The Compleat Enchanter: The Magical Misadventures of Harold Shea

The Incompleat Enchanter #1-3

by L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt

Vintage paperback

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Humor, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Short Stories, Science Fiction Fantasy

420 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 1975

About the author

Lyon Sprague de Camp was an American author of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction literature. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, both novels and works of non-fiction, including biographies of other fantasy authors. He was a major figure in science fiction in the 1930s and 1940s.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remember that Sprague and Pratt wrote this before LORD OF THE RINGS and only a few years after the hobbit. There weren't as many fantasy books to draw upon either.

Great system they set up for how magic works through mathematical formulas. Not too confusing either for people like me who don't care for math either.

The book is divided into three books that cover different mythologies: the first being Norse where Harold Shea, our hero, gets to meet some of the Norse Gods as they travel in to giant territory; second being in Spenser's THE FAERIE QUEEN where he gets to meet his future love interest; and THE CASTLE OF IRON which if based on an old epic poem that wasn't finished.

This book mixes humor, action and clever tactics. Shea isn't the big bruiser type although he carries an epee and knows fencing which lets him beat a lot of people. He also is smart in that where the big bruisers with him find they can't get out of a jam, he's there to outthink his opponents. Oh, and, of course, he also knows magic but sometimes that messes up or does things differently.

For its time and even today, a great book for fantasy fans. Alternative History buffs should also check out LEST DARKNESS FALL (a history professor helps Rome from not collapsing . . . sort of, that is). Gary Gygax's works introduced me to this author.

STORY/PLOTTING: B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus to A minus; CONCEPT EXECUTION/IDEAS: B plus to A minus; LAST READING: March 2001 (review revised March 2012); OVERALL GRADE: B plus to A minus.

[Printable Tire · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first story, "The Roaring Trumpet," ends rather abruptly, with everyman hero Shea essentially being ejected from the Norse Saga like a flushed turd.

Both character and concept get a makeover in "The Mathematics of Magic;" whereas Shea was initially the source of hapless comic relief, here a "bumbling old man scientist" sidekick type in the form of Doc Chalmers fills in that role, leaving Shea to become a more respectable wisecracking hero. The story itself makes Elizabethan poetry seem downright exciting, as is evident in the fact that Gary Gygax lifted creatures and magic concepts (and even something akin to "random encounters") from it for Dungeons & Dragons. This is also my favorite story as it's the one with the funniest bits, such as when Shea embarrasses the Blatant Beast into submission by reciting the words to "The Ballad of Eskimo Nell." Speaking of which, there sure are some racy bits in these stories, considering the years they were published.

I was less of a fan of "The Castle of Iron," which runs a little too long, with a meandering plot, too many characters, stagnant points when one wishes the characters would get to where they were heading already, and a silly parody of "Muslim speak" that's immediately embarrassing and tiresome.

In "the Roaring Trumpet" the concept of enchantment (the so-called "mathematics of magic," though math really doesn't have much to do with it) is introduced in an organic, fascinating way, and I wish future stories reflected more on literally the one thing that separates the Enchanter stories from similar genre yarns of the period. I guess there's enough bad verse already, though. Similarly undeveloped is Shea's psychologist profession, which he doesn't seem to give a shit about. Why not, then, making him a mathematician? Or a veterinarian, for all that it matters?

But these are hardly set up to be reflective, deep-thinkin' literature; all the men are horn dogs and the plots are as subtle as a Bob Hope "road to..." movie. In fact, despite their faults, the Enchanter tales are still scores better than most similar stories from the period because of their irreverent sense of humor. Nobody takes anything too seriously so why should you? Also I think I'm in love with Belphebe, the skilled and somewhat stoic archer/survivalist Shea ends up marrying.

Fun fact: L Ron Hubbard tried to kill off Shea haphazardly in one of his novels.

My copy comes from the book nook of a Gainesville Inn taken in happier times.

[Linda Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I donated my books in 2004, this is one I kept. Enchanting. Compleatly.

[Michael O'Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Compleat Enchanter collects five novellas following the magical misadventures of psychologist Harold Shea, who discovers that by a combination of thinking in terms of symbolic logic, chanting poetic spells and performing magical hand movements, he can physically transport himself into the worlds of myth and legend, where magic is a reality. Unfortunately, Harold has not quite mastered his new-found magical powers and trouble ensues.

