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Conan the Barbarian Original Series #2
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Cimmerian. Black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer… Discover how it all began. Conan the Barbarian spawned a hundred imitators. Find out why with these tales from his early life. From the Tower of the Elephant to Beyond the Black River, follow Robert E. Howard's greatest creation as he cuts a bloody swathe through the history of Hyborea. Over 350 pages of epic action, personally selected by the makers of the new film and the greatest Robert E. Howard scholars. “A hero of mythic proportion, fashioned by a storyteller who helped define what a modern fantasy should be” Raymond E. Feist. Conan. Warrior, Hero, Legend.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1934
About the author
Robert E. Howard
2,709 books2,429 followersRobert Ervin Howard was an American pulp writer of fantasy, horror, historical adventure, boxing, western, and detective fiction. Howard wrote "over three-hundred stories and seven-hundred poems of raw power and unbridled emotion" and is especially noted for his memorable depictions of "a sombre universe of swashbuckling adventure and darkling horror."
He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.
—Wikipedia
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
He is well known for having created—in the pages of the legendary Depression-era pulp magazine Weird Tales—the character Conan the Cimmerian, a.k.a. Conan the Barbarian, a literary icon whose pop-culture imprint can only be compared to such icons as Tarzan of the Apes, Count Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and James Bond.
—Wikipedia
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
February 10, 2017
This is a collection of novellas about the swashbuckling adventures of the wandering Barbarian Conan. Conan's instincts are uncivilized which means he is aware of things that lesser mortals (including the feisty lady pirate Valeria) cannot detect. And so he roves over the ancient world, seeking loot, adventure and amorous conquests. He is basically not a bad guy to have on your side, in spite of the fact that he is lustful, covetous and supremely confident in his own abilities. The only cracks in his armour seem to be his fondness for booze and his fear of the occult--but even these are not much of a handicap.
The writing is pulpy, sometimes racist, and often sexist (with Valeria being the grand exception), not unlike the writing of Burroughs. There are clear references to the depravity of dark-skinned people. There are many references to the muscles of men and the erotic allurements of women; as with James Bond, most females, despite initial resistance, succumb to the macho mystique of Conan. And yet, if the reader can get past the dated qualities of the prose, the stories are exciting. Go figure.
The writing is pulpy, sometimes racist, and often sexist (with Valeria being the grand exception), not unlike the writing of Burroughs. There are clear references to the depravity of dark-skinned people. There are many references to the muscles of men and the erotic allurements of women; as with James Bond, most females, despite initial resistance, succumb to the macho mystique of Conan. And yet, if the reader can get past the dated qualities of the prose, the stories are exciting. Go figure.
April 13, 2018
'Conan, what is best in life?' Love this quote from the film Conan The Barbarian. By far Arnold Swartznegger best film. If it were not for Robert E Howard we would not have seen Arnold play the part of Conan. He really is Conan, just like I imagined he would look like in the book. The remake with the guy from the Game Of Thrones was very poor, compared to Arnie who could match that. Maybe they should have dyed his hair though, Conan is not blonde. Anyhow Arnie should have made more of these films; Conan The Invincible never came to fruition; as he had the perfect physique for the part. I suppose the wrinkly old Arnie of today could play Conan The Great Great Grandfather, lol!
I also have the soundtracks of the two Conan films by Basil Poledouris. Fantastic. Seems everything associated with Conan is just brilliant.
These books are great. If you like high adventure and lots of swordplay then I strongly recommend the Conan books , and the Arnie films too.🐯👍
I also have the soundtracks of the two Conan films by Basil Poledouris. Fantastic. Seems everything associated with Conan is just brilliant.
These books are great. If you like high adventure and lots of swordplay then I strongly recommend the Conan books , and the Arnie films too.🐯👍
November 11, 2021
Gnome Press was a small publishing company that brought many classic science fiction and fantasy titles into book form for the first time; they were active from the very late 1940's into the very early 1960's. The company was run by David A. Kyle and Martin Greenberg (not the famous anthologist of later years), and was plagued by charges of questionable practices and a small budget, but nonetheless were instrumental in advancing the field. Among the most famous of their books was the first publication of Howard's Conan stories since they had appeared in Weird Tales magazine in the 1930's. They produced a seven-volume series (including two written in posthumous collaboration with L. Sprague de Camp), of which this was the fourth, in 1954. The Gnome books were the forerunners of the famous Lancer series that made Conan, Howard, and Frank Frazzetta household names in the late 1960's-early 1970's. The title was re-used by other publishers and writers (and movie makers!), but this is a distinct and separate volume. The stories included are Black Colossus, Shadows in the Moonlight, A Witch Shall Be Born, Shadows in Zamboula, and The Devil in Iron, some of the best in the Howard Conan canon. The cover is by the legendary Ed Emshwiller, and shows Conan looking a lot more like a clean and polished Roman centurion than the comics or Frazzetta visions.
August 10, 2011
Of all the seminal Fantasy works, there are certain authors that are named as setting the standard. Before Tolkien, there was Robert E. Howard, whose epic tales have entertained readers for over eighty years.
Here, to tie in to the latest impending film (starring Jason Momoa) we have what I will describe as a Conan primer. It’s not ‘the Complete Conan’ of twenty-one stories (you’d need the lovely Gollancz leather bound Black Library edition for that), but instead a select grouping of eight novella/novelettes, one article setting out the fictional world of Conan, one piece of verse (‘Cimmeria’) and a brief paragraph biography of Howard. The stories originally date from 1933 – 1953, with most published in 1934.
