The Crystal Palace
 Illustration of the titular Crystal Palace Illustration by Timone Baraldo | |
| Author | Miguel Carvalho |
|---|---|
| Original title | El palacio de cristal |
| Country |  Auratia |
| Language | Auratian |
| Genre | Fantasy Quest Allegory |
| Publisher | Priomundo |
Publication date | 1941 |
Published in English | 1945 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| Pages | 505 pp |
The Crystal Palace (Auratian: El palacio de cristal), also published as The Wizard (El mago), is an epic, high fantasy, allegorical novel written by Auratian soldier and university professor Miguel Carvalho. The Crystal Palace is one the best selling books in Kylaris and Auratia's second-most recognized literary work, with over 140 million copies sold worldwide and translations available in over 80 languages.
Set in the fantastical world of Kaia, the novel follows the adventures of Sam Samam, a meek middle-aged man from the idyllic human community of Ellado (a stand-in for Carvalho's native town Silada Nueve) whose heart secretly yearns for adventure. Sam is picked up by a band of warrior monks, who enlist Sam to carry their supplies. Sam learns that the monks, who are members of the Iridu species—tall, spindly humanoids characterized by baldness and a seemingly dour temparment—are on a quest to rescue the fabled Wizard from the clutches of Soron, a dragon demon who controls a horde of hobgoblins, and liberate the elfin court of the titular Crystal Palace. Along the way, Sam proves himself to be an expert scout, the position Carvalho held in Auratia's resistance, and encounters species and lands he has never before seen.
The novel is widely believed to be an allegory of Carvalho's time in the Great War, though the author himself has never confirmed this. The novel touches upon themes of friendship, loyalty, loss, death, destiny and fate, appearance versus reality, and the overall brutality of war. The Crystal Palace is widely studied for its subversion of the traditional hero's journey.
Background and publication
According to his posthumously published notes, Carvalho conceived the general plot of The Crystal Palace when he was fifteen years old. At the time, Carvalho was living with his paternal uncle with whom he had a rocky relationship. Carvalho, who was an avid artist and cartoonist, sketched out scenes and characters that would later be written into the novel. Carvalho would write short stories and flash fiction to accompany his drawings. These short stories would form the basis of the The Crystal Palace and the novel's episodic style.
Carvalho stopped writing stories at 18, however, when he left his hometown of Silada Nueve and apprenticed as a tinsmith in Hascara in 1924. In 1927, the year the Great War broke out and the September Clan deposed Premier Héctor Alvear, Carvalho's mother Maria died. He was denied the opportunity to return to Silada Neuve and steward his parents' estate by a military blockade of Hascara. In response, Carvalho and many other Hascarans joined the Rose Resistance and orchestrated petty acts of rebellion. Carvalho was first enlisted as a secretary and pamphleteer, but was later thrust into the line of duty in 1930 as a scout. After the victory of the Rose Rebellion, Carvalho was sent to repel Gaullican forces on Auratia's border until the war's end in 1935.
Carvalho finally returned to Silada Neuve in November 1935, where he would rediscover his childhood writings. Carvalho dedicated the next year to writing various drafts of what would become The Crystal Palace. Writing twenty years after the novel's publication, Carvalho said, "[The Great War] is etched into every page of the The Crystal Palace. It informed everything in the book."
Carvalho finished the novel in October 1936, sending it to literary agents. The novel was picked up by Modesto Duque, whom Carvalho had come to know through the resistance in Hascara. The novel was soundly rejected by most publishing houses, who had experimented little with high fantasy. Carvalho admitted to abandoning the project in 1939, though Duque still held out hope. Sometime in late 1939, the newly-founded publishing house Priomundo approached Duque with a deal. Carvalho resignedly agreed and was reportedly paid a modest advance of $1,400. The novel was released in Hascara bookstores by March 1941. At first, Priomundo had no intention to pursue a nation-wide release, much less worldwide publication.
Plot and background
Part One
In the foreword, Carvalho describes general aspects of the world of Kaia and its composition, mainly the different races of Kaian creatures. The novel's narrative opens by observing the protagonist, Sam Samam, who "toils in the work of the ages." A farmer by birth, Samam tends to his chickens, harrows over his soil, and nuzzles his cat Biro affectionately. In the human community of Ellado where Samam resides, every man and family are provided for by The Collective, to whom all give in bounty and all receive their fair share. Samam secretly resents this practice, however, believing that the exceptional hard work he puts into keeping up the farm is wasted on propping up society's lazy.
