The Well at the World's End (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Historical Fantasy NovelBy William Morris
Length23h 54m
About this audiobook
William Morris's The Well at the World's End is a landmark prose romance, following Ralph of Upmeads as he leaves a small, ordered kingdom to seek the legendary well whose waters confer renewal and heroic potency. Written in an archaizing, deliberately medieval diction, the novel blends chivalric quest, enchanted geography, moral testing, and courtly love. Its episodic structure and symbolic landscapes place it between medieval romance and the modern fantasy tradition it helped to inspire. Morris, poet, designer, socialist, and major figure of the Arts and Crafts movement, brought to fiction his lifelong fascination with Norse sagas, medieval manuscripts, and pre-capitalist forms of communal life. His literary antiquarianism was never mere escapism: beneath the romance lies a critique of modern alienation and a search for beauty, fellowship, and meaningful labor. The novel reflects both his aesthetic medievalism and his ethical imagination. This book is recommended to readers interested in the origins of fantasy literature, especially those who admire Tolkien, Dunsany, or later quest narratives. Its pace is measured and its language stylized, but patient readers will find a rich, visionary work whose power lies in atmosphere, moral seriousness, and the dream of a world remade through courage, love, and desire.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the author's life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
GenreFantasy
Length23 hrs 54 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateSep 4, 2019
LanguageEnglish
More from William Morris
#Romantasy Classics CollectionWilliam Morris, Lord Dunsany, George MacDonald, H. Rider Haggard, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Robert E. Howard, Abraham Merritt, William Hope Hodgson, Poul Anderson, William R. Bradshaw89h 4m$1.99 · $0.00
News from Nowhere (Annotated)William Morris9h 56m$2 · $0.00
The House of the Wolfings (Annotated)William Morris9h 55m3.8 (2.1K)$2 · $0.00
News from Nowhere; Or, An Epoch of RestWilliam Morris9h 15m3.6 (4.5K)$2 · $0.00
Art Under PlutocracyWilliam Morris2h 19m4.1 (21)$1 · $0.00
Pygmalion and the ImageWilliam Morris43m3.9 (14)$2 · $0.00
The Roots of the MountainsWilliam Morris17h 14m4.3 (95)$1 · $0.00
Poems By the WayWilliam Morris3h 38m3.8 (33)$2 · $0.00
The Pilgrims of Hope and Chants for SocialistsWilliam Morris1h 7m$2 · $0.00
The Water of the Wondrous IslesWilliam Morris16h 8m3.9 (539)$1 · $0.00
The Sundering FloodWilliam Morris10h 45m3.9 (146)$2 · $0.00
The Well at the World's EndWilliam Morris23h 35m3.9 (989)$2 · $0.00
Some Notes on Early Woodcut Books, with a Chapter on Illuminated ManuscriptsWilliam Morris2h 41m4.0 (161)$2 · $0.00
Signs of ChangeWilliam Morris4h 39m3.3 (31)$2 · $0.00
News From NowhereWilliam Morris7h 37m$6 · $0.00
News from NowhereWilliam Morris7h 20m3.9 (15K)$10 · $0.00
Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver21h 3m4.5 (949.4K)$46 · $0.00
Remarkably Bright CreaturesShelby Van Pelt11h 17m4.4 (1.7M)$29 · $0.00
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: A Toshikazu Kawaguchi Book SetToshikazu Kawaguchi18h 55m4.5 (1.4K)$40 · $0.00
The Song of AchillesMadeline Miller11h 15m4.3 (2.3M)$29 · $0.00
The Left and the LuckyWilly Vlautin6h 40m4.4 (1.1K)$24 · $0.00
Hunt of the DragonJuliette Cross9h 46m4.4 (736)$20
Deadly GameChristine Feehan13h 20m4.3 (15.8K)$30
Sword and ShadowMichelle Sagara16h 51m4.5 (2.2K)$40 · $0.00
A Tree Grows in BrooklynBetty Smith14h 55m4.4 (577.6K)$33 · $0.00
Dark GuardianChristine Feehan12h 32m4.5 (26.3K)$33 · $0.00
The Neil Gaiman ReaderNeil Gaiman27h 3m4.5 (3.2K)$53 · $0.00
The HobbitJ. R. R. Tolkien10h 51m4.4 (4.9M)$12 · $0.00
Bad HabitAlana S. Portero5h 37m4.4 (52.3K)$24 · $0.00
Science Fiction & Fantasy CollectionH. P. Lovecraft16h 32m4.5 (2.7K)$2 · $0.00
The Undead PoolKim Harrison16h 13m4.4 (34.6K)$33 · $0.00
The Edge of DawnBeverly Jenkins10h 15m4.5 (1.1K)$29 · $0.00
The Tapestry of FateShannon Chakraborty20h 2m4.4 (3.4K)$46 · $0.00
The Lack of LightNino Haratischwili26h 20m4.4 (9.2K)$53 · $0.00
My Dear HamiltonStephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie23h 7m4.4 (63.6K)$46 · $0.00
A Broken People's PlaylistChimeka Garricks6h 40m4.4 (3.7K)$24 · $0.00
You may also like
The Well at the World’s EndWilliam Morris22h 16m4.0 (4.6K)$1.80 · $0.00
Journey to the Center of the EarthJules Verne6h 31m4.0 (273K)$4 · $0.00
The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (Annotated)Hugh Lofting8h 48m4.0 (17.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
Tik-Tok of OzL. Frank Baum5h 45m4.0 (11.8K)$5 · $0.00
The Voyages of Doctor DolittleHugh Lofting7h 57m4.1 (23.7K)$1 · $0.00
Glinda of OzL. Frank Baum4h 39m4.0 (9.4K)$1 · $0.00
A Dreamer's TalesEdward John Moreton Drax Plunkett3h 49m4.2 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
The Gnome King of OzRuth Plumly Thompson4h 25m4.0 (1.1K)$2.40
The Lost Princess of OzL. Frank Baum4h 44m4.1 (10.1K)$1 · $0.00
The Forbidden LandKate Forsyth11h 13m4.4 (3.4K)$20
The Well at the World's EndWilliam Morris22h 15m3.9 (2.7K)$21 · $0.00
The Silver ChairC. S. Lewis5h 26m4.2 (401.5K)$24 · $0.00
The King of KorahaMaria V. Snyder13h 47m4.3 (1.6K)$33 · $0.00
The Book of WonderMarco Polo6h 52m3.8 (11.9K)$18 · $0.00
Kabumpo in OzRuth Plumly Thompson5h 30m4.1 (1.4K)$12 · $0.00
Ozma of OzL. Frank Baum4h4.1 (55.8K)Free
Admiral of the Ocean SeaSamuel Eliot Morison25h 57m4.3 (2.8K)$35
Glinda of OzL. Frank Baum4h 24m4.1 (9.3K)$2.30 · $0.00
The HobbitJ. R. R. Tolkien10h 51m4.4 (4.9M)$12 · $0.00
Tik-Tok of OzLyman Frank Baum4h 58m4.1 (9.5K)Free