This short time of intensive publication is such for a very sad reason. Howard killed himself, following the death of his mother, at the age of thirty in June 1936. Most of his Conan tales therefore were written between 1932 and 1936, and set in the Hyborean Age, which Howard described as a time after the disappearance of Atlantis but before present civilisations appeared.
The tales included here are: The Tower of the Elephant; Rogues in the House; The Frost Giant’s Daughter; Queen of the Black Coast; A Witch Shall Be Born; The People of the Black Circle; Red Nails; Beyond the Black River; and the background article for the stories, The Hyborian Age.
The selection is generally a good one. The tales are not in written/publication order, but instead broadly chronologically throughout Conan’s life. The Conan in The Tower of the Elephant is described as ‘a youth’, the Conan of Beyond the Black River an older man.
So what will the reader new to the Conan stories get from this collection? Those who know Conan only through the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies may be surprised by what they read here. The Conan of the tales is a more multi-faceted character than those of the 1980’s movies. That’s not to say that he isn’t a killer – he dispatches a rogue in the first four pages! – but as we read, Conan in the stories, more so than the films, is more thoughtful, intelligent, resourceful and cunning.
There are also much darker aspects to these tales, which were not as paramount in the movies. Many of the things Conan fights against are occult-based, or even Lovecraftian. In the first tale alone, The Tower of the Elephant, for example, Conan encounters a blind deformed creature from ‘the green planet Yag’ held captive, and fights giant spiders and an ancient sorcerer to attain a treasured jewel. There are tales here of witches and Pictish wizards, demons and hints at ‘the Elder Worlds’, which give the impression that there is more to this world than we might initially conceive in such short stories.
This should not be too much of a surprise, given that Howard was a friend and regular correspondent with H.P. Lovecraft and it is clear that they shared similar interests in writing. It’s not just coincidence that most of Howard’s stories here were published in Weird Tales, the literary residence of Cthuluian H.P.
What works here throughout, still, and like Lovecraft, is that dazzling baroque of images and places as Conan goes from one challenge to the next:
"By the side of the caravan road a heavy cross had been planted, and on this grim tree a man hung, nailed there by iron spikes through his hands and feet. Naked but for a loin-cloth, the man was almost a giant in stature, and his muscles stood out in thick corded ridges on limbs and body, which the sun had long ago burned brown..." ”
"A Witch Shall Be Born"
And this from a writer of mid to late twenties in age! If you can cope with, or indeed relish, such dialogue as “Keep back, you barbarian dog! I’ll spit you like a roast pig!” or “I killed three of the blue bearded beasts, by Ishtar!” then you’ll love these. They are rip-roaring reads that can take the reader away to other worlds and places, and must have been nectar to a Fantasy reader in the 1930’s.
There are, however, some aspects that work less well to the modern palette. The tales are of Conan’s meetings with the other races of Howard’s world, and, as you might expect, there are parallels with more earth-bound cultures and races that will have been in keeping with the 1930’s viewpoint and less so today. The tales are about race and racism:
“The blonde Achaians, Gauls and Britons, for instance, were descendants of pure-blooded AEsir... ...and from pure-blooded Shemites, or Shemites mixed with Hyborian or Nordic blood, were descended the Arabs, the Israelites, and other straighter-featured Semites.”
"The Hyborian Age"
Anyone using the term ‘pure-blood’ these days uses it with caution. The Hyborian/European, not to mention Shemitish/Semitic similarity has been noticed by many. In these tales, the Shemitish hook noses are mentioned and may sit a little uncomfortably with the contemporary reader.
Similar points can be made about the role of women here too. Even when there are female characters, Conan’s world is very masculine and the threats to him are often from women (Queen of the Black Coast; A Witch Shall Be Born) when they’re not being lusted over. (Psychologists could have a field-day!) Women in this primitive world are often there as ‘wenches’, to be servile, tamed, wooed and fought against.
In this collection we have Queen of the Black Coast, with Conan becoming a notorious pirate and plundering the coastal villages of Kush alongside Bêlit, a strong-willed pirate queen and Conan’s first lover:
“She turned toward Conan, her bosom heaving, her eyes flashing. Fierce fingers of wonder caught at his heart. She was slender, yet formed like a goddess: at once lithe and voluptuous. Her only garment was a broad silken girdle. Her white ivory limbs and the ivory globes of her breasts drove a beat of fierce passion through the Cimmerian's pulse, even in the panting fury of battle. Her rich black hair, black as a Stygian night, fell in rippling burnished clusters down her supple back. Her dark eyes burned on the Cimmerian.”
We also have Red Nails, Conan’s last Conan tale published in his lifetime, which unusually for Howard is told mainly from the female viewpoint of Valeria, though Howard’s description of her is hardly politically correct:
“She was tall, full-bosomed, and large-limbed, with compact shoulders. Her whole figure reflected an unusual strength, without detracting from the femininity of her appearance. She was all woman, in spite of her bearing and her garments. The latter were incongruous, in view of her present environs. Instead of a skirt she wore short, wide-legged silk breeches, which ceased a hand's breadth short of her knees, and were upheld by a wide silken sash worn as a girdle. Flaring-topped boots of soft leather came almost to her knees, and a low-necked, wide-collared, wide-sleeved silk shirt completed her costume. On one shapely hip she wore a straight double-edged sword, and on the other a long dirk. Her unruly golden hair, cut square at her shoulders, was confined by a band of crimson satin.”
Whilst not defending Howard, these two examples are typical of a view prevalent at the time of writing. Bearing in mind the audience Howard was writing for at the time (predominantly, though not exclusively, young men), it can perhaps be understood, if not agreed with.