Most of all, Samam is discontent with his life. He writes in his diary that he seeks adventure in the great unknown, to brave challenges none like him have ever faced. Samam's wishes are prophetically answered when, the next day, a group of tall, lithe, and bald human-like figures bearing distinctive facial markings arrive at Samam's hut. Samam, having read far and wide, recognizes them as the Iridu, a tight-knit, closed-lipped race of warrior monks tasked with protecting ancient knowledge. The Iridu, led by Chief Aitur, convince Samam to follow them on a perilous journey, but they refuse to describe the nature of their mission. Samam, though wary, accepts, believing that he will be trained as a valiant warrior. When Samam asks Chief Aitur why they chose him, Aitur responds with the much-quoted oxymoron that his selection was "the happenstance of destiny."
Samam leaves Biro the Cat with his neighbors and embarks with the Iridu. Much to his chagrin, Samam learns that, instead of training, he is destined to be the Iridu's baggage-handler. He is frightened when Aitur tells him that there is a good possibility that he will never return. He soon discovers that the Iridu are cold, severe creatures that give off nothing in the way or care or affection, at least so it seems. Samam considers ditching the Iridu camp at night, but decides against it.
Sensing Sasam's misgivings, Aitur and the Iridu inform Sasam of their goals. They are journeying the Crystal Palace in the Far East to liberate the elfin lords led by King Mildioro from the clutches of Soron the Dragon, a demon from the "darkest pits and the deepest caves of Kaia." Soron has waged constant war on the lands of the East, and Aitur warns that, if Soron is not stopped, the war will spread to the lands of the West, including idyllic Ellado. With newfound resolve, Samam decides to continue with the Iridu, trusting in their visions of the future and the fate of the world.
The travelers first happen upon the werecats. The werecat chief Poa mistakes the Iridu for hostiles and orders his soldiers to ambush them. The Iridu and Samam are tied up to be roasted alive, but Aitur is able to reason with the chief. The Iridu ask the chief to supply them with their best scout. Chief Poa agrees, sending his daughter Soala with the group and providing the Iridu with horses. They leave of peaceful terms.
Soala and Sasam develop a close friendship, bonding inspite of the otherwise stiff-lipped Iridu, and form what many scholars have interpreted to be a budding romance. One night, as the group is passing through a gorge, they discover a goblin encampment with larders filled to the brim with food. The hungry and beleaguered Iridu send Soala to steal supplies and pilfer gold coins. Sasam, yearning for action, secretly accompanies her as the Iridu are busy building a campfire. Sasam proves to be an exceptional scout in his own right, devising an ingenious plan to maneuver Poala past the guards, into the larder, and out of the encampment. Sasam's plan works, but in his excitement he loses his balance on a cliff and tumbles down. Poala is able to escape to a nearby thicket of trees, but Sasam is caught. Before the goblins can drag Sasam back to their encampment, the Iridu arrive in the nick of time, repelling the goblins and spiriting Sasam and Poala away.
Because they have been discovered, the group is forced to continue on foot and relocate. Chief Aitur chastises Poala and Sasam for their foolishness, accusing them of jeopardizing the integrity of the mission. However, when the other Iridu propose returning Poala and Sasam to the lands whence they came, Aitur intervenes on their behalf, declaring that they are integral to the mission.
In a vale, the group is discovered by the Great Owls. Like the Iridu, the Owls are majestic creatures known for their wisdom and insight. Chief Aitur beseeches the blessings of the Owl Chief, which he grants. However, upon leaving, the Owl Chief warns the group to "never rear from what is ahead."
As the group travels up the Eight Mountains, Sasam encounters creatures he had heretofore never seen. On journeying across the mountain pass, the group discovers what seems to be an impasse, a tall lump of rocks obstructing the path. Sasam suggests finding a way around the impasse, but Aitur refuses, opting to retrace their steps and find a different route. When the other Iridu raise objections, Aitur rebuffs them. Aitur believes the path of destiny lies elsewhere. Begrudgingly, the Iridu accept and the group reverse course. When no other path is found, Aitur orders the group to hunker down near a cave.
Late in the night, a regimen of goblin troops catch up to the group and, aided by the goblin dwellers in the nearby cave, ambush the sleeping Iridu. In the ensuing mayhem, the Iridu are able to rally behind Aitur. Sasam and Poala are left unaccounted for, however, and they are quickly snatched up by the goblin horde. Poala attempts to free herself from a goblin but knifing it in its thigh. She is initially successful, but is quickly overwhelmed. In response to the attack, a goblin shoves Poala off a cliff side, and she tumbles to her death. Sasam screams, but is quickly sedated.