Well at Worlds End Vol 1

Beginning simply in the little kingdom of Upmeads, it traces the story of Ralph, the youngest son of the homely ruling house, who sets out in quest of the Well at the World's End, and tells of his desperate adventures in the Wood Perilous, at the Burg of the Four Friths, with the sinister Fellowship of the Dry Tree, and with many another diversion encountered on the Road. The rhythm of the story moves like the rhythm of life, moments of high and sudden excitement overtaking pools of reflective quiet as Ralph moves steadfastly toward his objective, despite the many side-progressions of idyllic love, jealousy, murder and adventure which seek to deflect him. The fantasy is shot through with the small, human realities of a young man making his way in an utterly strange world, learning and growing in stature as he goes. It is a classic journey, and a classic quest. William Morris was a staggeringly talented man. He was architect, sculptor, author, musician, artist and translator extraordinary; he designed fabrics, glass and furniture, musical instruments and, undoubtedly, primitive labor-saving devices. It seems that any activity in which he was interested became at once an area for fresh creation, and of a superlative quality. He was probably the nineteenth century's most protean Renaissance man. THE WELL AT THE WORLD'S END is William Morris's literary masterwork.