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Reader discussion: The King of Elfland's Daughter

Public reader discussion about The King of Elfland's Daughter in the WeRead Catalog by Lord Dunsany.

Has anyone read anything by Lord Dunsany? If so, what would you recommend?

By gentlefootnote

I’ve been wanting to read some older short fantasy stories—anyone have recommendations?

How did the "standard" fantasy races become so ingrained in popular culture?

By fallen

By “standard races” I mean the usual Human/Elf/Dwarf/Orc setup. I get that it comes from Tolkien, but I’m curious how they ended up basically the same way in a ton of modern fantasy stuff like D&D, Warcraft, and Skyrim. When did those races become “the default” for high fantasy in general, instead of just being tied to Tolkien’s stuff? Also, does anyone know a more literature-focused place where I should ask this? Feels like literary history to me, but I might be posting in the wrong spot.

The King of Elfland's Daughter

By curious-epilogue

Alright, this is the first chapter of *The King of Elfland’s Daughter*, and I’m the one narrating it! It was written by Lord Dunsany and people seem to treat it like one of his best. From what I’ve read, he was also kind of an early big deal in modern fantasy. It came out back in 1924, and I think it’s in the public domain now. I’m planning to post one chapter a day on my YouTube channel (Daily Dose Reading), so if you’re into this, feel free to subscribe. You can read it for free on Project Gutenberg, or you can turn on the English captions (not the auto ones), since I uploaded the text for those and they should be pretty accurate. Hope you enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7PgKCchug

The King of Elfland's Daughter, Limited Edition

By sunnyDreams

I think I’d just grab the standard edition.

Publishing Eras for Fantasy?

By PageKettle

Has anyone ever tried breaking written fantasy into different “eras”? Like how comics do Golden/Silver Age and literature has realism/modernism/post-modernism—what would the comparable categories be for fantasy? I’m not totally sure, but it sounds like it could be interesting to map out.

A new edition of "The King of Elfland's Daughter" and the "Time and the Gods" omnibus (from Gollancz).

By mooncougar1983

They had been using public-domain paintings for the covers before, and it just came off kind of cheap. I’m glad they finally got a graphic designer for the new Dunsany covers—these actually look nice, and he deserves that.

Fantasy Classics - The King of Elfland's Daughter

By DesertPage20

Hey everyone! I wanted to toss in a suggestion for one of these great bookclub threads: *The King of Elfland’s Daughter* by Lord Dunsany. I’m pretty sure it came out more than ten years before Tolkien’s *The Hobbit*, and it feels like it’s had a pretty big impact over time. What I really like is how the magic in it comes off as totally weird and out-of-this-world, like beautiful alien stuff, not just “spells.” And it also spends time on the everyday/mundane world in this poetic way, which somehow makes the whole thing even more mind-blowing. If anyone’s read it, I’d love to hear what you thought. And if you haven’t, let me know what other fantasy books feel a bit overlooked—especially ones that get stuck in the background compared to the more famous ones.

The Library Ladder covers Lord Dunsany!

By dustyhare

I saw this and it made me look closer. I’ve mostly just heard about Lord Dunsany from comments and people talking in general, and I’ve had the name sitting in my head for later, but I didn’t really feel like picking up his stuff anytime soon. Still, I think this might have flipped my mind.

I want more Elfland!

By lazy_planet

I just picked up Queen of Elfland's Son and ended up really liking it, so I went ahead and ordered King of Elfland's Daughter too, hoping to get even more ideas (and a better handle on the whole Elfland thing). I also found Greenwood of the Fey Sovereign from a recent post (thanks a ton!), and I’m definitely going to read it. In the meantime, what other stuff would you all recommend? Especially modules, DCC or otherwise. I’m mainly looking for things that either have Elfland (or a similar vibe) in them, or at least help me flesh out my own Elfland. Thanks in advance for any suggestions :)

Charlotte Reads: The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany

By glimmerforest55

This was my first “classic” bit of fantasy from before Tolkien, and I totally get why people treat it like a big deal now. Dunsany just writes magic in this way that feels really enchanting and strange—like you’re being pulled into some hidden part of the world. The descriptions are gorgeous too, with all these little vivid touches that make Elfland feel real, from weird light at twilight to flower-filled fields and all that. One thing I think is worth knowing going in: the magic/poetic vibe is basically the whole point. The characters are more like archetypes, and the story kind of moves according to fairy-tale logic, which makes it swing between “wow this is great” and “eh.” I wasn’t as into it during the hunting parts, I’ll admit. Also, Jo Walton says something about Dunsany that feels spot-on: he’s not really at his best when it comes to characters over a whole novel, but he’s amazing at turning poetic images into this super detailed net that feels like it’s meant to catch dreams. So yeah, I’m really glad I read it, and it’s honestly making me want to check out his shorter stuff next. And if you’re doing the Elves and Dwarves square, this seems like an easy pick—hope I’m not the only one. :)

[VOTE] April – Fantasy Selection

By Fog_Fog

Hey! This is the spot to vote for the April fantasy pick. Voting is open for four days and closes on March 13 at 20:00 CEST / 14:00 EDT / 11:00 PDT. They’ll announce the winner by March 14. Rules for this one: - has to be fantasy - under 500 pages - nothing that’s been picked before (so you’ll want to double-check the previous selections) It says you can do a quick author search to see if your choice counts as valid. You can nominate as many books as you want (one per comment), and vote for whatever you’d actually read. There’s a suggested format for linking, but you don’t have to use Goodreads/Storygraph/Wikipedia links—just don’t drop sales links. Also, no book blurbs needed. If you do link, use: [Title by Author](link) Happy voting! 📚

[Review] Lord Dunsany’s The King of Elfland’s Daughter

By BookmarkMarten4003

Really good writer. I think more people should check out his books.

