Thomas the Rhymer

An exquisite little book. It does full honor to the old song about a magical experience, but is full of modern psychology and realism, too.

I finished this book almost in one sitting, practically devoured it and I wanted to cry when it was over. Hauntingly beautiful, surprisingly erotic at times, masterfully written.

I'm not sure where I first heard of the ballad of "Thomas The Rhymer." Perhaps somewhere in other reading. Where ever it was I was curious about it and was glad to find this telling. The character and setting were well developed and engaging. The fantasy elements were presented well enough as to not fall into cliché and silliness as some such books do. Well worth reading and likely a rereading in the future.

I am a lover of all things Faerie. I have put alot of time and research into the world of Faerie because I am a Faerie artist. This book is the best description of the Faerie realm that I have ever read. It is "fantastical" and imaginative and wonderful. For those who are deeply interested in the world of Faerie, it is highly recommended. For those with no love of fantasy, don't bother. The story is what it is. A legend, taken from an old poem; and yes it may be anticlimactic. But if you read it, read it for the creative imagination that went into it. Read it for a true glimpse of the Faerie world. I treasure this book and have read it many times over.

In this fascinating book, acclaimed author Ellen Kushner takes the old legends of Thomas of Erceldoune (a.k.a. True Thomas the seer and Thomas the Rhymer), and retells them in a fascinating, thoroughly modern style. This is the tale of a bard of no small talent who find himself the object of the Queen of Elfland's desire. Whisked off to the land of Fairy for seven years, he must unravel a mysterious riddle and save an immortal soul. And when he returns to the land of the living, will he be the same man he was, can he be? This is a fascinating, and thoroughly enjoyable story. The author does an excellent job of keeping the flavor and substance of the old stories, while at the same time updating them and making them a treat for the modern reader. Indeed, I was often struck by how much the story rang true to the old folktales I have studied throughout my life. So, if you are a fan of stories of Fairy and the Lords and Ladies, or simply enjoy a good (excellent) fantasy story, then I highly recommend this book to you. You won't be disappointed!

Ellen Kushner takes a traditional Scottish ballad and weaves it into something magical and beguiling in this lovely, haunting tale. The ballad sings of a minstrel lad abducted to Elfland for seven year's to serve as the Elf Queen's lover, then returned to the mortal world with the "gift" of always speaking the truth. Kushner deepens the focus of the story and humanizes the characters. Thomas is a footloose and carefree young minstrel and gifted seducer of willing ladies, eager to win fame for his singing and harping. His sojourn in Elfland is conveyed in dazzling prose, rich with the heady, heedless abandon of youth as Thomas gives himself up to the quicksilver Elf Queen and the succulent delights of her bower. Yet, he is tormented, too, by her small, careless cruelties, by the elves' constant game-playing, and by his lonely isolation as a mortal in a magical realm. He is scarcely any less isolated when he finally returns to mortal "Middle-Earth," a more sober and compassionate man, hailed as both rhymer and prophet, but who never again quite feels in step with his fellow beings. While Thomas' Orpheus-like descent into the eerie glamor of the Elvish underworld is the centerpiece of the story, Kushner provides humanistic grace notes in the characters of a down-to-earth farm couple who love Thomas like a son and help to tell his story. They are joined by another narrator, the wild-spirited but careworn country lass who wins young Thomas' heart and witnesses the bittersweet epiphany of the story's conclusion. Both fairy tale and love story, full of lusty balladeering, poetry and heartbreak, this novel is truly enchanting. I felt bereft when it was over, as if the portals of Elfland had been shut behind me forever.

This book won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel of the Year...and it's not hard to see why. Ellen Kushner has taken the old Scots ballad "Thomas the Rhymer" along with several other traditional ballads and woven them into a sensual tale about love, truth, illusion, and the nature of inspiration. Like any good folktale, Kushner's prose is exquisitely lyrical, and her plot deceptively simple -- for underneath the classic faery story of a musician's abduction into the Otherworld is very human story about the dangers and temptations all creative people face in the pursuit of their Muse. This book is not just for fantasy fans, but for all readers who appreciate fine prose and novels which work on several levels at once. Kushner knows her mythic/folkloric material inside and out -- and she certainly knows her music, being not only a performing folksinger herself, but also the host of American Public Radio's glorious "Sound & Spirit" series. Don't miss this deliciously sexy, magical, and thought-provoking book.

True Thomas lay on Huntlie Bank A fairy he spied with his e'e And there he saw a lady bright Come riding down by the Eildon Tree So begins one of the finest of the border ballads -- the long tale of Thomas the Rhymer and how he spent seven years living under the Eildon Hills as the queen of Elfland's lover. The book retells Thomas's story in the words of three people who loved him and, for the interlude in Faerie, in Thomas's own words. And what a story it is. Kushner knows her stuff and she has other ballads move across the surface of her story and are woven into it, giving it a depth that a straightforward retelling would not have. If you do read this, and you should, do yourself a favour and find someone to read it aloud to. You may think you're too old for that sort of thing, but if you don't then you're missing out. The book comes alive as you read it aloud, things that look strange on the page sound wonderful in the mouth, and the voices of the four storytellers become more distinct, bringing them to life. I have a small confession to make: I'm probably a little biased about this book because it was the book my wife and I read to each other when we first met. The memory of that fine time is inextricably bound with this book, but that said I thought it was wonderful before I met her, and I'm still of that opinion.