I just played the video game Felvidek, which is set in 15th century Slovakia and uses archaic English in its dialogue, really really fun game. Now I’m looking for other modern books written in a similar style, but not things like Beowulf where they were always written that way. I’m also not specifically interested in fantasy, anything is good. Thanks
by Ql9v
3 Comments
The one that jumps out at me as a recommendation is The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth, written entirely in a hybrid of old and modern English – booker prize long listed and a great story!
The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth, about a man living through the French invasion of England in 1066. It’s a modern novel (2014) but written entirely in Old English. The first few pages are incredibly daunting, but once it clicks you start reading it like any other novel.
It’s really immersive, but also quite bizarre and somewhat experimental, but I absolutely loved it. Probably in my top 5 books of all time.
I guess the other one that might be of interest is Riddley Walker by Russel Hoban. Although technically post apocalyptic it is set in a ‘new iron age’ and is written in an imagined language after 3000 years of drift from our own.