What do you think?
Rate this book
Huon of the Horn
A wondrous tale of brave knights, black-hearted villains, and fairy kings in a magical time of the long ago.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1951
3 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
696 books1,389 followersAndre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 10, 2016
rather pretty, rather simple. unfortunately each time i picked this up i found myself on the first train to snoozeville. i wanted to like it so much more, but perhaps norton was intimidated by the original subject material, because the novel never really came alive for me.
still, I do have to say that this was a particularly pleasant book to fall asleep to in the park. several nice naps occurred over the course of several nice days. which reminds me, San Francisco weather sure has been pleasant lately. yay, global warming?
still, I do have to say that this was a particularly pleasant book to fall asleep to in the park. several nice naps occurred over the course of several nice days. which reminds me, San Francisco weather sure has been pleasant lately. yay, global warming?
Want to read
October 12, 2019Norton's retelling of a 13th century French epic poem, Huon of Bordeaux.
November 29, 2023
This fantasy novel was a gift from my sister. She has a bookworm friend whom she asked to suggest a fun fantasy story. She pulled this off her own shelf and gave it to her to give to me.
I feel like when a book is given to me and it has a story behind how I occupied it I take more ownership of it and find more joy in the process of reading it. Same goes for my records, clothing, etc… I digress
This version of Huon of the Horn has a super vintage and retro cover which I absolutely love. It reads exactly how it looks like it’d read (to me at least); an epic Arthurian fantasy-esque story of a Frenchmen who travels France, the Holy Land, and many other magical places on his various noble quests. This was so fun to read. With zero expectation for a book I knew little to nothing about, I found myself free to accept and enjoy every aspect of this book for what it was. I think it did what it was trying to do quite well: retell an epic poem with more of a modern yet still romantic voice and add super fun fantasy elements like elves, magical items, and ferocious monsters. If you’re into fantasy and are looking for something fun, easy, and different, look no further than Huon of the Horn, however, you’ll have a hard time trying to find a copy as cool as mine. Thanks Tara
I feel like when a book is given to me and it has a story behind how I occupied it I take more ownership of it and find more joy in the process of reading it. Same goes for my records, clothing, etc… I digress
This version of Huon of the Horn has a super vintage and retro cover which I absolutely love. It reads exactly how it looks like it’d read (to me at least); an epic Arthurian fantasy-esque story of a Frenchmen who travels France, the Holy Land, and many other magical places on his various noble quests. This was so fun to read. With zero expectation for a book I knew little to nothing about, I found myself free to accept and enjoy every aspect of this book for what it was. I think it did what it was trying to do quite well: retell an epic poem with more of a modern yet still romantic voice and add super fun fantasy elements like elves, magical items, and ferocious monsters. If you’re into fantasy and are looking for something fun, easy, and different, look no further than Huon of the Horn, however, you’ll have a hard time trying to find a copy as cool as mine. Thanks Tara
August 15, 2018
ISFDB lists this as Norton's first "in-genre" work. I consider that assessment an error. This is a faithful (as far as I am able to determine) retelling of a thirteenth century epic French poem of the romance tradition. Some might stretch to say that qualifies it as belonging to the fantasy tradition. After all, some French romance poems tell of Arthur, and anything Arthurian is usually considered fantasy. I won't argue the finer points of what is and is not genre. I'll just say that if it is fantasy, it's remote indeed from Tolkien.
This novel is horrid. I just tried to reread it and remembered what a snooze fest it was the first time I tried. I have downgraded this novel from two down to one stars. It is a complete failure. The writing is unnecessarily stilted, completely passive in voice. The plot is constrained by its source material. The only epic here is that reading this book is an epic waste of time.
This novel is horrid. I just tried to reread it and remembered what a snooze fest it was the first time I tried. I have downgraded this novel from two down to one stars. It is a complete failure. The writing is unnecessarily stilted, completely passive in voice. The plot is constrained by its source material. The only epic here is that reading this book is an epic waste of time.
February 25, 2014
I found discussion of this romance interesting in Trade and Romance, where it figures for its Asian wanderings, but I'm afraid I'm bored by the romance itself. In the future I might get hold of the Early English Texts edition with the Lord Berners translation of 1534, of which this is an adaptation. Not that I want to doubt Andre Norton, and bravo to her for spending her pen on an obscure old romance.
Notable also for the friendship between Huon and Oberon, King of the Fairies.
Notable also for the friendship between Huon and Oberon, King of the Fairies.
