The Collected Jorkens. Volume II

Jorkens #3-4

by Lord Dunsany

The second in a three-volume set collecting all of Lord Dunsany's club stories, as told by Jorkens. Long unavailable, and essential reading for all fans of classic fantasy. Introduction by T.E.D. Klein.

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Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories

Unknown Binding

First published July 19, 2005

About the author

Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, eighteenth baron of Dunsany, was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist, notable for his work in fantasy published under the name Lord Dunsany. More than eighty books of his work were published, and his oeuvre includes hundreds of short stories, as well as successful plays, novels and essays. Born to one of the oldest titles in the Irish peerage, he lived much of his life at perhaps Ireland's longest-inhabited home, Dunsany Castle near Tara, received an honourary doctorate from Trinity College, and died in Dublin.

Reviews

[Bruce Nordstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second of the Jorkens trilogy that I have read, and it was a total labor of love. I think Lord Dunsany is one of the most unappreciated authors in the English language. He excels at the short story, and these are some of his finest works. Many of these a just 4 or 5 pages long, and range from funny, to grim irony. I want to acknowledge three selections as my favorites, "The Expulsion," "Jarton's Disease," and "Secret of the Sphinx."

No one writes with the humor, insight, and total control as Dunsany.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's impossible for me to rate these critically. I just love them too much. The World of Commander McBragg was my favorite bit on Rocky & Bullwinkle, so finding this as an adult was joyous. Jorken's stories run the gamut from pub scams to ghost stories to wild adventures with improbable conclusions. You don't have to believe Jorkens, just buy him a drink and enjoy the story.

[Earl Solper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord Dunsany's Jorkens short stories (and they are very short) differ greatly from his fantasy tales. The eponymous protagonist is a London clubman who tells tall tales with an earnestness that so impresses the narrator (a new and gullible member of the club) that he furnishes the impecunious Jorkens with whiskey (sometimes involuntarily). Interspersed between the nonsense stories, though, are a few notable stories dealing with the nature of time (Lost), and the interplay between freewill and destiny (Jorkens Consults a Prophet and A Deal with the Devil) -- themes familiar to readers of Dunsany's fantasy short stories and plays.

This edition collects Jorkens has a Large Whiskey and The Fourth Book of Jorkens.