Put together out of their original context, with the reader not waiting a month or more until the next tale, the two examples above show that these stories can appear a little repetitive and unremittingly intense. Howard was not afraid of using similar words and phrases when working on time schedules seen as ridiculously short these days, for very little wage. Most readers would not realise the similarities, having read them a month or more apart.
Despite these not-inconsiderable issues, Conan is one of the seminal templates of epic Fantasy, and therefore should be read by all interested in the origins of the genre. Nearly eighty years on, for all their faults, the stories still have an energy and an intensity that will keep contemporary readers entertained, if they can read them in their original context.
In summary, this edition is what I would call ‘Conan-light/lite’. It serves as a great introduction to Howard’s writing, and for the uninitiated is a great place to be introduced to the Cimmerian. For some that may well be enough, and if that is so, then this book gives you a good idea of what Howard has to offer. Others may well want to go further, and so I will point them then to ‘the full-fat collection’ for more.
In my opinion, if the new film, due later this month, follows these tales more closely it should be a good one. Here’s hoping!
Here, to tie in to the latest impending film (starring Jason Momoa) we have what I will describe as a Conan primer. It’s not ‘the Complete Conan’ of twenty-one stories (you’d need the lovely Gollancz leather bound Black Library edition for that), but instead a select grouping of eight novella/novelettes, one article setting out the fictional world of Conan, one piece of verse (‘Cimmeria’) and a brief paragraph biography of Howard. The stories originally date from 1933 – 1953, with most published in 1934.
This short time of intensive publication is such for a very sad reason. Howard killed himself, following the death of his mother, at the age of thirty in June 1936. Most of his Conan tales therefore were written between 1932 and 1936, and set in the Hyborean Age, which Howard described as a time after the disappearance of Atlantis but before present civilisations appeared.
The tales included here are: The Tower of the Elephant; Rogues in the House; The Frost Giant’s Daughter; Queen of the Black Coast; A Witch Shall Be Born; The People of the Black Circle; Red Nails; Beyond the Black River; and the background article for the stories, The Hyborian Age.
The selection is generally a good one. The tales are not in written/publication order, but instead broadly chronologically throughout Conan’s life. The Conan in The Tower of the Elephant is described as ‘a youth’, the Conan of Beyond the Black River an older man.
So what will the reader new to the Conan stories get from this collection? Those who know Conan only through the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies may be surprised by what they read here. The Conan of the tales is a more multi-faceted character than those of the 1980’s movies. That’s not to say that he isn’t a killer – he dispatches a rogue in the first four pages! – but as we read, Conan in the stories, more so than the films, is more thoughtful, intelligent, resourceful and cunning.
There are also much darker aspects to these tales, which were not as paramount in the movies. Many of the things Conan fights against are occult-based, or even Lovecraftian. In the first tale alone, The Tower of the Elephant, for example, Conan encounters a blind deformed creature from ‘the green planet Yag’ held captive, and fights giant spiders and an ancient sorcerer to attain a treasured jewel. There are tales here of witches and Pictish wizards, demons and hints at ‘the Elder Worlds’, which give the impression that there is more to this world than we might initially conceive in such short stories.
This should not be too much of a surprise, given that Howard was a friend and regular correspondent with H.P. Lovecraft and it is clear that they shared similar interests in writing. It’s not just coincidence that most of Howard’s stories here were published in Weird Tales, the literary residence of Cthuluian H.P.
What works here throughout, still, and like Lovecraft, is that dazzling baroque of images and places as Conan goes from one challenge to the next:
"By the side of the caravan road a heavy cross had been planted, and on this grim tree a man hung, nailed there by iron spikes through his hands and feet. Naked but for a loin-cloth, the man was almost a giant in stature, and his muscles stood out in thick corded ridges on limbs and body, which the sun had long ago burned brown..." ”
"A Witch Shall Be Born"
And this from a writer of mid to late twenties in age! If you can cope with, or indeed relish, such dialogue as “Keep back, you barbarian dog! I’ll spit you like a roast pig!” or “I killed three of the blue bearded beasts, by Ishtar!” then you’ll love these. They are rip-roaring reads that can take the reader away to other worlds and places, and must have been nectar to a Fantasy reader in the 1930’s.
There are, however, some aspects that work less well to the modern palette. The tales are of Conan’s meetings with the other races of Howard’s world, and, as you might expect, there are parallels with more earth-bound cultures and races that will have been in keeping with the 1930’s viewpoint and less so today. The tales are about race and racism:
“The blonde Achaians, Gauls and Britons, for instance, were descendants of pure-blooded AEsir... ...and from pure-blooded Shemites, or Shemites mixed with Hyborian or Nordic blood, were descended the Arabs, the Israelites, and other straighter-featured Semites.”
"The Hyborian Age"
Anyone using the term ‘pure-blood’ these days uses it with caution. The Hyborian/European, not to mention Shemitish/Semitic similarity has been noticed by many. In these tales, the Shemitish hook noses are mentioned and may sit a little uncomfortably with the contemporary reader.
Similar points can be made about the role of women here too. Even when there are female characters, Conan’s world is very masculine and the threats to him are often from women (Queen of the Black Coast; A Witch Shall Be Born) when they’re not being lusted over. (Psychologists could have a field-day!) Women in this primitive world are often there as ‘wenches’, to be servile, tamed, wooed and fought against.
