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The Charwoman's Shadow
With an introduction by Peter S. Beagle
An old woman who spends her days scrubbing the floors might be an unlikely damsel in distress, but Lord Dunsany proves once again his mastery of the fantastical. The Charwoman's Shadow is a beautiful tale of a sorcerer's apprentice who discovers his master's nefarious usage of stolen shadows, and vows to save the charwoman from her slavery.
Praise for The Charwoman's Shadow
“Lord Dunsany is the great grandfather of us all.” —Jane Yolen, winner of National Book Award, Nebula Award, and Wolf Fantasy Award
“Lord Dunsany is the fountainhead of all twentieth-century fantasy. He was certainly the finest inventor of titles ever to grace English Literature.” —Dave Duncan, author of The Gilded Chain
“How wonderful that Del Rey is bringing back The Charwoman's Shadow and The King of Elfland's Daughter for readers, new and old alike, to discover them anew. It will be a delight to read it for the first time again.” —Dennis L. McKiernan, author of The Hèl's Crucible duology
“These two novels have as much of Wonder and Faerie in them as you'll find anywhere in English, and the prose itself is remarkable both for its richness and its simplicity. Dunsany can entertain any reader and teach any writer.” —David Drake, author of Lord of the Isles
An old woman who spends her days scrubbing the floors might be an unlikely damsel in distress, but Lord Dunsany proves once again his mastery of the fantastical. The Charwoman's Shadow is a beautiful tale of a sorcerer's apprentice who discovers his master's nefarious usage of stolen shadows, and vows to save the charwoman from her slavery.
Praise for The Charwoman's Shadow
“Lord Dunsany is the great grandfather of us all.” —Jane Yolen, winner of National Book Award, Nebula Award, and Wolf Fantasy Award
“Lord Dunsany is the fountainhead of all twentieth-century fantasy. He was certainly the finest inventor of titles ever to grace English Literature.” —Dave Duncan, author of The Gilded Chain
“How wonderful that Del Rey is bringing back The Charwoman's Shadow and The King of Elfland's Daughter for readers, new and old alike, to discover them anew. It will be a delight to read it for the first time again.” —Dennis L. McKiernan, author of The Hèl's Crucible duology
“These two novels have as much of Wonder and Faerie in them as you'll find anywhere in English, and the prose itself is remarkable both for its richness and its simplicity. Dunsany can entertain any reader and teach any writer.” —David Drake, author of Lord of the Isles
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1926
About the author
Lord Dunsany
594 books761 followersEdward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, eighteenth baron of Dunsany, was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist, notable for his work in fantasy published under the name Lord Dunsany. More than eighty books of his work were published, and his oeuvre includes hundreds of short stories, as well as successful plays, novels and essays. Born to one of the oldest titles in the Irish peerage, he lived much of his life at perhaps Ireland's longest-inhabited home, Dunsany Castle near Tara, received an honourary doctorate from Trinity College, and died in Dublin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
August 6, 2017
A classic of the fantasy genre.
A lord of Spain summons his son Ramon and explains that while gold is indeed dross, it is nevertheless useful, especially since his daughter, Ramon's sister, Mirandola needs to be married and so have a dowry. Since they can not have Ramon work at a trade, he sends him off instead to learn from a magician how to make gold. (Fortunately, Ramon's grandfather had explained to a magician some of how to hunt boars, and he was grateful for it.)
There, Ramon finds the magician's charwoman casts no shadow. She earnestly warns him about giving up his own.
The tale winds on in Dunsany's enchanted lyrical prose. Involves a neighboring lord who raises pigs, lying about coming from the forest, the dangers of giving up your shadow, the best love potion I have seen in fiction, and somewhat more. Though the magic that lies in what he uses. . . .
A lord of Spain summons his son Ramon and explains that while gold is indeed dross, it is nevertheless useful, especially since his daughter, Ramon's sister, Mirandola needs to be married and so have a dowry. Since they can not have Ramon work at a trade, he sends him off instead to learn from a magician how to make gold. (Fortunately, Ramon's grandfather had explained to a magician some of how to hunt boars, and he was grateful for it.)
There, Ramon finds the magician's charwoman casts no shadow. She earnestly warns him about giving up his own.
The tale winds on in Dunsany's enchanted lyrical prose. Involves a neighboring lord who raises pigs, lying about coming from the forest, the dangers of giving up your shadow, the best love potion I have seen in fiction, and somewhat more. Though the magic that lies in what he uses. . . .
July 19, 2012
I am willing to give Lord Dunsany the benefit of four stars, despite the rude connotation that Lord Vishnu is someone a follower of Dark Arts would pray to. Dunsany was a learned man and another book by him makes light of religion as such, so I was somewhat taken aback at this bigotry. Anyway, like I said, I'll not let that stand in my review of a book that I really enjoyed.
The story follows the travails of a young man, Ramon Alonzo who has to learn the art of making gold from a sorcerer so he can accumulate enough dowry for his only sister, Mirandola. The poor man soon finds out the terrible price of learning anything from this evil man, but must keep going because of his love for his sister and out of chivalry towards an old charwoman who is desperate for her shadow that was taken by the sorcerer.
Lord Dunsany writes about a simpler time, when the marriage of a daughter, with a big fat dowry for her future husband was top-most priority, a scenario, that sadly still unfolds in many a place. However, Lord Dunsany gives Mirandola a strong character and lets her take her destiny in her own hands, something perhaps not very common in those times. As usual, the story is made entertaining by the many intelligent quotes and the importance of losing something one takes for granted (like one's shadow) is exemplified by the terrified and hostile attitude of society towards an anomaly like that. The overall tone of the book remains hopeful and at times even funny, especially with Dunsany's trademark humor which in this book concerns the psychology of a dog!
I still am not sure why the knowledge of boar hunting (taught by Alonzo's ancestor to the sorcerer) was such a big deal that the sorcerer felt so obliged to teach Ramon Alonzo something in return. I guess hunting is an integral part of Dunsany's works no matter what they are about, so I won't dwell on it longer, but Dunsany's style is surely growing on me.
