I really liked this novel. I'm always amazed by LeGuin's imagination. It's kind of based on an outdoor hiking trail version of a "Wardrobe" (as in, the Lion the Witch, & the Wardrobe) through which one can access a sort of alternative life in a twilit world that where time almost stands still. Mysteries and questions abound in this book. If unanswered questions bother you, the Beginning Place will probably bother you quite a bit. There are many roads not taken in this book. There is a lot to be read between the lines. Lord Horn made me think of Christopher Lee in Wicker Man. The "romance" part of novel is the least important part. I feel like it's there to make the ending more upbeat. The Beginning Place was a quick read for me, but I think I should read it again.

July 2021 update: Re-read partly so that I could satisfy a challenge for my Local Library's summer reading program, & partly because I had the idea to write a song based on the book. Upon re-reading, I've decided Lord Horn looks more like the late great Max von Sydow. If anything, Master Sark is more like Lord Summerisle.