The Wood Beyond the World
The Wood Beyond the World follows a young man who, disillusioned by love, embarks on a journey to a mystical land filled with strange beings and daunting trials that challenge his courage and resolve. As he navigates a world of treachery and deceit, he must confront the manipulative forces at play and seek a path to freedom.
By William Morris · First published 1894 · Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance · 36 chapters · 58,147 words
First lines
Awhile ago there was a young man dwelling in a great and goodly city by the sea which had to name Langton on Holm. He was but of five and twenty winters, a fair-faced man, yellow-haired, tall and strong; rather wiser than foolisher than young men are mostly wont; a valiant youth, and a kind; not of many words but courteous of speech; no roisterer, nought masterful, but peaceable and knowing how to forbear: in a fray a perilous foe, and a trusty war-fellow. His father, with whom he was dwelling when this tale begins, was a great merchant, richer than a baron of the land, a headman of the greatest of the Lineages of Langton, and a captain of the Porte; he was of the Lineage of the Goldings, therefore was he called Bartholomew Golden, and his son Golden Walter.
What this Textopian page supports
The Wood Beyond the World is listed on Textopian as a novel by William Morris, dated 1894 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: William Morris
- Date: 1894 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Mythopoeia, Literary Fiction
- Length: 58,147 words
- Structure: 36 chapters, 659 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Wood Beyond the World by William Morris
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Wood Beyond the World?
- How does this novel by William Morris fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fantasy first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- The King Of Elflands Daughter by Lord Dunsany
- The Old Man Of The Mountain by Johann Ludwig Tieck
- Princess Ballade by Joyce Kilmer
- The Shadow In The Moonlight by Mary Louisa Molesworth
- The Sleeping Faun by Marjorie Pickthall
Genres
- Fantasy — The narrative features magical elements, mythical creatures, and an otherworldly setting.
- Adventure — The protagonist embarks on a quest through unknown lands, facing various challenges and encounters.
- Romance — Central to the plot is the romantic relationship between the main characters, exploring themes of love and desire.
- Mythopoeia — The story creates a rich, imaginative world with its own lore and mythology, characteristic of mythopoeic literature.
Tags
Fantasy · Adventure · Romance · Mythology · Fairy Tale · Quest · Coming of Age · Self-Discovery · Magic Realism · Symbolism · Allegory · Mystery
Contents
- Of Golden Walter and his Father
- Golden Walter Takes Ship to Sail the Seas
- Walter Heareth Tidings of the Death of his Father
- Storm Befalls the Bartholomew, and she is Driven off her Course
- Now they Come to a New Land
- The Old Man Tells Walter of himself. Walter Sees a Shard in the Cliff-Wall
- Walter Comes to the Shard in the Rock-Wall
- Walter Wends the Waste
- Walter Happeneth on the First of those Three Creatures
- Walter Happeneth on Another Creature in the Strange Land
- Walter Happeneth on the Mistress
- The Wearing of Four Days in the Wood Beyond the World
- Now is the Hunt Up
- The Hunting of the Hart
- The Slaying of the Quarry
- Of the King's Son and the Maid
- Of the House and the Pleasance in the Wood
- The Maid Gives Walter Tryst
- Walter Goes to Fetch Home the Lion's Hide
- Walter is Bidden to Another Tryst
- Walter and the Maid Flee from the Golden House
- Of the Dwarf and the Pardon
- Of the Peaceful Ending of that Wild Day
- The Maid Tells of what had Befallen Her
- Of the Triumphant Summer Array of the Maid
- They Come to the Folk of the Bears
- Morning Amongst the Bears
- Of the New God of the Bears
- Walter Strays in the Pass and is Sundered from the Maid
- Now they Meet Again
- They Come Upon New Folk
- Of the New King of the City and Land of Stark-Wall
- Concerning the Fashion of King-Making in Stark-Wall
- Now Cometh the Maid to the King
- Of the King of Stark-Wall and his Queen
- Of Walter and the Maid in the Days of the Kingship