large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb_14
large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb
English
803
Thiodolf turned toward the wood, and walked steadily through the scattered hazel trees, and thereby into the thick of the beech trees, whose boles grew smooth and silver grey, high and close set: and so on and on he went as one going by a well known path, though there was no path, till all the moonlight was quenched under the close roof of the beech leaves, though yet for all the darkness, no man could go there and not feel that the roof was green above him. THIODOLF TURNED TOWARD THE WOOD AND WALKED STEADILY THROUGH THE SCATTERED HAZEL TREES AND THEREBY INTO THE THICK OF THE BEECH TREES WHOSE BOLES GREW SMOOTH AND SILVER GREY HIGH AND CLOSE SET AND SO ON AND ON HE WENT AS ONE GOING BY A WELL KNOWN PATH THOUGH THERE WAS NO PATH TILL ALL THE MOONLIGHT WAS QUENCHED UNDER THE CLOSE ROOF OF THE BEECH LEAVES THOUGH YET FOR ALL THE DARKNESS NO MAN COULD GO THERE AND NOT FEEL THAT THE ROOF WAS GREEN ABOVE HIM
 really fascinates. What in other hands would have been mere archaeology is here transformed by quick artistic instinct and made wonderful for us, and human and full of high interest. The ancient world seems to have come to life again for our pleasure. Of a work so large and so coherent, completed with no less perfection than it is conceived, it is difficult by mere quotation to give any adequate idea. This, however, may serve as an example of its narrative power. The passage describes the visit of Thiodolf to the Wood-Sun: The moonlight lay in a great flood on the grass without, and the dew was falling in the coldest hour of the night, and the earth smelled sweetly: the whole habitation was asleep now, and there was no sound to be known as the sound of any creature, save that from the distant meadow came the lowing of a cow that had lost her calf, and that a white owl was flitting about near the eaves of the Roof with her wild cry that sounded like the mocking of merriment now silent. RIMITIVE LIFE THAT REALLY FASCINATES WHAT IN OTHER HANDS WOULD HAVE BEEN MERE ARCHAEOLOGY IS HERE TRANSFORMED BY QUICK ARTISTIC INSTINCT AND MADE WONDERFUL FOR US AND HUMAN AND FULL OF HIGH INTEREST THE ANCIENT WORLD SEEMS TO HAVE COME TO LIFE AGAIN FOR OUR PLEASURE OF A WORK SO LARGE AND SO COHERENT COMPLETED WITH NO LESS PERFECTION THAN IT IS CONCEIVED IT IS DIFFICULT BY MERE QUOTATION TO GIVE ANY ADEQUATE IDEA THIS HOWEVER MAY SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE OF ITS NARRATIVE POWER THE PASSAGE DESCRIBES THE VISIT OF THIODOLF TO THE WOOD SUN THE MOONLIGHT LAY IN A GREAT FLOOD ON THE GRASS WITHOUT AND THE DEW WAS FALLING IN THE COLDEST HOUR OF THE NIGHT AND THE EARTH SMELLED SWEETLY THE WHOLE HABITATION WAS ASLEEP NOW AND THERE WAS NO SOUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE SOUND OF ANY CREATURE SAVE THAT FROM THE DISTANT MEADOW CAME THE LOWING OF A COW THAT HAD LOST HER CALF AND THAT A WHITE OWL WAS FLITTING ABOUT NEAR THE EAVES OF THE ROOF WITH HER WILD CRY THAT SOUNDED LIKE THE MOCKING OF MERRIMENT NOW SILENT
large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb.flac