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Enchanted Pilgrimage
A scholar, a goblin, and a gnome, among others, pursue the secrets of a vanished ancient race through a wasteland of dark magic in this enthralling fantasy quest adventure
On an Earth that is different from ours, the young scholar Mark Cornwall becomes a target of the Inquisition, and specifically its most evil and obsessed agent, Beckett. Damned for asking questions, Mark is forced to escape over the border into the Wastelands, a magical realm that is home to all manner of flesh-devouring monsters. Luckily he will not have to make his journey alone. He is accompanied by a cadre of stalwart companions, including the rafter goblin Oliver, Snively the gnome, and secretive Mary from one of three parallel planes. Somewhere beyond the vengeful, blood-hungry Hellhounds, somewhere past the horrific legacy of the now-destroyed Chaos Beast, the mysteries of the Old Ones are waiting to be revealed--and only those with the courage to seek them will be able to alter the destiny of their worlds.
In Enchanted Pilgrimage, Clifford D. Simak ingeniously blends elements of science fiction into a savory fantasy stew. The award-winning Grand Master of science fiction spreads his wings and takes glorious flight into a bold new realm of magic and adventure, demonstrating why he remains one of the most acclaimed storytellers in the literature of the remarkable.
On an Earth that is different from ours, the young scholar Mark Cornwall becomes a target of the Inquisition, and specifically its most evil and obsessed agent, Beckett. Damned for asking questions, Mark is forced to escape over the border into the Wastelands, a magical realm that is home to all manner of flesh-devouring monsters. Luckily he will not have to make his journey alone. He is accompanied by a cadre of stalwart companions, including the rafter goblin Oliver, Snively the gnome, and secretive Mary from one of three parallel planes. Somewhere beyond the vengeful, blood-hungry Hellhounds, somewhere past the horrific legacy of the now-destroyed Chaos Beast, the mysteries of the Old Ones are waiting to be revealed--and only those with the courage to seek them will be able to alter the destiny of their worlds.
In Enchanted Pilgrimage, Clifford D. Simak ingeniously blends elements of science fiction into a savory fantasy stew. The award-winning Grand Master of science fiction spreads his wings and takes glorious flight into a bold new realm of magic and adventure, demonstrating why he remains one of the most acclaimed storytellers in the literature of the remarkable.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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About the author
Clifford D. Simak
969 books1,059 followers"He was honored by fans with three Hugo awards and by colleagues with one Nebula award and was named the third Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) in 1977." (Wikipedia)
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford...
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
November 22, 2024
Enchanted Pilgrimage was published by Putnam in May of 1975, was a main selection of the Science Fiction Book Club (which was a big deal in the field back then) in July and then was published in mass market paperback format by Berkley in November, which was pretty unusual. They all had the same very nice cover, one of my favorite Paul Lehr paintings. It's a fantasy/science fiction mash-up story, another thing that was pretty unusual at the time. It's a traditional fantasy quest story, triggered by an ancient magical manuscript, and the landscape (with names like the Misty Mountains and the Blasted Plain and the Wasteland) is populated by elves, trolls, witches, hellhounds, and a few odd gnomes and goblins. On the other hand, it has some science fiction elements, such as parallel worlds and aliens. (And even a little sex, which was quite unusual for Simak. Oh, Cliff, say it ain't so!) It's an interesting story, though the writing never seems quite at home with the fantasy tropes, and the science fictional viewpoint always wants to assert dominance. The ending is a little jumbled (there's a whole lot going on and it doesn't all quite ever gel to a resolution), but, as with most good traditional quest-fantasy, it's the journey that's always more interesting than the destination.
April 9, 2017
3 stars - Metaphorosis Reviews
On an alternate Earth, shared by fae and human, the chance discovery of an ancient manuscript triggers a quest that brings three worlds together.
I've become a big fan of Clifford Simak's small town mundania - big stories that happen in litle places, without much drama. However, it's books like Enchanted Pilgrimage that explain why, when I knew only his mid-period novels, I was less impressed.
