Three Hearts And Three Lions (2003) - Plot & Excerpts
Three Hearts and Three Lions is considered one of the classics of modern fantasy fiction. It contains all of the fundamental archetypes of the fantasy genre, and while it may seem cliché by today’s standards, it was original enough in 1953. Also, this novel is credited among the sources that influenced the creation of the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons. It’s easy to see why since the whole story plays out like a good old fashioned D&D campaign.The protagonist of Three Hearts and Three Lions is Holger Carlsen, a Dane living as an engineer in 1930s America, who decides to return to Denmark during WWII to join the resistance against the Nazis (significantly, Anderson too is a Danish-American who was in his teens when WWII broke out). When a bullet grazes Holger’s head during a gunfight, he loses consciousness, only to wake up in an age long past. Waiting for him is a warhorse, a suite of chainmail, a sword, and a shield bearing the heraldry of three hearts and three lions. Strangely, they fit him perfectly. He soon encounters a wood witch who divines that for Holger to return home, he must travel to the land of Faerie, and so his adventure begins.Holger is befriended by a dwarf named Hugi, who plays the role of Holger’s sidekick, and a beautiful swan-may named Alianora, who serves as Holger’s love interest in the tale. As they travel to the Faerie realm, which exists in a perpetual state of twilight, Holger concludes he’s “fallen into a realm beyond his own time.” He comes to learn this world is parallel to our own where the Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne exists alongside the realm of Faerie and creatures from legend, as if the fantasy world of the French Chansons de Geste (the Carolingian Cycle) had come to life. The fantastic realm is called Middle World, which sounds a lot like Middle Earth, but both Tolkien and Anderson likely derived the term from the Midgard of Norse mythology. The land is in a perpetual struggle between the primeval forces of Law (represented by the Holy Roman Empire) and Chaos (the forces of Faerie), and like the Nazis of Holger’s home world, Chaos seeks to make the whole earth its own.Upon arriving at the Faerie castle of Duke Alfric, Holger learns that whoever he is in this world is a notorious enemy of Chaos. After things end badly at Alfric’s court, the story kicks into gear as Holger and his two companions flee from Faerie and encounter a veritable Monster Manual worth of beasties, including a dragon, a giant, a werewolf, a nixie, and a fearsome troll. He also discovers that whoever he is in this world was once the lover of Morgan le Fay – yes, she of Arthurian legend – and now his scorned lover is one of the queens of Chaos. The introduction of Morgan into the story seemed out of place at first, but then I was reminded that the French Chansons de Geste often crossed into the realm of Arthurian legend (and, without giving away the identity of Holger’s alter ego in Middle World, the chansons even include a story about the paladins of Charlemagne and Morgan le Fay).Holger determines he must discover his true identity in this land so he can fulfill whatever destiny has brought him to this world. Along the way, he is joined by a mysterious Moor named Sir Carahue (also of Carolingian fame) who has been searching for Holger. Together with Hugi and Alianora, Carahue accompanies Holger on a quest to retrieve a magical sword named Cortanta, forged of the same metal as Durindal and Excalibur, which can help Holger withstand the gathering forces of Chaos (at least according to the old wizard who sent them on the quest). All of this makes it easy to see how Three Hearts and Three Lions influenced so many fantasy tales and role-playing games that came after it. To me, the most interesting thing about Three Hearts and Three Lions is where it fits into the pantheon of vintage fantasy fiction. Anderson published Three Hearts and Three Lions a year before Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, yet sixteen years after the release of The Hobbit and twenty-one years after Robert E. Howard published his first Conan tale. Because both Tolkien and Anderson borrowed heavily from folklore, it’s hard to tell how much The Hobbit may have influenced Anderson’s tale. The dwarves and elves of Middle World bear little resemblance to Tolkien’s, though the story does have a riddle contest with a giant that’s a lot like Bilbo’s parlay with Gollum, and it’s reminiscent of the scene with the three trolls as well. Of course, playing riddle games with a monster is as old as Oedipus and the mythological sphinx. The point is, each story and myth influences the ones that come after it. And as far as fantasy fiction is concerned, Three Hearts and Three Lions holds a special place in that lineage.
