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The Mists of Avalon

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Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon" is one of my favorite versions of the Arthurian legend. I first read the novel in the early 1990s, right after its publication. I reread it recently and was surprised at how much I enjoyed this extraordinary novel the second time around. I turned the pages more slowly and took more time to savor Ms. Bradley's excellent narrative and fresh version of the legendary saga of the rise and fall of Camelot. Her take on the classic characters gives them new depth and dimension. She tells her tale from a feminine perspective, and while the King and knights of Camelot dwell on war, battles and keeping their golden city and realm safe, along with focusing on chivalric honor, the women have different priorities and concerns.

The tale is told from the points of view of the much maligned Morgaine, (Morgana Le Fey), Priestess of Avalon and Gwenhwyfar, (Gwynivere), Christian princess and future queen of Camelot. Although most of the events of the traditional Arthurian legend are presented here, it is extremely interesting how the tale, told by men, changes when viewed through the eyes and experiences of a woman. This is also the important story of the political and religious conflict between the new Christianity and the "old ways" of goddess worship. Believers of each religion seek to control the throne, but ultimately Christianity ascends to be the organized religion of the land. Since Morgaine is a Druid High Priestess, it would explain why she received such a bad rap in Christian civilization. The reader also views other famous female characters from a different vantage point, including Igraine, Morgaine's and Arthur's mother,

Ms. Bradley follows Morgaine from childhood to Priestess in her home on the Isle of Avalon, the center of Druidism and goddess worship since the Roman occupation forced the religion underground, where it remained long after the Roman departure. Mists surround this mystical isle, protecting it and its inhabitants from all who do not have the psychic powers to penetrate the barrier. Morgaine has dedicated her life to preserving her ancient religion and tries to defend it against the growing numbers of her countrymen and the Camelot royalty who exchange the old ways for Christianity. She is also a very powerful person and struggles against the stereotypes which expect her to adhere to more traditional "feminine," (dependent), behavior and roles.

Bradley also follows the lovely Gwenhwyfar from the innocence of her girlhood to her rise as King Arthur's Christian Queen. She deeply fears Druid magic and her terror causes her to miscarry a long awaited baby. King Arthur's acquiescence to his wife's pleas to turn his back on the old ways and adopt Christianity is the beginning of the cataclysmic fall of his reign.

This is a most unique novel and Ms. Bradley's innovative fantasy version of Camelot, Britain during the Dark Ages, and the profound changes which took place in the land and among the people during this period had me riveted until I completed the last page. If you are open to a different take on a classic tale, then I highly recommend this wonderful novel.
JANA

I had forgotten my love for reading after going through so many books that didn't hold my attention. The Mists of Avalon reminded me of my love for a good book and got me hooked on Marion Zimmer Bradley. This book is a perfect blend of romance, action, magic and just plain creativity that binds you to the story and leaves you begging for more. This book tells the Arthurian legend through the eyes of the women around King Arthur's life. It tells the story of the strength of Morgain (his sister), Igraine (his mother) and Guenivere (his wife). It wonderfully portrays the bravery of these women in such a brutal time, without taking away the romance and insecurity's women feel. Beautiful book. Be sure to read the Forest House and Lady of the Lake also, which take place before The Mists of Avalon although Bradley wrote them afterward. I started with the Mists of Avalon and had no trouble at all. Marion Zimmer Bradley was a genious. I'm terribly gratefull to her for giving me something to refresh my mind.

Many of Marion Zimmer Bradley's books are rather fluffy fantasies, fun and light. This is not the case with the mystical, magical "The Mists of Avalon." This spendid book is a retelling of the King Arthur legend from the point of view of the women involved, principally, Morgaine, King Arthur's half-sister and Priestess of Avalon, and Gwenhwyfar, the Christian princess and future Queen of Camelot.

Although "The Mists of Avalon" has been criticized as being a "feminist" book, I don't think this criticism holds up. Yes, the author chose to focus on the conflicts and emotions of the women involved, but their gender is far less important in the book than is their religion. Morgaine, as a Druid and Priestess of the Goddess, is struggling to keep her dying religion alive against the growth of Christianity and Gwenhwyfar.

The main character in "The Mists of Avalon" is Morgaine and we follow her from childhood to her rise as a priestess on the mystical Isle of Avalon, the home of the druids of the Old Religion, the religion of the Goddess. Avalon, as can be deduced from the book's title, is surrounded by swirling, protective mists that cause it to be invisibe to all but the initiated. Morgaine's life, down to its very core, is shaped both by her desire to serve the Goddess and by her despair at seeing the Old Religion being tossed aside in favor of Christianity, by royalty and the common people alike.