Here, while the setting is interesting, and the conclusion intriguing, the characters never really get off the ground. There's a dry, clinical tone to the dialogue, and a sense that Simak is going through the motions of epic fantasy, but doesn't care for it. He can never quite get the wry, sardonic tone out of his voice, and while in some places that works, in others it feels as if we share his desire to go off and write something else that's a better fit.
There's a lot going on at the end of the book, but Simak does little more than tell us what the pieces are, and doesn't manage to close things off before losing interest entirely. It's a book that might have been good, with a little of the flavor of A Canticle for Leibowitz, but in fact never decides what it wants to be. As a result, the book ends up not being very much of anything at all.
On an alternate Earth, shared by fae and human, the chance discovery of an ancient manuscript triggers a quest that brings three worlds together.
I've become a big fan of Clifford Simak's small town mundania - big stories that happen in litle places, without much drama. However, it's books like Enchanted Pilgrimage that explain why, when I knew only his mid-period novels, I was less impressed.
Here, while the setting is interesting, and the conclusion intriguing, the characters never really get off the ground. There's a dry, clinical tone to the dialogue, and a sense that Simak is going through the motions of epic fantasy, but doesn't care for it. He can never quite get the wry, sardonic tone out of his voice, and while in some places that works, in others it feels as if we share his desire to go off and write something else that's a better fit.
There's a lot going on at the end of the book, but Simak does little more than tell us what the pieces are, and doesn't manage to close things off before losing interest entirely. It's a book that might have been good, with a little of the flavor of A Canticle for Leibowitz, but in fact never decides what it wants to be. As a result, the book ends up not being very much of anything at all.
June 18, 2010
Subject for Debate: "I didn't know it until then, but then I did. There is a buried slut in every woman. It takes the touch of the right man's hand to bring it out."
Discuss!
The quote above is the nadir of Simak's Enchanted Pilgrimage, a mercifully brief novel that simply didn't work at all for me. The characters, especially Mark the "hero," are unlikeable and uninteresting; the story disjointed, poorly written and poorly paced.
I can't in good conscience recommend it.
Discuss!
The quote above is the nadir of Simak's Enchanted Pilgrimage, a mercifully brief novel that simply didn't work at all for me. The characters, especially Mark the "hero," are unlikeable and uninteresting; the story disjointed, poorly written and poorly paced.
I can't in good conscience recommend it.
June 26, 2022
This was my first foray into the science fiction of Clifford Simak. And, honestly, I had never heard of him before not realizing that he was one of the pioneers in the genre. Winner of multiple Hugo and a Nebula award, Simak starting writing science fiction stories in the 1930s and continued through its golden age during the 1950s and 60s (he passed away in 1988).
Enchanted Pilgrimage was most likely one of his last novels. I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it since it was a spot buy on the clearance section of a used bookstore. But, I have a soft spot both for science fiction and small hardcovers with bindings that lay open flat and are a joy to tactilely read (I understand that’s odd criteria for a book - its part of the joy of books for me).
Though I can’t say the story was well crafted, I do admit it kept me engaged until the end. I liked that there were elements of Tolkien along with a bit of Game of Thrones tied to a broader science fiction theme -> a scholar in what seems to be middle age monastery/university discovers a manuscript to the land of the Old Ones, a topic he was devoted to. But, the rafter goblin who lives and hides within the same building (some pre-Harry Potter similarities here) sees his discovery and decides to help. An unscrupulous monk also witnesses his discovery to thwart his progress. Thus, the journey begins to the Wastelands (don’t worry, its not just fantasy - inter dimensions, technology, etc appear).
Is it worth the read - I would say so. The ending does feel a bit rushed and convoluted but not terribly. I actually think this could have been a major work if he had expanded the characters and been more subtle with the plot. Seems he just didn’t have the energy or time to do that. 3.5 stars - I’ll be reading more Simak in the future.
Enchanted Pilgrimage was most likely one of his last novels. I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it since it was a spot buy on the clearance section of a used bookstore. But, I have a soft spot both for science fiction and small hardcovers with bindings that lay open flat and are a joy to tactilely read (I understand that’s odd criteria for a book - its part of the joy of books for me).
