Just Say No To Mary Sue
I don’t read a lot of typical contemporary fantasy novels. Indeed, I tend to actively avoid the usual post-Tolkien stuff as much as I can. I think my distaste for this fare dates to my studied rejection of the “Thomas Covenant” series and the wretched “Sword of Shannara” all the way back in the ’70s. The pre-Tolkien stuff Lin Carter and others excavated? Si se puede! The more modern stuff? Please spare me.
That said…
Lord Dunsany
I have had to travel a very long road to really appreciate Lord Dunsany’s work. Even though I knew he was a tremendous influence on Lovecraft and other writers I liked, I struggled and failed to get into his books every time I picked one up. I must have tried to read Dunsany’s novel, and his masterpiece, The King of Elfland’s Daughter four or five times. I attribute my slow approach to his books to my own immaturity. I guess there are some authors I had to wait to attain to my forties to really appreciate.