Customer Reviews

The Language of the Night

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It warms my cockles to see this book turn up with such a beautiful cover. My own copy came out in the Women's Press (London) in the 1980s and they couldn't afford such a lush design. As for the content, I found it really fascinating. When I first came across the book I had no idea someone had written such an in-depth guide to fantasy. I think the whole book has a Jungian aura as it traces the origins of modern fantasy back its roots in raw fairy tale lore, and from there its a small enough step into the universal unconscious. My favourite chapter is a large essay dedicated to the subject of the shadow in all its guises. Lovers of fantasy who want to explore the subject in more depth will I think enjoy this book very much.

Writing is an art rather than a science, though sometimes books about writing make us forget this. Ursula LeGuin always reawakens my sense of wonder in the processes and activities of the imagination. She doesn't let us forget that we're dealing with something mysterious and powerful. She's also a master of style and it's a pleasure just to listen to the way she expresses herself. I go back to this and her other writings about fiction often for inspiration, even though I'm not currently working in the same genre that she is. False Colors: An M/M Romance