The five novellas, ‘The Roaring Trumpet’, The Mathematics of Magic’, The Castle of Iron’, The Wall of Serpents’ and ‘The Green Magician’, find Harold transported to the worlds of Norse legend, Edmund Spencer’s The Faerie Queene, Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, the Finnish legend of the Kalevala, and finally to the world of Irish myth.

Similar adventures occur in all the stories, with Harold typically teaming up with a local Hero, to either help or hinder him in his quest, and Harold discovering more about his system of magic from the local magicians. In the second story, Harold meets Belphebe, his future wife, who then accompanies him in his subsequent adventures.

Originally written for the pulp magazines between 1940 and 1954, all the stories stand the test of time. Our protagonist has the typical 1940s attitude to women, but this is soon counterbalanced by the introduction of the formidable Belphebe, skilled in woodland lore and expert with a bow and arrow. Harold is soon put in his place.

If you are looking for a humorous read, and want to learn a bit about classic literature, along with myth and legend at the same time, then this is for you.

Recommended for lovers of lighthearted, historical fantasy.

The first two stories in the series, ‘The Roaring Trumpet’ and ‘The Mathematics of Magic’ have both been nominated in this year’s Retro Hugo Awards as best novella of 1940.

The collection has a complicated publishing history, so be careful which edition you buy. The first two stories were collected in ‘The Incompleat Enchanter’(1941). This was followed by ‘The Compleat Enchanter’(1975), which collects the first three stories. All five stories were then published as ‘The Complete Compleat Enchanter’ in 1988 and this was republished in 2000 as ‘The Compleat Enchanter’, part of the Fantasy Masterworks series. And just to confuse things further, the 1988 edition was published in the UK under the title ‘The Intrepid Enchanter’!

[Metaphorosis · Rating 3 out of 5]

reviews.metaphorosis.com

3 stars

Bored psychologist Harold Shea draws on his mentor's work to transfer bodily to the world of Norse mythology, and later to other lands, posing most often as a sorceror, with exciting consequences.

Collecting a series of stories mostly written for magazines in the 1940s, I liked this book better the first time I read it. The first story is best, and the second is good, though the authors ran out of either time or energy and finished in a rush. The last story in the series is weak, and so full of stereotype that it verges on unintentional and unpleasant parody.

In all the stories, the 'science' is no more than a few mumbled buzzwords that provide an excuse for a set of Connecticut Yankee-type episodes, though not as well thought out as Twain's effort. The stories are mostly fun, but they haven't aged very well. If you remember liking these, stick with that memory. If you haven't read them, these won't hurt, but some of De Camp's solo work might provide a better payoff.

By the way - the first two stories in the book were published as The Incomplete Enchanter, thus the title here of The Complete Enchanter. But there are in fact two more stories, in another book, sometimes called The Enchanter Completed. Confusing, but basically there are five long stories in the set. (Which one publisher gathered as The Compleat Enchanter Completed.)

[Brandybuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that put L. Sprague de Camp so high on my list of favorite authors. I found the three novellas in The Compleat Enchanter: The Magical Misadventures of Harold Shea so utterly fun and charming that as soon as I finished the book, I was overcome by a great sadness resulting from knowing that I would never again get that magical experience of reading it for the first time. However, I soon realized that the novellas in this book are so wonderful that they will be just as good upon a second or third or any other thereafter reading. My preference for the three novellas within The Compleat Enchanter: The Magical Misadventures of Harold Shea is the same as the order in which they appear: “The Roaring Trumpet” is my absolute favorite of the three novellas, but “The Mathematics of Magic” and “The Castle of Iron” come in close second and third.

[Brian Greiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read, overall, but not without its flaws.
As other reviewers have noted, the premise of dealing with magic is very well thought out. The various magical realms are based on legends, and are the authors have an extensive knowledge of them. That knowledge, and their considerable writing skills, allows the authors to craft an enjoyable adventure yarn within a richly-written realm.
The characters, though, tend to be unsympathetic and rather shallow. Such things were common enough when the stories were written (1940's and 50's), but are a bit grating these days.
In summary, nicely done stories that are a product of their era.

