Land of Unreason

by L. Sprague DeCamp & Fletcher Pratt, Lin Carter (Editor)

On Midsummer's Eve, as everybody knows, you should leave a bowl of milk out for the fairies. Unfortunately - or fortunately - Fred Barber, an American diplomat convalescing in Yorkshire, didn't take the obligation with proper seriousness. He swapped the milk for a stiff dose of Scotch. So he had only himself to blame if the fairies got a bit muddled. Barber found himself in an Old English Fairyland. At the Court of King Oberon, to be precise. The natural - or supernatural - laws there were, to say the least of it, distinctly odd. Things kept changing. This made the mission with which he was entrusted, as the price of his return to the normal world, even harder than he expected. He had to penetrate the Kobold Hills, where it was said that swords were being made, and discover if an ancient enemy had returned. He was given a magic wand - but not told how to use it. Through the fields and forests he went, meeting dryads and sprites, ogres and two-headed eagles, on the way. Danger, seduction and magic lay all around him. And, as the adventure continued, somehow it darkened and became more seriousness. At the end of Fred Barber's quest lay a shattering revelation.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Humor, Urban Fantasy

Paperback

First published January 1, 1942

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Land of Unreason" first saw the light of day in 1941, in a shorter form, in "Unknown" magazine; it was later expanded to novel length. Just as there is a genre of science fiction known as "hard" sci-fi, as typified by the works of Hal Clement and Larry Niven, this novel impresses me as a "hard" fantasy novel. Not only do authors deCamp and Pratt usher us into Fairyland, and show us the court of Oberon and Titania, but we are also shown all manner of elves, sprites, nymphs, fairies, ogres, kobolds and the like; even a leprechaun and a unicorn are thrown into the mix.

This journey into the fantastic begins when Fred Barber--an American vice-consul in Spain who has been injured during World War II and who is convalescing on the Yorkshire moors--impulsively drinks the milk that his hostess has superstitiously left for the fairies on St. John's Eve. He is kidnapped by a fairy named Sneckett and brought to Oberon's palace, where he is given the task of going to the Kobold Hills and preventing the kobolds from making metallic swords (a substance that no fairy can touch). Thus, Barber begins his picaresque wanderings, and the reader is propelled into a very strange world indeed. Fairyland has been going through a series of so-called "shapings"; even the normally bizarre physical laws of the realm don't apply anymore. In his travels, Barber encounters a talking whirlwind, an apple-tree sprite, a monster from a plum tree, and two-headed eagles. He resides for a while with a marooned, 19th century farmer from New England, and is transformed into a frog and, later, a batlike creature, all leading to his ultimate transformation. The reader will never be able to guess where the story is going next; it's one darn thing after another for poor Fred Barber, as he tries to find his way back home.

Perhaps I have not adequately suggested, in this capsule description, what a very strange book "Land of Unreason" is. At times I was reminded of Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland"; at others, of David Lindsay's weird-in-the-extreme "A Voyage to Arcturus." All feature crazy worlds where the physical laws of our reality are in abeyance; all feature strange characters and even stranger events. "Land of Unreason" even pays homage to Carroll's work, in making Titania's footmen liveried frogs. This is one very bizarre book indeed.

I should also point out to prospective readers of "Land of Unreason" that both deCamp and Pratt were history buffs, and that perhaps the most impressive single aspect of this novel is the seemingly authentic medieval manner in which the characters converse. The authors have obviously done their homework, to say the least. Readers of this book will run into many obscure Scottish words and archaic language, as well as loads of unusual English. This reader is a professional copy editor, and even I had to resort to an UNabridged dictionary repeatedly to look up words such as "nympholept," "strappado," "rounce," "jobbernowl," "equerry," "yataghan," "lambrequin," "armet," "thill," "armigerous," "anlace," "cousin-german," "alate," "oriflamme," "crapulous," "catenary," "pule," "thrip," "gramercy," "widdershins," "adossed," "barry-wavy," "stirk," "wight," "springald," "bedad" and "metic," among others. The book is a challenge in this respect, but, as always, a little research on the part of the reader will be repaid with a deeper appreciation. On the down side, "Land of Unreason" contains many plot points that lead nowhere, and the denouement--for me, anyway--is something of a letdown. This reader was thoroughly entertained while reading the book, but was ultimately left with the feeling that he'd read a piece of well-crafted piffle. I should perhaps also mention that this novel has been included in James Cawthorn and Michael Moorcock's overview volume "Fantasy: The 100 Best Books." I'm not sure that it deserves inclusion, but it certainly does make for one strange ride.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the "fantasy fairyland" setting, the wry, lightly humorous tone, the more-than-occasional vocabulary word, and meticulously ornate dialog, this was a blindingly fast read that hides literacy and depth. It reads like fairytale, moving from weird encounter to the next, all quickly enough that any particular situation never overstays its welcome.

