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A review by slsilver76
The Well at the World's End by William Morris
3.0
A fascinating book, if not always the easiest read. First published in the very late 19th century, it is considered the first book of high fantasy. It had tremendous influence on C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein, who both borrowed or slightly modified names (Gandolf, Silverfax/Shadowfax, King Peter). Plot and structural similarities with Tolkein and Lewis can also easily be seen. For all these reasons, and for an at least mildly compelling storyline, it is worth the read.
It is, however, intentionally written in a late Medieval style of language. This language may have been more accessible to its first readers, but does tend to obscure some of the details of plot, relationships, and character development. It can also bog down the reading as words need to be found in a dictionary (and not all were available in my Kindle dictionary), often looking for the archaic meaning rather than the current meaning. The general plot is easy enough to follow and one gets used to the language to an extent over time, but it can be slow going, especially initially.
This blog post considering the very progressive depictions of female characters is quite fascinating and adds (or reveals) a layer of depth to the story: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/william-morris-the-well-at-the-worlds-end/
All in all, for big fans of Tolkein and/or Lewis, or of the epic fantasy genre in general, this might be an important work to be familiar with. Other readers may find the language and slower-moving plot to be too much of a barrier.
It is, however, intentionally written in a late Medieval style of language. This language may have been more accessible to its first readers, but does tend to obscure some of the details of plot, relationships, and character development. It can also bog down the reading as words need to be found in a dictionary (and not all were available in my Kindle dictionary), often looking for the archaic meaning rather than the current meaning. The general plot is easy enough to follow and one gets used to the language to an extent over time, but it can be slow going, especially initially.
This blog post considering the very progressive depictions of female characters is quite fascinating and adds (or reveals) a layer of depth to the story: https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/william-morris-the-well-at-the-worlds-end/
All in all, for big fans of Tolkein and/or Lewis, or of the epic fantasy genre in general, this might be an important work to be familiar with. Other readers may find the language and slower-moving plot to be too much of a barrier.