The Elric Saga Part I

Book arrived in condition specified, but the packaging was marvelous! Arrived quickly and well protected.I can’t believe this series is out of print, and I’m very glad I didn’t start by reading any of the newer graphics. The Elric Saga is compelling, a masterwork of dark and light. There’s nothing on the market like it today. It ranks right up with Tolkien and Howard. Will be rereading it for certain while searching for the next book.I’ve wanted to read this since Blue Oyster Cult’s song Black Blade which Michael Moorcock helped author. That song spurred my imagination and I’m pleased to say that the Elric Saga did not disappoint but opened my mind to a whole new fantasy world. I’m only sorry I waited so long to begin reading.

This book was a slog to complete. While I enjoyed seeing the roots of many of the fantasy books I've come to revere, I truly wish I had read it when I was 12 or 13 years old. Compared even to contemporaries, Moorcock's prose are stilted and "tell" heavy. His characters are full of characteristics and void of personality or presence. I'm sure his writing has evolved and improved. I'm also sure I'll leave it to someone else.

The book is good!First, because the writing has a good pace, starting from the very first page, catching your interest from the very first page.Second, because it's not a fantasy fiction like many others one can read: here you got some kind of "anti-hero", a weak heir of powerful kings, who doesn't belong to his realm because of his weakness, yet not belonging nowhere else because he's still the king of Melnibone, he's the dreadful enemy! An anti-hero capable of love and of friendship, who can't help finding himself addicted to chaos, his very life depending on a sentient soul drinking runesword. He lives just to find a higher truth giving him a reason to stay alive...Though the basic plot is great, maybe some parts of the story are not thoroughly developed, that's why it's not rated 5 stars.

The original six novels were the real Elric saga, ( ignore the stuff printed afterwards and ret-conned in..."Fortress of the Pearl" and everything later is pretty anemic and really doesnt even feel like the same writer best to just ignore them). These are my favorite fantasy books of all time, edgy, dark, tragic, heck Byronic even! Elric is an amazing contradiction of heroic tropes and fully satisfies every time I read the original six books. Also ignore the comics if you like the books, since the comics completely ignore a lot of what makes the books great, the art is great ( it is beautiful and drawn well) except for the stupid looking weapons ( JEEZE really? polearms that look like a eunuchs fan and a sword that looks like a cricket bat...poor Stormbringer) and the Hellraiser-movie inspiration the authors-artists use really do not fit the Elric genre at all, such a shame just stick to the original books much better.

This saga helped inspire me to become an author, and I purchased this for my mother, who has shown interest in what has inspired me. Such a beautiful setting, such wonderful, dark characters with the hardest of decisions to make. The best in fantasy.

This was in exactly the shape described, very minor signs of wear. The delivery was well within the promised window of time. A polite e-mail followed from the dealer. A timely request for a review came from Amazon, which I apologize for not having dealt with until now.It was actually a gift for a friend, and it's on his short list of to-read material. He confirmed the details I have listed above, with regard to the book itself.

Elric of Melnibone is the original fantasy anti-hero upon which many since have been created. For true fantasy fans, the Elric Saga is a must.

An amazing read for all fantasy fans. Might not be interesting to non-fans of the genre, but overall one of the best reading experiences I have had in the genre

perfect!