The dream logic to the story (especially at the mind-twisting ending) rings true to fairytale logic, where in opposition to our world, the rules of the world shift and wobble while strict rules compel the conduct of the inhabitants. It blends The Once and Future King with Lewis Carroll.

After a bunch of modern genre fiction--series fiction--this is a treat just in the ornateness of the language, as handled by two masters of writing.

[Tim Pendry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sprague de Camp and Pratt collectively and individually were prolific (Sprague de Camp more so) contributors to mid-twentieth century fantasy. This is one of their many collaborations. It could be called a failed experiment which has its occasional charms.

What they seem to be trying to do is to create a rationally constructed irrational world based on faery. They plunder many literary (and occasionally folklore) traditions in an attempt to construct a story that also has many contemporary references.

The tale is centred on a relatively junior American diplomat experienced in the all-too-real world of the rise of fascism and now (at the time of the book) finding himself in a Britain plunged into air raids. Perhaps he has lost his mind under the pressure.

The core of the book was published in the Autumn of 1941 in 'Unknown Worlds' and then expanded into book form for publication in 1942. I have not read the original but perhaps the expansion was more than that original could bear.

The contemporary references largely jar and do not outlast their period. A fight between Fred (our diplomat) as a bat-winged hero, 'allied ' ravens and enemy eagles is rather obviously a dog-fight straight out of the Battle of Britain.

The classic three labours include one set in a totalitarian underwater society of molluscs or similar which is clearly a caricature of Sovietism. There are jive-talking sand devils which are just plain silly. The silliness in the story may be charming to some. Not so much to me.

I am one of those who likes my fantasy straight, dashes of wit perhaps but not played for laughs. Fantasy, always being just a few steps from insanity, should, in my view be taken seriously although I am notorious for my lack of humour when it comes to the arts.

However, there are more positive things to say. The writers (one of them at least) has a remarkable facility for capturing accents to the extent that the Yorkshire couple who help open the tale were so finely drawn that I would have thought the writing could only have been done by an Englishman.

For two Americans to capture, albeit briefly, the felt reality of Britain in wartime conditions suggests considerable imaginative (or research) ability. Neither man was present in the country during the period although Pratt had equal fame as a respected military analyst and historian.

The intellectual ambition of the novel is also to be respected. It could have been pulled off if the two men had not evidently treated the project as a bit of a jape, as too much fun perhaps. The absurdities become mad without the pain that actual madness brings.

And possibilities are lost. There is an implicit sexual frankness and honesty in their writing which remains unexploited. Sexual tensions in Fred are alluded to and then swept over too easily when some exploration might have given us a more sophisticated clue to the fantasy/madness dialectic.

A loss of reason is either an imaginative adventure or it is a breakdown in a person. This version of irrationality lacks psychological truth in either direction. It has all the feel of two clever and literate people plundering cultural tropes and creating a genre gateaux.

This is a shame because, apart from the fact that the men can write when they want to (and there is definite linguistic inventiveness here), the idea had great potential. So, treat it as a piece of cake from another era. Some will enjoy its overdone richness and 'jokes' more than I did.

[Keith Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun lighthearted fantasy from L. Sprague de Camp. Not my all time favorite, but I stumbled across an autographed paperback at a used book store, not even marked as autographed. One of the prizes of my collection.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diving full into faeryland and faery lore, this whimsical and picaresque tale is an enchanting collaboration. And yet for all the whimsy, it has deep roots.

[Eugene Khodakov · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unreasonably boring. Disjointed and fragmented narrative. Short vignettes often end abruptly with no meaningful resolution. Characters stumble into the plot and fall out of it at will. The book is a comedy first and foremost, but jokes are mildly amusing at best. The language itself is pretty interesting though. Fairy people of the magical kingdom use peculiar snappy vernacular, as if they spent too much time roaming 1930s English streets and drinking at American bars. All in all, the book is way too random and unfocused to hold attention.

[John Teske · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out interesting, a book about the land of the Seelie Court, with all of th associated unpredictability.

But eventually, I did tire of it, skimmed the rest of the book (the last third/half).

So, entertaining in the beginning, but the plot meanders all over the place. I suppose a typical adventure for the land of the Faerie, but still....

perhaps I'll try some other works by this duo

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Land of Unreason by Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague de Camp, originally published in 1942, was revived in 1970 as the tenth volume in the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series edited by Lin Carter, with  wrap-around cover art by Donna Violetti. Pratt and de Camp collaborated  in other fantasies, but according to Carter in the introduction, Land of Unreason was "The most spectacularly successful of them all" (p. vii). He continues, "Land of Unreason is far and away the best thing Pratt and de Camp's collaboration ever produced. Subtle, polished, witty, strikingly original and delightfully imaginative..." (p. viii).

