One for the Morning Glory

by John Barnes

Book Overview

The Tale began when young Prince Amatus secretly sipped the forbidden Wine of the Gods, leaving him half the lad he'd once been--literally--for his left side suddenly vanished without a trace! But, as... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312861060
• ISBN13: 9780312861063
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 319 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Better than The Princess Bride

I've found most fantasy reading to be worse than romance novels. The plots, ideas and characters are so predictable that I skirt the library's fantasy section like a hospital wing full of plague victims. However, Barns' "One for the Morning Glory" is a real gem. Much like Goldman's "The Princess Bride" it plays upon the horrid stereotypes of the genre with great wit and charm. The story employs the usual cast of goblins, witches etc, but remains original and captivating while never taking itself too seriously. If you like "The Princess Bride" but skipped through the many monotonous parts, "One for the Morning Glory" is definitely your kind of read. It moves quickly through a series of action packed adventures which reinvigorate this tired genre. It's a much better and frankly easier read than "The Princess Bride" and boasts equal amounts of charm, exploit and humor.

Not typical Barnes, but very delightful

One of the best fantasy fairy tales out there; witty, touching, and self-referential as it consciously tries to define its own fairy tale rules. Though Barnes is much better known for his hard science fiction, I actually enjoyed his quirky foray into fantasy even more.

read between the lines

I read this book and loved it. Like the best John Barnes books I've read (e.g. Earth Made of Glass), the author resists the temptation to just give us what we want, which would result in a much shallower book. With Barnes' superb writing and ability to draw the reader in, a shallower book would probably be very entertaining and possibly more popular. I'm glad he went for a meatier treatment, though. I believe that One for the Morning Glory isn't so much about Amatus and the fantastic world he lives in as it is about fantasy and reality and how fairy tales were originally written to instruct rather than to entertain, and possibly about many other themes which I haven't grasped yet. My wife recently read the book, and we had the most amazing conversations afterwards. This is a book to make you think. If you're looking for simple entertainment, read Patton's Spaceship. If you want to be entertained and also inspired to think about the world in new ways, read One for the Morning Glory.

Excellent

I picked up "One for the Morning Glory" off of the remainder table at my local bookstore. I, too, was attracted by the cover art. I was completely unfamiliar with John Barnes other works. I love fairy tales and this is an excellent story. I could not put the book down once I started reading it. Another reviewer complained that the identity of the Four Companions was never explained. I think if you consider what Amatus needed to complete himself (and I'm not talking about his physical self) you will understand the Four Companions. A great book for lovers of fairy tales.

It Reads Like Watching the "Princess Bride".

I work in a bookstore and I read quite a bit of science fiction/fantasy. I must admit the art by Charles Vess drew me to this book, so I picked it up and read the back. The idea of a young prince, missing one side of his body, going on adventures with fiendly but mysterious companions intrigued me. About three months after buying it, I finally got around to reading it (as I stated, I work in a bookstore, hence I buy and read many books). After the first page and a half I was hooked. Mr. Barnes writing style was very fluid and much like a classic fairy tale. The reference to the Spinx's riddle and to J.R.R.Tolkien's "The Hobbit" was also very enjoyable. This would have to be the best stand-alone fantasy I have read in at least two years! When I tried to think of a way to describe this book to my friends, the phrase that came to mind was that it reads like watching the "Princess Bride". In closing I'd like to add that three of my friends now own a copy and at least 3 customers I have shown the book to were very pleased with it and have picked up other novels by John Barnes. Thank you for your time