The story follows the travails of a young man, Ramon Alonzo who has to learn the art of making gold from a sorcerer so he can accumulate enough dowry for his only sister, Mirandola. The poor man soon finds out the terrible price of learning anything from this evil man, but must keep going because of his love for his sister and out of chivalry towards an old charwoman who is desperate for her shadow that was taken by the sorcerer.
Lord Dunsany writes about a simpler time, when the marriage of a daughter, with a big fat dowry for her future husband was top-most priority, a scenario, that sadly still unfolds in many a place. However, Lord Dunsany gives Mirandola a strong character and lets her take her destiny in her own hands, something perhaps not very common in those times. As usual, the story is made entertaining by the many intelligent quotes and the importance of losing something one takes for granted (like one's shadow) is exemplified by the terrified and hostile attitude of society towards an anomaly like that. The overall tone of the book remains hopeful and at times even funny, especially with Dunsany's trademark humor which in this book concerns the psychology of a dog!
I still am not sure why the knowledge of boar hunting (taught by Alonzo's ancestor to the sorcerer) was such a big deal that the sorcerer felt so obliged to teach Ramon Alonzo something in return. I guess hunting is an integral part of Dunsany's works no matter what they are about, so I won't dwell on it longer, but Dunsany's style is surely growing on me.
August 1, 2012
This is one of those books that it’s a little bit embarrassing to admit that I hadn’t already read. I’ve read who knows how many tales that were influenced to some degree by Dunsany… but not a lot actually by him.
The Charwoman’s Shadow is a lovely, original fairy tale. In order to gain money for his daughter’s dowry, a father sends his son to apprentice to a magician, with the goal of discovering the method of turning lead into gold. But the magician asks high prices for his secrets. An old servant warns the young man not to give up his shadow to the wizard, as she did, long ago – but a shadow seems a relatively small price to pay. And when the young man’s sister begs him for a love potion, instead of a dowry, he wishes only to be able to give her what she wants…
The Charwoman’s Shadow is a lovely, original fairy tale. In order to gain money for his daughter’s dowry, a father sends his son to apprentice to a magician, with the goal of discovering the method of turning lead into gold. But the magician asks high prices for his secrets. An old servant warns the young man not to give up his shadow to the wizard, as she did, long ago – but a shadow seems a relatively small price to pay. And when the young man’s sister begs him for a love potion, instead of a dowry, he wishes only to be able to give her what she wants…
February 7, 2010
Perhaps Lord Dunsany's most accessible work, without ever losing his inimitable style in prose. The description of the "magic" inherent in learning how to read is among the finest moments in fantasy, and never fails to instill a sense of wonder, while most other authors struggle to keep fireballs, elves and dragons from seeming mundane and boring.
January 13, 2015
Fantasy isn't done like this anymore. This book isn't about world-building or plot so much as beautiful writing and the sense of time. It's hard to describe - something like scuba diving, where you find yourself submerged in a completely different world, things are hushed, the sea-life accepts you as another fish, there's the feeling of weightlessness and time doesn't pass in the way you're used to...? The other thing that impressed me about TCS was how Dunsany takes something very simple and everyday that we barely think about and makes it into the crux of the story. The significance of shadows was developed so beautifully - I am still thinking about it. I don't know that any fantasy writer has ever done this as powerfully. The only example of something similar I can think of is how Philip Pullman uses the daemons in The Golden Compass - but it's still very different. Anyway, I loved it. The feeling of ageless, golden time - William Morris has that too, only reading him is like being within a tapestry. The slowed sense of time is an art form I haven't seen in modern fantasy.
May 4, 2022
A story set in "the Golden Age of Spain" in which a boy of an impoverished noble house is sent to apprentice with a wizard to learn the secrets of making gold (to restore the family's fortunes, pay the dowry for his sister, and do it all without stooping to involve themselves with vulgar trade like commoners). The wizard has a charwoman who traded her shadow to the wizard in exchange for long or eternal life (but not eternal youth, hence she ages), and she warns the boy not to make such a trade. But the price for the alchemist's secret is the boy's shadow. Does it make a difference? Can the boy help the charwoman get her shadow back? The whole thing has that dreamlike quality and beautiful language that is the hallmark of Lord Dunsany, an author on the famous "Appendix N" list of Gary Gygax of the books and authors who inspired the creation of D&D and thus the hobby of RPGs in general . . .
September 19, 2018
"There he lay down for such a night as men have who see doom close. Though the doom be only earthly they plan and plan, and mix up their plans with hopes, and then again they mix them with despairs, till all over the web of reason that makes their plans come curious patterns of the despairs and hopes; and least of all the weaver knows which is which."
April 3, 2019
Another classic from the beginning of modern fantasy. Set in the golden age of Spain, before the magic left. Of what value are our shadows? Does the body make the shadow, or does the shadow make the body? And what would people think of you, if you had no shadow?
November 10, 2023
This is a bit late for a Halloween review, and it wasn't really intended as such originally, but upon completing it, it feels like an apt book to have read over the holiday. While not scary or spooky, it definitely has an air of fantastical whimsy about it, and in an earlier time it's notion of selling your shadow for an ancient secret and all the problems that come with it might well have been more frightening. But yeah, this is an amazing story, and one I came across by pure chance.
I'm not unaware of Lord Dunsany, having heard his name dropped by a few famous modern authors over the years, but I know him more for The King of Elfland's Daughter and Gods of Pegana. It was these other works I was looking for when I got this book. I'd ordered a lot of his books on Ebay with the aforementioned books in it. This book happened to also be in that lot, and upon reading the back of the book, it sounded intriguing enough to check out first, and I'm so glad I did.
The Charwoman's Shadow is a wonderful story, first and foremost. A delightful tale of that feels a lot like a fairy tale at times, a bit like a Neil Gaiman story at others, and with prose that reads much like the one Alexandre Dumas book I've read, The Black Tulip. For the right person, this is probably more than enough to sell the book (I know I'd have bought it on that alone if someone had described it so). For others, it might take a little more than that, but I do think it's worth giving a chance, especially at such a short length.