Though I can’t say the story was well crafted, I do admit it kept me engaged until the end. I liked that there were elements of Tolkien along with a bit of Game of Thrones tied to a broader science fiction theme -> a scholar in what seems to be middle age monastery/university discovers a manuscript to the land of the Old Ones, a topic he was devoted to. But, the rafter goblin who lives and hides within the same building (some pre-Harry Potter similarities here) sees his discovery and decides to help. An unscrupulous monk also witnesses his discovery to thwart his progress. Thus, the journey begins to the Wastelands (don’t worry, its not just fantasy - inter dimensions, technology, etc appear).
Is it worth the read - I would say so. The ending does feel a bit rushed and convoluted but not terribly. I actually think this could have been a major work if he had expanded the characters and been more subtle with the plot. Seems he just didn’t have the energy or time to do that. 3.5 stars - I’ll be reading more Simak in the future.
December 27, 2023
A really delightful work of fantasy in a world that includes humans, goblins, trolls, gnomes, a "chaos beast," and even aliens from another planet. Clifford D. Simak's Enchanted Pilgrimage is as good as his two classic SF novels: Way Station and City.
Mark Cornwall is a scholar at Wyalusing University in a sort of Dark Ages place populated mostly by marsh people and hill people, who are not quite up to the level of Cro-Magnon man. It refers to a half mythical place known as the Wasteland. When a local mystic known only as the Hermit dies, his last words are a request to take a mysterious object to the "Old Ones" in the Wasteland.
Mark proceeds to gather a highly miscellaneous group for the quest consisting of humans, proto-humans, a goblin, and more. They undergo a series of adventures and fulfill their quest in the end.
Mark Cornwall is a scholar at Wyalusing University in a sort of Dark Ages place populated mostly by marsh people and hill people, who are not quite up to the level of Cro-Magnon man. It refers to a half mythical place known as the Wasteland. When a local mystic known only as the Hermit dies, his last words are a request to take a mysterious object to the "Old Ones" in the Wasteland.
Mark proceeds to gather a highly miscellaneous group for the quest consisting of humans, proto-humans, a goblin, and more. They undergo a series of adventures and fulfill their quest in the end.
August 31, 2023
This was very much a 'few pages before bedtime' kind of book. There were several lovely characters, who got great introductions but then seemed to fall by the wayside and become part of the background. A group of nice people find that they have a range of quests which lead them to the same place, so they decide to travel together. Their journey introduces some great ideas and the plot reveal would make a great fantasy book, but sadly this isn't it. It's a shame, I have a soft spot for Simak's short stories, but this novel felt somewhat stretched. Great ideas, lovely characters, just a bit too fast paced if anything. At times it reminded me of Pratchett, which is, of course, a good thing.
November 5, 2018
I generally don't read a lot of fantasy. I reread this because I read it back in the 70's. The story is still very enjoyable and the eccentric characters add some depth! Check it out!
November 21, 2017
И друг път съм казвал, че Саймък не може да пише фентъзи, ама от една носталгия продължавам да ги чета тези книжки. Въпреки, че тази по-скоро бих я определил като наивен хибрид между фантастичното и приказното.
Като прескочим отвратителната корица, историята вътре за почва много добре, даже започва с много силен абзац:
"Таласъмът внимателно наблюдаваше монаха. Той пък от своя страна шпионираше учения. Таласъмът мразеше монаха и то не без причина. Монахът не мразеше, но и не обичаше никого: беше фанатизиран и амбициозен. В момента ученият разглеждаше някакъв ръкопис, който бе открил под подвързията на една книга."
От там насетне всичко тръгва надолу. В първата третина Саймък поставя предпоставки за топло есенно приключение - задруга от различни персонажи, мистичен ръкопис, зъл инквизитор, враждебни земи, древна раса мъдреци - но стихийността на идеите, която прави фантастиката му запомняща се, тук му изиграва доста лоша игра. И от един момент целите се разпадат, заместват се с нови, които също не издържат. Появяват се и изчезват персонажи, влизат роботи, пътуване между измеренията, съвременни технологии. И накрая целият този компот води до един, вярно неочакван, но сериозно незадоволителен край. Вкарайте в уравнението и калпав превод, както и рециклирани от автора предишни идеи и това е резултата.
