The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson | Box of Paperbacks
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- Swap those babies because I’m examining The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson’s grim historical fantasy novel. Inspired by Norse mythology and faerie stories, this book with its high drama and meditations on fate blends ancient and Classical tales with modern story structure.
Clip from Trainspotting, Dir. Danny Boyle with “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop
Channels mentioned in this video:
@outlawbookselleroriginal
@GrammaticusBooks
@LiterateTexan
Here are links of my written analysis regarding some of the works mentioned in the video:
The Laxdaela Saga: discover.hubpa...
Elric and other protagonists of heroic or sword and sorcery fantasy: discover.hubpa...
Best Served Cold: discover.hubpa...
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© 2023 Seth Tomko
This is a great book and a great review Seth! Good stuff.
Thank you, Grammaticus. I'm only sorry that it has taken me so long to get around to this novel.
I love this book. I’ve read both editions and prefer the earlier one. The audiobook narration by Bronson Pinchot is also fantastic. I’m also a big fan of Poul Anderson’s other work. The High Crusade is my favorite comedic novel, and Tau Zero a favorite in hard SF. Brain Wave, Three Hearts and Three Lions, and the Technic History series are also great. Anderson’s versatility in writing so many great books with such variety in style and tone is really impressive.
Thanks for sharing those recommendations. I agree that one of Anderson's strengths as a writer is his incredible flexibility across multiple genres and subgenres.
Oh, and I am firmly in the early edition camp!
I remember you commenting about your preference for the earlier edition. It certainly has its appeal.
Great video and review, Seth. Been hearing more about this book. Happy reading.
Thank you, Tim. I'd recommend it if your can fit it into your reading schedule.
Nice video, great book, it was an easy first choice for inclusion in my book '100 Must Read Fantasy Novels' back in 2009- agree re the earlier version. I've talked with Michael Moorcock about this a long time ago and he comes down on the side of the earlier variant text.
You were one of the first people on youtube I can recall talking at length about this book. You put the book on my radar for sure, and I thank you for that. Moorcock has been vocal about his support of the earlier edition.
@@PeculiarNotions I've been selling it in my job as a bookseller for 40 years, raving about it all that time. In my view, you haven't read S&S until you've read this book.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal I think it should have wider recognition both for it's own accomplishment and for the influence it has had in the genre.
I think I only read one Poul Anderson story. I think it was Chapter Ends and to be honest I didn’t get it. Maybe it was because the story was too short and needed to be more developed. I found it just a depressing story with a questionable end.
I'm not familiar with that story, but The Broken Sword is also grim and depressing for a long stretch of time.