Dunsany, Lord: Don Rodriguez Chronicles of Shadow Valley. v1. 19 June 07
I still love Lord Dunsany's work. I like it for the sparkling prose, the romantic ideals of good vs. evil, and the wit in his writing. He's a beautiful writer of English prose. I re-read this novel every few years, to get in touch with my own humanity...
"Apparently, I'm not alone. Here's what one fan wrote:
This is the first novel by Lord Dunsany (aka Edward JMD Plunkett), a turn of the 19th/20th century author who was a pioneer in what was to become the genre of "Fantasy". His writing is some of the richest, most beautiful English I've ever read and his novels are a treasure for that reason alone. He also has an insight and storytelling skill that rates his writing as "literature" - much more so than all but the best fantasy authors (such as Ursula LeGuin).
That being said, this novel is notable for being a little more "fun" than his high fantasy that follows - it has a lot of humor and derring-do in it and is somewhat reminiscent of Dumas's "Three Musketeers" in that element. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard while reading such excellent prose! The plot revolves around the adventures of a young Spanish gentleman, who not being the eldest son will not inherit his father's property must seek his own fortune.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Dumas, Stevenson, "The Princess Bride", or Zorro!"
I hope you enjoy it.
Don
Last edited by Dr. Drib; 05-23-2008 at 08:12 AM.
Reason: Prefix
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