Имаше и хубави моменти, които почти докараха романа от "става" до "харесва ми", почти - леките ебавки с "Магьосникът от Оз" примерно - ала за капак, тънките, типични за времето на романа, мачовщина и тъпанарщина, го заковаха в първата секция.
Като прескочим отвратителната корица, историята вътре за почва много добре, даже започва с много силен абзац:
"Таласъмът внимателно наблюдаваше монаха. Той пък от своя страна шпионираше учения. Таласъмът мразеше монаха и то не без причина. Монахът не мразеше, но и не обичаше никого: беше фанатизиран и амбициозен. В момента ученият разглеждаше някакъв ръкопис, който бе открил под подвързията на една книга."
От там насетне всичко тръгва надолу. В първата третина Саймък поставя предпоставки за топло есенно приключение - задруга от различни персонажи, мистичен ръкопис, зъл инквизитор, враждебни земи, древна раса мъдреци - но стихийността на идеите, която прави фантастиката му запомняща се, тук му изиграва доста лоша игра. И от един момент целите се разпадат, заместват се с нови, които също не издържат. Появяват се и изчезват персонажи, влизат роботи, пътуване между измеренията, съвременни технологии. И накрая целият този компот води до един, вярно неочакван, но сериозно незадоволителен край. Вкарайте в уравнението и калпав превод, както и рециклирани от автора предишни идеи и това е резултата.
Имаше и хубави моменти, които почти докараха романа от "става" до "харесва ми", почти - леките ебавки с "Магьосникът от Оз" примерно - ала за капак, тънките, типични за времето на романа, мачовщина и тъпанарщина, го заковаха в първата секция.
June 21, 2016
There are trolls, a manuscript and a slight touch of science fiction. So yes, this is a Clifford D. Simak book. Sometimes it seems that Simak wrote just one long text and always fluctuates around the same story and characters, and this "Enchanted Pilgrimage" is not an exception. Actually, this is a book that represents very well his body of work: not really exceptional, not bad at all, well written and trapped in the same magical world.
August 21, 2017
What a lovely story. On the face of it it’s a standard quest. Mark Cornwall discovers an old reference in a library to something hidden in the wasteland, and decides to follow it. A rafter goblin sees him and, saving him from a malicious school official, joins his quest.
There is a lost girl, a woodsman, a talking animal, a shifty old witch, and a tin man. A magic sword and a shining steed.
But they add up to something very different.
There is a lost girl, a woodsman, a talking animal, a shifty old witch, and a tin man. A magic sword and a shining steed.
But they add up to something very different.
May 9, 2020
One of Simak's later novels. As is often true of his work, it is imbued with a great deal of intrigue and mystery as well as a cast of interesting characters. His one failing (not unusual for him) is the lack of true character development. The cast plays its role and tells the story without going into much detail. Still the concepts, which interweave both fantasy and science fiction, are compelling and make for a satisfying conslusion.
February 23, 2012
I picked this up at a used bookstore because it was a cheap hardcover, because I recognized the author as a prominent science fiction writer and despite the fact that it was a fantasy novel--after all, not ALL fantasy novels are trash...
Sadly, this was no Gormenghast.
Sadly, this was no Gormenghast.
