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The people of the obscure village Erl demand to be ruled by a magic lord, so their ruler sends his son Alveric to Elfland to wed the elfin princess Lirazel. He brings her back to Erl and the couple have a son, but Lirazel has trouble integrating with human society. When a scheme by her father spirits her away and Elfland vanishes, Alveric begins a mad quest to find where Elfland went.
The King of Elfland’s Daughter is written in the pseudo-archaic prose style for which Dunsany is known. Some contemporaries thought the style did not suit a novel-length work, but contemporary Irish writer George Russell called the book “the most purely beautiful thing Lord Dunsany has written.” The book touches on a range of themes, including the longing for fantastical things lost, the perception of time, sanity and madness, the fear of the unknown, and being careful what you wish for. Large passages are also devoted to hunting; the original edition even featured an illustration of a unicorn hunt opposite the title page. Neil Gaiman wrote an introduction to the 1999 edition, and Christopher Lee was a featured vocalist on a 1977 progressive rock album based on the book.
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The King of Elfland's Daughter
Feb 16, 2021, Blackstone Public Domain
audio cd
1799927474 9781799927471
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The King of Elfland's Daughter
Jan 01, 2020, Positronic Publishing
hardcover
1515442306 9781515442301
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The King of Elfland's daughter
2001, Gollancz, Orion Publishing Group, Limited
in English
185798790X 9781857987904
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The King of Elfland's daughter
1999, Del Rey Impact
in English
- 1st Del Rey trade paperback ed.
034543191X 9780345431912
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THE KING OF ELFLAND'S DAUGHTER
1982, Unwin Paperbacks - Unicorn Books
Paperback
0048232076 9780048232076
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King of Elflands Dghtr
June 12, 1978, Del Rey
Mass Market Paperback
in English
0345278674 9780345278678
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The King of Elfland's Daughter
December 12, 1976, Ballantine Books
Mass Market Paperback
in English
0345255232 9780345255235
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King of Elflands Daughte
May 12, 1969, Ballantine Books
Mass Market Paperback
in English
0345216288 9780345216281
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KING OF ELFLAND'S DAUGHTER.
Publish date unknown, MILLENIUM
in Undetermined
185798790X 9781857987904
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Book Details
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Work Description
The lord of Erl is told by the parliament of his people that they want to be ruled by a magic lord. Obeying the immemorial custom, the lord sends his son Alveric to fetch the King of Elfland's daughter, Lirazel, to be his bride. He makes his way to Elfland, where time passes at a rate far slower than the real world, and wins her. They return to Erl and have a son, but in the manner of fairy brides of folklore, she fits uneasily with his people. She returns to the waiting arms of her father in Elfland, and her lovesick husband goes searching for her, abandoning the kingdom of Erl and wandering in a now-hopeless quest. However, Lirazel becomes lonesome for her mortal husband and son. Seeing that she is unhappy, the King of Elfland uses a powerful magic to engulf the land of Erl. Erl is transformed into a part of Elfland, and Lirazel and her loved ones are reunited forever in an eternal, enchanted world.
During the course of the novel, the King of Elfland uses up all of the three powerful magic spells which he had been reserving for the defense of his realm.
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