How Were Elves Depicted Before Lord of the Rings?

By Ink_Tide

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Lord Dunsany and Arthur Machen

By fern_hardcover75

I haven’t read either of these yet, but I’m curious—what would you even call their style? And how do they compare to Lovecraft, if at all? I’m trying to find someone else I can really dig into.

What Next?

By LauraReads1972

Okay but what am I supposed to watch/read now? I’m seriously obsessed with this manga/series, like I can’t get enough. I love the whole dark romance vibe and the dark fantasy stuff. I really want something similar, but maybe with a bit more romance—while still keeping all the dark fantasy energy and the gore. Do you guys have any recommendations? Anime, manga, even TV shows or other books, anything. I think I found my forever trope, and now I need more 😂 Please!!!!

Least read of Lovecraft’s seminal works?

By DraftTrail

I was just thinking—right now I’m reading Lord Dunsany’s *The King of Elfland’s Daughter*, and I really doubt it’s getting many readers. And it feels like *The Night Land* by Hodgson is in the same bucket. Stuff like that just doesn’t get read because it’s so weird (or honestly, kind of hard to get through, depending on who you ask). So I’m curious: which Lovecraft “main” work do you think is the most unread, mostly because it’s hard to access? Like, not counting his essay stuff, his poems, or the Dream cycle.

The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany (1925): Recently Added to Project Gutenberg

By green-marble

Dunsany feels like one of the early big names in fantasy—like, Lovecraft and Le Guin have praised him and mentioned him as an influence—yet he doesn’t get talked about as much as he should. I mostly see him mentioned for his short stories (a bunch are on Gutenberg too), but he also wrote some novels, and this one’s apparently his best. Anyone else read Dunsany? I haven’t gotten to him yet, but he sounds exactly like my kind of thing, so I’m thinking about starting this after I finish The Sound and the Fury.

Classic Review: 'The King of Elfland's Daughter' by Lord Dunsany

By CarefulKey14

Really highly recommended. It’s one of those fantasy classics that still echoes through the genre even if most people don’t seem to read it anymore. Honestly, I think the writing alone would be worth it. The prose feels real and a bit playful, but also kind of bright/hopeful in a way that feels different from a lot of modern style. This came out in 1924, and it’s one of the earlier fantasy books before stuff like Lord of the Rings really took over, so I went into it curious about how the genre looked back then. If I had to compare it: the narration reminded me of Tolkien, the dreamy vibe felt like Patricia A. McKillip, and the “whole book feels like it has this texture” thing made me think of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. It reads beautifully—rich and kind of old-school in the best way. That said, I do have some complaints. Since it’s so old, it doesn’t really follow modern expectations for plot, pacing, or character depth. Pacing-wise it wasn’t *sleepy*, but it also definitely wasn’t a page-turner. It’s the kind of novel you have to slow down with and actually savor. The plot is also kinda loose. There isn’t one big, clean arc—more like it drifts across decades with different events and character threads. I felt that diluted things a bit because none of the individual arcs really grabbed me that hard. I kept wishing the author had focused more energy on one main storyline instead of trying to juggle like four or five smaller ones. Characters feel more like archetypes than actual people, which can work for fairy-tale style, but I wanted a little more personality. Lirazel (the Faerie Princess) especially felt more like a “prize” in the story than a person with her own real presence. Overall though, it’s still a really good book and a real cornerstone. Just need the patience to put up with the old-timey rough edges.

What are your favorite Lord Dunsany stories?

By badger_sharp1488

I picked up the Penguin Classics collection of his stuff and I’m not sure where to start. Which stories are actually the best ones to begin with, or should I just go straight through in order?

Fantasy Classics - The King of Elfland's Daughter

By hidden_raven6223

Hey everyone, I just wanted to point out one of my favorite fantasy books that I feel like doesn’t get talked about as much as the big-name classics. I mean “The King of Elfland’s Daughter” by Lord Dunsany. It came out in 1924, and it still feels packed with magic and this kind of spooky wonder. The whole thing treats magic like this wild, untamable sort of thing—you can’t really pin it down with neat rules. It shows up in these quiet, everyday places too, like golden wheat fields, and then in the darker shadows hanging around woods and groves. The plot is basically about a young king who marries the faery princess of Elfland, and after that things start going off in a big way—will-o-the-wisps, trolls, all that. It also brings this kind of timeless, calm “nothing-ness” that starts creeping into the human world and changes how people live. I think it’s a really cool read if you like magic that’s more strange and poetic than explained. And it seems to have had a real impact on writers all over the place, from Lovecraft to Gaiman to Yeats. If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear what you thought. Also, if you know any other overlooked fantasy books, drop them here—I’m always looking.