts the Stag
XVII The Unicorn Comes in the Starlight
XVIII The Grey Tent in the Evening
XIX Twelve Old Men Without Magic
XX A Historical Fact
XXI On the Verge of Earth
XXII Orion Appoints a Whip
XXIII Lurulu Watches the Restlessness
XXIV Lurulu Speaks of Earth and the Ways of Men
XXV Lirazel Remembers the Fields We Know
XXV IThe Horn of Alveric
XXVII The Return of Lurulu
XXVIII A Chapter on Unicorn-Hunting
XXIX The Luring of the People of the Marshes
XXX The Coming of Too Much Magic
XXXI The Cursing of Elfin Things
XXXII Lirazel Yearns for Earth
XXXIII The Shining Line
XXXIV The Last Great Rune