Conan
The First Book In The Greatest Swords & Sorcery Saga Written
Seven of the most exciting and fantastic adventures ever created! The
unforgettable tales of the mighty Conan.
Personal Review: Conan
Besides Robert E. Howard's suicide at the age of 30, the greatest tragedy
of this brutally talented writer is that his work has not enjoyed the literary
praise and societal acceptance that it so clearly deserves. Howard is one
of the most overlooked authors of the last century, in part due to
academia's refusal to seriously study the Fantasy genre. Conan, Howard's
greatest character, lives, prowls, "wenches", boozes, adventures, and
cajoles among the paperback pages of this first Conan book, due entirely
to Howard's distinct narrative voice.

The reader feels the flexing muscle and sinew, the weathered and tanned
skin, the animal reflexes, the very strength in Conan's mercenary grip
when they read these short stories - beyond Howard's brilliance at
character creation, the very narrative voice is written in the tune of savage
ruthlessness. No matter your sex, you can't help but boil with testosterone
and reel in the wicked pleasure of cleaving cut-throats with a broadsword,
because the simple and powerfully persuasive narrative voice places you
in Conan's world. Howard's delicate and meticulous word choice not only
provide the uniqueness of his voice - a style rich with texture, details, and
cinematic imagery - but it also provides the barbarian lens by which we
view his world.
The stories are often dripping with blood, but the imagery is so vivid and
artistic it in no way diminishes the quality of the text. The knocked out teeth
and the crimson sprays seem natural, because they're natural to Conan.
Few authors have ever displayed such a profound ability at placing the
reader into a character's blood, brain, and hormones. Conan, after all, is
not the stereotypical Hollywood action hero - he is a character designed
with his own unique combination of strength and flaws. Flaws found in all
humanity. He may be built and wired like a Siberian tiger, but he is plagued
with a deeply embedded fear of the supernatural. His temper often gets the
better of him. When times are good and the riches spill from his
saddlebags, he's a boastful braggart that earns the unforeseen whack at
the end of a dark alley. When times are tough, he hits the goblet. He's
everything we want to be and one of us when we need him to be.
Howard's voice and style make all of this possible. This first book in the
Conan series displays that voice of reluctant role model as good as any
other. Finding a copy may be difficult, but for the reader that enjoys
Fantasy written at the depth and quality of literary genre fiction, the search
and the expenditure will yield a bountiful harvest.
For More 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price:
Conan 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price!