Thomas the Rhymer

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.

I am a lover of all things Faerie. I have put alot of time and research into the world of Faerie because I am a Faerie artist. This book is the best description of the Faerie realm that I have ever read. It is fantastical and imaginative and wonderful. For those who are deeply interested in the world of Faerie, it is highly recommended. For those with no love of fantasy, dont bother. The story is what it is. A legend, taken from an old poem; and yes it may be anticlimactic. But if you read it, read it for the creative imagination that went into it. Read it for a true glimpse of the Faerie world. I treasure this book and have read it many times over.

Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner I must admit that Ellen Kushner, award winning writer, radio personality and lecturer was unknown to this reader prior to Thomas the Rhymer. Going forward that will not be the case. I was very impressed by this book on many levels. First and foremost Ms. Kushner is a storyteller in the most positive connotation of that term. I have always believed that speculative fiction novels - be they fantasy or science fiction - must at a minimum present an engaging story that the reader dearly desires to explore and even inhabit. The characters must be a combination of the sympathetic, feared, mysterious and courageous types and the prose must weave a spell with words. Ms. Kushner has met and exceeded all my criteria and I echo the praises of professional reviewers for her brilliant novel. The account of Thomas and his love affair with the Fairy Queen, the hard bargain he made to be with her and the girl he left behind kept this reader engaged from cover to cover. The ultimate tribute I can pay to any author is to say that as a result of this book I will seek out other title they have written - so be it.

For fantasy purists, it doesnt get more pure than this.

It came on me this year to re-read some favorite fantasy novels. I am glad I chose Ellen Kushner’s Thomas the Rhymer to be one of them. What a delight this novel is. I got my original paperback edition off my shelf, and saw I’d first read it in 1994. It has lost nothing in the ensuing years, only I have gained in appreciation of it. The ballad itself has always been so intriguing, and she has added to this in a hundred ways, the subtle research of time and place, both rural and court life, are wonderful strokes of realism to ground this fantasy. The faery lore itself, which I have immersed myself in for a very long time, strikes true to the telling. The genius of this book to me, is how seamlessly she weaves together and entire world not to mention the Otherworld, and the old ballads themselves become part of the tale. If I’ve waited over a quarter century to say it, I will certainly say it now: a job well done, and a tale for the ages.

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.

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.

Ellen Kushner takes a traditional Scottish ballad and weaves it into something magical and beguiling in this lovely, haunting tale. The ballad sings of a minstrel lad abducted to Elfland for seven years to serve as the Elf Queens lover, then returned to the mortal world with the gift of always speaking the truth. Kushner deepens the focus of the story and humanizes the characters. Thomas is a footloose and carefree young minstrel and gifted seducer of willing ladies, eager to win fame for his singing and harping. His sojourn in Elfland is conveyed in dazzling prose, rich with the heady, heedless abandon of youth as Thomas gives himself up to the quicksilver Elf Queen and the succulent delights of her bower. Yet, he is tormented, too, by her small, careless cruelties, by the elves constant game-playing, and by his lonely isolation as a mortal in a magical realm. He is scarcely any less isolated when he finally returns to mortal Middle-Earth, a more sober and compassionate man, hailed as both rhymer and prophet, but who never again quite feels in step with his fellow beings. While Thomas Orpheus-like descent into the eerie glamor of the Elvish underworld is the centerpiece of the story, Kushner provides humanistic grace notes in the characters of a down-to-earth farm couple who love Thomas like a son and help to tell his story. They are joined by another narrator, the wild-spirited but careworn country lass who wins young Thomas heart and witnesses the bittersweet epiphany of the storys conclusion. Both fairy tale and love story, full of lusty balladeering, poetry and heartbreak, this novel is truly enchanting. I felt bereft when it was over, as if the portals of Elfland had been shut behind me forever.

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.

Im always shocked that Ellen Kushner is not more well known. She blends fantasy with interesting characters so seamlessly. The words are so well written that music is in the background of my mind as I read. There is a reason why there is always a recommendation from Neil Gaiman.