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marvelruinedmyspirit's review against another edition
3.0
This is like reading the Silmarillion except that we skip all the fun bits and it's only an extended version of the Music of the Ainur. My favorite story was the Yun-Ilara story.
Here is a quote I liked:
Here is a quote I liked:
"Also man dieth. And quietly about his grave will all the mourners weep.
Will not his life arise again somewhere in all the worlds? Shall he not again behold the gardens of his youth? Or does he set to end?"
kerrygold's review against another edition
5.0
The Gods of Pegāna was the first book of Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany. This edition is the 1916 American first edition, published by John W. Luce. Sidney H. Sime was the illustrator for Dunsany’s early work, including The Gods of Pegāna. Sime’s whimsical imaginings are the ideal match for Dunsany’s stories.
Every few years, I get The Gods of Pegāna down from the bookshelf and read through it. It’s a slim book and a short read. There’s no story, as such and no characterization, as such. Dunsany conjures up an entirely new pantheon of gods, along with some of their prophets. His writing is influenced by the style of the King James Bible, and the book reads like a fantastic scripture, written in Dunsany’s sonorous and gently ironic tone.
Dunsany wrote his books with a quill pen. He did not edit his stories, because he felt that editing compromised the integrity of his creative process. What you read is what flowed from his pen to the page.
The Gods of Pegāna was a revelation in Dunsany’s time. Nothing like it had ever been written before, not by William Morris nor George MacDonald nor any of the other fantasists that preceded Dunsany. In addition, although many writers coming after Dunsany tried to reproduce his style, and the creation of new pantheons of gods is not unusual these days, it’s probably fair to say that nothing else quite like The Gods of Pegāna has been written before or since.
Every few years, I get The Gods of Pegāna down from the bookshelf and read through it. It’s a slim book and a short read. There’s no story, as such and no characterization, as such. Dunsany conjures up an entirely new pantheon of gods, along with some of their prophets. His writing is influenced by the style of the King James Bible, and the book reads like a fantastic scripture, written in Dunsany’s sonorous and gently ironic tone.
Dunsany wrote his books with a quill pen. He did not edit his stories, because he felt that editing compromised the integrity of his creative process. What you read is what flowed from his pen to the page.
The Gods of Pegāna was a revelation in Dunsany’s time. Nothing like it had ever been written before, not by William Morris nor George MacDonald nor any of the other fantasists that preceded Dunsany. In addition, although many writers coming after Dunsany tried to reproduce his style, and the creation of new pantheons of gods is not unusual these days, it’s probably fair to say that nothing else quite like The Gods of Pegāna has been written before or since.
steveatwaywords's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
A lot of folks are disappointed in this work because it doesn't form a coherent story, and--like many reviewers--I tend to take a book on for what it is more than what I want it to be. A precursor to later works by Lovecraft and Tolkien in its lushness in forming a mythology with authentic tone, diction, and imagery, I can understand the poetic power of the reading. And, at times, I was enjoying the elusive riddles it offered in these pseudo-tales that introduced various gods and prophets across its fictional lands.
That said, my disappointment in the reading is more about its purpose. To what end do we create this mythology? If we shrug it off as merely an experiment, then the question follows: interesting as an idea, but what attraction to read it? A lot of writers experiment. So what of it?
What we have is a "pretty" collection of tales with pseudo-mysticism attached. The imagery is not entirely consistent, the riddles alternatively posed, but no emergent wisdom is found in these pages. Contrast this, for instance to the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (which offers real wisdom or consolation to its readers) or to the Silmarillion (which offers tales which echo classical themes).
I keep using the prefix pseudo- because this brief work doesn't quite aspire to anything but these sketches of interest to Dunsany. From what I know, he did nothing more with them. And, neither will I.
That said, my disappointment in the reading is more about its purpose. To what end do we create this mythology? If we shrug it off as merely an experiment, then the question follows: interesting as an idea, but what attraction to read it? A lot of writers experiment. So what of it?
What we have is a "pretty" collection of tales with pseudo-mysticism attached. The imagery is not entirely consistent, the riddles alternatively posed, but no emergent wisdom is found in these pages. Contrast this, for instance to the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (which offers real wisdom or consolation to its readers) or to the Silmarillion (which offers tales which echo classical themes).
I keep using the prefix pseudo- because this brief work doesn't quite aspire to anything but these sketches of interest to Dunsany. From what I know, he did nothing more with them. And, neither will I.
dalu's review against another edition
4.0
4.3 ☆
if I had a nickel for every time I was told about a book character who's a sleeping god surrounded by musicians who, after waking up, will erase all in existence I'd have two nickels.
Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.
Seriously what a great book, the way it's narrated and the interaction between all the characters was really enjoyable!
...Though that ending was pretty scary...
if I had a nickel for every time I was told about a book character who's a sleeping god surrounded by musicians who, after waking up, will erase all in existence I'd have two nickels.
Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.
Seriously what a great book, the way it's narrated and the interaction between all the characters was really enjoyable!
...Though that ending was pretty scary...
trigonomitron's review against another edition
3.0
Mercifully short.
At first, this book inspires the imagination. After about the half way point, however, its novelty wears thin and it becomes a chore to get done.
I kept imagining the book I would rather be reading. Mythologies are better presented through their mortal believers as they try to reconcile the myth with reality. This book should have remained in the author's notes, and a fiction where these myths play a major role would have been a better story for the public. As it is, the effect is as if you skipped the other Narnia books and only read "The Magician's Nephew." It feels like I should be aware of another world that I haven't had the opportunity to read about.
As a final complaint, beginning most paragraphs with the word, "And" is a terrible gimmick. The attempt is to make the prose sound like a holy text, thanks to the terrible translations of the Bible that many of us were forced to wade through. The actual result is cheesy and distracting to the reader. If you start ignoring the opening conjunction, the text carried more weight. One repeated and needless word ruins the effect.
Despite all that, the book was interesting enough that I will be reading more from Dunsany, if only in hope that I get to read the fiction that I was hoping to see evolve from this elementary exercise in world-building.
At first, this book inspires the imagination. After about the half way point, however, its novelty wears thin and it becomes a chore to get done.
I kept imagining the book I would rather be reading. Mythologies are better presented through their mortal believers as they try to reconcile the myth with reality. This book should have remained in the author's notes, and a fiction where these myths play a major role would have been a better story for the public. As it is, the effect is as if you skipped the other Narnia books and only read "The Magician's Nephew." It feels like I should be aware of another world that I haven't had the opportunity to read about.
As a final complaint, beginning most paragraphs with the word, "And" is a terrible gimmick. The attempt is to make the prose sound like a holy text, thanks to the terrible translations of the Bible that many of us were forced to wade through. The actual result is cheesy and distracting to the reader. If you start ignoring the opening conjunction, the text carried more weight. One repeated and needless word ruins the effect.
Despite all that, the book was interesting enough that I will be reading more from Dunsany, if only in hope that I get to read the fiction that I was hoping to see evolve from this elementary exercise in world-building.
shalini_rasamdaa's review against another edition
4.0
What a weird book. Intriguing, but weird. I'm glad to have had it as part of my reading life.
rogueleader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
j_r_bennett's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0