Customer Reviews

The Dragon and the Unicorn

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The tales of King Arthur have seen many incarnations, from simple warlord to the ornately intertwined tales of Camelot. Conversely, tales of the Norse gods have been curtailed into (usually) simple retellings of the Elder and Prose Edda. In this book, the tales of Camelot, of the Norse, of the Celts, of history, mythology, cosmology and haigiography coexist and push each other around, each trying to achieve dominance.

This is not an easy book to read. I don't mean "Finnegan's Wake" level of difficulty, but rather there is a lot of presumed knowledge -- you know many tales of Uther, Ygraine, Odin, Niggdur, and at least a passing acquaintance with figures of Irish/Celtic folklore. In addition, you are presumed to be literate and that you enjoy obscure words. If you can get past these hurdles, however, you will find an enjoyable and enriching tale.

This is not a simple retelling of old tales. The tales are woven together, often clashing, sometimes melding. A few of the characters are what you would expect, but many of them have altered, strongly or subtley -- Merlin is, indeed, half-demon, born of a virgin, but the tale is not as simple as that; Furor is Odin, but with a different take on the invasion of Britain by the Anglo-Saxons. The Romans, Christians, and other historical groups and personalities have their roles, but it is often difficult to distinguish the history from the mythology. This is something I enjoy, but may bother others.

I believe that a challanging read is a good thing. To merely find what you expect in a book can be tedious. Often this works pushes you to the limits, but keep a dictionary nearby and several books of basic mythology -- with these tools you will not become lost.

Although this book is a at first little hard to get into simply because of its poetic and lyrical style, once you are acquainted with Attanasio's descriptive and unique story-telling, you'll find yourself swept up in a tale of such breath-taking imagery that you'll feel as though earth no longer is a place of mundane routine and solely human reign, but really is the home to mystical beings whose power and actions drive the inner fires of its heart. With a spell-binding finale, this book, written in the present tense, is a journey written by a literary master, who weaves the traditional Arthurian saga into a powerful tale that keeps you captivated until the end.

I've read at least a dozen tellings of the story of Merlin and Arthur, but this is by far the most original. Attanasio weaves together Norse and Celtic beliefs with elements of Christianity to create a rich and fascinating cosmic struggle. This new mythology, starting at the beginning of time, provides a backdrop for the "birth" and development of Merlin.

The writing is exceptional... fluid and magical. The characters are engaging and complex.

This book is a great read by itself, as well as a wonderful introduction for Attanasio's later books.

I think one of the problems is trying to judge this book on the myths it was based on, or on the story of king arthur. This book isn't just a mere retelling, but a complete reworking. To get lost in its accuracy toward Christian or Norse mythology is to miss the greater point, that this book is ultimately about redemption amidst monumental failures. In that respect, it can be just as inspirational as any musty Scripture if not more so.

This is an Attanasio tour de force, blending an incredible array of different ideas from myth and legend into a gripping story. It isn't your father's Arthur--but it's dense and engaging and exciting. I can see that some might be offended at the mixing of myths from different times and different places, and the addition of Attanasio's own "backstory". But we're talking about fantasy here, not some sort of historical treatise. And the tradition of cobbling together Christian and Pagan mythologies into amazing fantasy was started with Tolkien along with the whole genre. The lushness of Attanasio's prose may also strike some as overwritten but to me its brilliant. This is a sophisticated author at the height of his powers and he vastly outclasses most of the other entries in the field.

To anyone who has ever had a combined interest in mythology, sociology, history and life in general this is a great book to fit on your shelf. In so many ways it touches the different sides of people and gives a personal light to the universe around us. It has death, love, magic and joy. It is a good book to help shape anyone's collective existance.

Where can I start? 1st off, open your mind to new ideas. Attanasio takes mythology as you know it and blinds it into one big mythos. Your going to be given norse, greek/roman, christian, celtic, Indian, etc. ideas and themes. I personally found after a couple of chapters that it was easier to follow the story as if it was fresh to me. Don't expect the same old King Arthur legend either. This is one of those books that you have to sit and think and really read to enjoy. Personally Lovecraft is the hardest thing I've ever read. Attanasio isn't that bad, but he uses big words and alot of symbolism. I don't say this as a knock against the book, just a warning. It's a little complecated. With that said it's a beautiful story. Extreamly vivid. I think that it's a great new idea to the old legends of Arthur. If your an avid fantasy fan and don't mind taking the time to read and digest the story you'll love it.

What are waiting for? Go buy this book and get started. You wont be disappointed.

RS

An exquisitely crafted tale which deftly blends elements of the Arthurian legend with Norse mythology and paganism.

Although less erudite readers may find Attanasio's vernacular somewhat cumbersome (those with weak hearts or iron-poor blood need not apply), many will find the author's willingness to apply his profound vocabulary to a fantasy title (of all things!) refreshing and unexpected. Pretentious? Not in the least. Attanasio ALWAYS chooses the right word and never comes across as a writer intent on showing off his chops. He is just too damned talented not to shine brilliantly with every turn of the page.

I'll be looking forward to the release of "The Serpent and the Graal".

To be frank, the only reason this novel caught my eye were the words "unicorn" and "dragon". I have forever been a fan of the mystical world, especially that of the Legend of Arthur and am also a fanatic when it comes to Celtic topics. Although the book at first was near impossible to get into, once you did it was like jumping into the icy river rapids, regretting the first few moments, but when it's all done it was obviously well worth the trip! Now, I read it again and again just to understand the little and sometimes more significant symbols in the book.

I love the premise, mostly because very few writers have really tried to explore the origins of Uther and his life in his own right. Much of the mythology the author lays out is interesting in idea, mixing Celtic, Christian, Roman, and on and on. Some of his theories get a little mixed up, but his ideas of Fire Lords and the birth of the universe are essentially worthwhile.
Many have commented on Attanasio's poetic prose, which I agree with to a point. He has many beautifully crafted lines, but I often found myself skimming over them, just in trying to get to some real meat of a story. I imagine he pumped up this aspect to lend to the mythic feel of the work, but in contrast to someone else in the genre like Samuel Delaney, this author still has much to learn in controlling that poetic voice.
More than anything what is missing from this cosmological epic is a sense of humanity. All the characters seem to be dragged around from point to point, event to event without much concern or consideration for what's occurring within them. Uther in particular is challenged at the core of his belief, but this is all solved rather quickly. Some of his problems might be fixed by focusing more on a core character, and their are at least three in this novel, not leaving much time for full exploration of the character.
Attanasio is trying something a little different from the typical thread of sword and sorcery books. While not wholly successful, it is still worthwhile if you are a fan of the genre.