I must say that beyond the moral side of the story, where we see that selling something as worthless as a shadow can have serious repercussions, I also love the idea that the story takes the trope of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress and makes that damsel an old woman. It's not expected, especially for the time. I must also praise the very prose that Lord Dunsany uses, as it just flows perfectly with the story, be it his narration or when someone is talking. His word choices are purposeful and effective to convey a tale from what even then was a bygone era without being so archaic as to put off the reader, and it holds up surprisingly well even now.
I do have to point out the one possible trigger warning though. This was written around 100 years ago, and as such it does have a couple mentions of ancient Chinese and Muslim cultures in regards to spells that are not flattering in today's society. For me, I can look past that and understand that this was written in a different time, but if you can't, well, you've been warned.
That aside though, this is a book that, if you're into fairy tales or more whimsical fantasies, should probably be on your radar. I know it's put Lord Dunsany near the top of my list of favorite books I've read this year and I look forward to checking out more of his work in the future.
I'm not unaware of Lord Dunsany, having heard his name dropped by a few famous modern authors over the years, but I know him more for The King of Elfland's Daughter and Gods of Pegana. It was these other works I was looking for when I got this book. I'd ordered a lot of his books on Ebay with the aforementioned books in it. This book happened to also be in that lot, and upon reading the back of the book, it sounded intriguing enough to check out first, and I'm so glad I did.
The Charwoman's Shadow is a wonderful story, first and foremost. A delightful tale of that feels a lot like a fairy tale at times, a bit like a Neil Gaiman story at others, and with prose that reads much like the one Alexandre Dumas book I've read, The Black Tulip. For the right person, this is probably more than enough to sell the book (I know I'd have bought it on that alone if someone had described it so). For others, it might take a little more than that, but I do think it's worth giving a chance, especially at such a short length.
I must say that beyond the moral side of the story, where we see that selling something as worthless as a shadow can have serious repercussions, I also love the idea that the story takes the trope of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress and makes that damsel an old woman. It's not expected, especially for the time. I must also praise the very prose that Lord Dunsany uses, as it just flows perfectly with the story, be it his narration or when someone is talking. His word choices are purposeful and effective to convey a tale from what even then was a bygone era without being so archaic as to put off the reader, and it holds up surprisingly well even now.
I do have to point out the one possible trigger warning though. This was written around 100 years ago, and as such it does have a couple mentions of ancient Chinese and Muslim cultures in regards to spells that are not flattering in today's society. For me, I can look past that and understand that this was written in a different time, but if you can't, well, you've been warned.
That aside though, this is a book that, if you're into fairy tales or more whimsical fantasies, should probably be on your radar. I know it's put Lord Dunsany near the top of my list of favorite books I've read this year and I look forward to checking out more of his work in the future.
April 9, 2016
Lord Dunsany's fantasy stories are not as twee as people often claim. Sometimes they can be ironic and dark, though they always remain lyrical and wistful. His later work is more humorous than his early stuff. By the time he turned from writing short stories to novels in the 1920s he had honed his musical, slightly mocking, always wondrous style to something approaching perfection.
*The Charwoman's Shadow* is a novel that bears linkages to his picaresque first novel *The Chronicles of Rodrigues*, for it takes place one generation later in the same magical Spain that never really existed, the Spain of the 'Golden Age', specifically near the end of that Age. Young Ramon Alonzo is commanded by his father to make gold to pay for his sister's dowry, so he apprentices himself to a sorcerer and sells his shadow in return for the alchemical secret. But when he meets an old charwoman in the sorcerer's house who once did the same thing he soon learns that the ramifications of his act will be far worse than he ever could imagine!
There's a delightfully silly joke halfway through this book where Dunsany talks about recent scientific research into the wisdom of dogs (some of it conducted from the dog's side). A modern editor would probably force an author to delete such a passage as being too distracting and absurd and therefore undermining the suspension of disbelief. I'm glad nobody forced Dunsany to remove it.
*The Charwoman's Shadow* is a novel that bears linkages to his picaresque first novel *The Chronicles of Rodrigues*, for it takes place one generation later in the same magical Spain that never really existed, the Spain of the 'Golden Age', specifically near the end of that Age. Young Ramon Alonzo is commanded by his father to make gold to pay for his sister's dowry, so he apprentices himself to a sorcerer and sells his shadow in return for the alchemical secret. But when he meets an old charwoman in the sorcerer's house who once did the same thing he soon learns that the ramifications of his act will be far worse than he ever could imagine!
There's a delightfully silly joke halfway through this book where Dunsany talks about recent scientific research into the wisdom of dogs (some of it conducted from the dog's side). A modern editor would probably force an author to delete such a passage as being too distracting and absurd and therefore undermining the suspension of disbelief. I'm glad nobody forced Dunsany to remove it.
March 13, 2017
Ramon, a Spanish youth of penniless aristocracy, cashes in an old debt to his ancestors so that a sorcerer takes him on as an apprentice and teaches him to make gold from base metal (Ramon's sister needs a big dowry and they are, as noted penniless). Despite the warnings from the mage's charwoman (housekeeper), Ramon sacrifices his shadow for knowledge then discovers that when people see you without a shadow, they freak. Can he recover his own shadow, let alone the charwoman's? Rescuing a housekeeper's shadow is an unusual quest, but Dunsany makes it work — and does so in breathtakingly beautiful prose, to boot.
February 27, 2015
01/2012 Dunsany is *brilliant*. I can't believe it took me so long to learn this. Also, I'm really glad that the LA library system had the book so I could read it. Beautiful language, haunting imagery, and a wonderful story. I first fell in love with Dunsany for his constant and evocative use of the word "gloaming".
03/2014 I like this book so much. I have such a hard time describing Dunsany. I just go into raptures and splutter incoherently while making expansive hand motions.
03/2014 I like this book so much. I have such a hard time describing Dunsany. I just go into raptures and splutter incoherently while making expansive hand motions.