[Shari Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes a lot to make me laugh out loud while reading a book, yet I found myself doing so several times while reading this collection. 3 books regarding the trials and errors of one Harold Shea, psychologist. He travels through various worlds of myth and legend, meets strange and wonderous people and creatures, and meets the "dream-girl" he had been waiting for. Let's say Xanth meets MiddleEarth, before either had been imagined.

Have fun!

[Keith Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventurous young man and an old professor discover a way to transport themselves into alternate realities by fiddling with the rules of logic in their "syllogismobile". Pratt was mostly know for his detailed fictional worlds and De Camp was known for humorous adventure fantasy, and the combination makes for excellent reading.

[John E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of three long stories of mythic time travel with a single main character. Published first in fantasy pulp magazines in the early 1940, they show much wit and thoughtfulness. The last story was a bit thin. One of the great forefathers of Tolkien's works.

[Thannasset · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I learned from this book? Yngvi is a louse!

Was looking for this in my brain--couldn't remember title!

Thanks again, Dan.

Thannasset

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first fantasy book I read that I fell in love with. It is different and an easy read. Will forever have a special place for me.

[Dorothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An old and beloved favorite

[William Ritch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read the adventures of Harold Shae back in the 1970s. They hold up a really good fantasy adventure series where the fantasy is a solid as hard science fiction.

[DeAnna Knippling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A psychologist gets a life...in another reality, where his knowledge of literary tropes (not psychology) can be turned into magic.

I didn't care for this; it's one of those books that assumes that you're an educated, middle-class, straight white dude of englightened sensibilities (yet still okay with racism and sexism), and that no other readers need apply. I've read plenty of books by educated white male authors of that period that held my interest, so that wasn't it. My opinion here is that the authors pushed some reader buttons but otherwise didn't have much of an overall story to tell. I skimmed a lot here.

Eh...I cannot recommend this. You know what? Go read Silverlock by John Myers Myers instead. It's kind of the same subject material, handled with a much defter hand.

[Emmalyn Renato · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains three of the five Harry Shea tales (The Roaring Trumpet (novella); The Mathematics of Magic (novella); The Castle of Iron (novel)). It was a mixed bag. The first one was okay (set in the world of Norse mythology), the second very entertaining (this time in the world of Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene) and the final one was painful to read (mostly set in the world of Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso) as it contained language that nowadays would be considered offensive and an English character poorly written (it was truly cringing to try to read English dialog of the time (1940's) as written by these two American authors). I won't be trying to track down the other two stories.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains 3 stories: The Roaring Trumpet, The Mathematics of Magic, and The Castle of Iron. I read the first two as part of the Incomplete Enchanter as a teenager. I bought this edition of the Complete Enchanter (it seems to be a book club edition) in my thirties. At the time it occurred to me that reading as an adult gave me a different perspective. As we downsized and got rid of many of our books I kept this one due to my fond memories of it. At this stage of my life I have drifted away from fantasy but still appreciate how deCamp and Fletcher Pratt made their character like real people and noisome minor superhero. Of the three stories I enjoyed The Roaring Trumpet the most but the real gem for me was De Camp's afterword in which he talks about his friendship and collaboration with Pratt.

While I won't read this again ( I do have some other works by de Camp in my virtual stack) I will be giving to my grandson.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up on the recommendation of Lester del Rey in his The World of Science Fiction, 1926 - 1976: The History of a Subculture (reviewed here), and having greatly enjoyed de Camp's short story "A Gun For Dinosaur" (as performed on the X Minus One radio show in the late 1950s). Unfortunately, in marked contrast with that story, I don't think The Compleat Enchanter holds up that well in 2016.

The premise is amusing enough: a research psychiatrist (because it's the 1950s, and psychiatry is hot shit) discovers that one can translate oneself to parallel worlds by reciting alternative logical formulae, such as the laws describing how magic works (like affects like, etc.). The Compleat Enchanter follows Harold Shea as he bounces between worlds from Earth's mythical and literary history, interacting with the characters therein: first as he accidentally winds up in the world of Norse mythology on the eve of Ragnarok, second in the world of Spenser's The Faerie Queene, and third in the world of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso.

And that's about the right decreasing order of quality. Shea's adventure in Asgard is actually pretty fun, mostly because of the incongruity between a brash 1950s guy and the heroic characters of Norse myth, and Shea's discovery of how magic works. The key humorous element of the stories is that magic works, but not very reliably: if you scrounge up the right materials and chant some doggerel poetry, supernatural effects happen, but maybe at 1/10th or 100 times the desired effect.

I suspect there are other elements that are intended to be humorous, but let's just say that the stories are pretty relentlessly 1950s. Shea (and, in the third story, the seemingly pointless character of Polacek) speak in a (to my 2016 ears) ridiculous style, giving the whole thing an almost too-pulpy feeling. This might have been the point, but the high-contrast was probably funnier back in the day when pulp style hasn't been mocked (with and without irony) for the past half-century.

The other thing is that Shea (and Polacek more so) never seem to get that the worlds they travel to are consequential, even as those worlds continuously demonstrate that they are. This comes to a head in the third book (again with Polacek), where the characters from Earth are held hostage in the castle of a Muslim sorcerer: no matter the situation, Shea and Polacek blunder around saying "What's the big idea?" and casually challenging people to fights (or just threatening them with knuckle sandwiches). Again, maybe that's supposed to be funny, and maybe it was back inf the Fifties, but to me it's just dumb.

For all that, I liked the book well enough; there were some pretty cool moments and enough amusing scenes (especially when magic is involved) to keep my interest. But I think the premise has been done better by later authors, in both humorous and straight contexts. Overall I would recommend this mostly for its historical value.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very difficult book for me to review; I chose to read it because the authors appear on Gary Gygax's revered "Appendix N" (list of authors and stories that were seminal to his thinking in creating the original Dungeons & Dragons. It features what is, by now, a familiar theme of the swords-and-sorcery adventures of Appendix N - ordinary people from our world (specifically, from the time of the writing, 1940s USA) being transported to fantasy worlds and having to survive there. I did find some of the influences on Gygax here, such as the division of spell components into verbal, somatic, and material. Another common theme in Appendix N, though it may appear here for the very first time, is the concept of the "mathematics of magic" - that magic is simply a sort of science, in a milieu where the laws of reality are slightly different (an idea which probably finds its full flowering in Jack Vance's work). I personally found the first installment, in which a psychologist is transported to the world of Norse mytholoy, very appealing. The other stories, which involved trips to the world of Spencer's "Faerie Queen," Coleridge's Xanadu, and Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso," far less compelling (L. Sprauge de Camp apparently agreed with me about the "Faerie Queen" sequence, though Pratt had apparently been mad for it, and De Camp came to appreciate it later). Anyway, it is well-told, though the colloquial nature of the dialogue suffers after so long (1940s slang rings a bit oddly, now, in modern ears), and I fear that most people have lost the sensibilities, as well as the grounding in Western literature, to appreciate the artistry with which Pratt and De Camp re-create the settings of Spencerian or Carolingian literature. I can't give it 5 stars, I imagine most moderns would be hard pressed to give it more than 2. But I *DO* appreciate the language of Spencer and Carolingian chansons de gestes, so I shall give it 4. Just be advised - it is a kind of sci-fi/fantasy writing that requires certain education and sensibilities to enjoy - it may be an acquired taste.

[Douglas Milewski · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Compleat Enchanter (1975) by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt is a collection of the first three Harold Shea books from the 1940s. The book is most notable for its inclusion in Appendix N of the first edition Dungeon Master's Guide as an inspiration to that game.

The stories center around Harold Shea, a modern man and psychologist who travels to different literary adventure universes. "The Roaring Trumpet" is Norse myth, "The Mathematics of Magic" is The Faerie Queen, and "The Castle of Iron" is Orlando Furioso (a tale that I've never heard of before). The stories themselves are tongue and cheek, as Harold is a modern man in a highly stylized and not-at-all politically correct tale. If you've ever wanted to see cultural appropriation in its native habitat, this is it.

The tales themselves read dully. I had to take rests to actually read this book through.

These are sexist tales. There no denying it. Oddly enough, Harold is bored of all the "approved" women stereotypes and wants one that's spirited. Here's an indication that the requirements on women of the day were so restrictive that even men were wanting to loosen things up.

When it comes to D&D, this book is rife with source material. Verbal, somatic, and material components for spells originate from these tales. In there, we also see scaled trolls with pointed noses, the basic giant types, web spells that are burned with flaming swords, flying carpets, illusions, fool's gold, magic choking hands, random encounters, and a great deal of the tongue-in-cheek humor that pervades early D&D.

While it's not badly written, I can't recommend the book. It's not a total stinker, but aside from curiosity or raging determination, there's no reason to go here. I'll happily lend you the book if you do. You don't need to give the book back.

[Yve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have five-starred the first novella in this volume, The Roaring Trumpet: perfectly light fantasy, original premise with enough of the familiar, lots of fun. The second, The Mathematics of Magic was not perfect but I enjoyed it as much for continuing with the character that had won me over in the first and elaborating on the faux-technical aspects of interdimensional travel (my favorite part of any fantasy book). However, the third, The Castle of Iron was a bit stale. I think the reason The Roaring Trumpet comes out superior is that, while still drawing from specific sources, it plays with the much more general mythology of Norse gods and Ragnarök. However, each of The Mathematics of Magic and The Castle of Iron follow from just one work (The Faerie Queene and Orlando Furioso, respectively). It's not that this gives them narrow scope, but that both are taking epic poems with very subtle political dramas... and compressing them to fit into a ~100 page novella. The Mathematics of Magic dealt with this problem better for choosing a smaller section of The Faerie Queene for Shea and Chalmers to travel to, while The Castle of Iron felt to me more summary. I'll happily read the other two novellas in the series (in fact, I saw a copy at my local bookstore) but I hope they resemble the first more than the third.

[Morgan Dhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt collaborated on a series of comic fantasy adventures featuring Harold Shea, psychologist and occasional enchanter. In our universe, Shea works in a psychology institute attached to a hospital, and along with a few of his his colleagues, has developed an interest in what they call paraphysics - the theory that all the worlds of the imagination exist, and the key to moving between them is the ability to shift one's sensory awareness from one universe to another.

In The Roaring Trumpet, the first of Harold Shea's adventures, he plans a nice trip to Ancient Ireland, but instead winds up in the universe of Norse mythology, in the midst of Fimbulwinter, with Ragnarok just around the corner. At first, Shea doesn't realise that the laws of physics he knows don't work in this universe - and neither do his matches, his gun, or anything else he brought with him, but once he works out the basic laws of magic, he gains respect as a warlock, and helps the gods prepare for their final battle. His bewilderment in dealing with the gods, giants, trolls and other magical folk from Norse legend provides much of the comedic enjoyment, and in the end, it's a fun - if somewhat bloodthirsty - romp through a mythic winter wonderland.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun to read one of the foundational books of fantasy literature, which spawned a whole series of imitators and served as a starting point for a wide number of books. Some of it reflects a 1940's mentality, but it really was a leap forward for the genre with heroes that would think their way through problems much of the time over simply bludgeoning their out of trouble. The conceptual ideas are a lot of fun and the worlds are deeply entertaining for anyone familiar with mythological literature and/or poetry.

[Michael Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three entertaining novellas in one... for the most part. These do contain a young adult naivete that exemplifies classic sword and sorcery fantasy of the pulpy cheesy kind, so they are certainly not epic or full of deep meaning. Things start out a bit awkwardly yet with a touch of whimsy that brings out a certain 1940's mindset, but unfortunately each story got progressively worse in style, content, and interest -- in that order. Not sure if I would be interested in pursuing any other tales in this series.

[aPaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stupendo libro, assoluta poesia. L'ho adorato per la sua particolarità, per come giustifica l'esistenza della magia, l'esistenza dei mondi fantastici stessi, per l'assoluta logica e indiscussa varietà della storia. Meraviglioso, non esagero nel dire che sia uno dei fantasy che in assoluto mi è piaciuto di più.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Groundbreaking for it's time, I can easily see how it influenced Dungeons and Dragons magic system, but it does not hold up well. there is very little world building which is what we expect from modern speculative fiction. Instead it relies on the world's built by others, which is a fun feat for those familiar with the literary works explored.

[John Ohno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, compelling, and entertaining. With the exception of the orientalist aspects of the last novella (presumably imported from the original work) and the subtle misogyny of the protagonist (perhaps intended as a character flaw), these stories have aged pretty well.

[Eric Orchard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit I didn't finish this one compleatly..... Something about the tone or style I just don't enjoy.

[Norman Howe]

Fantasy

[Jannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning for being dated (some racism, some sexism), but pretty enjoyable otherwise.