I've just finished reading Robert Holdstocks' Mythago Wood for the umpteenth time, and it's star remains undimmed. Man, I love this book. I can't recommend it highly enough. Holdstock deftly weaves threads of reality and fantasy, between threads of archaeology, history, and folklore into a compelling
tale, brooding and atmospheric. With characters that are believable,
well developed, with dimension and depth, complicated; and a world that
is at once wholly recognisable and fantastical. Beautifully written he masterfully evokes the atmosphere of
the wild wood, and the magic of a
landscaped soaked in history,
monument, and lore. Ryhope
Wood is a timeless English wood, a remnant of the original wild wood
that once covered this post glacial isle, it ignores all natural laws
and defies reality. A landscape where the genesis of
myths are formed, become flesh, live out
their stories and regenerate for changing times; Mythagos, variants of timeless archetypes roam the woods. The Huxleys' home sits within the influence of this mysterious wood, a family beguiled by a wild beauty and the magic of Ryhope Wood, who end up consumed by both in a pursuit back through time, ancient stands and stories. The potency and purpose of myth and story, their cultural importance, are explored; how stories shape our lives and our experience of the world. Our ancestors lived in a world of magical phenomena and mythical characters, an oral world, a world shaped by stories. Through the magic of Ryhope Wood I feel Holdstock
encourages the reader to experience woods differently, through an awareness of
the magic that surrounds us, and to be open to it.