A Fantasy Classic

The Well At The World's End by William Morris.

Don't let the dismal fact that this book is twenty-zillionth on the bestseller list discourage you.... it is well worth reading the thing.
I first came to this book through the published endorsement (hence, not personal) of the great C.S. Lewis, who made his first reading of The Well in November of 1914. He read it many times thereafter.
In my ONE reading of the two volumes, I can attest to the fact that this is a beautiful story, a rich fantasy, a vibrant fairy-tale with no fairies.
Among other things... a love story.
Strictly speaking, as regards genre, it is a "romance". The chivalric, bardic story of Ralph of Upmeads, the least likely of the King's four sons, who devotes his life to the quest of the Well at The World's End... a fabled well which promises to reward its discoverer with perpetual youth.
If you are in love with Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings (and who isn't) you should definitely consider having an affair with The Well At The World's End. Let me defuse the daunting issue of Morris's use of archaic language. Be ye warned, in every sentence you will constantly encounter words such as forsooth, hitherward, quoth, whither, rideth, erstwhile, deem, draweth, betwixt, and I wot not else.
At first I thought this would be really intolerable. But I quickly adapted to it, and even found it kind of "not vile".
Remember... Volume 2 is essential. It's not a sequel, it's a conclusion. Get both volumes, and escape the world of car horns and remote control for a bit.
And as regards it's place on the bestseller list? I am reminded of the wise words of the great Henrik Ibsen, who once suggested that "the solid majority is always wrong."

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