The book also focuses on Gwenhwyfar, and we are privy to her first meeting with Arthur when, as an innocent child, she crosses through the mists of Avalon to the other side. As Queen, she is a guilt-ridden figure who turns to Christianity in her desire to bear a child and begs Arthur to do the same, thus bringing about the fall of Camelot.

While I found Morgaine to be a character of depth, intelligence and tremendous emotional range, Gwenhyfar came off as shallow, jealous and more than a little suspicious. Viviane, The Lady of the Lake, who also plays quite a role in this book, seems to be a little too manipulative, but very interesting, nonetheless.

Anyone interested in Wiccan rituals will find this book extremely interesting. The transformations from ordinary woman to priestess and the effects of the Old Religion on the "modern" world are simply part and parcel of this book's magic.

This is a long book, but don't let its length put you off. It is an extremely fascinating and pleasant read and it's quite easy to find a stopping place should you need to put the book down (though I doubt you'll want to).

Those looking for historical accuracy regarding the rise of Christianity in Britain should look to another book. "The Mists of Avalon" is entertainment, pure and simple. The portrayal of Druidism and the focus on the priestesses of Avalon, descended from the lost island of Atlantis, the frequent visits to the land of the Fairy--all of this places this book squarely within the fantasy genre, rather than the historical realm. And, all to the good.

I found "The Mists of Avalon" to be an all-absorbing book and one that gave me a new perspective on the Arthurian legend. The women involved became more real to me, with many new facets and aspects of personality. I am so glad I read this book. I found it magical, mystical and unforgettable and it's one book I am recommending to everyone I know, whether they are fantasy addicts or not.

As I sense many of those who posted a review are women, I felt compelled to offer my thoughts.

A little preface: I read this book when I was in my early 30's. I am a college-educated professional, and a married heterosexual. I generally read non-fiction: political and military history and mountaineering literature. This book came up in a discussion with my wife, a published writer, who has read it several times and claimed it was one of her all-time favorites. As this is not slight praise from a woman who thinks Shakespeare was a lighweight compared to John Dunne, and actually argue the point!

So I picked up this book and read the first page. Quite a mistake. Three days later I finished this is not so small work having spent nearly every available non-working moment enthralled in this modern masterpiece. Simply put, it is very well written. It is a great story and it is well told. There is romance, fantasy, religion, war, politics, intrigue, and other elements to keep your attention.

I pity those who are so heavily invested in the "accuracy" of the Arthurian legend as to miss the beauty of this book. Doubly so for those who are too religiously dogmatic.

I'm immensely amused by the readers who complained that this novel was "historically inaccurate" and "Arthurian Britain wasn't really like this." We don't know enough about the period, or the historical original of "Arthur," to make such claims (I have a Ph.D. in medieval literature and have researched the subject pretty thoroughly). Nor were Malory and his predecessors writing "history" in the sense we understand it; their versions are just as much a "fictionalization" of an earlier period as this is. Although the Arthurian myths (like other myths) reflect events and characters from an earlier time, they're primarily MYTHS, and every era (and every teller) has given them a different spin.
Bradley is a worthy addition to these ranks: she presents the familiar material from a fresh perspective, creates memorable characters and situations, and weaves an amazing amount of myth (as well as archeological and historical data) into a complex but generally well-thought-out and compelling story. One can find flaws in particular episodes or characters, but in general the book is an impressive achievement. And for those readers who complain that the characters are self-centered or have mixed motives -- well, isn't that the point, that although human beings' actions and perspectives may be deeply flawed, the Goddess sees that it all works out in the end? (I find Bradley's Lancelot considerably more credible than Tennyson's!)

Marion Zimmer Bradley explores some very interesting ideas in 'Avalon,' but she just doesn't execute them well. "Sprawling" doesn't come close to describing this enormous tome. It seems that Bradley just couldn't decide which aspects of Arthurian legend to focus on, so she attempts to cover them all. The result is a muddled, heavily repetitive, completely self-absorbed epic that almost entirely loses sight of what should be her thesis: the demanding patriarchal Church that threatens and eventually absorbs the pagan rites of the Goddess.

