Review of The Elric Saga: Part 1 by Michael Moorcock
I sometimes wonder, Elric, if this grim destiny of yours is a figment of your own guilt-ridden mood. - Moonglum, The Weird of the White Wolf
I am writing this review nearly on the other side of a great fever from when I read the book. Take my opinions at that distance.
I read this for the bingo square “influence on something else” because I’ve been thinking of Elric’s influence on the wider world of fiction. If there’s a brooding man of twinkish cast who has a magic sword, that’s an Elric. My first conscious Elric was Anomander Rake, from Malazan Book of the Fallen. Author Steven Erickson denies he’s inspired by Elric, but Rake is the king of otherworldly elves (Tiste Andii) who are fundamentally amoral, but who he turns to morality; and he has a sword that consumes souls. I also hastened my reading of this book for it’s relevance to the comic Cerebus — you’ll be able to hear my thoughts on its Elric parody, Elrod, in episodes 2, 4, and 5 of my upcoming podcast Swords Against Cerebus.
But enough preamble; I’ll leave the Elricean monologuing and scene-setting register so that I can actually talk about the book.
Elric is a sad, sad man who repeatedly sets his own doom, almost as if he wants to suffer. He is a strange intersection of over-contemplative and impulsive — a real Hamlet of an emperor. This collection pulls together 3 early novels of the story of how he ruins everything good or at all valuable in his own life, due to impulses he probably can’t control. They’re wonderful, engaging reads with a dark humor and the structure of pulp fantasy of the era; the narrative moves rapidly from adventure to adventure with no hesitation. I absolutely loved it.
The one downside is that this rapid, anti-transitional structure begins to wear thin when reading all of these in one go. Elric jumps from existentially confusing legend (a good thing) to personally meaningless adventure (also a good thing) almost arbitrarily. While this is thematic and very strong, it also gets old when read rapid-fire. I got nearly as weary of Elric losing every companion he ever meets as Elric himself does. When I pick up Part 2 and on, I think I’ll read one sub-book at a time, then take a break with another book.
I’m absolutely wild about Elric himself. A melodramatic manic-depressive philosopher-king of an empire he destroyed who is overwhelmed by physical disability, self-doubt, and depthless ego. He’s just like me for real. The prose also goes crazy. The loveliest shade of purple I’ve ever seen. Deeper than my wedding skirt’s shade, and just as puffy. Moorcock can fucking write.
Hard recommend on this, but I do recommend against binging it!