In this collection we have Queen of the Black Coast, with Conan becoming a notorious pirate and plundering the coastal villages of Kush alongside Bêlit, a strong-willed pirate queen and Conan’s first lover:
“She turned toward Conan, her bosom heaving, her eyes flashing. Fierce fingers of wonder caught at his heart. She was slender, yet formed like a goddess: at once lithe and voluptuous. Her only garment was a broad silken girdle. Her white ivory limbs and the ivory globes of her breasts drove a beat of fierce passion through the Cimmerian's pulse, even in the panting fury of battle. Her rich black hair, black as a Stygian night, fell in rippling burnished clusters down her supple back. Her dark eyes burned on the Cimmerian.”
We also have Red Nails, Conan’s last Conan tale published in his lifetime, which unusually for Howard is told mainly from the female viewpoint of Valeria, though Howard’s description of her is hardly politically correct:
“She was tall, full-bosomed, and large-limbed, with compact shoulders. Her whole figure reflected an unusual strength, without detracting from the femininity of her appearance. She was all woman, in spite of her bearing and her garments. The latter were incongruous, in view of her present environs. Instead of a skirt she wore short, wide-legged silk breeches, which ceased a hand's breadth short of her knees, and were upheld by a wide silken sash worn as a girdle. Flaring-topped boots of soft leather came almost to her knees, and a low-necked, wide-collared, wide-sleeved silk shirt completed her costume. On one shapely hip she wore a straight double-edged sword, and on the other a long dirk. Her unruly golden hair, cut square at her shoulders, was confined by a band of crimson satin.”
Whilst not defending Howard, these two examples are typical of a view prevalent at the time of writing. Bearing in mind the audience Howard was writing for at the time (predominantly, though not exclusively, young men), it can perhaps be understood, if not agreed with.
Put together out of their original context, with the reader not waiting a month or more until the next tale, the two examples above show that these stories can appear a little repetitive and unremittingly intense. Howard was not afraid of using similar words and phrases when working on time schedules seen as ridiculously short these days, for very little wage. Most readers would not realise the similarities, having read them a month or more apart.
Despite these not-inconsiderable issues, Conan is one of the seminal templates of epic Fantasy, and therefore should be read by all interested in the origins of the genre. Nearly eighty years on, for all their faults, the stories still have an energy and an intensity that will keep contemporary readers entertained, if they can read them in their original context.
In summary, this edition is what I would call ‘Conan-light/lite’. It serves as a great introduction to Howard’s writing, and for the uninitiated is a great place to be introduced to the Cimmerian. For some that may well be enough, and if that is so, then this book gives you a good idea of what Howard has to offer. Others may well want to go further, and so I will point them then to ‘the full-fat collection’ for more.
In my opinion, if the new film, due later this month, follows these tales more closely it should be a good one. Here’s hoping!
February 7, 2017
So I have a theory. Ernest Hemingway was famous for trying to excise as many adjectives and adverbs from his writing as possible, and of course he has many imitators. I think that Robert E. Howard is a grammatical portrait of Dorian Grey, and all those adjectives and adverbs that all those writers cut from their books made their way into Howard's.
I have no problems with descriptive writing, and I can appreciate something that embraces being over-the-top, but Conan is rather ridiculous. He took his massive sable barbarian axe, and with his mighty steely sinews he cleaved the abstract concept of "over-the-top" into two bloody, twitching, blubbery pieces, and the force of his blow rent the air like a thunderclap, so that all the civilized people who stood near, watching in awe, covered their ears and cowered in womanish fear.
I have no problems with descriptive writing, and I can appreciate something that embraces being over-the-top, but Conan is rather ridiculous. He took his massive sable barbarian axe, and with his mighty steely sinews he cleaved the abstract concept of "over-the-top" into two bloody, twitching, blubbery pieces, and the force of his blow rent the air like a thunderclap, so that all the civilized people who stood near, watching in awe, covered their ears and cowered in womanish fear.
September 7, 2011
It's nice to see a complete compilation like this. It would have gotten 5 stars if the publisher had spent a little more time looking for typos and had hired a cover artist who had a passing familiarity with human anatomy. Seriously, Conan looks like his shoulders are hunched way too far forward and I don't know what the heck is going on with his feet.
Shelved as 'abandoned'
January 11, 2017Picked this up because it was a cheap binding of many of Howard's Conan stories. I've since gotten the much more thorough and accurate Del Rey collection, which I suggest highly. This edition doesn't include any of the stories De Camp altered and finished, publishing them under Howard's name posthumously, so one need not worry about bowdlerization or other tampering.
Curiously, this edition was published in Thailand, which is likely cheaper, but I wonder if they are also profiting by the fact that in most countries besides America, Howard's stories recently entered the public domain, which isn't likely to happen here as long as the Mickey Mouse Laws keep getting passed.
What marks this book as particularly cheap are the slapdash illustrations, one of which is featured on the cover in blotchy color. If this is the same John Ridgway who made a name for himself in 2000AD, Hellblazer, and Judge Dredd, I'm at a loss to explain the sad quality of the art here. There are occasionally signs of quality in the hatching or backgrounds, but for the most part the drawings are indistinct, lacking in chiaroscuro dynamic, and the anatomy is flat and ungainly. Perhaps it was a rush job, perhaps Ridgway is suffering from a recent hand injury--or perhaps the publishers decided it would be cheaper to publish his roughs rather than pay for completed pieces.
I mean, this is the internet age, there are tons of great, young artists out there just giving their work away for free, so it shouldn't be a problem to actually get some solid Conan art, even if they don't have name recognition. I was reading a few stories in here, but now that I've found my Del Rey, I think I'll switch to that.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
Curiously, this edition was published in Thailand, which is likely cheaper, but I wonder if they are also profiting by the fact that in most countries besides America, Howard's stories recently entered the public domain, which isn't likely to happen here as long as the Mickey Mouse Laws keep getting passed.
