The Wood Beyond the World

Infobox Book |
name = The Wood Beyond the World
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author = William Morris
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country = United Kingdom
language = English
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genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = Kelmscott Press
release_date = 1894
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 261 pp
isbn = NA
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"The Wood Beyond the World" is a fantasy novel by William Morris, perhaps the first modern fantasy writer to unite an imaginary world with the element of the supernatural, and thus the precursor of much of present-day fantasy literature. [L. Sprague de Camp, "Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy", p 40 ISBN 0-87054-076-9] It was first published in hardcover by Morris's Kelmscott Press in 1894. Its importance in the history of fantasy literature was recognized by its republication by Ballantine Books as the third volume of the celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in July, 1969. The Ballantine edition includes an introduction by Lin Carter.

Morris considered his fantasies a revival of the medieval tradition of chivalrous romances. In consequence, they tend to have sprawling plots of strung-together adventures. His use of archaic language has been seen by some modern readers as making his fiction difficult to read.

Plot introduction

When the wife of Golden Walter betrays him for another man, he leaves home on a trading voyage to avoid the necessity of a feud with her family. His efforts are fruitless, as word comes to him enroute that his wife's clan has killed his father. As a storm then carries him to a faraway country, the effect of this news is merely to sunder his last ties to his homeland. Walter comes to the castle of an enchantress, from which he rescues a captive maiden in a harrowing adventure. They flee through a region inhabited by primitive giants, eventually reaching a city whose custom is to take as ruler when the throne is vacant the next foreigner to arrive. The late king having died, Walter and his new love are hailed as the new monarchs, and presumably live happily ever after.

Copyright

The copyright for this novel has expired in the United States, and thus it now resides in the public domain there. The text is available via Project Gutenberg.

References

*cite book | last=LeMire | first=Eugene D. | authorlink=Eugene D. LeMire | title=A Bibliography of William Morris | location=New Castle, Del. | publisher=Oak Knoll Press | pages=186-194 | date=2006

External links

*gutenberg|no=3055|name=The Wood Beyond the World