Lord Dunsany's Plays of Near & Far isn't a novel with a single plot. It's a cabinet of curiosities, filled with very short, imaginative plays and sketches. They bounce between two settings: the 'Near' of familiar, often stuffy, English drawing-rooms and country estates, and the 'Far' of invented, mythical lands with names like Arglen and Zoon.

The Story

There isn't one story, but many little windows into other worlds. In one, a group of bored socialites in a garden accidentally summon a menacing, ancient figure from a nearby barrow. In another, a man tries to sell his soul to a new, more convenient god because the old ones are too much trouble. A ghostly legion silently passes a manor, seen only by a child. A king in a far-off land seeks a perfect joke to save his kingdom from gloom. Each piece is a vignette, a sudden collision between the ordinary and the utterly fantastic, usually resolved in just a few pages.

Why You Should Read It

I love this book because it feels like a direct line to an unfiltered imagination. Dunsany isn't building a logical fantasy epic; he's sketching dreams. His prose is simple but poetic, creating vivid images with few words. The magic feels old and wild, and the humor is dry and clever. The characters in the 'Near' stories are often hilariously pompous, completely unprepared for the magic that interrupts their tea. It’s this contrast—the utterly mundane meeting the utterly impossible—that gives the book its unique charm and occasional chill.

Final Verdict

This is a perfect book for a curious reader who likes their fantasy in small, potent doses. If you enjoy the eerie hints of magic in someone like Neil Gaiman or the witty, idea-driven stories of Saki, you'll find a kindred spirit in Dunsany. It's also great for anyone who writes or creates, as a masterclass in packing a big idea into a tiny space. Don't go in expecting epic battles or complex lore. Go in expecting to be pleasantly bewildered, to chuckle, and to occasionally glance nervously out your own window, just in case.