June 24, 2025
Simak has often incorporated elements of fantasy into his science fiction. There is a certain fairy-like whimsy to some of his narratives, the science often can operate more like magic, mythic creatures can pop up on alien planets, and his penchant for nostalgia gives birth to the likes of time travel ala memory or a childhood toy. This often lends, if anything, a unique air to his brand of soft, pastoral science fiction, but less successful is his quest-based fantasy that attempts to weave in elements of the former. Enchanted Pilgrimage, Where the Evil Dwells, and Heritage of Stars all focus on a band of misfits journeying across a fantastic land (as do Destiny Doll and Special Deliverance, but they have more of a sci-fi leaning). These fantasy entries in Simak's bibliography are very similar in structure, have largely wooden dialogue, and are very unsatisfying in their wrap-up. The former two are especially similar, given the presence of an authoritarian church rulership (I understand Fellowship of the Talisman comes under this umbrella too, but that is one I am yet to read). I do think all of these novels have smatterings of good, be it a particularly well-written sequence, a broadly appealing idea, or a more convincing world. Perhaps combining this trio of seeming first drafts, he might have had something, but as individual works they are surprisingly lacking in imagination and unforgivably dry. Enchanted Pilgrimage feels particularly aimless, with no real plot to speak of until it tries to convince you of the reason to the rhyme in its final pages. Not something you expect from a foundational author in the realm of sci-fi, having brought the likes of City and Time and Again to the page, but it's apparent that Simak was not at all at home in the fantasy genre.
My copy has a picture of a dragon. The only dragon to speak of here is actually... Er. Well. I won't spoil it for the die hard completionists.
My copy has a picture of a dragon. The only dragon to speak of here is actually... Er. Well. I won't spoil it for the die hard completionists.
July 29, 2023
[Berkley Publishing Corporation] (November 1975). SB. 219 Pages. Purchased from Zardoz Books.
Per ‘Sturgeon's revelation’, “ninety percent of everything is crap". I’d pitch Science Fiction/Fantasy in the 99%+ range.
Simak, whilst no wordsmith, typically delivered outliers. As Henry James observed, “Excellence does not require perfection.”
Mark Cornwall’s odyssey, whilst twee in part, unfolds via an absorbing narrative - punctuated with adventure, menace and allegory.
Fizzles out rather badly, in the end, though.
Per ‘Sturgeon's revelation’, “ninety percent of everything is crap". I’d pitch Science Fiction/Fantasy in the 99%+ range.
Simak, whilst no wordsmith, typically delivered outliers. As Henry James observed, “Excellence does not require perfection.”
Mark Cornwall’s odyssey, whilst twee in part, unfolds via an absorbing narrative - punctuated with adventure, menace and allegory.
Fizzles out rather badly, in the end, though.
July 16, 2022
Eilinė fantasy kelio knyga. Nueik iš taško A į tašką B ir nunešk artefaktą XXX ir padaryk su juo YYY. Čia būtų universali formulė nuo LOTR iki dabartinių autorių, kuriems stokoja fantazijos. #CliffordDSimak turi tik kelis pliusus prieš minėtuosius. Savo keistą ir nesyk naudotą sci-fi ir fantasy mišinį. Ir keistą, bet mielą jovalą iš gnomų, barzdukų, trolių ir robotų, neandartaliečių ir ET. Todėl skaitėsi lengvai ir nenervyjo. Simpatiškas Soso. #LEBooks #EnchantedPiligrimage
July 31, 2015
This book came as a big disappointment to me. Perhaps unfairly, anytime I read Simak I judge the work in comparison to City, which is one of my favorite books ever. So, I was pre-disposed to like this one despite not being overly impressed with the previous two Simak books that I read. Nonetheless, this story never really seemed to get going for me, and of the now-four Simak books that I have read, this is by far my least-liked story.
The plot really never made sense to me from the very beginning. What was Cornwall really looking for? Why did the monk tell on him, only to be murdered? Why do all of the other characters (Gib, Hal, Snively, Oliver, and Mary) accompany him on his odd, uncertain journey? Jones' entry into the story is not ever fully explained. Nor is the reason for the Gossiper's presence ever laid out. I guess I found this overall to be along the lines of the fantasy/magic genre ala J.R.R. Tolkien. Just my preference, but I do not care for those types of stories.
I will try another Simak book. But I will not be re-reading this one.
The plot really never made sense to me from the very beginning. What was Cornwall really looking for? Why did the monk tell on him, only to be murdered? Why do all of the other characters (Gib, Hal, Snively, Oliver, and Mary) accompany him on his odd, uncertain journey? Jones' entry into the story is not ever fully explained. Nor is the reason for the Gossiper's presence ever laid out. I guess I found this overall to be along the lines of the fantasy/magic genre ala J.R.R. Tolkien. Just my preference, but I do not care for those types of stories.