October 27, 2019
It is clear, even to the most casual reader, that Lord Dunsany’s The Charwoman’s Shadow is a morality tale, of one sort or another. For most readers, it will not matter is the charwoman’s lost shadow is merely representative of joy in the simple things or symbolic of the soul itself; it will represent innocence and the potential for hope. It is the essence of something lost and something desired. At one point we read: “…far on into the night he plotted the rescue of shadows. How many a man through hours of silent darkness has laid his lonely plans for things more insubstantial.” (p. 154)
The story begins with a young man being pressed into service to a black magician who is supposed to teach him the alchemical treatment for making gold. As soon as he arrives in the isolated domicile belonging to the great magician, an old, wrinkled woman warns him not to let the magician have his shadow like he stole her shadow. And, of course, the young man isn’t inclined to reason for the rationale stated here: “For youth argues rapidly, and—in a way, clearly, from whatever premises it has, not often tarrying to enquire if more premises be needed.” (p. 100)
The shadows in this story are quite significant, perhaps of eternal significance. At one point the priest says, “On Earth the shadow is led hither and thither, wherever he will, by the man; but hereafter it is far otherwise, and wherever his shadow goes, alas, he must follow; which is but just, since in all their sojourn here never once doth the shadow lead, never once the man follow.” (p. 160) This revelation makes it all the more imperative that the young man solve the problem of the shadow in the title and others before the magician catches on. The problem seems a matter of life or death, as well as, apparently, eternal consequences.
In the meanwhile, the protagonist (Ramon Alonzo) has to avoid people who are suspicious that he has gone over to the devil’s side, negotiate a compromise with his father over his sister’s dowry, and try to find the love hinted at in his vision when he mistakes one thing for another. The Charwoman’s Shadow is a short, ornately worded, fantasy that is more wonder than adventure, more mystery than suspense. Yet, it is clearly a work pointing to what fantasy could and would be from the latter part of the 20th century onward.
The story begins with a young man being pressed into service to a black magician who is supposed to teach him the alchemical treatment for making gold. As soon as he arrives in the isolated domicile belonging to the great magician, an old, wrinkled woman warns him not to let the magician have his shadow like he stole her shadow. And, of course, the young man isn’t inclined to reason for the rationale stated here: “For youth argues rapidly, and—in a way, clearly, from whatever premises it has, not often tarrying to enquire if more premises be needed.” (p. 100)
The shadows in this story are quite significant, perhaps of eternal significance. At one point the priest says, “On Earth the shadow is led hither and thither, wherever he will, by the man; but hereafter it is far otherwise, and wherever his shadow goes, alas, he must follow; which is but just, since in all their sojourn here never once doth the shadow lead, never once the man follow.” (p. 160) This revelation makes it all the more imperative that the young man solve the problem of the shadow in the title and others before the magician catches on. The problem seems a matter of life or death, as well as, apparently, eternal consequences.
In the meanwhile, the protagonist (Ramon Alonzo) has to avoid people who are suspicious that he has gone over to the devil’s side, negotiate a compromise with his father over his sister’s dowry, and try to find the love hinted at in his vision when he mistakes one thing for another. The Charwoman’s Shadow is a short, ornately worded, fantasy that is more wonder than adventure, more mystery than suspense. Yet, it is clearly a work pointing to what fantasy could and would be from the latter part of the 20th century onward.
June 10, 2019
A charming little fairy tale about a young man sent to learn alchemy from a magician who must exchange his shadow for the knowledge. The magician's charwoman, an old but immortal crone warns him from this, but he rashly ignores her and discovers the perils of running around the countryside without a shadow—or in his case, with a lesser, unnatural shadow (it doesn't change with the light).
Dunsany has a picturesque style that hearkens back to earlier times but generally without seeming too precious or affected, and was recognized by H. P. Lovecraft in his Supernatural Horror in Literature—though not this particular work, probably since that essay was begun before this was published.
Dunsany has a picturesque style that hearkens back to earlier times but generally without seeming too precious or affected, and was recognized by H. P. Lovecraft in his Supernatural Horror in Literature—though not this particular work, probably since that essay was begun before this was published.
November 9, 2020
I was lucky to read a spanish translation when I was a kid and it wasn't until a couple of years that I learned who the author was.
Re-reading this in its original version was meeting an old friend with a better appreciation for Dunsany's writing.
Re-reading this in its original version was meeting an old friend with a better appreciation for Dunsany's writing.
June 6, 2022
If The Charwoman's Shadow isn't quite as magical as some of Lord Dunsany's other works, that's still a whole lot of magic and beauty.
May 15, 2020
I'm pretty sure I'd discovered Lord Dunsany via H. P. Lovecraft, who professed profound admiration for Dunsany as a writer. And, as an aside, Lord Dunsany had a cameo in the superb 'Providence' graphic novel by Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows, which I'd read as it came out recently.
I'd purchased both of the Allen and Unwin Unicorn Dunsany books back in the day, and had read 'The King of Elfland's Daughter' back then. 'The Charwoman's Shadow' has been sitting on my shelf for an unconfortable amount of time, and as I'm currently ploughing through the Barnes and Noble Lovecraft Complete Fiction book, I've been constantly reminded of Lovecraft's "Dunsany Phase', and had very fond recollection of 'The King of Elfland's Daughter', even though most of the details have escaped me by this time.
Having recently read the rather pedestrian 'Abaddon's Gate', it was a joy to dive back into lyrical prose, and 'The Charwoman's Shadow' was every bit as good as my initial impressions of Dunsany from long ago. Evocative, well-paced, classical story-telling at the dawn of modern fantasy. The list of authors influenced by Dunsany reads like a who's who of the fantasy world.
The setting for this story is the end of the 'Golden Age' in Spain, but it reads more like a romance/adventure than an historical novel. The story felt intimately familiar, and I wondered a few times at the start of the book whether I had in fact read it and forgotten that I had read it. Dunsany drew upon traditions familiar enough to give the tale an eternal fairy-tale feel. The suspense of the story was in how he was going to tell his version of this romance that we could all see coming, but were swept along by his storytelling. If I were to be critical of anything, it would be the Christian versus Pagan theme running through the book, but as that is entirely in place for a tale purportedly set when it is, it hardly distracted me from this mesmerising tale.
The two central romances in the book are wrapped up entirely appropriately, and, in particular, the finale of the book wraps up the Magician's tale with, for me, a mixed sence of justice and pathos, with an age coming to a close and a sense of loss at all that that entails.