Viewing Camelot from the eyes of the women behind the throne is an excellent approach, and Bradley does well to simplify the family ties behind many of the characters. Unfortunately, very few of Bradley's characters are sympathetic. Guenivere (or Gwynhwyfar, as she insists on spelling it) is reduced to a vapid, terrified, ridiculously pious mouse of a woman. Lancelot is not the saintly figure with one crushingly tragic flaw he is meant to be; he's nothing more than a playboy with a guilt complex. Lancelot and Guinevere are never truly undone; they merely give up. Viviane is so self-righteous that it's impossible to relate to her. Bradley has to tell us there is a bond between 'Companions' of the Round Table and King Arthur; there is no evidence to discover that convinces us. Even Morgause's true nature is revealed too late: the plot twist she reveals at the very end deserves to have a devastating impact on the reader. Instead, not only is the twist lost in a muddle of competing elements, but the characters it affects are so unsympathetic that I simply didn't care. Only Morgaine and Arthur have redeeming qualities, but Morgaine's constant musings only test my patience. Bradley is so preoccupied with detailing every aspect of the fall of the Goddess that she seems to have entirely missed the point of what makes the characters of Arthurian legend so tragic.

This book came so highly recommended to me, and has so many glowing reviews on Amazon, that I'm all the more disappointed. Bradley's use of the language is clumsy and limited, and she doesn't trust the reader enough to let her themes and theories unfold by themselves. She has to spell everything out in such a heavy-handed way that there is nothing left to discover. What could have been the kernal of something fascinating is, like Avalon, 'lost in the mist.' Stick to 'The Once and Future King' by T.H. White. He tells the story so artfully and subtly that the tragedy of Arthur will hit you like a ton of bricks.

I enjoyed many of Marion Bradley's science fiction works, particularly some of her Darkover series. However I didn't get around to reading this, her most popular title, until recently. Like most other readers, I found this re-telling of the Arthurian Legend to be absorbing and well-told, and I was sorry to see it end.

I was especially impressed by how deeply I came to care about the characters. All of them are deeply flawed and very, very human, and this is what makes them three-dimensional. Rather than a standard heroes-and-villains adventure, "Mists of Avalon" features real people struggling with real issues.

The central conflict of the story is the rapid growth of Christianity, and the struggle of those who follow the ancient Celtic beliefs to turn back the tide and revive the old traditions. The theological discussions are fascinating; although many readers may find the view of Christianity too harsh, there are genuine exchanges of views among the characters. This is not a case of an author using the story to lecture, as Robert Heinlein did so often in his later work.

Bradley is stronger at dialogue than she is at action, and there are places where the story slows somewhat, but these lulls don't last long.

This book has been a bestseller since it was published, and it deserves its reputation. Well worth your time.

I get really tired of books that "re-write" the story of Camelot. Every year brings a new slew of them. But "The Mists of Avalon" transforms itself into a classic worthy of being grouped with "The Once and Future King".

Mists of Avalon's biggest strength and flaw is that it goes head to head with the morality of the original legend of King Arthur. 13th century society gave us our most lasting legends of Camelot, but those stories are laced with that period's sensibility, namely that women and sex bring the downfall of mankind. Mists re-writes the legend with a modern perspective. Morgana is no longer the evil woman bent on the destruction of Camelot, but instead a priestess of the Druidic religion trying to defend her beliefs against Christianity.

This perspective is interesting because it is true that in the 5th and 6th centuries Christianity was settling into England and facing off with the woman-centered Druidic religion. Camelot would have existed during a time of immense social change, dealing not only with the constant invasions of the Saxons, but also with new ideas of morality.

Some people may dislike this book because of its bias towards the Druidic religion, and its portrayal of Christianity as being dogmatic and anti-woman. But this book is not the feminist, anti-christian pocketbook everyone seems to think it is. King Arthur is still the noble, ahead-of-his-time man we always loved. He is not destroyed by Guinevere's affair, instead he is a man destroyed by the littleness of humankind (both men and women). Morgana is a woman trying to keep the dignity of women intact. All are searching for ways to do the right thing.

This book is unfair in that it puts a 21st century view head-to-head with 13th century Christianity. We are no longer the Christians who pay money to be forgiven of our sins. Our bishops don't go around impegranating hundreds of women. The reformation came and went, and women are not considered so evil anymore. But the legends of Arthur we learn in school are based on this previous version of Christianity. This book stands in response.

Mists may not be fair to Christianity as it exists today, but it is fair to it as it existed during the age of the Inquisition. It reminds us that Camelot should be remembered in legend as a place where women as well as men strived for nobility and grace. The littleness of both is what destroyed it.