The main character is an American diplomat in Ireland during World War II, who finds himself transported to Fairyland. He meets up with Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of Fairyland, and becomes involved in a quest to protect Fairyland from invaders. Fairyland is a strange place in which the physical laws themselves are unstable and weird characters abound. Fairyland reminded me strongly of Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, though perhaps George MacDonald's fantasy worlds were also an inspiration. Nevertheless, Land of Unreason lacks the intellect of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or the spiritual underpinnings of Lilith or Phantastes. It is a crazy romp through a series of bizarre events with a surprising ending.

I don't rate Land of Unreason as highly as Carter, though the book is amusing, and it's unusual to see something clearly in the same fantasy subgenre as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Land of Unreason deserves recognition, and it's good that Carter selected it to be rescued from oblivion.

[Trounin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Не были ли Спрэг де Камп и Прэтт первыми, кто взялся повествовать о мире, передвигаясь по которому, герои подвергают всё их окружающее постоянной трансформации? Буквально каждое обстоятельство влияет на текущее положение дел. Но всему даётся обоснование выдуманностью мира. События в произведении и начинаются с обыденной жизни основного действующего лица, успевшего побывать под оглушающим рёвом немецких бомбардировщиков, ведь Европа к сороковым годам погрязла в новой Мирово�� войне, а теперь удивительным образом попавшего в царство фей, где всем заправляет Обирон. Надо сказать, тамошний народ издревле верил, что некогда “придёт герой с рыжей бородой” и восстановит утраченный баланс. Собственно, герой с рыжей бородой явился в мир фей, толком не ведая, с какими трансформациями ему ещё предстоит столкнуться.

(c) Trounin

[Hunter Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and easy read that falls flat in a few major elements. Language use is a strong point, with a natural rhythm and historically researched dialogue, but the book fails in its composition. I was frequently left disoriented by the rapid changes in setting that lacked much connection. I wish the story progressed as smoothly as the writing flowed, but as it is it’s an enjoyably light book that is as silly as it is serious.

[Nemo Erehwon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written.
Awesome payoff in final two paragraphs of the book.

Yet while reading it I felt it was more a hodgepodge of James Branch Cabal, Lewis Carroll, and a great many philosophies which did not quite gel together for me.

But, again, those final two paragraphs I thoroughly enjoyed. Reminded me of Philip K. Dick.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping to love this, but its smart humor and tone always kept me at arms length. It was also not too far a step from their Enchanter series. Still a worthy inclusion to my Quest Fantastic, but I was definitely hoping for it being a star in this firmament.

It clearly had Phantastes in mind upon creation.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Barber drinks the milk left for the fairies and finds himself an ambassador for the court of Oberon and Titania. More a series of adventures than a single thread, I really enjoyed this due to the eloquent style and otherworldly feel of Fairyland.

[James Rickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll want to review your 12th Century history to follow the plot, but a good read.

[Henry Kline · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is sad when you read a book by an author that you like but you do not like the book. It had a few good moments but it just never came together.

[Juan Sanmiguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A diplomat gets whisk away to world of faerie. He goes on a quest on behalf of Oberon and Titania. It is a fun adventure. I felt it ended abruptly. Wanted more.

[Fantasy boy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Land of Unreason by Fletcher Pratt is selected in Ballantine adult fantasy series. I read this book for the reason of the cover art. Very funny covert art that l I haven’t seen for a long time. I was curious would I read the plots which is related to the cover art? Unfortunately, nothing in the story is related to the cover art. Indeed the story is absurd and ridiculous, but I didn’t read anything like the tea pot monkey is alluring the castanets bird with a carrot. What a shame that this doesn’t appear in the story.

The story is about the protagonist woke up and found himself in fairy land. The fairy kind Oberon demanded him to negotiate with the people who lived on the other side of fairy land. The story is like Alice in the Wonderland in adult version. The reading experience is a weird, the plots doesn’t have explanations of what Happened in the story. This is a fun read but also befuddle read as well.

6 out of 10

[Craig Herbertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top class fantasy in which Fred Barber,an an American diplomat recuperating in England during World War II, drinks a bowl of milk intended for the fairies and unwittingly gives them his whisky instead; kidnapped Barber finds himself in the Land of the Faerie.

Faeryland is in trouble and his diplomatic skills are employed by King Oberon. He undertakes a quest in the service of Oberon, the fairy king and finds his rational and logical mind beset by the illogic of his enemies.

Whimsy is often rather dull because it relies a lot on unconscious ramblings but i suspect Pratt as the main author here and he does it with aplomb. Its a great little find off the beaten and battered fantasy track

[D-day · Rating 2 out of 5]

Land of Unreason is the second team up of Fletcher Pratt and L. Sprague decamp after The Incomplete Enchanter. An American living in England during WW2 is transported to the Land of Faerie, very much based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (so I understand- I have never read a Midsummer Night’s Dream). The plot is very episodic and dreamlike, where weird things just happen- hence the Unreason. Anyway it was ok. More interesting for students of the fantasy genre than modern readers in general.

[Charles]

I read this as an audiobook. I think maybe it requires more attention.

[Danny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ends rather abruptly