Reviews for In defence of fantasy

The average rating for In defence of fantasy based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-05-25 00:00:00 Eric Olague The author of numerous scholarly articles devoted to the influence of Welsh mythology and folklore on modern fantasy literature, former University of Queensland professor Kath Filmer-Davies published this book-length study of the subject in 1996. Unlike Donna R. White and C.W. Sullivan III, who have also published books on this topic, Filmer-Davies has some knowledge of the Welsh language, which gives her work an added depth of understanding, I think... More than just a catalogue of the various authors who have adapted traditional Welsh tales for a new genre, Filmer-Davies' work seeks to examine the ways that this genre - fantasy fiction - addresses a fundamental human need: the desire for a sense of community, a sense of belonging. Many, many scholars have noted the use of folklore in fantasy fiction, and this book hones in on one of the most important sociological explanations for such borrowing/adaptation. As such, it dovetails very nicely with much of my own thinking on the subject, and was therefore both informative and reassuring. Filmer-Davies discusses some well-known fantasy authors, both for children and adults, among them Lloyd Alexander, Madeleine L'Engle, Alan Garner and Stephen Lawhead. She goes further however, and also traces the influence of Welsh tradition on writers of historical fiction, such as Sharon Kay Penman, Edith Pargeter and Barbara Erskine. Here I found myself at something of a loss, as I am less familiar with this genre, although the general discussion was still enlightening. All in all, this was a thoughtful work, which has been very influential in the development of my own ideas on the subject, and my ambitions in the field.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-01-19 00:00:00 Christophe Moreau You have to be an expert in CS Lewis and his books to understand a third of this book, but I can't give it less than 3 stars because I was the foolish one for picking it up in the first place, even though I was fully aware that it would not meet my needs (what are my needs exactly? Idk...).