Of particular vivid imagery for me, the hints of what the Magician does with his captured shadows gave a genuine and fresh sense of horror. There were lighter touches of almost comedic breaks, with messages back and forth between Ramon and his father escalating almost to farce, and, of course, what romance isn't improved with a love potion gone horribly wrong (or did it?).
All the while, Dunsany keeps a tight narrative reign, with no mis-steps, engaging with a beautiful style. I'm just sorry I waited this long to read it.
I'd purchased both of the Allen and Unwin Unicorn Dunsany books back in the day, and had read 'The King of Elfland's Daughter' back then. 'The Charwoman's Shadow' has been sitting on my shelf for an unconfortable amount of time, and as I'm currently ploughing through the Barnes and Noble Lovecraft Complete Fiction book, I've been constantly reminded of Lovecraft's "Dunsany Phase', and had very fond recollection of 'The King of Elfland's Daughter', even though most of the details have escaped me by this time.
Having recently read the rather pedestrian 'Abaddon's Gate', it was a joy to dive back into lyrical prose, and 'The Charwoman's Shadow' was every bit as good as my initial impressions of Dunsany from long ago. Evocative, well-paced, classical story-telling at the dawn of modern fantasy. The list of authors influenced by Dunsany reads like a who's who of the fantasy world.
The setting for this story is the end of the 'Golden Age' in Spain, but it reads more like a romance/adventure than an historical novel. The story felt intimately familiar, and I wondered a few times at the start of the book whether I had in fact read it and forgotten that I had read it. Dunsany drew upon traditions familiar enough to give the tale an eternal fairy-tale feel. The suspense of the story was in how he was going to tell his version of this romance that we could all see coming, but were swept along by his storytelling. If I were to be critical of anything, it would be the Christian versus Pagan theme running through the book, but as that is entirely in place for a tale purportedly set when it is, it hardly distracted me from this mesmerising tale.
The two central romances in the book are wrapped up entirely appropriately, and, in particular, the finale of the book wraps up the Magician's tale with, for me, a mixed sence of justice and pathos, with an age coming to a close and a sense of loss at all that that entails.
Of particular vivid imagery for me, the hints of what the Magician does with his captured shadows gave a genuine and fresh sense of horror. There were lighter touches of almost comedic breaks, with messages back and forth between Ramon and his father escalating almost to farce, and, of course, what romance isn't improved with a love potion gone horribly wrong (or did it?).
All the while, Dunsany keeps a tight narrative reign, with no mis-steps, engaging with a beautiful style. I'm just sorry I waited this long to read it.
August 3, 2007
The Charwoman’s Shadow, Lord Dunsany, Ballantine, 1973
Ramon Alonzo is a young man who has been sent to live with, and learn from, a famous wizard. He is only interested in how to turn base metals into gold. His sister is engaged to be married, and the family hopes that a small chest full of gold will suffice as a dowry.
While studying with the wizard, Ramon meets an elderly charwoman who has no shadow. The wizard took it many years ago, and refuses to give it back, keeping it in a locked box. She is basically trapped at the castle; she was chased out of the nearby village years before as some sort of demon, because of her lack of shadow. In a moment of chivalry, Ramon vows to retrieve her shadow. The charwoman urges Ramon to never, ever give up his shadow.
As part of his teaching fee, the wizard demands Ramon’s shadow, but replaces it with a fake shadow that looks, and acts, like the real thing. Ramon figures that he has gotten a great deal; the ability to create gold for nothing. That is, until the day that Ramon is also chased out of the local village as some sort of monster. The problem with his fake shadow is that it does not shrink or grow depending on the time of day; it is the same size, all the time.
Ramon receives a letter from home, and is told to forget the gold; make a love potion, instead. He creates one on his own, and during a visit home, it is given to a visiting Duke. The potion nearly kills the Duke, and causes great embarrassment to the family. He is bedridden for several days, during which time Ramon’s sister is the only one who can get near him. In the meantime, back at the castle, with much patience and diligence, Ramon finds the combination to the box of shadows. He releases several shadows, including his own, and that of a young woman. He brings it to the charwoman, not knowing if it is the right one; it is. Ramon figures that the shadow of the young woman will turn into an elderly crone. To his delight, the transformation goes the other way, and the charwoman turns into a young woman. After they escape from the wizard, the next problem concerns Ramon’s family. Since she is not of noble blood, will they accept her as Ramon’s bride?
From the first few paragraphs, the reader will know that they are in the hands of a master. Dunsany is generally considered the most influential author in the entire fantasy field. Stories like this will justify such a claim. It is very well done from beginning to end, and will get the reader looking at their shadow in a whole new way.
Ramon Alonzo is a young man who has been sent to live with, and learn from, a famous wizard. He is only interested in how to turn base metals into gold. His sister is engaged to be married, and the family hopes that a small chest full of gold will suffice as a dowry.
While studying with the wizard, Ramon meets an elderly charwoman who has no shadow. The wizard took it many years ago, and refuses to give it back, keeping it in a locked box. She is basically trapped at the castle; she was chased out of the nearby village years before as some sort of demon, because of her lack of shadow. In a moment of chivalry, Ramon vows to retrieve her shadow. The charwoman urges Ramon to never, ever give up his shadow.
As part of his teaching fee, the wizard demands Ramon’s shadow, but replaces it with a fake shadow that looks, and acts, like the real thing. Ramon figures that he has gotten a great deal; the ability to create gold for nothing. That is, until the day that Ramon is also chased out of the local village as some sort of monster. The problem with his fake shadow is that it does not shrink or grow depending on the time of day; it is the same size, all the time.
Ramon receives a letter from home, and is told to forget the gold; make a love potion, instead. He creates one on his own, and during a visit home, it is given to a visiting Duke. The potion nearly kills the Duke, and causes great embarrassment to the family. He is bedridden for several days, during which time Ramon’s sister is the only one who can get near him. In the meantime, back at the castle, with much patience and diligence, Ramon finds the combination to the box of shadows. He releases several shadows, including his own, and that of a young woman. He brings it to the charwoman, not knowing if it is the right one; it is. Ramon figures that the shadow of the young woman will turn into an elderly crone. To his delight, the transformation goes the other way, and the charwoman turns into a young woman. After they escape from the wizard, the next problem concerns Ramon’s family. Since she is not of noble blood, will they accept her as Ramon’s bride?
