The Hero from Otherwhere

by WILLIAMS JAY

"A deft and surprisingly funny tale, somewhere between fantasy and science fiction."
-- Publisher's Weekly

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Childrens

190 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Rob]

This is the book that got me really started on fantasy books. A reading teacher in 6th grade read this book to the class and we were all captivated. It always stood out to us and seemed like a book we all had a bond with. To put this in perspective 15 years later I asked a classmate that I was still friends with if he remembered the book. He did. I couldn't remember the name, but remembered details of the book. Together we tracked it down and now both of us have found mint copies of the book. It is one I'm sure I will read to my children. I'm not sure why it clicked so well, but the story is a great one.

[Wendy Bousfield]

Though dated by its didacticism, THE HERO FROM OTHERWHERE (1972) is engaging, allusive, and droll. Opposite personality types, Jesse and Rich hated one another on sight. Jesse is intuitive and compassionate, a reader, and a poet. Rich is analytic, scientific, and athletic. After a fight, the boys are sent to the principal’s office, but find themselves in a parallel universe, Otherwhere. Two magicians, Mr. Crump and Mr. Magnus, tell them that they have summoned a hero capable of binding the giant wolf, Fenris. Surprised when two small boys appear, the magicians nonetheless know that Jesse and Rich can save Otherwhere from the monster about to destroy it.

Endearingly, Otherwhere operates through poetic magic rather than technology. (For example, Eyrd, a gardener, rids his roses of slugs by reciting: “Foul is the guest/At the fair feast;/Shall what is best/Fall to what’s least?/Slime-born and slow,/I bid you go.”) Crump and Magnus give each boy half of a magnetic stone to help them find one another; a map; and magic objects to protect, feed and shelter them. The boys embark on a quest to find and join three chords, creating a rope that will bind Fenris. In succession, Jesse and Rich go to the nest of the Zhar-Pritza on Mount Teshombara, the house of Professor Ilbird (Professor of Screaming) in Redwater, and to the Countess Arkad of Ardour. Though the shape changer, Skrymir, deceives and impedes them, the boys triumph through their complementary talents. Of course, back in their own world, they have become inseparable friends.

I adored HERO’s eclectic allusiveness and its surprising use of well-known poems as magic incantations. Fenris the wolf and Skrymir the giant illusionist appear in Norse mythology. Otherwhere’s magicians perform incantations by reciting lines from Shelley’s “To a Skylark,” BEOWULF, and (most unexpectedly) Gerard Manley Hopkins! Eryd explains to Jesse the difference between false and true poems: “Even the best of use may sometimes write a false poem when his thought fails or the words will not come right, and instead of destroying it he lets it stand. But a true poem is hammered into its shape out of the poet’s desire. And if all goes well, that desire finds its way along the words and comes to life.” (163) In this novel, poetry MATTERS!

[Suzanne Moses]

Small fantasy adventure tale about becoming friends and the relationship between magic and poetry.

My love of this book is colored by my memories of reading it when I was a child. I borrowed it from my teacher who then gave it to me at the end of the year. I tried to make all my friends read it, but nobody liked it but me. For many decades I was convinced I was the only person in the world who had ever read it. Then a friend quoted the central poem and I was overjoyed to find another reader.

[Mir]

Rich and Jesse, enemies at school, are transported to a world of magic, poetry, myth where they are asked to quest for objects with which to defeat the fearsome wolf Fenris and the shapechanger Skrymir.

[My Bookish Delights]

This is a book that traveled with me every time I moved since I was a child. It's not something I would have picked out for myself, so I'm thinking it was my brother's at some point (it's also a library book and it makes sense that he wouldn't have returned it). It is very simple. Things just kind of happen one right after the other without a lot of segue between. I feel like it could have had so much more depth to the world and the plot, but it was pretty quick. Even the big obstacle at the end was anti-climatic. I didn't enjoy it as much as I did as a kid, that's for sure. My favorite line is from p. 108 where the two boys are talking about their parents. "'Your mother works?' Jesse said, in surprise. 'What does she do?'" So glad I don't live in a time where it's surprising when a mother works. haha Honestly, I don't know that I would recommend this book to anyone. There are just other books out there that are better. However, it is a quick and easy read.

Challenges:
2017 Goodreads Challenge

[whalesister]

I've never read a novel by Jay Williams, so I thought I'd give this a shot, and I wasn't disappointed. Totally creative--so creative, in fact, it's a little weird, but that's not necessarily bad. A cross between science fiction and fantasy, and full of great action/adventure that middle-grade boys will love. It's out of print, so you'll have to get it from a library or on-line from a used book-seller.

[Dawn]

Another 6th grade read of mine. I haven't picked it up since, but I remember not being able to put it down. It fueled my love of reading & was one of the books that prompted me to start writing, along with The Seven Wicked Pigeon Ladies In the Garden, a.k.a., The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House.

[Tracy]

Written in 1972, this book is the kind of book I loved as a tween. Fantasy is still my favorite genre, but it doesn't feel as magical when I read it now as it did back then. This book took me back to how I felt as an 11 year-old just discovering the Fantasy genre. Back then, I could hide in a book like this all day, and wish for it never to end.

[Bracicot]

A childhood favorite, one of the first books that made me feel the power of words and the possibility that I might make magic with them.

[Lorne Schwetz]

This is one of the first books I remember reading as a child. The librarian at my school suggested it to me and I loved it. I was trying to remember the name of the book for years and finally found it. It was a lot harder to get a copy than I thought. $40 for a used paperback but worth it. What a great little story. It was as good as I remembered it.

[Cheryl]

Not up to my expectations, based on the author's various princess stories. But I am glad that I finally found a copy to read. I really appreciate that the two boys had to cooperate to accomplish their quest. And the use of poetry, both Williams' own and some known classics, is marvelous. I should say more, but maybe, now that I own a copy, I'll reread it and have more worth saying then.

[Shreeharsha]

This is one of the first books I ever remember reading, long years ago. It’s about choosing between real tangible treasures or reconciling with ‘maybe the real treasure was all the friends we made along the way’.

[Beth Friedman]

1972 book by one of the two authors of the Danny Dunn books. This was recommended by a book reviewer and I was intrigued. It took quite a while to hunt down a copy, but it was a generally enjoyable read.

[John Reinhart]

a brilliant fantasy tale of cooperation between two junior high school boys - Williams mixes traditional mythological elements with his own quirky and humorous touches

[A]

A decent and amusing read. I heard of it because apparently Disney wanted to adapt it into an animated film. I can see why they thought it had potential

[Zidders Roofurry]

I first read this when I was in second grade. All I could remember was my reading teacher reading aloud the part where two magical items shaped like yin and yang symbols are described. After decades of looking for it a friend recognized it via my description of my memory.

The book starts out with two kids who don't get along. They go to the same school and end up getting sent to the principals office. When they walk in they discover that instead of the principal the characters waiting for them are from another world and need their help. The adventure starts there and while short it's an entertaining read. The main theme of the book focuses on the two boys learning more about one another and realizing that they have a lot in common. While on their adventure they end up in a few bad situations but aside from a few implied deaths the story never gets as dark as say Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH or The Black Cauldron.

If you can manage to find a copy of this book (good luck-it's been out of print since the late 80's and copies fetch anywhere from $40 to $240) it's worth a read. Some copies have illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman who I suggest looking up because she was a fantastic artist. The only reason I didn't give this book a 5 out of 5 stars is due to the book being a bit short. Williams also borrows liberally from Tolkien which gives the book a familiar feel but due to its length he rushes through the story. We're introduced to this strange new world yet we never get to see much of it.

[Bob]

A bit predictable in places, but the predictability didn't hamper my enjoyment as much as I feared it might. In fact I think it doesn't try to hide the ending. And the other major plot point I predicted didn't take away from my enjoyment either, because it was handled well too. At first it started off slow and typical and I called the ending really early. But as they embarked on their journey I came to really enjoy it. Particularly the fact that each boy has his time to shine. It didn't feel like Jesse or Rich really overpowered one another in importance, until the end. The end was a bit disappointing for that fact. I was hoping for a different ending when they encountered the antagonists in the story. But I actually enjoyed the way the part, I saw coming, was handled. I also enjoyed the things the main antagonist did throughout the story to try to push back against the heroes. The budding friendship between Jesse and Rich was handled really well, and I thought it felt natural.

[Christie]

My class read this book when I was in third grade and I have loved it ever since. As an adult I tracked down a copy and reread it. I thought it held up very well. To this day I still use a poem I learned from the book when writing in cards for weddings:
"One and one is always two,
Each alone, here's me, there's you.
The mathematics of the heart,
Adds together what's apart.
The sum of being friends is done,
When one and one, makes one."
--Jay Williams

[Jen526]

This was a revisiting of a book I'd had fond memories of from childhood. From an adult perspective, it's a fairly thin read compared to some of the more classic children's fantasy books, but I think for younger readers, it would still be a relatively enjoyable adventure, and its theme of friendship and teamwork triumphing over evil is a worthwhile one for that age group.

[Martha]

Private enemies at school, Rick & Jesse get conjured to a parallel world to save it from the fierce wolf Fenris. If they can work together, they might be able to overcome all the obstacles in their path, but if they can't give up their animosity, both worlds will fall.

[Lisa Little]

I loved this book when I first read it at age 14 because of the references to Norse mythology and parallel universes. It made me wonder more about both subjects and therefore study both subjects. It's true that books can form a young person into the adult that they become.

[Veronica Jordan]

All I remember is I loved it as a high schooler and did a book report on it in maybe 9th or 10th grade - when sci fi and fantasy were not that cool... Helped me get into reading and the genre. Must re-read sometime.

[Martha]

I read this book when I was a teenager, probably 10 times. I loved the idea of two boys being maniacally transported to another world. I would definitely recommend this book for your kids. Of course it's not great literature like twilight......

[Jennifer]

Every few years I take out my battered paperback copy of this book and re-read it, and every time I might just love it more. I love the characters, I love the plot, I love the setting and the message and the language. One of my all-time favorites.

[Mary Smith]

Re-read January 1, 2006

[Nina Wagner]

I first read this book in middle school, and I remember liking it. It has stood the test of time, and I still enjoyed it. Although it was hard to find!

[Hannah]

This book was very slow. However, I had to get thru it because it was 6th grade read aloud.