Product Description

Deep within the wildwood lies a place of myth and mystery, from which few return, and none remain unchanged. Ryhope Wood may look like a three-mile-square fenced-in wood in rural Herefordshire on the outside, but inside, it is a primeval, intricate labyrinth of trees, impossibly huge, unforgettable . . . and stronger than time itself. Stephen Huxley has already lost his father to the mysteries of Ryhope Wood. On his return from the Second World War, he finds his brother, Christopher, is also in thrall to the mysterious wood, wherein lies a realm where mythic archetypes grow flesh and blood, where love and beauty haunt your dreams, and in promises of freedom lies the sanctuary of insanity . . .

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49427 in Books
• Published on: 1998-05-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author
Robert Holdstock gave up his career in medical zoological research to be a full-time writer. His first novel of Ryhope Wood, MYTHAGO WOOD, won the World Fantasy Award. He lives in London.

Customer Reviews

A classic in every possible way
Occasionally I'll walk into a bookshop and sift through the shelves until something catches my eye and I find myself buying it based solely on the first couple of pages. Paperback prospecting you might call it. It's a risky business but every so often it pays off in a big way. This book has to be one of the most original and well written pieces of modern fantasy bar none. A beautifully crafted story, right up there in terms of impact with A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin, the only qualm I have is that common with all the most memorable of books... it's just too damned short!! The sequels don't really live up to their potential, but forget them! Regardless of your intentions to read further into the realms and history of Ryhope, this really is a must read for any fan of fantasy. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Like a fantastic walk in the woods.
This is the first volume in the Mythago Wood series (before Lavondyss, The Hollowing, Merlin's Wood, and Gate of Ivory), in which the main character, Steve Huxley, tells us of the time short after WWII when he went back to England to help his brother Christian take care of their father's house after the latter's death.

Oak Lodge is at the edge of the Rhyope estate, next to a mysterious wood which intrigued George Huxley so much he dedicated the end of his life, and many journals, to its study. Indeed, in Mythago Wood, images of legendary heroes (mythagos) come to life, created from the folk-tales and collective minds of past civilizations. Among them Guiwenneth, a stunningly beautiful red-haired warrior woods-woman.

In turns, the Huxleys will all fall in love with the girl, and following their father's footsteps, Chris and then Steve will also feel the incontrollable need to try and penetrate deeper into the wood, where time and space expand, only to be rejected by it, as if pushed back and led astray by invisible forces.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book and immersed in it: I could almost smell the forest scents, see the green of the leaves and touch the softness of the moss, as if I were walking in the wood with the heroes. I admit I must have been influenced by John Howe's beautiful illustrations of Mythago Wood... I also loved the character of Harry Keeton, the airplane pilot who helps Steve in his quest. All in all, even though I might not have tied all loose ends, it was a fantastically enchanting read.

One of the genuine classics of 20th Century fantasy
Mythago Wood is one of the genuine classics of 20th Century fantasy. Steve Huxley returns from World War II to find his brother Christian increasingly obsessed with their father’s investigations into Ryhope Wood — a small, ancient woodland that draws out mythagoes (mythic beings, ancient buildings and even entire landscapes) from those who enter it. But when Steve and Christian both fall for an ancient warrior-princess mythago, Guiwenneth, they find themselves enacting their own parts in an ancient myth that draws them deeper into the heartwood, where they must meet with the inhuman Urscummug, a mythago so old it is not even human.

Mythago Wood is an exciting adventure story and an exploration of the experience of the imagination. Mythagoes are the ancient archetypes we all carry within us, just waiting to be awakened by our unwitting re-enactments of mythic dramas in our daily lives. This book lays them out in all their mystery and magic, their danger and their power to transform our inner lives.