September 24, 2018
Two adventures adapted from the Huon de Bordeaux, a late chanson de geste with elements from the new romance genre. It starts off as a standard chanson: a counsellor of Charlemagne swears revenge on the late Duke Sevin by going after his sons Huon the Duke of Bourdeaux, and Gerame, by manipulating the king's son and heir into being killed by Huon. It's actually fairly clever given the genre we're talking about. Then it veers off into fantasy: as penance Huon has to travel to the Far East to do brave deeds, but gets lost and ends up in Fairy Land. Here he befriends Auberon, a fairy/elf/dwarf and king of Fairy Land (he was born a human but was blessed and cursed by fairies, and so he never grows to be an adult etc etc). Huon is given a magical horn that can summon Auberon and 10,000 troops in a moment, and there are more adventures and more magic.
The second adventure is much the same: Huon's Bordeaux castle comes under attack by the new King Louis, and he sets off to the Far East for help. He fights a tusked giant and there's a castle that seems to be operated by magnets and men cursed to bake bread in silence for 1,000 years and magical jewels and boats that pilot themselves and a griffin's nest and some other stuff. I'd really like to compare this to the actual chanson de geste, but for some reason my pdf of the chanson won't load on my kindle and I don't want to read that many pages on a glowing screen, you know? Still it seems fairly faithful. Oh yeah, Huon becomes Auberon's heir and of course Shakespeare steals Auberon and turns him into Midsummer Night's Oberon. Good stuff.
The second adventure is much the same: Huon's Bordeaux castle comes under attack by the new King Louis, and he sets off to the Far East for help. He fights a tusked giant and there's a castle that seems to be operated by magnets and men cursed to bake bread in silence for 1,000 years and magical jewels and boats that pilot themselves and a griffin's nest and some other stuff. I'd really like to compare this to the actual chanson de geste, but for some reason my pdf of the chanson won't load on my kindle and I don't want to read that many pages on a glowing screen, you know? Still it seems fairly faithful. Oh yeah, Huon becomes Auberon's heir and of course Shakespeare steals Auberon and turns him into Midsummer Night's Oberon. Good stuff.
Read
April 13, 2010Norton states in the preface that her version is 'based on' an english translation of a tale from the era of Charlemagne. It's a mistake to read 'based on' as indicating a literal copy, with only slight updates as to language.
This is classic Norton, and (as is true for many of her stories) uses byways and sidelines of history as we wuz taught it as a springboard into her own stories. From the start it assumes a knowledge of things like the Song of Roland, which I, for one, don't have. Because it's adapted from a story meant to be recited orally, there's a lot of redundancy.
If I have problems with the violence in Norton's books, this is a good example of where she got it from. There's scarcely a page on which someone isn't killed off, or at least injured. Some of the elements are complete non sequiturs. For example, it's perhaps understandable that the hero kills griffins who are trying to eat him--but why does he cut off one of the griffin's legs, and carry it with him? So far as I can tell, it's never used for anything.
This is classic Norton, and (as is true for many of her stories) uses byways and sidelines of history as we wuz taught it as a springboard into her own stories. From the start it assumes a knowledge of things like the Song of Roland, which I, for one, don't have. Because it's adapted from a story meant to be recited orally, there's a lot of redundancy.
If I have problems with the violence in Norton's books, this is a good example of where she got it from. There's scarcely a page on which someone isn't killed off, or at least injured. Some of the elements are complete non sequiturs. For example, it's perhaps understandable that the hero kills griffins who are trying to eat him--but why does he cut off one of the griffin's legs, and carry it with him? So far as I can tell, it's never used for anything.
December 1, 2009
I read this because when I was in elementary school I knew Andre Norton to be a science fiction writer and I read all the science fiction I could get my hands on. This, however, wasn't science fiction, nor was it really by Norton. It was her modern translation of a sixteenth century fantasy and it, with its reference to Charlemagne and Oberon, was way over my head at the time. Reading it may have substantially contributed to an early distaste for Andre Norton.
January 16, 2016
I re-read this retelling of the medieval legend of Huon of Bordeaux--in its original form a thirteenth-century chanson de geste adding to the Matter of France--as a chaser to The Song of Roland. It was almost as much fun as I remember, and I have so many thoughts about it that I've decided to write a more in-depth review on my blog at some future date!
July 10, 2014
Good Fantasy Novel, Nice quick read. Recommended
April 7, 2017
This is old-school, fairy-tale-like Dunsanian or Bradburyan fantasy. Just amazing to read all the way through.
