The Worm Ouroboros (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Epic Fantasy ClassicBy E. R. Eddison
Length18h 51m
About this audiobook
The Worm Ouroboros is a grand romance of heroic fantasy, staging the war between Demonland and Witchland in a world at once archaic, ceremonial, and vividly imagined. Eddison's prose is famously opulent: Jacobean in cadence, Norse in temper, and Homeric in its appetite for battle, feasting, oaths, and glory. Published in 1922, it stands near the foundations of modern secondary-world fantasy, yet it resists modern realism in favor of mythic recurrence, aristocratic valor, and the intoxicating beauty of language itself. E. R. Eddison was an English civil servant, classicist, and lifelong devotee of sagas, Renaissance drama, and epic literature. His deep familiarity with Homer, the Icelandic sagas, Malory, and Elizabethan prose shaped both the book's diction and its moral atmosphere. Rather than writing escapism in a simple sense, Eddison sought to recover an older heroic imagination, where magnificence and violence coexist under the sign of eternal return. This book is strongly recommended to readers who admire Tolkien, Morris, or Dunsany, but who are willing to encounter a stranger, more extravagant vision. It rewards patience with linguistic splendor, unforgettable scenes, and a profound meditation on heroism, desire, and the perilous allure of endless conflict.
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.
- 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
Rating★★★★ 4.0 (1.5K)
Includes Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing, StoryGraph
GenreFantasy
Length18 hrs 51 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 4, 2019
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Well at the World's End (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5The Worm Ouroboros
Show all chaptersShow less
6The Induction
7The Castle of Lord Juss
8II The Wrastling for Demonland
9III The Red Foliot
10IV Conjuring in the Iron Tower
11V King Gorice’s Sending
12VI The Claws of Witchland
13VII Guests of the King in Carcë
14VIII The First Expedition to Impland
15IX Salapanta Hills
16X The Marchlands of the Moruna
17XI The Burg of Eshgrar Ogo
18XII Koshtra Pivrarcha
19XIII Koshtra Belorn
20XIV The Lake of Ravary
21XV Queen Prezmyra
22XVI The Lady Sriva’s Embassage
23XVII The King Flies His Haggard
24XVIII The Murther of Gallandus By Corsus
25XIX Thremnir’s Heugh
26XX King Corinius
27XXI The Parley Before Krothering
28XXII Aurwath and Switchwater
29XXIII The Weird Begun of Ishnain Nemartra
30XXIV A King in Krothering
31XXV Lord Gro and the Lady Mevrian
32XXVI The Battle of Krothering Side
33XXVII The Second Expedition to Impland
34XXVIII Zora Rach Nam Psarrion
35XXIX The Fleet at Muelva
36XXX Tidings of Melikaphkhaz
37XXXI The Demons Before Carcë
38XXXII The Latter End of All the Lords of Witchland
39XXXIII Queen Sophonisba in Galing
40Argument: with Dates
41Analysis
42Reflection
43Memorable Quotes
More from E. R. Eddison
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) · 1115$29 · $0.00
Hunt of the DragonJuliette Cross9h 46m4.4 (736)$20
All This Twisted GloryTahereh Mafi11h 31m4.3 (54.6K)$29 · $0.00
Deadly GameChristine Feehan13h 20m4.3 (15.8K)$30
THE RETURN OF THE KINGJ.R.R. Tolkien21h 5m4.7 (1.2M)$7 · $0.00
WildfireIlona Andrews12h 45m4.5 (62.9K)$33 · $0.00
Lolth's WarriorR. A. Salvatore13h 20m4.6 (2.4K)$33 · $0.00
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du BoisHonoree Fanonne Jeffers29h 49m4.5 (58K)$8 · $0.00
Treasure Island (Adventure Classic with Illustrations)Robert Louis Stevenson8h 50m4.5 (11.2K)$1.99 · $0.00
Lola in the MirrorTrent Dalton13h 40m4.5 (43.9K)$33 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett13h 36m4.5 (163.8K)$33 · $0.00
The Leo Tolstoy CollectionLeo Tolstoy9h 1m4.5 (4.9K)$12 · $0.00
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
You may also like
Le Morte d'Arthur (Annotated)Thomas Malory35h 53m4.1 (45.7K)$2 · $0.00
The Winter KingBernard Cornwell19h 56m4.3 (75.4K)$40 · $0.00
A Darkness ReturnsRaymond E. Feist19h 29m4.4 (1.9K)$40 · $0.00
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round TableHoward Pyle11h 25m4.2 (18.8K)$25
Four Arthurian Romancesactive 12th century de Troyes Chrétien16h 45m4.0 (5.4K)Free
Alexander the GreatJacob Abbott5h 53m3.8 (1.7K)$9 · $0.00
Idylls of the King By Baron Alfred Tennyson Tennyson8h 21m4.1 (18.1K)Free
Three Hearts and Three LionsPoul Anderson7h 5m3.9 (9.3K)$17
DeathcasterCinda Williams Chima21h 20m4.4 (8.2K)$46 · $0.00
Alexander the GreatJacob Abbott5h 52m3.9 (2.5K)$6 · $0.00
The History of Rome (Complete 5 Volumes) (Annotated)Theodor Mommsen100h 46m4.3 (300)$2 · $0.00
Conan The Barbarian - All 20 Books in One EditionRobert E. Howard42h 41m4.4 (3K)$2.99 · $0.00
Orlando FuriosoLodovico Ariosto34h 45m4.2 (7.6K)$2 · $0.00
The Worm Ouroboros (Fantasy Classic)E. R. Eddison18h 53m3.8 (6.7K)$1.99 · $0.00
Child of the GroveTanya Huff9h 47m3.9 (1.3K)$20
The Scarlet CidadelRobert E. Howard1h 55m4.1 (1K)$2
The Winter KingBernard Cornwell6h 9m4.3 (76.9K)$24 · $0.00
The Hour of the DragonRobert E. Howard8h 18m4.3 (16.2K)$10 · $0.00
Prince CaspianC. S. Lewis4h 40m4.2 (557.7K)$20 · $0.00
Rage of a Demon KingRaymond E. Feist24h 32m4.2 (31.7K)$53 · $0.00