The Folk Of The Mountain Door

A review of The Folk of the Mountain Door by William Morris

Kiran Fane

Due to the truncated length of the story, this entry will serve as a review of both The Folk of the Mountain Door and William Morris’s retelling of the horror folktale, Lindenborg Pool. Now I am certain that no small number of you will know the name William Morris. Though you will perhaps know him best as a poet or, instead, the inspiration of more well-known authors such as Tolkien or Wilde. But William Morris is a fascinating figure in his own right, and I hope this exploration of his work will encourage you to learn more about this pioneer in fantastical fiction.

On the matter of the work itself, The Folk of the Mountain Door can not be given a full treatment as to the quality of its story or pacing, owing to the fact that it was never completed. William Morris, sadly, passed away before finishing this manuscript, which was published and, in fact, named posthumously by his daughter, May Morris, in The Collected Works of William Morris. Even still, there is much to be gained from exploring this incomplete work. 

For the reader, there is the simple exultation in Morris’s use of language. The crafting of his sentences, and even more eloquently, his poems, is a pleasure to the ears of those who hear them. For those who might fear that their grasp of archaic terminology may not be equal to the reading, Hyldyr provides an excellent glossary in the back of the book. Here I have given a sample of poetry, which I believe well demonstrates that pleasure.

“There little man sweateth

In trouble and toil
And in joy he forgetteth

The feud and the foil
The weapon he wendeth

Achasing the deer,

And in peace the moon endeth

That endeth the year”

Beyond this simple pleasure, it is the prospective author that I feel stands most to benefit from William Morris's work; A particularly fitting state of affairs for one who so influenced such notable authors as Morris did. There is, of course, the aforementioned quality of craft to be found within the work. But, beyond this, there is something of particular note to those who imagine such artistry belongs only to bygone days. 

Those who have read William Morris’s more famous works will find a marked difference between The Folk of the Mountain Door and, say, The Roots of the Mountain. It is conceivable that this shift to a less prosaic form was a choice on William Morris’s part. But I am more inclined to believe that this shows the way in which even a master such as Morris must refine his prose in order that he might elevate it to the heights we now, too often, view as unattainable. 

In the end, even in its incomplete state, The Folk of the Mountain Door has much of value to offer to those of a mind to read it.

A review of Lindenborg Pool by William Morris

Kiran Fane

The horror short story, Lindenborg Pool, is an interesting piece of literature by the acclaimed polymath William Morris. The work is a frenzied story crafted in one frantic evening under the influence of a translation of an earlier Scandinavian folktale.

I mean this entirely as a compliment when I say that the nature of its construction is utterly evident within the piece. In only a few short passages, Morris expertly carries the reader along on the narrator’s surreal journey into what one assumes must be some sort of night terror. This earlier section of the story is worth studying for any who wish to understand how to evoke the disjointed logic of dreams in the crafting of a tale.

Once we have joined the narrator within his dream, if a dream it is, the story continues at a fair pace toward its conclusion. The work is not long, but it makes excellent use of what words it has to give one a strong sense of characterization. The excellent development of mounting tension throughout is timeless and further chilled me with each new sentence. I will not spoil the reveal of the horror aspect of this work except to say that, by my modern and irreverent sensibilities, the story reads almost more as comedy than horror. That said, I can understand the ways in which this story would have terrified readers in its own time. 

The work is too short to prevent my recommending it to any reader who enjoys such tales of eerie suspense. Or any writers who wish to learn how one might instill that same sense of dread into their own works.

I hope my words have properly conveyed to you what a profound impact I feel William Morris has had on the modern fantasy landscape, and encourage you to explore his works. If you will allow me to follow in the footsteps of many wonderful writers before me, then I will borrow a phrase of Mr. Morris’s. May your wisdom wax, and may the days that are to come be better for thee than the days that are.

Here I will dedicate some few words to a review of the physical product itself. Hyldyr is a small independent press, though the quality of their work is comparable to, and indeed exceeds, many publishers twice their size and means. The editors and designers have a passion for their work, which shows through and results in an attractive and well-formatted book. I am pleased to report that Hyldyr, with its strong academic roots and ethical practices, delivers a greater reading experience at no greater a cost.

*A Disclaimer. This work was provided to us for review by Hyldyr Publishing. All views expressed here are entirely our own. William Morris has been on our ‘To Be Reviewed’ list for some time now, as he is a favorite of my wife’s; therefore, this hardly serves as much of a disclaimer.