Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair

by William Morris

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

155 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1895

About the author

William Morris was an English architect, furniture and textile designer, artist, writer, socialist and Marxist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris wrote and published poetry, fiction, and translations of ancient and medieval texts throughout his life. His best-known works include The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems (1858), The Earthly Paradise (1868–1870), A Dream of John Ball and the utopian News from Nowhere. He was an important figure in the emergence of socialism in Britain, founding the Socialist League in 1884, but breaking with the movement over goals and methods by the end of that decade. He devoted much of the rest of his life to the Kelmscott Press, which he founded in 1891. The 1896 Kelmscott edition of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer is considered a masterpiece of book design.

Reviews

[Zéro Janvier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dans ce roman publié en 1895, William Morris propose un récit très classique mais joliment mis en scène. Le surnaturel est peu présent et on est finalement assez proche du conte. Le résultat est sympathique, même si ce n'est pas mon texte préféré de William Morris.

[Liam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to see how this prose romance connects with Havelock the Dane and from there some particular Norse stories like Amleth/Hamlet.

[Hellblau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike Morris's other proto-fantasy novels this doesn't exactly have any magic or that kind of otherworldly feeling to it. It's knightly romance in the style of Thomas Mallory. The actual romantic romance itself seemed very much along the lines of the Pre-Raphaelite movement (I wondered a lot how much it actually reflected the behavior between Morris's painter friends and their models) and there is even a love triangle that if you know anything about Morris and his best friend D.G. Rossetti's shared feelings for his wife, you may find a bit curious. The action, on the other hand, is very much the stuff of Mallory with macho armed men bashing each other. I think it's definitely part of the canon that influenced the pulp fantasy writers and more people should read it.

Amazing that this has only been logged 41 times on here while crap like R.L. Stevenson's Black Arrow has been logged almost 20,000 times, given that this one is actually much more like what you’d hope that other one would be.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent Morris book.

[James Giddings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fairy-tale well-told by William Morris. Need one say more :)

[Steve R]

Based on the medieval work Lay of Havelock the Dane, Morris has removed a lot of the supernatural element of the original and focused on the love between the title characters rather than the battle of Christopher to reclaim his kingdom of Oakenrealm. Jack of the Tofts is instrumental in aiding Christopher defeat the forces of the usurper Earl Rolf. Not remembered; scheduled for re-reading.