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Lud-in-the-Mist

Hope Mirrlees,

Neil Gaiman (Foreword)

Start date: August 1, 2025

Finish date: August 30, 2025

Discussion: FIF

Why we're reading this: Keeping Up with the Classics, January 2019
[close] Keeping Up with the Classics, January 2019

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Sept 2025: Frostflower and Thorn
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What Members Thought

Jan 26, 2023 Misa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics, could-not-put-it-down, first-from-this-author, loved-the-cover, i-liked-it, has-mystery-in-it, favorites

4.5 stars.
"Ho! Ho! Hoh!" "by the Sun, Moon and Stars; by the Golden Apples of the West"

"Maids in your smocks
Look well to your locks
And beware of the fox
When the bellman knocks."

I loved the old poetic language of this story more than anything and it was written by a woman. I'm curious to know if Tolkien had read this book. Lud in the Mist has the same vibes as Tolkien's short stories ( Farmer Giles, Smith of Wootton...etc), also a bit of George MacDonald's stories but with less felt religi 4.5 stars.
"Ho! Ho! Hoh!" "by the Sun, Moon and Stars; by the Golden Apples of the West"

"Maids in your smocks
Look well to your locks
And beware of the fox
When the bellman knocks."

I loved the old poetic language of this story more than anything and it was written by a woman. I'm curious to know if Tolkien had read this book. Lud in the Mist has the same vibes as Tolkien's short stories ( Farmer Giles, Smith of Wootton...etc), also a bit of George MacDonald's stories but with less felt religious innuendos and I'm sorry to say that it was much more enjoyable and beautiful.

Lud in the Mist seems to belong to that Golden Age of fantasy, if I may say the pre-Tolkien books. These kind of books, when they were published, were regarded as eccentric even bizarre or just books for kids until the success of LOTR by Tolkien. Then, in order to make the readers pick up these books, it was added on the covers the words an Epic Fantasy like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings(during 60s-70s). We can say that Tolkien opened the door for the fantasy genre by giving it a place on the shelves and also inspired us to discover more authors before him.

Anyway, this book was so beautiful, it is true that at the beginning, we don't know where it is leading us, in addition to the prose of the author that we are not used to as modern readers but after few chapters, we are used to it and it became more enjoyable and less odd. For me, it was more of a mystery in a fanstasy than anything, I was so intrigued by the plot and I started turning the pages so faster just wanting to know what Nathaniel Chanticleer was going to do. By the way, I liked this character a great deal. His ups and downs made it more interesting. The story has the vibes of Tim Burton's movies in a way. I would love to see a movie based on it.

All in all, now LITM is a book that I consider as a must read for any lover of fantasy genre or classics. I'm putting this book near The Hobbit because it is a beautiful adventure to go back to from time to time. ...more

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Jul 26, 2021 H.A. Byrd rated it it was amazing

The poet Hope Mirrlees wrote this, her third novel, in 1926 at the end of the era of the horse-drawn carriage. Her classical education and her closer proximity to an earlier lifestyle add a distinctive magic to Lud-in-the-Mist for the modern reader.

The book opens on two worlds, the town of Lud in the country of Dorimare, and the realm of fairy which lies beyond the nearby hills. Set in the bourgeois society in town, the story centers around the Chanticleer family. Their name is derived from the The poet Hope Mirrlees wrote this, her third novel, in 1926 at the end of the era of the horse-drawn carriage. Her classical education and her closer proximity to an earlier lifestyle add a distinctive magic to Lud-in-the-Mist for the modern reader.

The book opens on two worlds, the town of Lud in the country of Dorimare, and the realm of fairy which lies beyond the nearby hills. Set in the bourgeois society in town, the story centers around the Chanticleer family. Their name is derived from the "clear singing rooster" in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. As a symbol, the domestic rooster has long been associated with pride and courage, and of course, time.

For several generations there has been a rift between Fairyland and the land of Dorimare. The entire subject of fairies has become off-limits to the people. However, magical fairy fruit (reminiscent of the 1862 poem Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti) is somehow finding its way into Dorimare, with troubling consequences. This problem sets into motion a transformative chain of events which eventually affects everyone, possibly even the reader.

As with many works of art, the meaning of Lud-in-the-Mist is open to interpretation. My perception is that the hero Nathaniel and his son suffer from an existential depression which is made worse by the need to suppress their true selves. Nathaniel’s fears spring from the great dread of the unknown which has caused his society to fall out of balance and cling to commercialism and the administration of justice, marking as taboo anything adventurous or creative. Time unleashed, one of several themes of the story, is a scary concept for those with this type of depression.

The deepest cause, though, of Nathaniel’s fear and detachment is something magical. He and his son feel the call of Fairy. This is not a pleasant feeling bringing to mind Disney’s modern fairies, but a much more insidious process of being drawn towards the world of the old-fashioned wingless variety. Before the twentieth century, fairies represented an aspect of nature’s indifference towards human life. They had strong magic and were, if anything, to be feared. These fairies are those. They correspond to imagination, art, and the great mystery. Beyond the veil as they are, in this tale they also represent the dead.

The author’s language is beautiful, although in a couple of instances the description does seem forced. Her elusive implications and technique of leaving some scenes to the imagination foster a real sense of fairyland and the spiritual journey of the characters. As she doles out the clues of what is to come, she gives the reader a chance to participate in the story. We experience the uncertainty, and we are right there with Nathaniel as he breaks from tradition, and takes his giant leap of faith. ...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Carrie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

A lovely book that I really enjoyed. It meanders but never drags. The characters are neither heroes or villains. There's plenty of humor, but it's not a comedy. ...more

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