Customer Reviews

Shadowy - By: E. A Solinas, 08 Mar 2007
Before Tolkien told his children bedtime stories about hobbits & dwarves, there was Lord Dunsany. One of the early fantasy writers, Dunsany only wrote a few full-length novels -- one of which was the haunting, beautifully-written "Charwoman's Shadow," a story that slips into the grey place between good & evil.

Ramon Alonzo is a young Spanish nobleman sent to find a dowry for his sister Mirandola. He goes to a powerful magician to learn alchemy -- how to turn dross into gold. The magician agrees, at a price: Ramon Alonzo's shadow. At first he's inclined to give up his shadow, but an elderly charwoman warns him not to. She gave up her shadow, & now is shunned by everyone except the magician because if her contact with dark magic.

Eventually Ramon Alonzo agrees to give up his shadowin exchange for a replacement, which turns out to be a dud. His attempts at magic for his sister's sake begin to go horribly wrong, & he finds his very soulin peril as he struggles to fulfil his promise to the charwoman, & get back both of their shadows.

Most of Dunsany's fantasy stories are setin fictional lands full of magic & wizards & gods. This one is slightly different, as it is setin a sort of semi-fictional part of Spain, & magic is something which leads to evil. But the plotin this book has the same sort of otherworldly edge that his more fantastical works do. (Although if any Harry Potter fans think that Rowling created the "philosopher's stone," they'll be sadly disappointed)

It has a straightforward plot, which is made more elaborate by his flowery prose. Dunsany was one of those writers who dwelled on the more beautiful details of his stories, & as a result, "Charwoman's Shadow" has the feeling of a dream. Especiallyin scenes where really strange things happen, like the charwoman scrubbing a bloodstained floor stone, or Ramon Alonzo's fake shadow getting up & racing away.

Ramon Alonzo is a good hero -- he's a nice guy who gets enmeshedin bad things for good reasons. The charwoman Anemone herself remains a mystery for most of the book, although one development is rather obvious early on. And the other two characters show the good vs. evil struggle: Father Joseph, a kindly priest, & the cold, cruel magician who "scorns salvation" & shows no pity to someone he's wronged.

"The Charwoman's Shadow" is not only an early fantasy novel, but also an exquisite little story of love, magic & kindness. Definitely worth checking out.