I will try another Simak book. But I will not be re-reading this one.
April 17, 2015
Mitte just esimene selline Simak, kus leidub üks loll, kes kavatseb mingite aadete või püha tõe nimel on valmis minema mingile hullumeelsele retkele. Teel räägib ta oma loo valimatult igasugustele pooletoobistele, kes koheselt saapad jalga lükkavad, kirve õlale haaravad ja temaga kaasa tulevad. Keegi ei te, kuhu või miks ja mis pagan siin üldse mõistusega pistmist on... :D Hea meelelahutus on. Ja meeldivama tõlkega kui Talismani Vennaskond.
February 22, 2013
Disappointing enough that I only made it 100 pages into the book before I had to stop, and I rarely do that. The dialogue was wooden, some vaguely interesting plot ideas, but the characters were so black and white (and human, despite most of them not being human at all) that I just couldn't relate. After reading City I was interested in other Simak works, but this damped my enthusiasm.
April 12, 2023
I made a personal challenge to read all of Simak’s work. And I’ve enjoyed a good percentage of it. This book, however, is the absolute bottom of the barrel. Some sort of nonsensical allegory that combines fantasy tropes with sci-fi elements, it’s an embarrassment from start to finish. Some out of place sexism and unexpected gore don’t help either. God awful!
November 21, 2023
Every time something good or interesting comes up, it jerks away from anything that would feel satisfying for me. This book starts off strong before battling uneven tone and storytelling, and finally a very unsatisfying ending. In the blink of an eye it moves from conflict to an entirely new setting.
January 3, 2016
This is probably one of the most fascinating books I have read so far. I just couldn't put it down. I couldn't even sleep because it kept me so captivated. Both the style and the plot were great in my opinion! Definitely a must read for everyone who enjoys good fantasy and/or sci fi.
October 9, 2016
I liked it. I found the dialogue oddly stilted for a while. I think he was trying to portray the sort of formality you'll find in some apparently casual agrarian communities, but it felt like an outsider version of it. Sympathetic, rather than spot on.
August 24, 2016
С каждой страницей набор персонажей становится все внезапнее и внезапнее.
June 22, 2025
Back in my youth, a book by Clifford D. Simak was an automatic buy. It helped that I was a member of the Science Fiction Book Club for a while, and they invariably featured his latest novel as a pick-of-the-month.
For some odd reason, these books languished on my shelves, mostly unread. I have no good explanation for that. Between cheap SFBC hardbacks and paperbacks, I counted 19. (And there are a bunch more I don't own.)
So: a new reading project was born. I fed these 19 titles into my book-picking system, and this one was the first up. It is from 1975, and the paperback cost me $1.25. Amazon will charge you more these days.
It is set on Earth, but an oddball one. There are Terran flora and fauna, the sun rises in the east, and so on. But there are non-humans aplenty; a goblin appears in Chapter One, soon to be followed by ogres, witches, gnomes,‥ The reader might ask: are we talking about a forgotten past, a strange future, or what? Neither, as it turns out, but I don't want to spoil a half-century-old book for you.
Anyway, the book opens with a scholar, Mark Cornwall, discovering a short manuscript hidden in a dusty tome in a candlelit university library. This is surreptitiously observed by a monk. And both Cornwall and the monk are being spied on by the "rafter goblin", Oliver. All note the importance of the hidden text. The monk informs a local bunch of cutthroats of Cornwall's find … and here's why you shouldn't trust a cutthroat: the monk gets his throat cut for his troubles.
But Oliver seeks out Cornwall to warn him that he's in mortal peril for being in posession of this manuscript. Cornwall takes the opportunity to light out on a dangerous quest to uncover the secrets described in his find. He also accumulates a ragtag crew of co-pilgrims, each with their own reason for helping out.
It's a lot of fun. Simak's prose style is unfancy, garnished with occasional dry wit. Think "Minnesota Nice" in print.
