Thomas the Rhymer

Oh dear god. It was UTTERLY hopeless to try to get into this book. I stared at the paragraphs and they were so unengaging that my eyes kept sliding around, looking for words that went together, maybe, kind of, sort of. But not really. The prose was just weird and completely uncompelling. It didnt feel in the least like Ellen Kushners other work. Ugh.

This is without a doubt the most beautifully written book Ive ever come across. So lyrical and well written. It inspired me to continually search for more material written by the author. Suffice it to say she had already written her masterpiece and so became a chameleon. I did read her next book and was sorely disappointed. Thomas the Rhymer though I have read over and over again it is that good. I can only say that for J.R.R. Tolkien. So if you have the chance, buy this book and read it to your loved ones.

I dont know how Ive existed so long without knowing about or reading this gorgeous book. Clearly, Ive been living under a rock. Kushners writing is some of the most lush and inspiring Ive ever encountered. The story, ancient and twisted, is beautifully told through the voices of four distinct and familiar characters. Each voice is profoundly real, though brushed with Kushners magic. I lived in this book and felt true grief when I finished it. Five stars, and then some.

Read this book when I was younger. Still remember it. I had checked out the book but finally bought it.

I love this book. Kushners writing is marvelous, and the way she infuses the story, characters, and setting with ballad is simply magical! I would also strongly advise readers to take some time and listen to some of the ballads in question: Thomas the Rhymer, Famous Flower of Serving Men, Lang a-Growing, Tam Lin, Unquiet Grave, Elfin Knight; it will add another measure to your enjoyment of the book.

If you are interested in reading a story which takes the traditional Scottish Ballad of Thomas the Rhymer and fleshing it out into a full length novel, then this book is worth a look. I am very pleased to report that this is NOT some revisionist novel with a bizarre social agenda that changes key elements of the original story in order to evangelize some sort of political or policy ideology. To transform the original Scottish ballad into a full length novel much needs to be added and fleshed out but this is done carefully and in such a way to support and enrich the original story, rather than change or nullify the original. The Queen of the Fey is not made into an angel or a demon, she is a traditional Fey meaning that her concept of morality is alien to humankind. Its a difficult task to properly portray such a character and Ms. Kushner does a competent job. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Kushner and she clearly is a skilled writer and someone who has made a solid scholarly effort to be true to the original source material. While the ballad is very short, there is a substantial body of work describing the Fey as they were known during the period that ballad was created. While I am not a scholar in this area, and a true expert in the field may be able to level some criticism, as a novice who has read a reasonable amount of material on the subject, it is my opinion that this novelized version of Thomas the Rhymer is consistent and true the wider source material which Ms. Kushner draws upon to flesh out the story.

Ellen Kushner has used an old ballad to create a fascinating and lovely tale of a young harpist and singer. Thomas appears one day at the door of an older and childless couple in the country who take him in and begin to love him as a son. He in turn, loves and respects them, all the while finding himself fascinating to and fascinated by a neighbor girl whose fiery temperament charms him. Off and on he reappears, leaving behind the courts of the nobility where he sings and plays for their pleasure. One day, while visiting his friends, he wanders onto Eildon Hills and meets the queen of the faeries. She takes him with her to her home where he abides for 7 years. He becomes her lover, her plaything, and a challenge to others in the land, because he is forbidden to speak to anyone except the queen. Having fulfilled his bargain, the queen returns Thomas to his own world, burdened with a terrible gift: He can only speak the truth. Told by Gavin, the elderly farmer, Thomas, and the girl whom he marries upon his return, the story of the life of True Thomas unwinds almost as a song does. There is melody, harmony, and many verses. For those who come to believe, the end will bring tears to their eyes. Readers who enjoy this book might also enjoy Kushners earlier novel, Swordspoint. She does not write often, but she writes well.

Nice classic story. Very interesting read and a fun tale. If you like Irish history, its a good read. And if you dont, you should read more :)

Thomas the Rhymer Drawing heavily on existing mythology, Ellen Kushners novel THOMAS THE RHYMER relates the story previously told in ballad form. Expanding on the available verse, Kushner tells the story of a young and flashy balladeer, a dashing man who follows the courts of the powerful while maintaining a friendship with a farming couple and flirting with their comely neighbor. He disappears, mysteriously -- hes been taken by the Queen of Elfland to sing for her court and entertain her in her bed. After a tumultuous seven-year tenure by her throne, Thomas is returned to the world of humanity, unaged and unable to speak anything but the truth. He faces the challenge of reconnecting with those he left behind. Kushner does an excellent job of creating the characters that populate the tale. The four primary characters are each given an Act in the story to narrate, with Thomas himself relating the tale of his semi-forced interplanar relocation. Kushner handles this so skillfully that she completely conveys the mud and the grime of the real world, but still allows it a powerful appeal that contrasts with the unreal beauty of the land of the elves. Each of these characters brings joy to their own existence and their jobs, especially Thomas, who rhymes as easily as he walks. It is these perspectives that give the story its air of tragedy when the characters lives are interfered with by wondrous forces. In giving these people authentic voices, Kushner risks losing clarity at points when it would be useful for the story. These confusing points occasionally mar Thomas trip to Wonderland, but otherwise, this is an elegant, and ultimately, very romantic read.

This is not a book to read if youre seeking a stirring adventure. Thomas does go on a long, strange trip, but the focus is as much on how his life impacts the people important to him as it is on his experiences in Elfland. Kushners decision to write only Thomass Elfland experiences in his own voice, then, is a clever one. Also, seeing Thomas before and after his journey through the eyes of others reveals the extent of the change in him more thoroughly than if we remained in his head. Kushner does an excellent job of giving each of the four narrators a distinct perspective, a difficult thing to do. And because they see different things in each other and percieve their relationships with one another differently, theres the opportunity to ponder how it is we get along in the world when we all have disparate visions of reality. This is a marvelously subtle way to question whether True Thomas can ever wholly tell the truth. Is the truth absolute, or is it changeable depending on individual understanding? This question lingers long after the book is shut. So why did I give Thomas the Rhymer only three stars? Well, for all the lovely writing and thoughtful structure, it left me cold. For one, the Faery Queen who is the heart of all this trouble and change seemed to me little more than a blowup doll. She laid a couple of spells on Thomas, but mostly all they did was copulate, and I needed either for her to be more interesting or to feel more of why Thomas was infatuated with her. (Because of the distance I felt from her, also, the ending of the book was less moving for me than it should have been.) Apart from that, I felt Kushner passed over a great opportunity to explore what the effects of Thomass truth-saying might be. There was some of that, certainly, in the final section of the book, but much was made of the gift of truth-telling in Faery (and whether it was a gift at all), and then very little was done with it. Reading this book is a gamble. It has its virtues, and if you think youll enjoy piecing together a larger meaning based on the fragments of story and varying points of view, youll probably enjoy it well enough. However, if you want a story that swallows you whole and spits you out at the end with no respite to sit back and intellectualize, this may not be for you.