What marks this book as particularly cheap are the slapdash illustrations, one of which is featured on the cover in blotchy color. If this is the same John Ridgway who made a name for himself in 2000AD, Hellblazer, and Judge Dredd, I'm at a loss to explain the sad quality of the art here. There are occasionally signs of quality in the hatching or backgrounds, but for the most part the drawings are indistinct, lacking in chiaroscuro dynamic, and the anatomy is flat and ungainly. Perhaps it was a rush job, perhaps Ridgway is suffering from a recent hand injury--or perhaps the publishers decided it would be cheaper to publish his roughs rather than pay for completed pieces.
I mean, this is the internet age, there are tons of great, young artists out there just giving their work away for free, so it shouldn't be a problem to actually get some solid Conan art, even if they don't have name recognition. I was reading a few stories in here, but now that I've found my Del Rey, I think I'll switch to that.
My Fantasy Book Suggestions
September 16, 2011
"Conan" is an anthology of the original stories by Robert E. Howard, although it is by no means an exhaustive compilation. Tragically, Howard committed suicide in his early 30's before he could add to his body of work. For fans of "Conan the Barbarian", this anthology establishes the foundation of the "sword and sorcery" genre we have come to associate with Conan, as well as the terms and verbage. Mighty "thews", "rude" huts, don't you just love it! Howard also gives a brief history of how the Hyborean Age came into being as part of the foreword, which I found to be very enlightening. The Conan books that came later drew heavily on the precedents established by Howard (Robert Jordon in particular comes to mind). I enjoyed this book immensely and heartily recommend it.
August 8, 2011
A collection of classic Conan tales, repackaged with a new jacket to tie-in to the new movie coming out. This edition includes:
The Tower of the Elephant (pg 1)
Rogues in the House (pg 27)
The Frost-Giant's Daughter (pg 54)
Queen of the Black Coast (pg 63)
A Witch Shall Be Born (pg 95)
The People of the Black Circle (pg 141)
Red Nails (pg 226)
Beyond the Black River (pg 212)
The Hyborian Age (pg 372)
Cimmeria (verse) (pg 397)
and, to be honest, I'd be more inclined to give the book 1.5 stars (except GR doesn't do 1/2 stars) than 2: I preferred some of my other 2-star rated books, but this wasn't as bad as some of my 1-star rated books either.
The Tower of the Elephant (pg 1)
Rogues in the House (pg 27)
The Frost-Giant's Daughter (pg 54)
Queen of the Black Coast (pg 63)
A Witch Shall Be Born (pg 95)
The People of the Black Circle (pg 141)
Red Nails (pg 226)
Beyond the Black River (pg 212)
The Hyborian Age (pg 372)
Cimmeria (verse) (pg 397)
and, to be honest, I'd be more inclined to give the book 1.5 stars (except GR doesn't do 1/2 stars) than 2: I preferred some of my other 2-star rated books, but this wasn't as bad as some of my 1-star rated books either.
October 17, 2017
Klasyka. Poszczególne opowiadania są schematyczne, kiczowate, ale na swój sposób urocze. W ostatnich opowiadaniach fabuła staje się coraz bardziej złożona, pojawiają się postacie (też kobiece!), które są równoprawnymi bohaterami. Można zauważyć jak Robert Howard z każdym kolejnym opowiadaniem rozwijał swój warsztat.
Miło spędziłem czas z Conanem, który nie okazał się tępym osiłkiem, lecz bacznym obserwatorem otaczającego go świata.
Miło spędziłem czas z Conanem, który nie okazał się tępym osiłkiem, lecz bacznym obserwatorem otaczającego go świata.
January 30, 2022
3.25
Jednym słowem - fajna.
Miło jest poczytać książkę, która na dobrą sprawę była archetypem dla wielu wielu obecnych książek fantasy, patrząc na dodatek na fakt, że liczy ona sobie przeszło 80 lat.
Mimo (bądźmy sczerzy) sporego kawałka czasu czyta się ją równie przyjemnie jak dzisiejsze.
Czy brakuje głębi? Oczywiście
Czy Conan jest dziełem, które opisuje poczynania barbarzyńcy biegającego w gaciach i z mieczem ratującego bezbronne niewiasty? Oczywiście
Ale to grzeszki które można wybaczyć protoplaście gatunku fantasy.
Jednym słowem - fajna.
Miło jest poczytać książkę, która na dobrą sprawę była archetypem dla wielu wielu obecnych książek fantasy, patrząc na dodatek na fakt, że liczy ona sobie przeszło 80 lat.
Mimo (bądźmy sczerzy) sporego kawałka czasu czyta się ją równie przyjemnie jak dzisiejsze.
Czy brakuje głębi? Oczywiście
Czy Conan jest dziełem, które opisuje poczynania barbarzyńcy biegającego w gaciach i z mieczem ratującego bezbronne niewiasty? Oczywiście
Ale to grzeszki które można wybaczyć protoplaście gatunku fantasy.
March 20, 2020
Conan's life as having been on the throne, changes forever and became the reason for his death.
His intellect was noted as a peaceful warrior, a cimmerian. His adventure away from his history, landed him with thieves. He was never again a peaceful warrior without another intellectual understanding. He died.
His intellect was noted as a peaceful warrior, a cimmerian. His adventure away from his history, landed him with thieves. He was never again a peaceful warrior without another intellectual understanding. He died.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2020
Gigantycznie się ubawiłem tytanicznymi, krwawymi, miażdżącymi, wielkimi jak najwyższa góra, gargantuicznymi, monumentalnymi, nadludzkimi, niebosiężnymi, stalowymi (ew. hartowanymi w najlepszych zbrojowniach), ponadludzkimi, muskularnymi, piekielnymi i kolosalnymi przymiotnikami.
