Series: n/a
Author: Hope Mirrlees
Source/Format: Purchased; paperback
More Details: Fantasy; Classic
Publisher/Publication Date: Originally published in 1926
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Synopsis from Goodreads...
Lud-in-the-Mist - a prosperous country town situated where two rivers meet: the Dawl and the Dapple. The latter, which has its source in the land of Faerie, is a great trial to Lud, which had long rejected anything 'other', preferring to believe only in what is known, what is solid. Nathaniel Chanticleer is a somewhat dreamy, slightly melancholy man, not one for making waves, who is deliberately ignoring a vital part of his own past; a secret he refuses even to acknowledge. But with the disappearance of his own daughter, and a long-overdue desire to protect his young son, he realises that something is changing in Lud - and something must be done.
Lud-in-the-Mist is a true classic, an adult fairy tale exploring the need to embrace what we fear and to come to terms with 'the shadows' - those sweet and dark impulses that our public selves ignore or repress.
One of my last reads of 2022 was Hope Mirrlees’ 1926 fantasy classic, Lud-in-the-Mist. I first saw this novel while watching one of Christy Anne Jones’ videos earlier in 2022. I was instantly intrigued by the way she described the book, and that it was a pre-Tolkien fantasy. So I bought a copy for myself. But, it was a couple of months before I finally got around to reading it. In December, I was in the mood for more fairy related content after I read Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries (which was amazing). So, Lud-in-the-Mist was an easy choice. And, ultimately, it quickly became one of my top-favorite fantasy classics to date.
At times, I felt like I was being told the events by an omnipresent narrator, which worked well for it. And, while Lud-in-the-Mist wasn’t action packed—and I wasn’t expecting it to be—it was still a very thrilling novel with plenty of mystery and something of a comedic streak at its most ridiculous moments. It had plenty to say of course, because it was a novel about a country that was determined to deny a part of its origins, and so allowed space for a cunning villain to get into their midst. The quote that follows is one of my favorites and is an example of (as well as an explanation) for the attitudes present in story.
“In the eye of the law, neither Fairyland nor fairy things existed. But then, as Master Josiah had pointed out, the law plays fast and loose with reality—and no one really believes it.”—page 13
I liked the wide range of characters that made up the cast, which included everyone from Nathaniel Chanticleer to his wife, children, and neighbors. Nathaniel, and, in particular, his wife, Dame Marigold, were some of my favorites. He could be irritable and so on and so forth. And she was cunning when she wanted. They, like much of the cast, was described as typical (for a Dorimarite). But, Nathaniel had secrets, mainly about the Note. I thought it was so interesting how that one thing really shaped his personality, and influenced the way he responded and behaved toward others.
Lud-in-the-Mist had a softer magic system, with no real rigid explanation. But, every instance of “magic” and every clue toward something amiss and uncanny felt entirely organic to Dorimare—the fictional country where the story takes place. There was an emphasis on the titular Lud-in-the-Mist, which was Dorimare’s capital. But, the setting was as much of a character as the characters themselves—seemingly entirely set in their ways, but not really, especially around the overlooked edges.
All-in-all, Lud-in-the-Mist was fantastic.
“In the eye of the law, neither Fairyland nor fairy things existed. But then, as Master Josiah had pointed out, the law plays fast and loose with reality—and no one really believes it.”—page 13
I liked the wide range of characters that made up the cast, which included everyone from Nathaniel Chanticleer to his wife, children, and neighbors. Nathaniel, and, in particular, his wife, Dame Marigold, were some of my favorites. He could be irritable and so on and so forth. And she was cunning when she wanted. They, like much of the cast, was described as typical (for a Dorimarite). But, Nathaniel had secrets, mainly about the Note. I thought it was so interesting how that one thing really shaped his personality, and influenced the way he responded and behaved toward others.
Lud-in-the-Mist had a softer magic system, with no real rigid explanation. But, every instance of “magic” and every clue toward something amiss and uncanny felt entirely organic to Dorimare—the fictional country where the story takes place. There was an emphasis on the titular Lud-in-the-Mist, which was Dorimare’s capital. But, the setting was as much of a character as the characters themselves—seemingly entirely set in their ways, but not really, especially around the overlooked edges.
All-in-all, Lud-in-the-Mist was fantastic.
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