September 26, 2023
Andre Norton was no poser. She was a master (mistress?) upon the details of medieval life. Whether how to light a tallow candle with flint, besiege a castle or sit correctly in a throne while wearing cape and side-sword (try this; it takes practice). Norton founded an institute to teach fantasy devotees such things. Her knowledge bled over into D&D; she being the first 'A' list fantasy writer to sit at the game table and roll a twenty-sider.
"Huon of the Horn" is Norton's retelling of a 13th century epic long overshadowed by that endless soap opera of Arthur, Gwen and Lance. Note: 'retelling' does NOT mean replacing 'Aye' with 'Okay', meditative monks with snarling inquisitors, not to forget substituting the complexities of feudal loyalties with throne-games that ignore catechisms upon faith and war. Nay. The medieval attitude remains in her tale; and when Huon cuts corners in his questing, trouble ensues. Just as a 13th century audience expects and wants.
But don't think this retelling is pedantic droning, a Monty-Python scene without the humor.
'Huon' is a tale that moves the reader to go questing beyond the hills, into fairy mists and unnamed isles of the world past the map-edge. A shadowed peer to 'Le Morte d'Athur'; episodic, fantastical yet earthly. Norton catches and preserves that hint and glint of the supernatural that sends knights seeking the grail, kids to hide in wardrobes or writers to describe a lord sitting down in style without tangling cape and sword.
A forgotten classic.
"Huon of the Horn" is Norton's retelling of a 13th century epic long overshadowed by that endless soap opera of Arthur, Gwen and Lance. Note: 'retelling' does NOT mean replacing 'Aye' with 'Okay', meditative monks with snarling inquisitors, not to forget substituting the complexities of feudal loyalties with throne-games that ignore catechisms upon faith and war. Nay. The medieval attitude remains in her tale; and when Huon cuts corners in his questing, trouble ensues. Just as a 13th century audience expects and wants.
But don't think this retelling is pedantic droning, a Monty-Python scene without the humor.
'Huon' is a tale that moves the reader to go questing beyond the hills, into fairy mists and unnamed isles of the world past the map-edge. A shadowed peer to 'Le Morte d'Athur'; episodic, fantastical yet earthly. Norton catches and preserves that hint and glint of the supernatural that sends knights seeking the grail, kids to hide in wardrobes or writers to describe a lord sitting down in style without tangling cape and sword.
A forgotten classic.
September 21, 2025
Norton's first fantasy was a retelling of "Huon of Bordeaux," a medieval romance. This makes it very YMMV — I like this kind of knightly adventure but they're definitely not everyone's cup of tea.
Huon is heir to the throne of Bordeaux when he accidentally kills the son of King Charlemagne. The pissed-off monarch sets a demanding quest on Huon; while Huon's gone his brother goes to the dark side and seizes power. Fortunately Huon becomes friends with the elf-king Oberon, who makes one heck of an ally.
But being a medieval romance, everything sprawls off from this: Huon fighting in the Holy Land, Huon fighting griffins, a random visit to the literal gates of hell ... it's an acquired taste but one I've definitely acquired.
Huon is heir to the throne of Bordeaux when he accidentally kills the son of King Charlemagne. The pissed-off monarch sets a demanding quest on Huon; while Huon's gone his brother goes to the dark side and seizes power. Fortunately Huon becomes friends with the elf-king Oberon, who makes one heck of an ally.
But being a medieval romance, everything sprawls off from this: Huon fighting in the Holy Land, Huon fighting griffins, a random visit to the literal gates of hell ... it's an acquired taste but one I've definitely acquired.
December 21, 2024
This was another pick up during Christmas shopping... I haven't really like much of what I've read from Andre Norton in the past, but since this was more a retelling of an epic poem than an original work I thought I'd give her another shot.
I hadn't heard of Huon before reading this, so it was all new to me, and quite fun. Everything of course was all very predictible, but that's the nature of the material... that didn't make me enjoy it less. I also always like a good Oberon appearance. He was very noble and while it was a bit odd to mix fairies with a good Christian morality tale, it worked.... glad I gave it a read.
I hadn't heard of Huon before reading this, so it was all new to me, and quite fun. Everything of course was all very predictible, but that's the nature of the material... that didn't make me enjoy it less. I also always like a good Oberon appearance. He was very noble and while it was a bit odd to mix fairies with a good Christian morality tale, it worked.... glad I gave it a read.
November 11, 2018
This is an old classic that reads like some long-ago text. While the fantastic shifts of fortune are almost laughable at times, it is still fun to read classic high fantasy. There is also an interesting mix of Christianity and magic, especially Faerie, two things which usually do not so comfortably co-exist.