A poza tym horrendalna to ramotka. I te kobiety - poza jedną, królową piratów - które omdlewały w przepastnych jak ocean ramionach Conana. I to, że każda, nieważne jak harda i uparta - znów zdaję się na mą nieujarzmioną pamięć - ma w sobie strunę uległości, którą wystarczy, że potrąci mężczyzna o pierwotnej sile, a wtedy staje się ona miękka, alabastrowa i spazmatycznie oddana.
Przepastne 1,5 gwiazdki.
A poza tym horrendalna to ramotka. I te kobiety - poza jedną, królową piratów - które omdlewały w przepastnych jak ocean ramionach Conana. I to, że każda, nieważne jak harda i uparta - znów zdaję się na mą nieujarzmioną pamięć - ma w sobie strunę uległości, którą wystarczy, że potrąci mężczyzna o pierwotnej sile, a wtedy staje się ona miękka, alabastrowa i spazmatycznie oddana.
Przepastne 1,5 gwiazdki.
November 7, 2022
What to say about Conan the Cimmerian that has not been said before?
Excellent sword and sandal tales in a vibrant prehistoric world filled with ancient ruins, hideous demons, and foul sorcery.
Downside, for all their modern feel, they are also very much a product of their time.
Excellent sword and sandal tales in a vibrant prehistoric world filled with ancient ruins, hideous demons, and foul sorcery.
Downside, for all their modern feel, they are also very much a product of their time.
May 30, 2018
Love the Conan books, a must read for anyone mystified by the films, the character, the games..
May 26, 2018
Конан е един от любимите ми герои, на чиито приключения се радвам от дете. За пръв път обаче чета самия първоизточник на тези приключения - самия Хауърд. Въпреки огромната дистанция във времето съм очарован. Хауърд звучи така сякаш е написал Конан преди няколко години, а не преди почти век.
Оригинален сюжет, забързано действие, един уникален свят.... и самия Конан Варварина, разбира се. Това ни дава Робърт Хауърд в тази мъничка книжка.
Оригинален сюжет, забързано действие, един уникален свят.... и самия Конан Варварина, разбира се. Това ни дава Робърт Хауърд в тази мъничка книжка.
July 27, 2023
High fantasy the way it’s supposed to be. 975 stars.
May 19, 2022
Задължителната класика за всеки фен на фентъзито. Любопитна е близостта в стиловете на Хауърд и Лъвкрафт - темите за алтернативната история на света, деволюцията на човешкия вид, досега на човек с други расини измерения, също и класическото възприятие за варварство и цивилизация. Светът на Конан изглежда изграден от клишета за съвременния читател, но тези образи на възприятие от Бел Епок, запазени в Междувоенния период съвсем не са клишета за времето, в което са писани. Напротив, те отразяват едно поствикторианско възприятие на света и различните култури,което доминира "евроатлантическата" мисъл поне до средата на Студената война.
March 19, 2017
Racist. Sexist. Formulaic. Sometimes laughably overwritten. And yet ...
For all their many flaws, Howard's Conan stories (this edition covers nine of the later tales) are still being read for good reason. He was a master of action, pace and atmosphere. While some of the prose is deepest purple and much of the dialogue exposition, he often writes beautifully and the stories overflow with imagination.
As for Conan himself, all he's interested in is women, killing and loot - but sex, greed and violence are primary drivers of humanity. Morally, Conan is pretty appalling - he's usually only heroic in contrast to the purely evil villains - but he has a kind of simple, absolute purity to him. That's why he's become an icon.
The sexism actually isn't as bad as I'd expected. There's plenty of damsels in distress and oodles of gratuitous nudity and sexualised violence. But there's also just as many descriptions of muscular male bodies as nubile female ones, and the heroines are almost all brave. Some, like Belit, Yasmina and Valeria, are commanding.
It's the racism that is really hard to ignore. There are many scenes out of a Klansman's rants - beautiful white women menaced by dark-skinned hulks, black cannibals, degenerate brown-skinned races. Howard seems disturbingly obsessed with race, and given his times (Texas in the 1920s and '30s) and the pulp publications he was writing for it isn't surprising the stories are stuffed with ugly stereotypes.
However, if you can hold your nose, there is a lot to enjoy. For fantasy aficionados, reading Robert E. Howard is an education on one of the architects of the genre.
For all their many flaws, Howard's Conan stories (this edition covers nine of the later tales) are still being read for good reason. He was a master of action, pace and atmosphere. While some of the prose is deepest purple and much of the dialogue exposition, he often writes beautifully and the stories overflow with imagination.
As for Conan himself, all he's interested in is women, killing and loot - but sex, greed and violence are primary drivers of humanity. Morally, Conan is pretty appalling - he's usually only heroic in contrast to the purely evil villains - but he has a kind of simple, absolute purity to him. That's why he's become an icon.
The sexism actually isn't as bad as I'd expected. There's plenty of damsels in distress and oodles of gratuitous nudity and sexualised violence. But there's also just as many descriptions of muscular male bodies as nubile female ones, and the heroines are almost all brave. Some, like Belit, Yasmina and Valeria, are commanding.
It's the racism that is really hard to ignore. There are many scenes out of a Klansman's rants - beautiful white women menaced by dark-skinned hulks, black cannibals, degenerate brown-skinned races. Howard seems disturbingly obsessed with race, and given his times (Texas in the 1920s and '30s) and the pulp publications he was writing for it isn't surprising the stories are stuffed with ugly stereotypes.
