My first taste of Victorian fantasy (first published 1858). 21-year-old Anodos ("pathless" or "ascent" in Greek--both of which suit him) awakes one morning to find he has been transported to Fairy Land, a magical land of "bewildering loveliness," inhabited by ethereal beings of great beauty and dark creatures of menace. Traveling through the land to find his way home, Anodos pursues mysterious maidens, discovers a hidden palace seemingly made for him, and ponders the nature of reality.

Very philosophical with lush, complex, beautiful language (if a bit moralizing), this book was light on plot but dense with poetry.