What do you think?
Rate this book
The Way to Babylon
Riven had been a successful fantasy writer, until the accident which killed his wife. Retreating to a remote cottage he doubts whether he will ever write again. Then a stranger arrives who takes him on a journey to the world of his novels, which is being poisoned by his pain.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
8 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Paul Kearney
47 books528 followersPaul Kearney was born in rural County Antrim, Ireland, in 1967. His father was a butcher, and his mother was a nurse. He rode horses, had lots of cousins, and cut turf and baled hay. He often smelled of cowshit.
He grew up through the worst of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland, a time when bombs and gunfire were part of every healthy young boy's adolescence. He developed an unhealthy interest in firearms and Blowing Things Up - but what growing boy hasn't?
By some fluke of fate he managed to get to Oxford University, and studied Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.
He began writing books because he had no other choice. His first, written at aged sixteen, was a magnificent epic, influenced heavily by James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Robert E Howard, and Playboy. It was enormous, colourful, purple-prosed, and featured a lot of Very Large Swords.
His second was rather better, and was published by Victor Gollancz over a very boozy lunch with a very shrewd editor.
Luckily, in those days editors met authors face to face, and Kearney's Irish charm wangled him a long series of contracts with Gollancz, and other publishers. He still thinks he can't write for toffee, but others have, insanely, begged to differ.
Kearney has been writing full-time for twenty-eight years now, and can't imagine doing anything else. Though he has often tried.
He grew up through the worst of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland, a time when bombs and gunfire were part of every healthy young boy's adolescence. He developed an unhealthy interest in firearms and Blowing Things Up - but what growing boy hasn't?
By some fluke of fate he managed to get to Oxford University, and studied Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.
He began writing books because he had no other choice. His first, written at aged sixteen, was a magnificent epic, influenced heavily by James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Robert E Howard, and Playboy. It was enormous, colourful, purple-prosed, and featured a lot of Very Large Swords.
His second was rather better, and was published by Victor Gollancz over a very boozy lunch with a very shrewd editor.
Luckily, in those days editors met authors face to face, and Kearney's Irish charm wangled him a long series of contracts with Gollancz, and other publishers. He still thinks he can't write for toffee, but others have, insanely, begged to differ.
Kearney has been writing full-time for twenty-eight years now, and can't imagine doing anything else. Though he has often tried.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 5, 2014
How many miles to Babylon?
Three-score miles and ten.
Can I get there by candlelight?
Yes; and back again.
If your heels are nimble and light
You may get there by candlelight
Author Michael Riven just hasn't been the same since his wife perished in a climbing accident. After recovering from his own injuries he looks forward to a quiet life of isolation and steering clear of writing. But when a character from one of his books appears and takes him into the realm of Minginish, a world of his own creation, he finds that life is not quite done with him yet. There are friends to be made, quests to be had, and a woman who looks startlingly like his ex wife to be tracked down...
"Here's to life, health, and happiness, and the time to enjoy them..."
This book is like a huge nod to authors and readers everywhere. I mean, really, who wouldn't love to be pulled into a world that they created and loved with all of their heart?! This is something I think many of us book aficionados think about often. So getting to experience that sensation with Michael was just incredible. There is a huge and beautiful sense of magic in this book, it feels like it spills right over the pages as you read it. I felt this in Paul Kearney's other novel, A Different Kingdom, as well. Something about the way that he writes is just blissful and utterly enjoyable. Like eating a huge bowl of ice-cream drizzled with hot fudge and caramel. I really loved this book so much!
"Look at what has been given to you...and use it wisely."
Three-score miles and ten.
Can I get there by candlelight?
Yes; and back again.
If your heels are nimble and light
You may get there by candlelight
Author Michael Riven just hasn't been the same since his wife perished in a climbing accident. After recovering from his own injuries he looks forward to a quiet life of isolation and steering clear of writing. But when a character from one of his books appears and takes him into the realm of Minginish, a world of his own creation, he finds that life is not quite done with him yet. There are friends to be made, quests to be had, and a woman who looks startlingly like his ex wife to be tracked down...
"Here's to life, health, and happiness, and the time to enjoy them..."
This book is like a huge nod to authors and readers everywhere. I mean, really, who wouldn't love to be pulled into a world that they created and loved with all of their heart?! This is something I think many of us book aficionados think about often. So getting to experience that sensation with Michael was just incredible. There is a huge and beautiful sense of magic in this book, it feels like it spills right over the pages as you read it. I felt this in Paul Kearney's other novel, A Different Kingdom, as well. Something about the way that he writes is just blissful and utterly enjoyable. Like eating a huge bowl of ice-cream drizzled with hot fudge and caramel. I really loved this book so much!
"Look at what has been given to you...and use it wisely."
September 12, 2020
You are all insane.
January 28, 2022
Liked Kearney’s other books, couldn’t get into this one.