From the first few paragraphs, the reader will know that they are in the hands of a master. Dunsany is generally considered the most influential author in the entire fantasy field. Stories like this will justify such a claim. It is very well done from beginning to end, and will get the reader looking at their shadow in a whole new way.
June 21, 2014
A very interesting book. I don't know if Paul Coelho read it or not, but his book "The Alchemist" seems taken from its pages. Dare I say, "The Alchemist" is a shadow of "The Charwoman's Shadow"? It is almost a Dummies' Guide to it, but enough of that.
The Charwoman's Shadow has depth and humor most will not be intelligent enough to appreciate. This book comes from a golden age of books when people crafted a work to last. It is poetic, a bit critical of its characters, amusing, and profound. At its most simplistic, it posits that the pursuit of all knowledge is truly in order to find happiness. Unfortunately for the Alchemist(Yes, there is an Alchemist/ Magician in this book.) happiness can only be found in the simple appreciation of the beauties of the natural world, the frivolity of love, in the gracious moment, with the passing of beasts and people and laughter.
The knowledge the young Spanish protagonist is forced to pursue during his tutelage under the Magician gives him a type of mastery, but not happiness. So, he must have an adventure and return home with a lovely girl for that. Yes, I know the same plot of "The Alchemist," but this came first, and it is a lot less simple in its telling, and therefore better.
Also unlike "The Alchemist" there is a smart, sharp-eyed young lady having her bit of adventure getting love and what she wants in life. I may not agree with her methods, but it's a brutal world out there, and a girl has to do what a girl has to do to be well-married. ;)
There are some uncharitable mentions of other than Christian beliefs, but for Lord Dunsany's time, I suppose, that is to be expected. Yet, there is much ambiguity in the idea of the Magician who studies dark foreign arts. Yet the Magician's end is not bad or a punishment. Also, when he leaves taking the so called "shadow or dark creatures" with him the "Golden Age" of man ends. So, I am not sure that we should believe about the Magician. For much that he says is wise. He believes that only after great suffering, abnegation and time can one truly know the secrets of the universe and that is true as far as I know.
The Charwoman's Shadow has depth and humor most will not be intelligent enough to appreciate. This book comes from a golden age of books when people crafted a work to last. It is poetic, a bit critical of its characters, amusing, and profound. At its most simplistic, it posits that the pursuit of all knowledge is truly in order to find happiness. Unfortunately for the Alchemist(Yes, there is an Alchemist/ Magician in this book.) happiness can only be found in the simple appreciation of the beauties of the natural world, the frivolity of love, in the gracious moment, with the passing of beasts and people and laughter.
The knowledge the young Spanish protagonist is forced to pursue during his tutelage under the Magician gives him a type of mastery, but not happiness. So, he must have an adventure and return home with a lovely girl for that. Yes, I know the same plot of "The Alchemist," but this came first, and it is a lot less simple in its telling, and therefore better.
Also unlike "The Alchemist" there is a smart, sharp-eyed young lady having her bit of adventure getting love and what she wants in life. I may not agree with her methods, but it's a brutal world out there, and a girl has to do what a girl has to do to be well-married. ;)
There are some uncharitable mentions of other than Christian beliefs, but for Lord Dunsany's time, I suppose, that is to be expected. Yet, there is much ambiguity in the idea of the Magician who studies dark foreign arts. Yet the Magician's end is not bad or a punishment. Also, when he leaves taking the so called "shadow or dark creatures" with him the "Golden Age" of man ends. So, I am not sure that we should believe about the Magician. For much that he says is wise. He believes that only after great suffering, abnegation and time can one truly know the secrets of the universe and that is true as far as I know.
February 28, 2016
The 1970s were really the Golden Age - all the reprinting and rediscovery of earlier 20th century classics like Hope Mirrlees, E.R. Eddison, and Lord Dunsany! While low-budget paperbacks have their disadvantages (namely a lot of typos), just looking at the order forms in the back for these "affordable" books makes me nostalgic. (Side note: I bought this for $3 at a used bookstore near me, but the same store also had 70s Ballantine paperback editions of two other Lord Dunsany books that were wrapped in plastic and priced at $8...)
The Charwoman's Shadow, like most of Dunsany's work, lives just at the fine border between visionary idyll and late-19th-century decadence. It tells the rather straightforward tale of a naïve young man Ramon Alonzo, who is sent by his father to study the making of gold under the tutelage of a sinister black-cloaked magician. In the magician's dark oak-encircled house, Ramon is drawn to the sad story of the magician's titular charwoman, who had her shadow taken from her in exchange for an immortality to be spent scrubbing floors. As any good young man in such a tale, Ramon takes up a chivalrous quest to rescue the old woman's captive shadow, and the book goes from there.
Of course the most enjoyable aspect of the book is Dunsany's style, which is very delicate and dreamy and perfectly captures the manners of this mythical time period. The characters' comparatively simple worldview makes for some quietly funny moments, such as descriptions of the "principals of alchemy," and all of Father Joseph's casually but earnestly performed duties in the village. There were parts when it lost me: I thought there was too much time dedicated (in a 220 page book) to the drama of Ramon's sister Mirandola's search for a husband. But everything works out happily in the end, which is what you'd expect.
It's exactly the kind of book that some rich guy living in a literal castle and just churning out pure fiction should write, and I'm always willing to get over my qualms about such a situation for the sake of Dunsany's talent.
The Charwoman's Shadow, like most of Dunsany's work, lives just at the fine border between visionary idyll and late-19th-century decadence. It tells the rather straightforward tale of a naïve young man Ramon Alonzo, who is sent by his father to study the making of gold under the tutelage of a sinister black-cloaked magician. In the magician's dark oak-encircled house, Ramon is drawn to the sad story of the magician's titular charwoman, who had her shadow taken from her in exchange for an immortality to be spent scrubbing floors. As any good young man in such a tale, Ramon takes up a chivalrous quest to rescue the old woman's captive shadow, and the book goes from there.