Poul Anderson's "Three Hearts and Three Lions" is hit-and-miss, an effort in which the sum isn't greater than its parts.A man transported to another world.An epic battle between Good and Evil.A series of encounters with a witch, a dragon, a giant, a werewolf, a nixie, an army of cannibals and a troll en route to the final battle against Evil.That should be a blast, right?Wrong.Anderson's novel is too dense. So much happens in the text that it results in a lack of gravitas or wonder.The author also seems confused about the story he's trying to tell. Is it escapism? Is it pastiche? Is it satire?Who knows?The reader is never assured of any greater purpose to Anderson's creative decisions. The novel exhibits multiple tones that distract ultimately from the narrative as a whole. A better author could have used these tonal shifts to improve the overall story, adding nuance and texture to this fantasy novel.Absent this craftsmanship, audiences are left with this chivalric romance's dalliances with pastiche and satire. The novel crumbles under its own weight.After all, Anderson sets the bar rather high for himself. He attempts to recreate the feel of medieval literature, including the use of Middle English. He seems initially to use archaic language in an effort to hammer home the "fish out of water" story elements and underscore the "foreign" nature of these elements. However, the author isn't good enough to pull it off. The period's best work, including "The Lais of Marie de France" and "The Canterbury Tales," remain fresh and vibrant due to their prose. Anderson's writing seems already dated. It is derivative and lifeless.The author also emulates a traditional medieval romance's narrative structure. He attempts to recreate the style's episodic nature and update it for modern audiences. He fails to do so.I could highlight more faults, but I won't. Suffice it to say, Anderson's failures outweigh the successes in this one. A real shame. He had good ideas. Just couldn't execute them.
What do You think about Three Hearts And Three Lions (2003)?
Originally published in 1953, this book was selected for reprint as part of the "Fantasy Masterworks" series, so I thought I would check it out.Holger Carlsen is a Danish-American engineer, who, while involved in a daring attempt to smuggle people out of Nazi-occupied Denmark, finds himself mysteriously transported to a medieval-esque land on the border of Faerie. He awakes naked, with no memory of how he arrived in this place - but finds a knight's steed and trappings sitting next to him, ready for his use, so he sets off on a quest to find a way to get home. Soon joined by an earthy little dwarf, Hugi, and a beautiful, nubile swan-maiden, Alionora, he experiences a set of adventures (in which his knowledge of engineering repeatedly comes in handy), faces the machinations of Morgan le Fay, and gradually comes to realize that his true place may be here, in this magical land.It's a bit cheesy in parts, and suffers from some innate sexism (it was written in the 50's), but overall, a fun, light read.
—Althea Ann
Not since I read the great epic The Broken Sword have I read any of this author's fantasy and I was hoping to be wowed a lot more than I was.The story was okay but had a few little quirks that detracted from my enjoyment such as the pointless Scottish accents of the protagonists two travelling companions and the boundless chauvinism that made me wince when I thought what I female reader might think reading this. It was interesting to see how this had such a strong influence on Michael Moorcock though. Here we see the perpetual struggle between law and chaos, a concept of the multiverse and a hero being drawn across time and space at times of crisis, reminiscent of John Daker and the Eternal Champion. Moorcock was even quoted on the back cover singing the praises of this book so it is clear that the link wasn't incidental.But for me, this just isn't as timeless as "The Broken Sword". I can imagine it felt a lot more original and fresh when it first appeared but now it feels very safe, full of well-worn fantasy tropes and clichés. Not a bad book but of little interest, other than to those studying the history of modern fantasy.
—Simon
I read the is almost 30 years ago. It was one of my father's many Poul Anderson books, and the only one I remembered much about the plot.It turns out that many of the major plot points have become standard tropes over the years. (not that the basic story isn't somewhat a rip-off of other works.)It's self-acknowledged borrowing of A Connecticut Yankee and the ideas of anyone who has ever dreamed of waking in the magical world as escapism from the mundane. Basically anyone who has ever rolled a 20 sided die. The prose and story holds up incredibly well over the years--unlike some of the other books I've revisited (I'm looking at you A.E. VanVogt!)If it wasn't for the lackluster and abrupt ending I'd call it a rousing success that should be added to the classics of the fantasy genre. As it is, it is still quite enjoyable.
—Jeffrey