However, if you can hold your nose, there is a lot to enjoy. For fantasy aficionados, reading Robert E. Howard is an education on one of the architects of the genre.
February 11, 2012
The plots aren't suspenseful, but the world Robert E. Howard creates in these stories is well fleshed out through the use of great language mastery. The characters have degrees of development, and can vary from categorically evil to being motivated by circumstances. Written before the works of Tolkien and other masters of the fantasy genre, these are great stories for those who want to enjoy a primeval fantasy world in which life, although definitely not easier, is simpler.
As far as I am aware, the handful of black ink illustrations throughout the book were not included when the stories were originally published, but provide a 'rough around the edges' feel which is appropriate for these works.
The book cover statement "The original, unabridged adventures of the world's greatest fantasy here" should be interpreted to mean "A selection of nine original, unabridged adventures of the world's greatest fantasy hero, and one essay." While the book runs over 500 pages and the stories are excellent, there are over fifteen more Conan stories by Robert E. Howard which have been published. This collection appears to have been taken from the middle years of Howard's roughly 12 year writing career.
As far as I am aware, the handful of black ink illustrations throughout the book were not included when the stories were originally published, but provide a 'rough around the edges' feel which is appropriate for these works.
The book cover statement "The original, unabridged adventures of the world's greatest fantasy here" should be interpreted to mean "A selection of nine original, unabridged adventures of the world's greatest fantasy hero, and one essay." While the book runs over 500 pages and the stories are excellent, there are over fifteen more Conan stories by Robert E. Howard which have been published. This collection appears to have been taken from the middle years of Howard's roughly 12 year writing career.
January 12, 2015
I was prepared to not like this book when I picked it up. I expected the sexism of the 1930s and have probably seen way too much cover art featuring scantily clad women with unrealistic figures! I'm glad that I overcame my prejudices and plunged in. The cover art on this edition didn't do Conan any favours--it is not at all the way that I imagined him. I was pleasantly surprised by how active the women in the stories were--there was a little bit of swooning, but usually they were participating members of the adventure. And although Conan was interested in them as women, he was quite determined to win their favours, as opposed to overpowering them. There were echoes of H. Rider Haggard's book "She" which I adored when I was in high school, complete with some pretty (to us) obvious racism. I found Howard's use of modern and mythological place & character names to be evocative--I felt like I knew the world, which was obviously not the current earth we inhabit. Compared to E.E. Smith's writing from the same time period (Galactic Patrol, First Lensman, etc.), Conan is a surprisingly well rounded & complex character. Highly recommended as a historical romp in the sword & sorcery genre.
July 27, 2014
I picked up this 'primer' collection of Conan stories for free at the 2014 Eastercon mostly because I've never read any Howard before and felt that it was a missing part of genre education.
The stories are a mixed bunch of shorts, novelettes and novellas, along with a poem and a background article on the Hyborian age (the mythical age of the world in which the stories are set). Due to the archetypical nature of Conan and his world, the stories actually felt quite familiar, given everything that has come afterwards. They're fun enough to read, if you don't mind the purple prose but the treatment of women and the casual racism do raise a sour note.
These are pretty much to be expected in the context of the time, and at least some of the women get to be pretty hard as well (the two I'm thinking of are both pirates, now that I come to think about it), although the gratuitous, lingering descriptions of their bodies and their general purpose as 'damsels in distress' or something for our hero to lust over feels a bit icky.
Still, as I say, they're fun stories and pretty foundational to the sword'n'sorcery genre. I sort of wish I'd encountered and read them when I was younger. They're made for teenage boys.
The stories are a mixed bunch of shorts, novelettes and novellas, along with a poem and a background article on the Hyborian age (the mythical age of the world in which the stories are set). Due to the archetypical nature of Conan and his world, the stories actually felt quite familiar, given everything that has come afterwards. They're fun enough to read, if you don't mind the purple prose but the treatment of women and the casual racism do raise a sour note.
These are pretty much to be expected in the context of the time, and at least some of the women get to be pretty hard as well (the two I'm thinking of are both pirates, now that I come to think about it), although the gratuitous, lingering descriptions of their bodies and their general purpose as 'damsels in distress' or something for our hero to lust over feels a bit icky.
Still, as I say, they're fun stories and pretty foundational to the sword'n'sorcery genre. I sort of wish I'd encountered and read them when I was younger. They're made for teenage boys.
June 6, 2016
Jestem naprawdę zaskoczony tym, jak wiele przyjemności sprawiła mi ta książka. Pomimo swoich całkiem masywnych rozmiarów i pewnego stałego schematu, który pojawiał się w większości opowiadań okazała się ona rewelacyjną książką fantasy. Jest to pełen klimatu zbiór opowieści ze świetnie zarysowanym światem i bohaterami, godna polecenia każdemu fanowi gatunku. Widać tutaj także jak postać Conana została strywializowana przez wszelkiego rodzaju filmowe adaptacje. Z czystym sumieniem mogę powiedzieć, że stałem się fanem Conana Barbarzyńcy.
I’m really surprised how much fun I was having reading this book. Despite its large size and some repetitive scheme which we can see in most of the stories, it appeared to be an extraordinary fantasy book. This is the set of stories full of atmosphere with a greatly crafted world and heroes, a story that can be recommended to every fan of such genre. We can also see how the main hero, Conan, was trivialized in every film adaption. With a clear conscience I can say that I became a fan of Conan The Barbarian.
I’m really surprised how much fun I was having reading this book. Despite its large size and some repetitive scheme which we can see in most of the stories, it appeared to be an extraordinary fantasy book. This is the set of stories full of atmosphere with a greatly crafted world and heroes, a story that can be recommended to every fan of such genre. We can also see how the main hero, Conan, was trivialized in every film adaption. With a clear conscience I can say that I became a fan of Conan The Barbarian.