Of course the most enjoyable aspect of the book is Dunsany's style, which is very delicate and dreamy and perfectly captures the manners of this mythical time period. The characters' comparatively simple worldview makes for some quietly funny moments, such as descriptions of the "principals of alchemy," and all of Father Joseph's casually but earnestly performed duties in the village. There were parts when it lost me: I thought there was too much time dedicated (in a 220 page book) to the drama of Ramon's sister Mirandola's search for a husband. But everything works out happily in the end, which is what you'd expect.
It's exactly the kind of book that some rich guy living in a literal castle and just churning out pure fiction should write, and I'm always willing to get over my qualms about such a situation for the sake of Dunsany's talent.
April 18, 2011
Ramon Alonzo is a young man in Spain whose sister is to be married above her station. Since the family has no riches, Ramon's father sends him to a magician, there to learn the secret of making gold so that he can provide his sister's dowry. However, the magician exacts a high price for his wisdom, as his aged charwoman knows to her cost, having given up her shadow for longevity. Can Ramon save his family's honour and the charwoman's shadow, and still escape damnation?
This is a Faustian fable mingled with romance. The impact of losing one's shadow is cleverly manifested in the hostility of superstitious villagers; and we later learn that Ramon's very soul is imperilled. It's chilling, too, to learn what the magician does with his stolen shadows. But even with such dark matters afoot, the book is suffused with sunlight and wonder, and a deceptive innocence. Dunsany's prose is mannered and elegant, suitable for framing on the parlour wall:
His mischievous wit, meanwhile, bubbles just under the surface and is only occasionally let out to play:
The denouement, if largely predictable, is romantic, satisfying and elegaic. It's a decorative, almost twee fantasy of a kind that probably wouldn't now be published, if written in the environment of today's more cynical 'realistic' fantasy genre (though it's not without a 'post-modern' ironic sensibility). It's fortunate then that Dunsany plied his trade a hundred years ago. He knew the secret of making gold.
This is a Faustian fable mingled with romance. The impact of losing one's shadow is cleverly manifested in the hostility of superstitious villagers; and we later learn that Ramon's very soul is imperilled. It's chilling, too, to learn what the magician does with his stolen shadows. But even with such dark matters afoot, the book is suffused with sunlight and wonder, and a deceptive innocence. Dunsany's prose is mannered and elegant, suitable for framing on the parlour wall:
...but as for the fawns he loved, that slipped noiselessly across clearings, and wide-winged herons that came down at evening along a slant of air, foxes, eagles, and roe-deer - he knew not their language.
His mischievous wit, meanwhile, bubbles just under the surface and is only occasionally let out to play:
...neither the wisdom of dogs nor the wisdom of men is as yet entirely understood by the other, though great advances have already been made: one has only to mention such names as Arnold Wilkington, Sir Murray Jenkins, Rover, Fido, and Towser.
The denouement, if largely predictable, is romantic, satisfying and elegaic. It's a decorative, almost twee fantasy of a kind that probably wouldn't now be published, if written in the environment of today's more cynical 'realistic' fantasy genre (though it's not without a 'post-modern' ironic sensibility). It's fortunate then that Dunsany plied his trade a hundred years ago. He knew the secret of making gold.
June 17, 2019
This is the first Lord Dunsany book I have read and it did not disappoint! I have known that he is considered the Godfather of the fantasy genre, and no less than Neil Gaiman (among many others) have considered him to be a major influence.
My feeling is that this novel fits more into the parameters of the fairy tale as opposed to fantasy: it slots neatly into the rebellious sorceror's apprentice motif, where he is aided by a smart, helpful female. There is a surprise in this case, in that while the charwoman (under a curse, which in due time is banished by Our Hero and she is set free) offers some clues, it is the hero's sister who drives the action. Mirandola is smarter than anyone else in the room (or in Spain, for that matter), resourceful, and cunning, and she is a wonder and a joy. One of the best things in the book.
There is a crafty friar, too, who is looked upon with awe as he can both read and write, and functions as the local scribe. One of the big takeaways from the book is the utter magic of being able to read. Adults take this skill for granted, but not so for children. They get how magical it is.
Written in a lengthy, flowing, and lyrical style, this is a story that cries to be read aloud. Please do so, even if you are the only person in the room, and discover this dream of a novel.
My feeling is that this novel fits more into the parameters of the fairy tale as opposed to fantasy: it slots neatly into the rebellious sorceror's apprentice motif, where he is aided by a smart, helpful female. There is a surprise in this case, in that while the charwoman (under a curse, which in due time is banished by Our Hero and she is set free) offers some clues, it is the hero's sister who drives the action. Mirandola is smarter than anyone else in the room (or in Spain, for that matter), resourceful, and cunning, and she is a wonder and a joy. One of the best things in the book.
There is a crafty friar, too, who is looked upon with awe as he can both read and write, and functions as the local scribe. One of the big takeaways from the book is the utter magic of being able to read. Adults take this skill for granted, but not so for children. They get how magical it is.
Written in a lengthy, flowing, and lyrical style, this is a story that cries to be read aloud. Please do so, even if you are the only person in the room, and discover this dream of a novel.
July 2, 2013
Definitely an odd book -- but I am glad I read it! Absolutely gorgeous writing -- which, however, swings between the highly evocative and the deliberately absurd. The quote about dog-scientists is quite well known, I believe, but consider this one, too.
The plot is -- perhaps -- a tad predictable, but in a very satisfactory way. The book ended just as I wished it would -- as every good fairy tale should.
I found it much easier to get involved in this story than in The King of Elfland's Daughter, which is equally beautifully written, but much more static.
I would recommend it to anyone who likes art fairy tales, such as those by George MacDonald, and who enjoys perfectly crafted, but weighty, and sometimes odd, prose.
