From the Realm of Morpheus


From the Realm of Morpheus is a novel by Steven Millhauser published in 1986 by William Morrow and Company.

Contents

PART ONE
I. The Descent
II. The Tale of Ignotus
III. The Library of Morpheus
IV. The Tale of Morpheus and Volumina
V. Minor Tales
PART TWO
VI. The Tale of Helko and Ikli
VII. The Tale of Morpheus and Vivayne
VIII. The Tale of the City in the Sea
IX. The Tale of a Voyage to the Moon
X. Envoi: Hymn to Morpheus

Plot

"Narrator Carl Hausman's descent into an underground portal to the domain of Morpheus recalls Alice's tumble into the White Rabbit's hole or Dante's tour of the Inferno with his guide Virgil."

Publishing history

Millhauser began writing the novel in the late 1970s; the manuscript had reached over one thousand pages when he and his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, discussed its merits. Knopf considered the length excessive and insisted that Millhauser make deletions; Millhauser refused to do so and Knopf declined to publish. Biographer Earl G. Ingersoll writes:
Millhauser would return to Knopf after he won the Pulitzer Prize for Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer.
The novel was ultimately accepted by William Morrow and Company after Millhauser consented to shorten the novel.
In the aftermath of his struggle and failure to publish his original manuscript, Millhauser underwent "a disenchantment with the aggression of length" that led him to further explore shorter forms of fiction.

Reception

Literary critic Michiko Kakutani at the New York Times describes From the Realm of Morpheus as little more than a showcasing of classical myths and fantastic figures from European literature.
Kaukutani adds that despite its "imaginative playfulness and minute, naturalistic detail" the volume "feels more like clever embroidery, worked on themes and ideas patented by the masters."
The Washington Post's Michael Dirda observes that Millhauser's literary talents reach their zenith in these stories, but adds this caveat:
New York Times critic John Crowley warns the author that "parodying a whole body of literature" involves risks:

Critical appraisal

Critic Earl G. Ingersoll locates the novel's "lack of critical success" in Millhauser's deviation from the "conventional notions of a novel." Indeed, From the Realm of Morpheus may only "in a limited sense be classified as a novel."
Ingersoll argues that the unconventional structure of the novel—a "conglomeration"of sections varying in length—defies discovery of an "organizing principle." Ingersoll suggests that excising a number of shorter sections from the novel, or leaving out the sequence concerning the trip to the moon, would not violate the narrative, such that one exists.
Ingersoll reserves special mention for the novella-like section "The Tale of Ignotus," which successfully matches its narrative with "the Renaissance theme of art vs. life."