Lavondyss [Hardcover]

Robert Holdstock (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: MORROW, WILLIAM & COMPANY IN (1980)
• ASIN: B000N64S04
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting, July 25, 2004

By 

S. G Newman (Gunnison, Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lavondyss: Journey to an Unknown Region (A Novel of the Mythago Cycle) (Paperback)

Lavondyss is not as accessible as Mythago Wood; however, for me, it was even more rewarding. It's best if you read it slow, savoring the detail, the imagery and the incredible scope. I've read it several times. Each time, after finishing, it tends to haunt me for days and days. I also find it to be profoundly sad, but not in a bad way. I STRONGLY recommend Lavondyss.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As far from fluff as you can get..., March 5, 2007

By 

Fenella Paine (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lavondyss: Journey to an Unknown Region (A Novel of the Mythago Cycle) (Paperback)

Generally, I consider myself to be more of a science fiction fan than a fastasy fan. Most fantasy novels seem too much the same to me - wizards, knights, fairies, etc. dressed up in flowery language with cutesy names. Too many modern fantasy writers seem to forget that many of the elements of the fantasy genre are based on much older stories, and those stories on others much older than them. Robert Holdstock quite masterfully taps into the essence of myth, legend, and fairy tale, stripping away all of the modern frippery and exposing them for what they really are - deep rooted stories of fear, desperation and tragedy. For those who felt that the story was too violent, I encourage them to do some research into what life was like in the "olden days." It was not a quaint tale of bucolic bliss but short, brutish, and frequently cruel. Although I loved "Mythago Wood," "Lavondyss" is far superior and complex in examining the genesis and evolution of myth. It is an eerie, uneasy, discomforting book and all the more powerful for that. If you're looking for a story that will give you the warm fuzzies, stick to more standard fantasy fare. If you're looking for a book that will challenge your ideas about myth and story and haunt you for many days after, "Lavondyss" is about as good as it gets.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An enriching journey, July 29, 2002

By 

"coraythan" (Dexter, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lavondyss (Paperback)

With patience and dedication, this is a weird and wonderful book.

Lavondyss delves deeper into myth than Mythago Wood dared go, illuminates intriguing areas left dark, but on the flip side, Lavondyss isn't as exciting, as fast paced, as the first book.

I felt that as an embellishment and continuation of Mythago Wood, Lavondyss is definitely deserving of 5 stars, but as a stand-alone it's only worth 4. I would recommend Mythago Wood first, but if after that book you're intrigued at all, then this book is the answer. (An answer that leaves more questions than before, but isn't that like all the best answers?)