Last night I finished
Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees. This book was published in 1926 and I’d been meaning to read it ever since I heard Neil Gaiman praise it effusively in person. I finally got round to it after a book YouTuber I follow,
Christy Anne Jones in Australia, read and enjoyed it, and reminded me of it in the process. I was delighted to be able to get a new edition of it for my Kindle.
It’s set in a fantasy world that feels almost Victorian or earlier. Christy likened the feel of the book to
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, which I think is very apt. In this world a country and its people live next to the land of fairies. Which they regard with suspicion and fear. And the book recounts how the two end up interacting, viewed primarily through the eyes of the local mayor in the country’s largest town.
It is very readable but I found I needed a little while initially to adapt to the old style storytelling. However once I did and it “clicked” I found it utterly charming and was thoroughly enchanted by it. The story itself is delightful, feeling very like a folk tale or ballad from the past. The cast of characters encountered are lively and entertaining, often provoking amusement. And there is a strong feel of magic running throughout.
It’s easy to see how influential this novel was on Neil Gaiman. Most obviously in his novel
Stardust, which also sees a country abutting the fairy world. But also in some of his other works, such as
Neverwhere.
I am already missing the world of this novel! I am sure that I will reread it again.
A thoroughly recommended 5/5 rating.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
