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Mythago Wood

The Winner of the WORLD FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL
3.77 goodreads logo

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( 10,456 ratings, 978 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock is set in an ancient English woodland where mythical creatures and figures, known as mythagos, emerge from the landscape, shaped by the collective unconscious of humankind. The story follows the Huxley family as they delve into the mysteries of the wood, encountering dreamlike manifestations of their deepest myths and legends. As the characters venture deeper into the heart of the forest, they confront both wonders and dangers that challenge their understanding of reality.
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Format: Paperback / softback

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are fascinated by the interplay of ancient myths and contemporary life, and are intrigued by the idea of a mysterious forest that holds the secrets of past legends and personal archetypes. This Sci-Fi & Fantasy tale blends elements of myth, adventure and psychological depth, offering an immersive experience for readers who appreciate richly imagined worlds and complex characters.

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Mythago Wood

MYTHAGO WOOD won the WORLD FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL and is regarded as one of the finest fantasy novels of the 20th century.

MYTHAGO WOOD won the WORLD FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL and is regarded as one of the finest fantasy novels of the 20th century.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Enter the enchanting yet perilous world of Mythago Wood, where the lines between myth and reality blur. Robert Holdstock crafts an immersive tale set deep within Ryhope Wood, a seemingly ordinary three-mile-square forest in rural Herefordshire. Yet beneath its canopy lies an ancient and fantastical realm that defies the very essence of time and nature. Here, legendary archetypes are not merely figments of imagination but living beings shaped by the desires and fears of those who dare to venture within.

Stephen Huxley, a war-weary physicist, returns home to discover the unsettling influence the wood has on his family. His father, long lost to its enigmatic allure, leaves behind a legacy of obsession. Stephen's brother, Christopher, is also ensnared by its mysteries—a trail of intrigue that leads Stephen into the heart of the wood. Within, he encounters a world where mythic and timeless figures assume flesh and blood, where beauty both beguiles and torments, and where the promise of liberation precariously teeters on the edge of madness.

Holdstock's Mythago Wood transcends the conventional boundaries of fantasy, offering a profound exploration of the subconscious and the nocturnal landscape of the human mind. The intricate tapestry of myth becomes an exploration of the psyche, a realm where intangible desires manifest into tangible peril.

Readers are mesmerised by Mythago Wood:

"6.0 stars. This book is a MASTERPIECE and will likely be on my list of 'All-Time Favourite' novels before too long." - Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"Blimey, what a book! Genuine classic of mythological fiction." - Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"An imaginative masterpiece has broken the boundaries of the fantasy genre. In Mythago Wood, myths manifest from characters' unfathomable desires. The mysterious forest with which the protagonists are obsessed is an original concept of legends, it is rooted in the subconscious mind arousing the overwhelming power of human minds." - Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"To attempt to write a straightforward synopsis of Mythago Wood itself is almost to lose the very essence of the novel, to break away from the ethereal feeling which transcends the book." - Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

"I've seldomly read a book that is so rich and enthralling in its descriptions and really draws me into the mythical woods, where time flows differently, where your subconscious can conjure up archetypes, and these can infringe upon your very real life outside of the forest." - Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Series: Fantasy Masterworks

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock is praised for its beautifully subtle imagination and the ease with which it conjures up enchanting worlds and events. It is described as sonorous, vivid, and utterly enthralling, showcasing Holdstock as Britain's best fantasist. The book stands as a celebration of fantasy literature, blending heart and fire.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781473205451

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 27 November 2014

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Gollancz

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 280g

Pages: 320

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About the Author

Robert Paul Holdstock was born in a remote corner of Kent, sharing his childhood years between the bleak Romney Marsh and the dense woodlands of the Kentish heartlands. He received an MSc in medical zoology and spent several years in the early 1970s in medical research before becoming a full-time writer in 1976. His first published story appeared in the NEW WORLDS magazine in 1968 and for the early part of his career he wrote science fiction. However, it is with fantasy that he is most closely associated.

1984 saw the publication of MYTHAGO WOOD, winner of the BSFA and WORLD FANTASY AWARDS FOR BEST NOVEL, and widely regarded as one of the key texts of modern fantasy. It and the subsequent 'mythago' novels (including Lavondyss, which won the BSFA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL in 1988) cemented his reputation as the definitive portrayer of the wild wood. His interest in Celtic and Nordic mythology was a consistent theme throughout his fantasy and is most prominently reflected in the acclaimed Merlin Codex trilogy, consisting of Celtika, The Iron Grain and The Broken Kings, published between 2001 and 2007.

Among many other works, Holdstock co-wrote Tour of the Universe with Malcolm Edwards, for which rights were sold for a space shuttle simulation ride at the CN Tower in Toronto, and The Emerald Forest, based on John Boorman's film of the same name. His story, 'The Ragthorn', written with friend and fellow author Garry Kilworth, won the WORLD FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NOVELLA and the BSFA AWARD FOR SHORT FICTION.

Robert Holdstock died in November 2009, just four months after the publication of Avilion, the long-awaited, and sadly final, return to Ryhope Wood.

www.robertholdstock.com

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