The Wood Beyond the World

The Wood Beyond the World, William Morris, Ballantine, 1969

Walter is a young man who lives in the seaport town of Langton. Married to a nagging, complaining wife, Walter's father gives him permission to get on a ship and live somewhere else, ending the marriage. At the seaport, just before leaving, Walter sees a troll leading a young woman, and a stately, well-dressed woman, obviously a queen.

After several months away from home, Walter runs into an old friend who tells him that his father has died. On his way home, Walter's ship is blown off course. It docks in this strange land where an old man lives alone between mountains and the sea. Walter is in an exploring mood. After walking for several days over the mountains, he finds a great castle with the same troll, maiden and queen. After several adventures, and after the troll and queen die under less than clear circumstances, Walter takes the maiden back to the lands of Christendom. On their way, they find this other civilization living in the mountains whose throne is empty. With no male heirs nearby, Walter is tested to see if he is worthy of becoming king.

The story may seem kind of simple, but this is highly recommended for another reason. First published in the 1890s, this is The First major fantasy novel set totally in a world of the author's imagination. In a way, everyone who has ever written a fantasy novel, from Tolkien to Terry Brooks, owes a debt to this book.