May 31, 2013
This is a must read for fans of the sword and sorcery genre, as well as fans of the Conan franchise. Reading the original stories has really changed my perspective on the genre and Conan himself. You can really see the roots of the genre here laid out. Its fun to see how the style has changed so much over the decades.
Most of my contact with Conan has been through the comic books, as well as the movies. I was surprised to see so much emphasis on pirates and such a strong Arabian influence. Seeing Conan in silk pants and brandishing a scimitar was eye opening, to say the least. The newest movie doesn't seem so far off the mark now, either. It was most definitely aimed more at the original stories, rather than the later ones.
Most of my contact with Conan has been through the comic books, as well as the movies. I was surprised to see so much emphasis on pirates and such a strong Arabian influence. Seeing Conan in silk pants and brandishing a scimitar was eye opening, to say the least. The newest movie doesn't seem so far off the mark now, either. It was most definitely aimed more at the original stories, rather than the later ones.
July 5, 2013
Pulp fiction is at its best when straight not giving a shit. Want some dinosaurs, wizards and bloody warfare in the same story? Why not! Want to have a racist cult of slaves that are tolerated by their masters? Done!
The Conan stories are pretty solidly entertaining. They aren't doing anything fancy or new, nor would they try to. And some of the racism is not subtle. I wonder if Howard was TRYING to be be racist or just relying on cultural cliches. Hard to say ... but the sexism is blatant. With the (possibly) exception of Valeria in "Red Nails", the women are pretty much all sluts or totally helpless vehicles for Conan's 'affection'. Troubling, but Howard's market was men who were looking for fantasy gratification. Product of the times/market.
Either way, still entertaining enough.
The Conan stories are pretty solidly entertaining. They aren't doing anything fancy or new, nor would they try to. And some of the racism is not subtle. I wonder if Howard was TRYING to be be racist or just relying on cultural cliches. Hard to say ... but the sexism is blatant. With the (possibly) exception of Valeria in "Red Nails", the women are pretty much all sluts or totally helpless vehicles for Conan's 'affection'. Troubling, but Howard's market was men who were looking for fantasy gratification. Product of the times/market.
Either way, still entertaining enough.
November 7, 2014
Edisi novel yang saya miliki dan baca ini merupakan edisi yang diterbitkan sempena tayangan filem Conan The Barbarian pada tahun 2011. Lebih tepat lagi,buku ini merupakan koleksi cerita-cerita pendek yang pernah diterbitkan di dalam beberapa medium penerbitan sebelumnya pada sekitar tahun 1930-an.
Novel ini boleh dianggap sebagai sebuah pengenalan yang baik mengenai Conan,suatu watak kepahlawanan Sword and Sorcery yang amat popular. Apabila nama Conan disebut,mungkin ada di kalangan kita yang teringat babak-babak aksi berpedang yang dilakonkan oleh aktor terkenal Hollywood Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Novel ini boleh dianggap sebagai sebuah pengenalan yang baik mengenai Conan,suatu watak kepahlawanan Sword and Sorcery yang amat popular. Apabila nama Conan disebut,mungkin ada di kalangan kita yang teringat babak-babak aksi berpedang yang dilakonkan oleh aktor terkenal Hollywood Arnold Schwarzenegger.
June 2, 2011
Prior to reading this collection I was only familiar with the Conan of the movies and the Conan the Adventurer cartoon from the early 90’s. Robert E Howard’s Conan is a very different character, and a much more interesting and complex one at that. I’m glad I took the time to delve into the original Conan, in spite of the terrible cover art.
The tales are pulpy, and generally short, and are remarkably similar to Vance’s Dying Earth in tone if not style. While Vance tends toward more grandiose language, Howard tends to keep things simpler.
December 13, 2014
Interesting to read (some) of the story that spawned the movies and cartoons that fueled a part of my adolescence. I would have never bet after seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jason Momoah's performances that Robert Howard could be so litterate. I'm also surprised that even though Conan is obbiously every inch the muscled hero the movies made him out to be, he was rarely the main character and most stories are told from the point of view of someone who saved/kidnapped or otherwise influenced by the Cimmerian.
A great read for anyone who has ever shown an interest in fantasy genre.
A great read for anyone who has ever shown an interest in fantasy genre.
January 22, 2013
Entertaining! "Queen of the Black Coast" and "Red Nails," a pirate story and a tale set in a creepy completely enclosed city, respectively, were my favorites. (It helps that--while nearly all the stories were not half as misogynistic as I expected, considering when the stories were written--these two had some of the best leading ladies. Howard definitely lets his female pirates run ruthless.)
The racism throughout is something awful, though. I recommend reading the opening essay about the Hyborian Age; if you can make it through that, you can make it through the other stories.
The racism throughout is something awful, though. I recommend reading the opening essay about the Hyborian Age; if you can make it through that, you can make it through the other stories.
January 6, 2017
A collection of short stories about the world of Conan, where the women are lithe and shapely, the villains vile and degenerate, and Conan is Conan. Low fantasy with a hint of cosmic horror. If you ever wondered what Lovecraft would look like if the main character was a sword-wielding engine of destruction, Conan is your man.
The writing style is impossible to take seriously -- one could play a drinking game with the author's favourite adverbs and adjectives -- but thoroughly enjoyable if you don't.
The writing style is impossible to take seriously -- one could play a drinking game with the author's favourite adverbs and adjectives -- but thoroughly enjoyable if you don't.
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