Fantasy/English Folklore

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Fantasy/English Folklore

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1cosmicdolphin
Aug 25, 2010, 12:26 pm

I'm looking for any interesting novels mixing a high level of english folklore with fantasy.

2atimco
Edited: Aug 25, 2010, 1:50 pm

How about Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke?

A less challenging (but also excellent) read is Elizabeth Marie Pope's The Perilous Gard.

3ErlendSkjelten
Aug 25, 2010, 3:58 pm

The Dark is Rising. Not so much the first book, which was written without the series in mind, but the rest of series draws heavily on both Arthurian and other British folklore. It's one of my personal favourites.

4cosmicdolphin
Aug 25, 2010, 4:23 pm

3:

The Dark is Rising sequence is indeed awesome, the movie was a travesty.

6cosmicdolphin
Edited: Aug 25, 2010, 5:18 pm

I might add I'm generally not a big fan of Fae/Faery as it's been terribly overused across the years.

7Jim53
Aug 25, 2010, 5:31 pm

Gene Wolfe's Castleview, subtitled "An Arthurian Epic of Modern Illinois," describes an intrusion of various folkloric characters into the life of an automobile dealer.

8ErlendSkjelten
Aug 25, 2010, 5:43 pm

4> shhh. There is no movie.

9JannyWurts
Aug 25, 2010, 6:09 pm

Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Check out the Pendragon Cycle, including Taliesin by Stephen R. Lawhead

Not fantasy, but Jennifer Roberson is known for fantasy, and she wrote Lady of the Glen which is a retelling of Robin Hood.

Also the Keltiad series, by Kinnealy - forget the full author name.

10JannyWurts
Aug 25, 2010, 6:09 pm

Ah, also, Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner

11tardis
Aug 25, 2010, 7:43 pm

Alan Garner's books: The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Moon of Gomrath, Elidor and The Owl Service all have a folklore background. Welsh, mostly.

12marietherese
Aug 25, 2010, 7:45 pm

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean might interest you. I thought it was rather uneven and too long but have friends whose taste I generally respect who absolutely adore it.

13Carnophile
Aug 25, 2010, 9:01 pm

Don't forget the classics.

The Once and Future King.

14SimonW11
Aug 25, 2010, 11:03 pm

The age of Misrule and
Hobberdy Dick

Are very different and both good in their way.

15ringman
Aug 27, 2010, 7:12 am

9>the Keltiad series is by Patricia Kennealy, sometimes writing as Patricia Kennealy Morrison

16Cecrow
Aug 27, 2010, 8:37 am

There's the Prydain Chronicles beginning with The Book of Three, but then I suppose that's based on Welsh legends rather than strictly English.

17SimonW11
Aug 27, 2010, 5:22 pm

the Garner novels are more English than Welsh apart from the owl service.
think my two offerings are nearest the mark though

18SimonW11
Aug 27, 2010, 5:26 pm

The Garner novels are more English than Welsh apart from the owl service.
think my two offerings are nearest the mark though Katherine M Briggs is a noted british fooklorist

19humouress
Sep 7, 2010, 1:15 pm

Robin McKinley does retellings of fairytales.

Lloyd Alexander's 'Chronicles of Prydain' have a Welsh leaning.

21ronincats
Sep 7, 2010, 9:43 pm

Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling is a children's classic, well worth reading. It brings in most of the classic English folklore.