From the Realm of Morpheus is a novel by Steven Millhauser published in 1986 by William Morrow and Company.Ingersoll, 2014 p. 241: Selected Bibliography
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."Ingersoll, 2014 p. 35-36 And: pp. 35-42: A number of plot sketches provided here.
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.Ingersoll, 2014 p. 3-4: Millhauser's third novel "has a special place in his heart because he worked on it for almost a decade and experienced difficulty getting it published." Knopf considered the length excessive and insisted that Millhauser make deletions; Millhauser refused to do so and Knopf declined to publish.Ingersoll, 2014 p. 4-5: 'Millhauser resisted Knopf's demand that its thousand-plus manuscript pages be reduced." 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 (1996).Ingersoll, 2014 p. 35
The novel was ultimately accepted by William Morrow and Company after Millhauser consented to shorten the novel.Ingersoll, 2014 p. 4, p. 35
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.Ingersoll, 2014 p. 35, And: p. 42: "After From the Realm of Morpheus he focused on short stories and novellas..."
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."Ingersoll, 2014: "...less than overwhelming response..." Indeed, From the Realm of Morpheus may only "in a limited sense be classified as a novel."Ingersoll, 2014 p. 35: "In a limited sense of the term, From the Realm of Morpheus may be classified as a novel."Dirda, 1990: "...a group of bawdy wonder stories, marketed 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, 2014 p. 36 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."Ingersoll, 2014 p. 37
Footnotes
Sources Crowley, John. 1986. UNDERGROUND WITH MIRRORS AND MERMAIDS. New York Times, October 12, 1986. https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/12/books/underground-with-mirrors-and-mermaids.html Accessed 15 April 2025. Dirda, Michael. 1990. BOOK WORLD: In Which Wonders Never Cease. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/06/18/book-world/56465a51-ee02-42e1-a5b8-46751919e1dc/ Accessed 16 April 2025. Gabinski, Andrzej. 2009-2010. Steven Millhauser: Interview. Short Fiction (journal) No. 6. Interview conducted from October 6, 2009 to June 6, 2010 by Andrzej Gabinski.https://www.shortfictionjournal.co.uk/stevenmillhauser Accessed 10 May 2025. Ingersoll, Earl G. 2014. Understanding Steven Millhauser. The University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC. Kakutani, Michiko. 1986. BOOKS OF THE TIMES. New York Times, September 17, 1986.https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/17/books/books-of-the-times-599186.html Accessed 20 April 2025. Millhauser, Steven. 1986. From the Realm of Morpheus.'' William Morrow and Company, New York.