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A review by tomunro
Rhetorics of Fantasy by Farah Mendlesohn
4.0
This quite a rigorous but thorough analysis of a large number of fantasy books. Mendlesohn proposes a 4 part taxonomy of fantasy (portal/quest, immersive, intrusive and liminal) and then draws on examples to illustrate this. She also sets out to offer some ideas about what would constitute effective writing for each type.
I found the book most accessible where Mendlesohn draws on examples I already knew. It is not an easy read (I made lots of use of the built in kindle dictionary). However, it did certainly get me thinking about how these categories might be applied to other books I have read.
I found the book most accessible where Mendlesohn draws on examples I already knew. It is not an easy read (I made lots of use of the built in kindle dictionary). However, it did certainly get me thinking about how these categories might be applied to other books I have read.