November 25, 2021
Enchanted Pilgrimage was an odd little book. Pilgrimage is an apt part of the title, since it reminded me in a way of Canterbury Tales, maybe mixed with a splash of Wizard of Oz whimsey. While it featured the same characters throughout the book, and wasn't a tale told by each one, it was really a bunch of little vignettes strung together with the lightest of plots. Basically the book is about the characters journey and each 30-50 pages they encounter some different challenge or oddity, then they move on to the next.
The initial plot of escaping church inquisitors out to kill them and burry the hidden knowledge they uncovered pretty much disappears after a bit, and they enter the enchanted land of fey creatures, and have different things happen to them there. The group itself is pretty eclectic, a scholar (who turns out to be not so bad in a fight, because...reasons?), a goblin, a river person, a wood person (both very similar to gnomes it seems) and a raccoon (just a normal, if smart raccoon). Along they way, they pick up some other travelers, which have their own stories, or not much stories, depending. Ultimately, there is sort of a plot, but it morphs along the way, and the reader doesn't really get the picture of what's going on until the last few pages of the book.
That doesn't detract from the scene by scene enjoyment for what it is, but overall, not a very deep story, but more of a pleasant and quick distraction.
The initial plot of escaping church inquisitors out to kill them and burry the hidden knowledge they uncovered pretty much disappears after a bit, and they enter the enchanted land of fey creatures, and have different things happen to them there. The group itself is pretty eclectic, a scholar (who turns out to be not so bad in a fight, because...reasons?), a goblin, a river person, a wood person (both very similar to gnomes it seems) and a raccoon (just a normal, if smart raccoon). Along they way, they pick up some other travelers, which have their own stories, or not much stories, depending. Ultimately, there is sort of a plot, but it morphs along the way, and the reader doesn't really get the picture of what's going on until the last few pages of the book.
That doesn't detract from the scene by scene enjoyment for what it is, but overall, not a very deep story, but more of a pleasant and quick distraction.
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October 23, 2025A scholar, a goblin, and a gnome, among others, pursue the secrets of a vanished ancient race through a wasteland of dark magic in this enthralling fantasy quest adventure On an Earth that is different from ours, the young scholar Mark Cornwall becomes a target of the Inquisition, and specifically its most evil and obsessed agent, Beckett. Damned for asking questions, Mark is forced to escape over the border into the Wastelands, a magical realm that is home to all manner of flesh-devouring monsters. Luckily he will not have to make his journey alone. He is accompanied by a cadre of stalwart companions, including the rafter goblin Oliver, Snively the gnome, and secretive Mary from one of three parallel planes. Somewhere beyond the vengeful, blood-hungry Hellhounds, somewhere past the horrific legacy of the now-destroyed Chaos Beast, the mysteries of the Old Ones are waiting to be revealed—and only those with the courage to seek them will be able to alter the destiny of their worlds. In Enchanted Pilgrimage, Clifford D. Simak ingeniously blends elements of science fiction into a savory fantasy stew. The award-winning Grand Master of science fiction spreads his wings and takes glorious flight into a bold new realm of magic and adventure, demonstrating why he remains one of the most acclaimed storytellers in the literature of the remarkable.
March 4, 2023
Clifford D. Simak is a consummate story teller, and this book is no exception. Superficially (but only superficially) it is a fantasy. "A Goblin, an Elf, and a Fairy walk into a bar..." is not the way it begins, but it might as well have begun that way. It plays jokes on the mind of the reader. It is a form of story, with characters to match, strongly reminiscent of THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, but it is yet entirely different. THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is much more profound, but ENCHANTED PILGRIMAGE is no less compelling. Neither work is what one might call a page-turner, but both lead one into a story that must be read to the end, or one feels a great loss at putting the books back on the shelf. ENCHANTED PILGRIMAGE is a thought-provoking book, but the thoughts remain just beyond one's grasp, like the techniques of a good magic show, and lead one to continue, entranced.
