Mythago Wood
Book description
Deep within the wildwood lies a place of myth and mystery, from which few return, and of those few, none remain unchanged.
Ryhope Wood may look like a three-mile-square fenced-in wood in rural Herefordshire on the outside, but inside, it is a primeval, intricate labyrinth of trees, impossibly huge, unforgettable…
Why read it?
3 authors picked Mythago Wood as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Mythago Wood is the kind of book that pulls you in and settles you down for a great, blanket-comfy, rainy-day read.
Concerning Ryhope Wood, an ancient, primeval forest in England that seems bigger the deeper in you go, it explores human psychology, both personal and collective, particularly the ideas of Carl Jung.
The forest somehow uses human psychology to create “mythagos,” complex unconscious creations built upon human memories and myths, and our hero Stephen Huxley is compelled to learn the secrets of the wood, whether or not he makes it back out alive.
As psychologically astute as it is thrilling,…
From Polly's list on modern fantasy for people who dislike modern fantasy.
This book ticks my favorite boxes: history, England, myth, and wilderness. Mythago Wood is the brilliantly conceived, exquisitely written—and occasionally chilling—is the first in a series about an enchanted, primeval patch of English forest, where mythical and legendary beings are formed by the forest itself. These tangible entities interact with nearby humans as they live out their legends, fighting epic battles, following tragic quests, then melding back into the woody matrix, their existences marked by the boundaries of their myth. Humans are irrevocably changed by these experiences, and not always for the better.
Holdstock blended English history, folklore, and myth,…
From Judith's list on courageous little girls who change their world.
Like other books on my list, Robert Holdstock’s Mythago Wood suggests there’s a hidden reality to our dreams, that folk and fairy tales hold meaning for us because they call to mind a shared storytelling history. Goblins and ghosts and dragons reflect our fears. Heroes mirror our greater aspirations. Writing has always meant more to me than entertainment; a great story, told well, gives our lives a sense of place and purpose, and Mythago Wood taps into that mythmaking power in a beautiful way.
From Nick's list on fantasy to defy the genre.
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