Synopses & Reviews
Originally published in 1927, E.A. Wyke-Smith created a wonderful fantasy peopled by small beings called Snergs, who J.R.R. Tolkien credited with being one of the main inspirations for his hobbits. It's one of those children's stories in name only; like The Hobbit, this book is really designed for adults - his style gently mocks traditional fairy-tale elements and characters.
It's the story of two children, Joe and Sylvia, and their dog Tiger, who wander into a magical world "in a place set apart," and go on a wild adventure with Gorbo the Snerg (Snergs, like Tolkien's hobbits, are especially fond of parties and are no taller than the average table). They encounter strange places - Mushroom Caverns, the Twisted Trees, and the Mysterious Castle - and fascinating creatures, including a reformed ogre who's become a vegetarian, a Flying Dutchman, an evil witch who is incidentally an incredible cook, knights errant, and others. Gorbo grows in character and responsibility as the story proceeds, much like Bilbo in The Hobbit, and the style and humor of this book is reminiscent of Tolkien's as well. A wonderful tale for the ages! This is a trade paperback original.
QUOTES:
"I should like to record my own love and my children's love of E.A. Wyke-Smith's Marvellous Land of Snergs¿and of Gorbo, the gem of dunderheads, jewel of a companion in an escapade." - J.R.R. Tolkien
"Both fans and scholars of Tolkien should be delighted by this original fantasy, which preceded and was an important source for The Hobbit." - Alison Lurie
"The Marvellous Land of Snergs is a fairy-tale classic ahead of its time and well worth reading in our own time." - Jack Zipes
"An utterly enchanting book¿for those discerning readers who haven't lost either their delight in whimsy or that sense of innocent wonder¿the reprinting of Wyke-Smith's forgotten novel will be welcome news indeed." - Charles de Lint
NOTE ON RECENT PUBLISHING HISTORY: A small publisher (Old Earth Books) did a trade paperback facsimile edition in 1996 butthis has been OP for some time (details below). Plus it had incredibly poor distribution; I'm told that the bulk of the run sold via Ingram and amazon.com - it didn't get into any chain bookstores.
About the Author
E.A. Wyke-Smith (1871-1935) was, in his day, a writer of considerable acclaim who led an adventurous life, traveling all over the world in and out of British military service. For a time during World War I he was the governor of Sinai province in the colonial service. He authored his entire opus of eight novels in just six years. Snergs was by far his most popular book published.