A Difficulty with Dwarves

by Craig Shaw Gardner

Book Overview

When a wizard is unable to cure his malady of magicks, he sends his apprentice Wuntnor to seek aid in the distant land of the Eastern Kingdoms which are ripe with fiendish peril. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441147798
• ISBN13: 9780441147793
• Release Date: December 1987
• Publisher: Ace
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.5" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Brownie Power!

Craig Shaw Gardner spins another winning tale in the first part of the Wuntvor trilogy, sequel to the Ebenezum trilogy. Old characters return and new ones pop up as Wuntvor desperately tries to save the world from the Netherhells, with the help of an oaf with a magic club, an amorous unicorn, a trio of demons, a talkative brownie, a Dragon and a Damsel, and a ferret.After the events of "Night in the Netherhells," Wuntvor and Co. are safe. At first. Then it's discovered that Ebenezum's allergy to magic has spread to every wizard in Vushta. To make matters worse, Guxx Unfunfadoo has been deposed as Grand Hoohah, and soon the world will be Conquered by Committee. As the wizards puzzle out what to do, Wuntvor tries to deal with the animosity of some very large, angry apprentice wizards and the affections of dancing damsel Alea and jealous witch Norei. (Also the unicorn, who lusts after "Wuntie"'s lap.)The wizards decide to send Wuntvor on a journey to the Eastern kingdoms, where giants reportedly eat people, and which is ruled by Mother Duck. (Yes, Mother Duck -- Gardner ventures into fairy-tale territory in this one) He's soon being confronted by Death, who announces that he is the "Eternal Apprentice" -- he'll reincarnate a thousand times as the quintessential apprentice, but Death can claim him if he is ever alone. The problem for Death is, Wuntvor has more than enough company: the exiled Guxx and Brax, the irritating Brownie, Snarks the truthful demon, Hendrek and his club, overamorous Alea and her singing dragon, and the pushy unicorn. Can Wuntvor keep from being claimed by death -- either by being alone, or by being eaten on pumpernickel?Gardner's golden touch is turning to platinum in this book. His talents for kooky characters and overcomplicated conversations are getting better as time goes on. Perhaps the biggest problem with "Difficulty With Dwarves" is that it ends with a "to be continued." (The dwarves mentioned in the title are the "seven OTHER dwarves," including but not limited to Sickly, Nasty, Spacey, Smarmy... you get the idea)Poor Wuntvor is still trying to keep up with events around him, and Ebenezum is trying to decide what to do (he makes another appearance inside a giant shoe). To really understand the cast of characters (oh yes, Cuthbert the cowardly sword appears as well) you have to read the Ebenezum trilogy. It's complex and outstandingly funny, with plenty of jumbled dialogue that never trips over itself. Ever seen a bumbling, inexplicably attractive hero defeat a giant with a magical toothpick? That's what you'll see here. Fans of fantasy and fairy tales will enjoy seeing the staples of both being relentlessly spoofed in "Difficulty with Dwarves," and will be left bouncing with anticipation for the next book.

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I love this series. It's witty, entertaining, and a wonderful silly adventure.

Wonderful! Funny! Fantastic!

In Vushta, city of a thousand forbidden pleasures, there is something wrong. Every wizard there now sneezes when near magic! They all cought this cold when trying to cure their fellow wizard, Ebenezum, greatest mage in the Westerm Kingdoms! It seems like another quest is in the offerings, for, in the meantime, the demons in the Neatherhells, after failing to conquer the surface world, have settled on something new, something more horrifing then the Grand Hoohah, (don't ask!) Conquest by comittee. So, boldly, Ebenezum's appentice, Wuntvor, must set off alone, to try to talk the great and horrifing ruler of the Eastern Kingdom, Mother Duck, into helping them. At first the bold lad is alone upon his quest, (all his companions from the last quest were too busy arguing who shoud go and who shouldn't come), which is exactly the way someone, or rather, something wants him. Death Itself appears to Wuntvor, and reveals that the lad is only the latest reincarnation of the Eternal Apprentice, forever destined to aid true heros in his bumbling, inept way, with the help of any number of magical companions. And since he is forever being reincarnated if he dies, he is forever beyound Death's grasp, (something that drives the specter wild) unless he's alone. Well, Wuntvor happens to be alone at that moment. But before Death can take him to his kingdom, several unexpected companions arive. First there is one of Wunt's 500 magical ferrets. (He conjured it with a magic hat.) Then Tap the Brownie arrives, just in time to scare Death off. Two deamons, Gruxx Unfufadoo, former enemy of Wunt and former Grand Hoohah (don't ask)! and Braxx, traveling Salesdemon join up. Then the vadville act of dasmel and dragon show up. There is also the Warrior Hendrek, and the truthtelling deamon Snarks, as well as a unicorn that longs after Wunt's lap. But they soon learn that Mother Duck has made a pact with the Neatherhells, and intends to take them all to the Storybook, (they would have prefered being baked into bread!) Is this the end? I really love this book, but had to get it from a Z-shop. I recommend it to everyone and everything with a sense of humor!

A great start to a terrific trilogy

Difficulty with dwarves is a great book. It is about an apprentice wizard named Wuntvore, an unlikely hero with a lot of problems. The novel starts of in Vushta City of a thousand pleasures He is searching for a cure fore his master Ebeniesum The greatest wizard of all time, who unfortunately has a sneezing malady caused by Gux an anoying Deamon who is bent on destroying the above world. I loved this book and anyone who enjoys a funny story line of absolutely bizarr events should read this book. The other two are just as good