Naomi Mitchison (1897–1999)

Travel Light is a beautiful little book. Naomi Mitchison's prose is elegant and understated, and the central philosophy of "traveling light"—meaning: holding onto people and possessions loosely and remaining open to change—gives the story a quiet wisdom that resonates with me (although, ymmv).

Halla is also an unusual protagonist. Rather than becoming a traditional fantasy hero (à la Bilbo or Frodo Baggins, who both start off quietly in the shadows but ultimately emerge as victorious and show more triumphant heroes), she works solely in the background, helping the people she cares about and nudging events in better directions without seeking glory or power. (Not that Bilbo or Frodo sought glory, per se, but they ended up with it.) It's a refreshing approach.

My biggest criticism is that the novel feels more like a series of connected folktales than a single, steadily building story. The episodes don't accumulate into the kind of narrative momentum I prefer. Instead of constructing something grand, these building blocks are simple strewn about. And while each episode is interesting on its own, the ending arrives so abruptly that I found myself wishing for more. It felt like it was written without much of a plan, and it ended when Mitchison simply decided to stop writing about Halla.

People online have argued that Travel Light deserves to stand alongside the great early fantasy classics like The Hobbit, but I don't agree. It's an enjoyable little novel that deserves to be read, but I don't think it's a forgotten giant of the genre. The Hobbit succeeds as both a compelling adventure and a foundational work of fantasy in that so many works that followed it (and LotR) tried to emulate its success (the highest form of flattery, they say). There's a reason why the throngs of writers didn't try to emulate Travel Light. It's worthwhile on its own terms, but its loose structure and quiet themes don't inspire the imitators.

One thing I will say is I really liked the way she played with different tropes: Norse mythology, Byzantine history, dragons, bears, Christianity, etc. It reminded me of that line from the timeless classic Big Trouble in Little China when Egg Shen says: "There's Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoist alchemy and sorcery. We take what we want and leave the rest. Just like your salad bar." show less

At not quite 150 pages, many fantasy lovers will not want to engage, but I encourage you to. The story is . . . utterly beguiling. Tiny Halla is put out in the forest to die by her new step-mama the Queen, who wants no competition. Her nurse, who just happens to be able to shape-shift, becomes a bear and takes her to live among bears. Once she is half-grown, the bears are no longer the right caregivers and Halla is taken up by the dragons. She comes to detest 'heroes' who are always coming show more along to kill dragons and take their treasure, which they do not deserve since they haven't the least idea how to properly treasure, uh, treasure, that is, to hoard it properly in a deep dark cave where they can gloat and lie about on it. Then Halla meets the All-Father and she finds herself in the company of three good men (from Somewhere between the Black Sea and the North Sea) on their way to petition the Emperor in Byzantium for a better Governor than their cruel and corrupt one. I was most beguiled by the language, which hovers around the archaic, but not annoyingly, and by Mitchison's ability to be funny and serious at the same time and by the absolute charm, wisdom, and joyfulness of the writing. Seriously wonderful. I have read none of Mitchison's other work, rather serious novels, I gather. This was most likely written for older and savvy children, or who knows, perhaps for her own delight. A postscript is that the forward by Isobel Murray is awkwardly written -- maybe worth glancing over after you read the story. This edition has a pathetic and unworthy cover also as well as a squib of a story at the end called "The Varangs' Saga" definitely written to charm family and friends. ***** show less

At not quite 150 pages, many fantasy lovers will not want to engage, but I encourage you to. The story is . . . utterly beguiling. Tiny Halla is put out in the forest to die by her new step-mama the Queen, who wants no competition. Her nurse, who just happens to be able to shape-shift, becomes a bear and takes her to live among bears. Once she is half-grown, the bears are no longer the right caregivers and Halla is taken up by the dragons. She comes to detest 'heroes' who are always coming show more along to kill dragons and take their treasure, which they do not deserve since they haven't the least idea how to properly treasure, uh, treasure, that is, to hoard it properly in a deep dark cave where they can gloat and lie about on it. Then Halla meets the All-Father and she finds herself in the company of three good men (from Somewhere between the Black Sea and the North Sea) on their way to petition the Emperor in Byzantium for a better Governor than their cruel and corrupt one. I was most beguiled by the language, which hovers around the archaic, but not annoyingly, and by Mitchison's ability to be funny and serious at the same time and by the absolute charm, wisdom, and joyfulness of the writing. Seriously wonderful. I have read none of Mitchison's other work, rather serious novels, I gather. This was most likely written for older and savvy children, or who knows, perhaps for her own delight. A postscript is that the forward by Isobel Murray is awkwardly written -- maybe worth glancing over after you read the story. This edition has a pathetic and unworthy cover also as well as a squib of a story at the end called "The Varangs' Saga" definitely written to charm family and friends. ***** show less

Published in 1952 this entirely subversive tale of a baby princess raised (after fireproofing) by dragons who later undertakes a journey to Miklagard and beyond is not at all the typical pap for young girls. Nor is old one-eye the patron a modern fantasy writer would provide for such a seeker, but it does work and delight.