At the end, I know I have experienced great truths, but I have no idea what they are. Of course, I didn't know they existed before I read the book. Now I know they exist, and they inspire wonder, but I still don't comprehend them. Yet I have been touched by them, and being touched, I feel my mind has been changed -- for the better.
At the end, I know I have experienced great truths, but I have no idea what they are. Of course, I didn't know they existed before I read the book. Now I know they exist, and they inspire wonder, but I still don't comprehend them. Yet I have been touched by them, and being touched, I feel my mind has been changed -- for the better.
December 20, 2023
Estou escrevendo alguns meses depois de ler por que esqueci de registrar aqui, então não está fresco na memória. Esse consegui um dia que, na biblioteca municipal, percebi uma pilha de livros em inglês. O véio de quem sempre esqueço o nome disse que era doação, que eu podia pegar. Em alguns deles tinha um carimbo da Wizard idiomas, que tinha fechado uns meses atrás. Demorei um ano pra ler.
É uma boa jornada do herói, gostosa de ler e um universo interessante. Personagens são muito bem construídos e muitas vezes lia-se como uma grande anedota. Gostei do meu exemplar, que tem uma ilustração linda na capa do Mark, Sniveley, Hal e Coon, com Sniveley entregando a espada ao Mark Cornwall, além de marcações e páginas extras que deveriam ser destacadas e enviadas pelo correio, bem anos 70, mesmo. Acho que o cristianismo e a humanidade foram retratados de forma muito interessante, e ao contrário que parece, em alguns momentos a história era bastante cômica. A relação do Mark e da Mary, apesar de esperada, me pareceu bem forçada. Ótimo livro, grandes aventuras.
É uma boa jornada do herói, gostosa de ler e um universo interessante. Personagens são muito bem construídos e muitas vezes lia-se como uma grande anedota. Gostei do meu exemplar, que tem uma ilustração linda na capa do Mark, Sniveley, Hal e Coon, com Sniveley entregando a espada ao Mark Cornwall, além de marcações e páginas extras que deveriam ser destacadas e enviadas pelo correio, bem anos 70, mesmo. Acho que o cristianismo e a humanidade foram retratados de forma muito interessante, e ao contrário que parece, em alguns momentos a história era bastante cômica. A relação do Mark e da Mary, apesar de esperada, me pareceu bem forçada. Ótimo livro, grandes aventuras.
September 21, 2024
I thought I had read all of Siam's novels until I checked his bibliography and found several that I missed back in the 1970's. Enchanted Pilgrimage is a neat little Fantasy along th lines of LOTR with goblins, trolls, the Inquisition and a time/space traveler & a robot.
This weird mis-mash of characters go on a quest and have some dangerous adventures. There is a little more violence and a little sex that is unusual for Simak, but not over the top, The novel is relatively short, especially considering the length of most epic fantasies these days and the ending is a little rushed and the loose ends tidied up fairly quickly.
There could have been more character development and it did feel like Simak was throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the story. But it is a quick, fun read and quite enjoyable.
This weird mis-mash of characters go on a quest and have some dangerous adventures. There is a little more violence and a little sex that is unusual for Simak, but not over the top, The novel is relatively short, especially considering the length of most epic fantasies these days and the ending is a little rushed and the loose ends tidied up fairly quickly.
There could have been more character development and it did feel like Simak was throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the story. But it is a quick, fun read and quite enjoyable.
June 12, 2017
This novel purports to be fantasy, so I was not terribly interested but because it's Simak I thought it worth a shot.
As it turns out, the claim of being fantasy is a bit of a bluff. It starts out with dwarves, fairies, and magic. Before long you get robots, aliens, time travel, alternate timelines and other science fiction elements. The couching of a fantasy-like story in a science fiction structure may be too much for some readers but the book is full of friendly and likable Simakian characters, so I found it enjoyable.
As it turns out, the claim of being fantasy is a bit of a bluff. It starts out with dwarves, fairies, and magic. Before long you get robots, aliens, time travel, alternate timelines and other science fiction elements. The couching of a fantasy-like story in a science fiction structure may be too much for some readers but the book is full of friendly and likable Simakian characters, so I found it enjoyable.
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