May 29, 2021
Not your usual Andre Norton book. She wrote this in the style of the old sagas. Well, worth the reading if you get a chance to do so.
May 30, 2023
I've been on a "historical" kick recently so I re-read Norton's Huon. It's light and fairytale-like. But you won't find any nifty historical references any more than you would in Snow White.
October 5, 2016
Andre Norton continues working to find her voice in this intriguing retelling of a 16th century legend. I suppose this technically counts as a fantasy, since it has Fairies and Gods, etc., but it's really more of a traditional Romance, with knights, quests, maidens, and lots of daring-do.
Norton's choice to retell the legend in a quasi-medieval style is a clever one, and it works well. She manages to retain the overall "flavor" of the story, while still making it accessible to modern readers. She also maintains the rapid-fire pacing of the original story, which is a nice change from today's multi-volume bloated fantasy epics. (Seriously, ten pages of this novel could be expanded into a trilogy by some contemporary authors!)
There are guest stars aplenty: Roland, Charlemagne, King Arthur, and Oberon all appear at some point in the narrative!
Well worth seeking out for the retelling of a mostly-forgotten story, and for Norton's compelling approach to the material. It may feel a bit "old-fashioned: to some contemporary readers, but I thought it was great fun.
Norton's choice to retell the legend in a quasi-medieval style is a clever one, and it works well. She manages to retain the overall "flavor" of the story, while still making it accessible to modern readers. She also maintains the rapid-fire pacing of the original story, which is a nice change from today's multi-volume bloated fantasy epics. (Seriously, ten pages of this novel could be expanded into a trilogy by some contemporary authors!)
There are guest stars aplenty: Roland, Charlemagne, King Arthur, and Oberon all appear at some point in the narrative!
Well worth seeking out for the retelling of a mostly-forgotten story, and for Norton's compelling approach to the material. It may feel a bit "old-fashioned: to some contemporary readers, but I thought it was great fun.
October 2, 2014
This was my introduction to Andre Norton back in Junior High School. Living in the small town of Frederick, OK, I quickly learned that "there is no frigate like a book" and this one is an excellent introduction to Medieval literature. Norton edits and translates. She stays out of the way of the original story brilliantly. This does not read or feel like any of her other work, because here she is restoring (if you will) a very old classic and bringing it to a young modern reader. It worked for me. I've been a fan of Andre Norton ever since.
If you like King Arthur, Roland, or any of the other stories of knights errant then you'll find plenty to enjoy here. It would be interesting to read this with Don Quixote, since this is the type of literature Cervantes was satirizing in his novel.
If you like King Arthur, Roland, or any of the other stories of knights errant then you'll find plenty to enjoy here. It would be interesting to read this with Don Quixote, since this is the type of literature Cervantes was satirizing in his novel.
December 14, 2012
I enjoy this sort of knightly story, couched in that wonderful Victorian faux old English.
Huon, duke of Bordeau, is just trying to mind his own business when Charlemagne sends a summons to come swear fealty.
A serious mishap occurs during Huon's trip, and then it's just one bad thing after another.
This is an enjoyable departure from sci fi for Andre Norton.
Huon, duke of Bordeau, is just trying to mind his own business when Charlemagne sends a summons to come swear fealty.
A serious mishap occurs during Huon's trip, and then it's just one bad thing after another.
This is an enjoyable departure from sci fi for Andre Norton.
May 24, 2015
I love Norton's later works so have sought out a lot of her early works. This one is a fantasy telling of Huon, the Duke of Bordeaux in France, and his adventures while Charlemagne was emperor, including meeting of King Oberon of Elfland as well as various giants and demons. Told in an Olde English manner, it has the highlights but lacks a sense of depth or detail.
August 11, 2015
Being fairly new to the Norton enthusiasm, I started from her earliest that we had. This is not a typical Norton story, it is a liguistically updated version of a fable from the 1500's. Since I am a fan of Arthurian literature, it was great fun for me to read a similar tale from France. However, if you are looking for her fantasy/science fiction this is not for you.
February 3, 2023
This retelling of a tale of the court and hangers-on of the legendary King Charlemagne is worth rereading. It deals with magic, good and evil, with entities from myth and legend (Fairy King Oberon and his wife. Cain. Giants and cursed beings.)
August 31, 2011
Norton's fantasy effort is a transliteration of a 13th century epic and she hues as close to the original as possible, perhaps to its detriment (she should have applied more of the personal stamp that shows only on the final page).
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
Read
March 5, 2015Juvenile classic
August 6, 2010
This is one of those "huh" books...
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews