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The Three Royal Monkeys
Book by Mare, Walter De LA
Paperback
First published January 1, 1910
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207 people want to read
About the author
Walter de la Mare
527 books173 followersWalter John de la Mare was an English poet, short story writer and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for his psychological horror short fiction, including "Seaton's Aunt" and "All Hallows". In 1921, his novel Memoirs of a Midget won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction, and his post-war Collected Stories for Children won the 1947 Carnegie Medal for British children's books.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 21, 2016
What an absolutely delightful book, I almost want to take a star as Mr. Le Mare never wrote a sequel to this outstanding adventure. All at once a fantastical adventure, fairy tale, and yet deep and moving classic. I greatly relate to Nod the younger brother, also lovingly known as the Ummanodda Nizza-Neela eeganeares, along with at times a variety of other derogatory nicknames. He reminds me of myself in many ways which makes the story that much more captivating, and I think a lot of people could relate to him. He is young and naivé and makes a lot of mistakes of which his brothers constantly remind him in the beginning of this tale (and rightfully so as he continues to make them) However as we see later, he is also crafty and cunning and, along with some magic, begins to be a blessing to his brothers. As the story moves along we also see his great compassion and loyalty which he displays even to those who don't deserve it, all while being ridiculed for doing so and never wavering. He sees other's faults and overlooks them regardless of consequence if they have also shown him kindness. A beautiful theme highlighting qualities we could use more of these days. Great characters abound, and wonderful adventure, a must read "children's story" that I would recommend to anyone.
February 21, 2013
What an absolute delight. This is a magical tale of three monkey brothers who go in search of their father, and have great adventure along the way. De la Mare wrote ghost stories and poetry, and viewed children with their extraordinary imaginations as sort of creative visionaries. You can almost feel him reaching back for this here. There's an unbridled playfulness with language in this novel that prefigures CS Lewis and Tolkien - in fact I'd be surprised if de la Mare wasn't an influence on them. What's more, this heartwarming celebration of brotherhood is now available free online.
Sentus Libri 100 word reviews of overlooked books.
Sentus Libri 100 word reviews of overlooked books.
March 9, 2013
The Three Mulla-mulgars (1919) by Walter de la Mare is a forgotten classic of fantastic adventure. Perhaps one reason for its neglect these days is that although it has many features of a book for children--a child protagonist, talking animals, magical artifacts, supernatural events, exciting adventures, and exquisite pictures by Dorothy P. Lathrop--it also features a richly poetic and idiosyncratic writing style, a complicated religious and philosophical foundation, and an times confusing and unsettling ambiguity and irony.
Thirteen years before the story begins Seelem, a Mulla-mulgar (royal monkey) from the Valleys of Tishnar, left there on a journey of discovery and ended up in the forest of Munza-mulgar, where he met a common fruit-monkey named Mutt-matutta and sired by her three sons, Thumb (Thumma), the eldest and broadest, Thimble (Thinbulla), the second and tallest, and Nod (Ummanodda), the youngest and most magical. He taught his sons important things like never to eat meat, grow a tail, run on all fours, or climb trees, and always to sing songs in praise of Tishnar. Tishnar is an interesting conception, representing "all the wonderful, secret, and quiet world beyond the Mulgars' lives… wind and stars, too, the seas and the endless unknown," a divine beauty so compelling "that a Mulgar who dreams even of one of her Maidens, and wakes still in the presence of his dream, can no longer be happy in the company of his kind."
Thirteen years later, Seelem, who had begun to "listen as if out of the immeasurable and solitudinous forests he heard voices calling him from far away," left for his beloved Valleys of Tishnar, whence he said he would soon send for his family in royal style. But months have passed without any communication from him, and Mutt-matutta pines away, telling her sons as she dies that they must go in search of their father and giving Seelem's fabulous Wonderstone to Nod. When rubbed correctly and needfully, the Wonderstone may bring magical aid. One of the fascinating elements of the novel is Nod's caretaking of "the strange pale glowing milk-white Wonderstone, carved all over with labyrinthine beast and bird and unintelligible characters… as if in itself it were all Munza-mulgar, its swamps and forests and mountains lying tinied… and as full of changing light as the bellies of dead fishes in the dark."
The story, then, depicts the double quest of the three Mulla-mulgar brothers to find both their father and the earthly paradise of Tishnar. Rather than dealing with good and evil, the brothers' quest is a romantic journey towards the ineffable, unattainable, and ideal. Pursuing this quest during an unprecedented snowy winter leads the Mulla-mulgars to dense forests, thorny wastelands, wide rivers, and massive mountains, introduces them to strange cultures like those of Minimuls (subterranean monkeys), Oomgars (humans), Babbaboomas (baboons), and Moona-mulgars (mountain monkeys), exposes them to supernatural beings like the ancient witch-hare Mishka, the black panther agent of death Immanala, and the indelibly beautiful and sad Water-midden, and pushes them to the limits of their wits, courage, strength, love, and faith. Will spring never come? Will they ever find the Valleys of Tishnar? Do the valleys even exist in this world or are they only accessible through death? Is their father living there or has he died and become a Meermut (spirit)?
As with the best fantastic quest stories, the characters represent human potential: "And they combed themselves, and stood up to their trouble, and thought stubbornly, as far as their monkey-wits would let them, only of the future (which is easier to manage than the past)." The relationships among the three brothers is moving. And Nod is a great main character: young and small, brave and clever, sensitive and loving, proud and humble, and magically gifted. He is prone to egregious mistakes that cause great trouble and earn him names like Prince of Bonfires, but is also capable of great achievements that win him names like Eengenares (Eyes-of-an-eagle).
The rich language of the novel is one of its great challenges and pleasures, as de la Mare wrote words archaic (e.g., megrims), difficult (e.g., margent), transformed (e.g., Ephelantoes), or made up (e.g., Noomanosi [death]), and uses familiar words in unusual ways (e.g., "that terrific steep of air"). He even created a Mulla-mulgar language that the narrator translates into English, though often in moments of intensity he leaves it in its original form: "Sibbetha eena manga Moh!" Nonetheless, the basic story is understandable, and there are many humorous, exciting, moving, or sublime scenes that readers of any age could enjoy. And passages like the following evoke a magical atmosphere:
"Over the swamp stood a shaving of moon, clear as a bow of silver. And all about, on every twig, on every thorn, and leaf, and pebble; all along the nine-foot grasses, on every cushion and touch of bark, even on the walls of their hut, lay this spangling fiery meal of Tishnar--frost. He called his brothers. Their breath stood round them like smoke. They stared and snuffed, they coughed in the cold air. Never, since birds wore feathers--never had hoar-frost glittered on Munza-mulgar before."
And descriptions like the following have a beautiful power:
"He was shrunk very meagre with travel, and his little breathing bosom was nothing but a slender cage of bones above his heart."
My only criticism of The Three Mulla-mulgars is that it ends abruptly, hinting at a sequel that I believe de La Mare never published. But perhaps the point is that the journey and what it does to the main characters may be at least as important as its goal. And there is more world building and heroic and comical adventuring and poetic and original writing packed into the short novel than in the majority of other fantasy for children (or adults).
Thirteen years before the story begins Seelem, a Mulla-mulgar (royal monkey) from the Valleys of Tishnar, left there on a journey of discovery and ended up in the forest of Munza-mulgar, where he met a common fruit-monkey named Mutt-matutta and sired by her three sons, Thumb (Thumma), the eldest and broadest, Thimble (Thinbulla), the second and tallest, and Nod (Ummanodda), the youngest and most magical. He taught his sons important things like never to eat meat, grow a tail, run on all fours, or climb trees, and always to sing songs in praise of Tishnar. Tishnar is an interesting conception, representing "all the wonderful, secret, and quiet world beyond the Mulgars' lives… wind and stars, too, the seas and the endless unknown," a divine beauty so compelling "that a Mulgar who dreams even of one of her Maidens, and wakes still in the presence of his dream, can no longer be happy in the company of his kind."
Thirteen years later, Seelem, who had begun to "listen as if out of the immeasurable and solitudinous forests he heard voices calling him from far away," left for his beloved Valleys of Tishnar, whence he said he would soon send for his family in royal style. But months have passed without any communication from him, and Mutt-matutta pines away, telling her sons as she dies that they must go in search of their father and giving Seelem's fabulous Wonderstone to Nod. When rubbed correctly and needfully, the Wonderstone may bring magical aid. One of the fascinating elements of the novel is Nod's caretaking of "the strange pale glowing milk-white Wonderstone, carved all over with labyrinthine beast and bird and unintelligible characters… as if in itself it were all Munza-mulgar, its swamps and forests and mountains lying tinied… and as full of changing light as the bellies of dead fishes in the dark."
The story, then, depicts the double quest of the three Mulla-mulgar brothers to find both their father and the earthly paradise of Tishnar. Rather than dealing with good and evil, the brothers' quest is a romantic journey towards the ineffable, unattainable, and ideal. Pursuing this quest during an unprecedented snowy winter leads the Mulla-mulgars to dense forests, thorny wastelands, wide rivers, and massive mountains, introduces them to strange cultures like those of Minimuls (subterranean monkeys), Oomgars (humans), Babbaboomas (baboons), and Moona-mulgars (mountain monkeys), exposes them to supernatural beings like the ancient witch-hare Mishka, the black panther agent of death Immanala, and the indelibly beautiful and sad Water-midden, and pushes them to the limits of their wits, courage, strength, love, and faith. Will spring never come? Will they ever find the Valleys of Tishnar? Do the valleys even exist in this world or are they only accessible through death? Is their father living there or has he died and become a Meermut (spirit)?
As with the best fantastic quest stories, the characters represent human potential: "And they combed themselves, and stood up to their trouble, and thought stubbornly, as far as their monkey-wits would let them, only of the future (which is easier to manage than the past)." The relationships among the three brothers is moving. And Nod is a great main character: young and small, brave and clever, sensitive and loving, proud and humble, and magically gifted. He is prone to egregious mistakes that cause great trouble and earn him names like Prince of Bonfires, but is also capable of great achievements that win him names like Eengenares (Eyes-of-an-eagle).
The rich language of the novel is one of its great challenges and pleasures, as de la Mare wrote words archaic (e.g., megrims), difficult (e.g., margent), transformed (e.g., Ephelantoes), or made up (e.g., Noomanosi [death]), and uses familiar words in unusual ways (e.g., "that terrific steep of air"). He even created a Mulla-mulgar language that the narrator translates into English, though often in moments of intensity he leaves it in its original form: "Sibbetha eena manga Moh!" Nonetheless, the basic story is understandable, and there are many humorous, exciting, moving, or sublime scenes that readers of any age could enjoy. And passages like the following evoke a magical atmosphere:
"Over the swamp stood a shaving of moon, clear as a bow of silver. And all about, on every twig, on every thorn, and leaf, and pebble; all along the nine-foot grasses, on every cushion and touch of bark, even on the walls of their hut, lay this spangling fiery meal of Tishnar--frost. He called his brothers. Their breath stood round them like smoke. They stared and snuffed, they coughed in the cold air. Never, since birds wore feathers--never had hoar-frost glittered on Munza-mulgar before."
And descriptions like the following have a beautiful power:
"He was shrunk very meagre with travel, and his little breathing bosom was nothing but a slender cage of bones above his heart."
My only criticism of The Three Mulla-mulgars is that it ends abruptly, hinting at a sequel that I believe de La Mare never published. But perhaps the point is that the journey and what it does to the main characters may be at least as important as its goal. And there is more world building and heroic and comical adventuring and poetic and original writing packed into the short novel than in the majority of other fantasy for children (or adults).
November 11, 2022
Всё-таки очень непросто читать книгу, в которой половина слов выдуманы автором.
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May 3, 2025Les trois Malla-Moulgars est un livre qui m'est totalement inconnu jusqu'à ce que je le découvre lors de la Masse critique de Babelio. Je remercie donc les éditions Callidor et Babelio de m'avoir permis de découvrir ce livre. Pouss, Coudd et Nod, sont trois Malla-Moulgars qui vivent paisiblement dans leur hutte. A la mort de leur mère, ils partent à la recherche de leur père parti rejoindre son frère, le grand roi Assassimon. Les trois singes devront affronter de nombreux dangers pour atteindre leur but et enfin connaître leurs origines.
Les trois Malla-Moulgars est un livre écrit par Walter de la Mare, il y a plus d'un siècle, au tout début du XXe siècle, avant même que Tolkien n'écrive sa célèbre saga. Ce livre est considéré comme un classique de la fantasy et bon nombre d'auteurs s'en seraient inspirés. Malgré cela, je n'avais jamais entendu parler de ce livre. C'est donc curieuse, que je me suis lancée dans cette lecture. Malheureusement, j'ai vite déchanté, car j'ai eu du mal à rentrer dans ma lecture. J'ai trouvé ce livre très long à lire, sûrement à cause du style plus lourd de l'époque à laquelle a été écrit cette histoire. La première moitié du récit a vraiment été laborieuse à lire, car l'introduction est un peu longue et également parce qu'il y a beaucoup de termes qui ne sont pas expliqués, notamment les noms d'espèces de singes et autres animaux. Tout cela fait que le récit est un peu lourd.
Malgré tout, je me suis accrochée, car ce livre promettait d'être un mélange entre Le livre de la jungle et Le Hobbit. Le livre de la jungle puisque les héros sont des animaux et Le Hobbit pour le côté quête et aventure. Il faut dire que le mélange des deux est bien présent.
Dans ce livre, les héros sont des singes anthropomorphisés puisqu'ils marchent debout et portent des vêtements. Ils mènent une quête sur leurs origines, pour retrouver leur père et sa famille. C'est pour eux l'occasion de découvrir le monde grâce à un long périple plein d'aventures. Nous suivons trois frères aux caractères différents mais pourtant complémentaires. Il y a Pouss l'aîné, le chef de la bande, qui est costaud, dur avec ses frères, mais au fond, il essaye de les protéger au mieux. Le cadet se nomme Coudd, c'est le moins présent et le plus réservé des trois frères. Il est espiègle et a un peu du caractère de ses deux frères. Le benjamin de la fratrie est Nod, un petit singe intelligent et magicien à qui il arrive beaucoup d'ennuis, mais il s'en sort bien grâce à son grand cœur. C'est finalement lui, le héros de toute cette aventure.
Nos trois personnages vivent une quête pleine de rebondissements où ils vivront mille dangers et où ils feront des nombreuses rencontres. A cause de certaines rencontres, ils vivront de grands périls, mais parfois, ils auront de belles surprises et se feront des amis loyaux. L'aventure que j'ai préférée, c'est celle chez les Mouna-Moulgars, des singes des montagnes qui, de prime abord sont austères. En réalité, ils sont très serviables et seront d'une grande aide pour nos héros. Même si l'aventure est belle, j'ai été déçue par la fin, car l'histoire s'arrête un peu trop tôt à mon goût.
Pour conclure, ma lecture des trois Malla-Moulgars fut pleine de rebondissements. J'ai eu du mal à entrer dans l'histoire à cause de la lourdeur du récit et du vocabulaire parfois complexe. Ma lecture a été très poussive même si au final, je suis contente d'avoir lu ce classique et précurseur de la fantasy puisqu'il sort totalement des sentiers battus.
Twogirlsandbooks
Les trois Malla-Moulgars est un livre écrit par Walter de la Mare, il y a plus d'un siècle, au tout début du XXe siècle, avant même que Tolkien n'écrive sa célèbre saga. Ce livre est considéré comme un classique de la fantasy et bon nombre d'auteurs s'en seraient inspirés. Malgré cela, je n'avais jamais entendu parler de ce livre. C'est donc curieuse, que je me suis lancée dans cette lecture. Malheureusement, j'ai vite déchanté, car j'ai eu du mal à rentrer dans ma lecture. J'ai trouvé ce livre très long à lire, sûrement à cause du style plus lourd de l'époque à laquelle a été écrit cette histoire. La première moitié du récit a vraiment été laborieuse à lire, car l'introduction est un peu longue et également parce qu'il y a beaucoup de termes qui ne sont pas expliqués, notamment les noms d'espèces de singes et autres animaux. Tout cela fait que le récit est un peu lourd.
Malgré tout, je me suis accrochée, car ce livre promettait d'être un mélange entre Le livre de la jungle et Le Hobbit. Le livre de la jungle puisque les héros sont des animaux et Le Hobbit pour le côté quête et aventure. Il faut dire que le mélange des deux est bien présent.
Dans ce livre, les héros sont des singes anthropomorphisés puisqu'ils marchent debout et portent des vêtements. Ils mènent une quête sur leurs origines, pour retrouver leur père et sa famille. C'est pour eux l'occasion de découvrir le monde grâce à un long périple plein d'aventures. Nous suivons trois frères aux caractères différents mais pourtant complémentaires. Il y a Pouss l'aîné, le chef de la bande, qui est costaud, dur avec ses frères, mais au fond, il essaye de les protéger au mieux. Le cadet se nomme Coudd, c'est le moins présent et le plus réservé des trois frères. Il est espiègle et a un peu du caractère de ses deux frères. Le benjamin de la fratrie est Nod, un petit singe intelligent et magicien à qui il arrive beaucoup d'ennuis, mais il s'en sort bien grâce à son grand cœur. C'est finalement lui, le héros de toute cette aventure.
Nos trois personnages vivent une quête pleine de rebondissements où ils vivront mille dangers et où ils feront des nombreuses rencontres. A cause de certaines rencontres, ils vivront de grands périls, mais parfois, ils auront de belles surprises et se feront des amis loyaux. L'aventure que j'ai préférée, c'est celle chez les Mouna-Moulgars, des singes des montagnes qui, de prime abord sont austères. En réalité, ils sont très serviables et seront d'une grande aide pour nos héros. Même si l'aventure est belle, j'ai été déçue par la fin, car l'histoire s'arrête un peu trop tôt à mon goût.
Pour conclure, ma lecture des trois Malla-Moulgars fut pleine de rebondissements. J'ai eu du mal à entrer dans l'histoire à cause de la lourdeur du récit et du vocabulaire parfois complexe. Ma lecture a été très poussive même si au final, je suis contente d'avoir lu ce classique et précurseur de la fantasy puisqu'il sort totalement des sentiers battus.
Twogirlsandbooks
August 7, 2017
3.5 stars. By the end of the book, I was really enjoying the world that Walter de la Mare had created. It took me a little while to get into the novel but I'm glad I finished it as the journey of Nod and his brothers was reminiscent of fairytales I loved as a child. I do wonder if J.R.R Tolkien was influenced at all by The Three Mulla-Mulgars as the worlds that both authors created were so rich in detail and even had their own languages. My only complaint about the book was that it ended abruptly.
February 5, 2019
Loved the flourishing language and the great story
March 24, 2023
This has to be one of the most original books for children I have read. Africa in the snow is such a weird concept and the absence of human beings is also a big plus.
September 25, 2014
UPDATE SEP 2014:
I may have been in the mood for sci-fi, received this as a sci-fi recommendation, and been disappointed. I picked it up again and enjoyed it. It is not to the depth of description of other "epic journey" books, and indeed you are left wanting more of a description in some cases. It would be a good juvenile pick-up to get them into the genre without weighing them down with 40 pages on a village like Tolkien.
ORIGINAL REVIEW OCT 2013:
Could not finish the book. A laborious start, it would have gotten two stars if I had been reading the illustrated version. The non-illustrated version plods along. Stopped about 40% through (so do not take this review into consideration when considering the complete work). This is far into the fantasy genre, with no sci-fi, and an early "Animal Farm" tsk-tsk vibe to it.
I may have been in the mood for sci-fi, received this as a sci-fi recommendation, and been disappointed. I picked it up again and enjoyed it. It is not to the depth of description of other "epic journey" books, and indeed you are left wanting more of a description in some cases. It would be a good juvenile pick-up to get them into the genre without weighing them down with 40 pages on a village like Tolkien.
ORIGINAL REVIEW OCT 2013:
Could not finish the book. A laborious start, it would have gotten two stars if I had been reading the illustrated version. The non-illustrated version plods along. Stopped about 40% through (so do not take this review into consideration when considering the complete work). This is far into the fantasy genre, with no sci-fi, and an early "Animal Farm" tsk-tsk vibe to it.
October 23, 2013
Lovely graphics. Drawings by Mildred E. Eldridge.
"What pleasure have great princes."
Envoy
Long -- long is Time, though books be brief;
Adventures strange -- ay, past belief ---
Await the Reader’s drowsy eye;
But, wearied out, he’d lay them by.
But, if so be, he’d some day hear
All that befell these brothers dear
In Tishnar’s lovely Valleys -- well,
Poor pen, thou must that story tell!
But farewell, now, you Mulgars three!
Farewell, your faithful company!
Farewell, the heart that loved unbidden --
Nod’s dark-eyed, beauteous Water Midden!
"What pleasure have great princes."
Envoy
Long -- long is Time, though books be brief;
Adventures strange -- ay, past belief ---
Await the Reader’s drowsy eye;
But, wearied out, he’d lay them by.
But, if so be, he’d some day hear
All that befell these brothers dear
In Tishnar’s lovely Valleys -- well,
Poor pen, thou must that story tell!
But farewell, now, you Mulgars three!
Farewell, your faithful company!
Farewell, the heart that loved unbidden --
Nod’s dark-eyed, beauteous Water Midden!
May 20, 2012
The relationships between the three brothers in this book are really beautiful. I was very taken by the philosophy of the mullar-mulgars, and by the strong themes of brotherhood and friendship.
Will definitely be reading it to my boy when he's 8 or 9.
Will definitely be reading it to my boy when he's 8 or 9.
October 25, 2016
I'm afraid I like Kipling's animal stories better, but that said, The Three Mullah-Mulgars is one of
de la Mare's better books. The Dorothy Lathrop illustrations are enchanting.
de la Mare's better books. The Dorothy Lathrop illustrations are enchanting.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews