Not a fan of Fafhrd
Filed under Reviews on October 28, 2008
Tagged: Fafhrd, fantasy fiction, Fritz Leiber, Gray Mouser, Lankhmar, sword-and-sorcery
It’s been a while since I read a book on my “bucket list” of genre classics. I picked up an omnibus of the first three Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser anthologies: Swords and Deviltry, Swords Against Death and Swords in the Mist. I’m afraid to say that other than “Lean Times in Lankhmar”, I’ve found the adventures of the storied duo to be a disappointment.
Perhaps my expectations were too high, after years of ringing endorsements from fantasy fiction authors, roleplaying game designers and genre fans. I’ll concede “hype” was a factor, but there are two complaints I have against the Fritz Leiber’s tales of sword and sorcery that had more impact upon my reaction.
I found the narrator’s voice to be condescending and silly in tone. I was reminded of storytelling time in the children’s section of the public library. Leiber’s choice of vocabulary gave me the impression the narrator was an educated, modern man reading a fairy tale with more interest in deconstructing its components than the actual tale itself. It created a barrier between myself and the story that I could not break through. I was seeing it from a distance, through a distorted lens, rather than experiencing it.
I was also struck by how often Leiber summarized the adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. The grim and gritty world of Lankhmar had been sanitized for my safety and protection. I was told how great a swordsman the Gray Mouser was, but rarely saw a fight where more than a stroke or two was described. Many of the stories spent a lot of time summarizing what the legendary pair had done to get to the point in the adventure where the reader joins them, and very little in proportion on the present event.
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser have not made a lasting impression on me, as either characters or examples of great sword-and-sorcery tales. I’m interested in hearing from others what the attraction to Leiber’s groundbreaking work is. Are the later anthologies a better representation? Someone enlighten me (or agree with me).
October 29th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I’m currently reading stuff for work…nothing fun. I envy you — even a joyless ride is a a sort of literary freedom!
November 3rd, 2008 at 2:12 pm
I enjoyed the characters more than you did, but despite some high points, I always felt that these books did little to deserve their iconic treatment. I remember my first time through this series looking for the real breakout stories, and being slightly puzzled.
The later stories do get a little more interesting as the two heroes become more of a vehicle for Leiber stretching his literary muscles, but I do think that he benefits from the general pacity of quality from the more ‘pulpish’ SF/Fantasy era.