July 28, 2021
The second book in the series tells the story of a fantasy author Michael Riven who while recovering from an accident that killed his wife finds himself drawn into his own magical kingdom by the very characters he wrote. There he has of course to complete a quest and save the land. I found the story very interesting at the beginning, the interplay between the creator and his creation was fascinating but as the story proceeded it lost a lot of its appeal. The greatest part of the novel is set in the fantasy world and feels at best as the most generic and unimaginative fantasy ever. After the first third of the book the concept of the author living in his own world remains underused and the story becomes unimaginative and repetitive. A missed opportunity to use an excellent idea.
June 23, 2012
Originally published on my blog here in February 2000.
Paul Kearney's first novel was an impressive debut. It tackles a theme at the centre of the fantasy genre, the relationship between fiction and the real world. Michael Riven is a successful fantasy author, two thirds of the way through a trilogy whose background is drawn from the mountains he loves on Skye. Then a climbing accident leaves his wife dead and Michael severely injured. Unable to bring himself to write more, he receives visitors at his cottage who take him climbing once again (hiring him as a guide) - and he suddenly finds himself in the world of his trilogy. There, since the death of Jenny Riven, the land has been suffering from permanent winter and attacks by monsters; a clear reflection of Michael's grief. So what is the connection between Miniguish and our world? How does Riven relate to his creation (and in what sense did he create a world with a history going back years before he thought of it)? Is he really in another world, or has he been driven made by the death of his wife?
The agonising about the reality or otherwise of Riven's experience is of course reminiscent of Stephen Donaldson's first novel, Lord Foul's Bane (and it continued to be a major part of the whole Thomas Covenant series). Donaldson explores the theme at greater length and correspondingly greater depth; his treatment is also pessimistic in tone. Kearney's lighter novel is none the less interesting, and Riven is a developed character whose grief seems to have real meaning.
Paul Kearney's first novel was an impressive debut. It tackles a theme at the centre of the fantasy genre, the relationship between fiction and the real world. Michael Riven is a successful fantasy author, two thirds of the way through a trilogy whose background is drawn from the mountains he loves on Skye. Then a climbing accident leaves his wife dead and Michael severely injured. Unable to bring himself to write more, he receives visitors at his cottage who take him climbing once again (hiring him as a guide) - and he suddenly finds himself in the world of his trilogy. There, since the death of Jenny Riven, the land has been suffering from permanent winter and attacks by monsters; a clear reflection of Michael's grief. So what is the connection between Miniguish and our world? How does Riven relate to his creation (and in what sense did he create a world with a history going back years before he thought of it)? Is he really in another world, or has he been driven made by the death of his wife?
The agonising about the reality or otherwise of Riven's experience is of course reminiscent of Stephen Donaldson's first novel, Lord Foul's Bane (and it continued to be a major part of the whole Thomas Covenant series). Donaldson explores the theme at greater length and correspondingly greater depth; his treatment is also pessimistic in tone. Kearney's lighter novel is none the less interesting, and Riven is a developed character whose grief seems to have real meaning.
Read
October 21, 2007http://nhw.livejournal.com/847572.html[return][return]A rather lyrically done tale of a fantasy novelist who is recovering from an accident in which his wife died, and finds himself sucked bodily into the world he has created - or has he? Was it perhaps "really" there all the time?[return][return]The protagonist's grief and healing are nicely observed. It would be very easy to fall into being twee with a plot like this, and Kearney skilfully avoids that trap. All very well described.
August 8, 2014
The author visits his creation as a grieving process. I found that the story introduced the author/protagonist well and brought him into the "fantasy world" well. The characters were interesting and believable. But, as the protagonist goes into the other world, I found him too passive and not analytic enough (he's supposed to be a smart writer and the whole psychoanalytic aspect was underplayed IMHO). Overall it felt to me like a more mellow Thomas the unbeliever. An interesting read.
October 7, 2017
It was okey, not as good as the the first book in those series but okey. About a famous fantasy author that when his whife dies mourns her and unknowingly causes chaos in this imaginative world and are by some of his imaginative characters ransmitteed into his crestion, his alternative world and there awaits an adventure how to heal this broken world he taps into.
November 18, 2014
Paul Kearney is one of my favourite authors. I absolutely loved his most recent works. Despite its being Kearney's debut written in '92, The Way to Babylon still reads very well as a modern fantasy story.
May 17, 2015
Pretty good read, especially for a first book. I really liked the way this book started, but I found the last quarter dragged a bit and the ending wasn't as satisfying as I had hoped.
Probably my least favorite of Kearney's works that I've read, but still worth the time.
Probably my least favorite of Kearney's works that I've read, but still worth the time.
March 14, 2016
I enjoyed this book a lot, I liked the main character a lot. He seemed to be the best developed, the end was a bit abrupt but all in all, a pretty enjoyable read. I enjoyed the world the author created and the imagery.
November 18, 2014
A very solid debut by Kearney, still reads great today. Definitely recommended for fantasy fans.
May 10, 2016
An author with self involved work ethic has an accident in this Irish fantasy.
July 20, 2015
At times, I was reminded of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. I liked this book and it's characters enough to read more Paul Kearney.
February 4, 2016
The book was very well written, and interesting. A bit disappointed by the ending, though.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews