Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
What if there were an ancient woods, where the deepest desires of your unconscious mind came to life?
Mythago Wood is an interesting fantasy novel of family, love & obsession, and redemption.
The book follows Steven Huxley, a soldier from World War II who returns home to see his brother after his father has died.
Right off the bat, this book has a very Lovecraftian feel. There’s a first person narrative, and a sense of some horror or terrible fate that befell Steve’s father. When Steve gets back home to Oak Lodge on the edge of the Rhyope Wood, there’s something afflicting his brother Christian, too. Steve puzzles over what is happening through cryptic clues from his brother, and through the ramblings of his father through redacted journals. Everything seems to revolve around the woods.
I thought that this book enjoyable. The writing felt a bit slow and plodding sometimes. I suspect this was because the story was expanded from a novella to a novel. But, it’s rather short, and it can go quickly at parts. I found myself beginning to read more quickly through the longer passages of narrative exposition, and I didn’t feel like I lost anything. The story itself was better than the package in which it came.
Something interesting to me, was that it felt like the creators of the highly successful computer game, Myst, were likely inspired by the book’s story, as there were many similarities to draw between the game and this book.
Overall, this book was worth a read for someone who wants something somewhat unique within the fantasy genre.
Michael Treadway 