And there was a repast all ready cooked and spread, waiting for Ramon Alonzo. By what arts those meats were kept smoking upon that table ready for any stranger that should come in from the wood, ....I tell not to this age, for it is far too well acquainted already with the preservation of meat. (p. 20)
The plot is -- perhaps -- a tad predictable, but in a very satisfactory way. The book ended just as I wished it would -- as every good fairy tale should.
I found it much easier to get involved in this story than in The King of Elfland's Daughter, which is equally beautifully written, but much more static.
I would recommend it to anyone who likes art fairy tales, such as those by George MacDonald, and who enjoys perfectly crafted, but weighty, and sometimes odd, prose.
November 15, 2015
Lord Dunsany (real name Edward Plunkett) was the 18th Baron of Dunsany, the second oldest title of nobility in the Peerage of Ireland, having been created in the 15th century. He also happens to be one of the most influential pre-Tolkien fantasists. His name has sadly faded from the popular conscious, but one look at the list of writers who cited Dunsany as a significant influence tells the tale of his far reach: Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, Neil Gaiman, Arthur C. Clarke, Gene Wolfe, Ursula K. Leguin... He truly is the greatest fantasist you have likely never read.
The thing that struck me most was Dunsany's impressive command of the English language. He wrote beautifully and evocatively; his prose is truly lyrically. He also had the gift of the storyteller. The tale told in The Charwoman's Shadow is unique and compelling; the only thing preventing me from giving a five star rating is that the central conflict is resolved in a too-easy and slightly unconvincing fashion, but that in no way ruined my sincere appreciation for the book. I certainly recommend it heartily. I hope to find one of his collections of short fantasy stories (supposedly his greatest strength was in the short form) as well as his other major novel, "The King of Elfland's Daughter."
The thing that struck me most was Dunsany's impressive command of the English language. He wrote beautifully and evocatively; his prose is truly lyrically. He also had the gift of the storyteller. The tale told in The Charwoman's Shadow is unique and compelling; the only thing preventing me from giving a five star rating is that the central conflict is resolved in a too-easy and slightly unconvincing fashion, but that in no way ruined my sincere appreciation for the book. I certainly recommend it heartily. I hope to find one of his collections of short fantasy stories (supposedly his greatest strength was in the short form) as well as his other major novel, "The King of Elfland's Daughter."
January 19, 2015
After seeing this selection in my father's reading carel I asked him about the author in order to decide if it might be worth my time to read this title. His classic response sounded like the same standard recommendation that you'll see anytime you look up Lord Dunsany. Since I was curious about the fantasy genre, I picked it up and was carried away into one of the most enriching fantasies that I have ever read. I'm recommending this to everybody that has even a few hours to spare for this engaging story. The wording that the author chooses is extremely well constructed and requires the reader to stretch a little in the best way, in order to see a world of characters that we don't get to visit very often. The author's well deserved accolades from a century ago might tax the casual reader, but the construction of the stories that he creates earned him universal praise from authors around the world for his storytelling and the imagination he employed.
June 7, 2009
Just finished this near the end of my graveyard shift, as the dawn arises. A superior book to the King of Elfland's Daughter, if only because it contains conversations and dialogue. Dunsany can be a funny writer at times, and I enjoyed the mystery he embodied (or disembodied) within the shadow- what a good puppet show this book would make. The hero was a bit of a bonehead, and perhaps the conflicts too easilly overcome, and obviously so. Nonetheless a great work of fantasy.
Dunsany's criticism of Christianity comes into play again, but now it is not so dismissive as we encounter one positive religious figure, a humble country preist; perhaps it could be said Dunsany shares a simmilar view as Bulgakov did in Master and Margarita: Christianity is certainly right, but it certaintly isn't fun either, and with it came the end of the Golden Age.
Dunsany's criticism of Christianity comes into play again, but now it is not so dismissive as we encounter one positive religious figure, a humble country preist; perhaps it could be said Dunsany shares a simmilar view as Bulgakov did in Master and Margarita: Christianity is certainly right, but it certaintly isn't fun either, and with it came the end of the Golden Age.
February 18, 2014
Wow! Stylistically, this is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. As a writer, I'm aware of the constant quest for better metaphors and less cliched descriptions, and Dunsany pretty much blows everyone else away here. And not just for a pretty sentence or two here and there...I'm talking paragraph after paragraph of remarkable prose. The story, too, is both deeply rooted in fairy tales and yet unconventional in execution and resolution. Nothing is quite what it seems.
Something to consider, though: the style of this novel very "high fantasy," almost mythic. My husband called it "too dense" and just couldn't get into it. If you have trouble with The Silmarillion, this book might not be to your taste either.
Something to consider, though: the style of this novel very "high fantasy," almost mythic. My husband called it "too dense" and just couldn't get into it. If you have trouble with The Silmarillion, this book might not be to your taste either.
December 21, 2016
I picked this up because I kept hearing Lord Dunsany's name being invoked as one of the founding fathers of the fantasy genre. I had this caricature of him in my head as a pompous gentleman-of-liesure, who, writing during a time when it was the norm to write in a style characterized by vain, wordy descriptions and endless digressions, employed these strategies to the max. This book, however, is written very simply and elegantly, and the pacing is neither too fast nor too slow, but steady and comfortable. I was pleasantly surprised by the humility and honesty of Dunsany's style. The story, reminiscent of an extended fairy tale, is also not complicated, nor does it need to be. I'm looking forward to reading The King of Elfland's Daughter next.
October 4, 2014
Briefly: Dunsany is known as one of the fathers of modern fantasy. Alright- well enough. But what was likely fresh in the late nineteenth century now read like an exercise in style over substance. That is to say, the plot doesn't ever become terribly interesting and peaks well before the end. I read the first 200 quickly and struggled through the final 40 months later. But, on a page to page basis, Dunsany is one of the finest purveyors of metaphor I've encountered. 4 stars on the merits of his turns of phrase alone.
July 29, 2017
Prior to this, I had only read Lord Dunsany's short stories, and this was just as enchanting. His lyrical narrative is also matter-of-fact in certain ways, a balance that I find difficult to describe. The ending wasn't surprising to me, but it didn't need to be. It's been awhile since I've read a book whose style echoed for awhile in my thoughts, and indeed, I intend to go find his other novels now.
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