Gracefully written and thought-provoking. A book you can't put down. (8 out of 10)

Desire, mystery, adventure and deception -- these are a few of the many virtues that this epic novel holds within its grasp. The Mists of Avalon is the tale of the Arthurian legends as you have never read them before, from the vantage point of the women. The story is told primarily by Morgaine of the Fairies, Arthur's sister. The glorious tale is of King Arthur coming to power and his life-long struggle between the two religions he is bound to, the old ways of the Goddess and the new Christianity. While reading this book, the reader witnesses first hand everything that the Arthurian legends have to offer, from the crowning of King Arthur to the knights of his round table.
On the cover of the book, The Mists of Avalon is advertised as "the magical saga of the women behind King Arthur's throne", that that claim really does not do the book justice. The story is the magical saga of everyone behind and amongst King Arthur's court. The author does such a magnificent job of describing the characters in her book that it would shortchange them all to mention just the women. The reader gets such a sense that what and whom he is reading about is real and true that one feels almost like he is sitting in Camelot's Great Hall while Arthur and his companions dine on the great feast of Pentacost. Every detail of every event teems with life. Another reason to recommend the book is the thick entwinement of the characters' relationships with each other. While reading this book, one feels such a connection with the main characters as to truly feel their emotions. To get involved with the characters' lives in The Mists of Avalon is truly a privilege that no one who loves to read should miss. The one reason that anyone might disagree with this heartfelt recommendation is that some might think that there is too much detail in the book, that it is too wordy. This thought slanders the very essence of the book and the reason for what makes it so great. The Mists of Avalon is a book to be savored, not devoured. The bottom line is that this book has everything for everyone. If one loves adventure, you will find yourself right along side Lancelot fighting the evil dragon that haunts King Pellinore's lake. If you are a feminist, you will delight in the retelling of a story that historically is a tale of masculine dominance into one that gives the perspective that women will always rule over men, in some way or another. If one loves romance, you will be enthralled by the clandestine love affair between Lancelot and the High Queen Gwenhwyfar. And finally, if you are a person that loves a climactic ending, well, you'll just have to read the book to find out what's in store for you!

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley is a retelling of Arthurian legend through the eyes of the women surrounding Arthur. This sounds simple enough, but before this one is over, you'll need a scorecard to remember who is kin to whom and how. Once you figure that out, you'll want to learn more about the effects of inbreeding, since there is plenty of it here.

Viviane is Lady of the Lake and of Avalon, a mystical island that only those with the Sight can find in the Mists; to those not gifted, it is merely an island with a Christian church and monastery. Taliesen is the Merlin of Britain, the messenger of the [Druid] gods. Viviane's half-sister and Taliesen's daughter, Igraine, is married off to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, and in due course gives birth to a daughter, Morgaine. She also is foster mother to her younger sister (half-sister) Morgause, a teenage girl who has the combined gift of great ambition and little conscience and who will play a key role later. The young Igraine resents deeply how Viviane manipulates her, first into marriage with the much-older Gorlois. Later, Viviane's prediction, which Igraine also resents, that Igraine will fall for Uther Pendragon, comes true. Uther becomes High King after the death of Ambrosius, Gorlois rebels against him, and Igraine conceives Uther's son, Gwydion, or Arthur, the night before Gorlois' death. Arthur, as we know, is fated to become The Once and Future King in the Matter of Britain.

The story is not so much about Arthur or Morgaine as about the struggle between paganism and the rise of Christianity, with Arthur as Christian king and Morgaine as pagan priestess. Arthur is installed in a pagan ceremony that leaves Morgaine pregnant with his only son, Mordred -- who in this rendering never plays quite the key role assigned him in other Arthurian tales. The plot points pretty much follow the tradition -- Arthur marries Guinevere, who has an affair with Lancelot, who ends up married to Elaine. Meanwhile, Viviane is killed, leaving a void in the office of the Lady of the Lake -- an office that will be filled, more or less, by another daughter of Taliesen.

Bradley's sympathies toward the pagans (the feminine) are evident as Morgaine takes over Viviane's mission of trying to turn Arthur and Britain away from Christianity (the masculine) and back toward the Goddess. As the tale progresses, however, Morgaine becomes an increasingly ruthless and unsympathetic figure, while Arthur appears to be doing what is expedient for Britain; he even manages to make peace with and convert several Saxon kings. Morgaine is too single-minded and fanatical to listen to the counsel of the Druid who becomes Merlin after Taliesen's death, Kevin, and eventually punishes him for his "betrayal" of the Goddess.

In the end, Arthur may die, but his legacy was already set, as many had already told Morgaine. She leaves her own legacy -- a trail of the murders and the deaths of nearly everyone important to her, including two of her lovers and Lancelot's daughter. Only at the very end does she realise she has lost; Christianity has won. Perhaps this was the way the Goddess wished it, after all, although the price she pays to learn this is very high indeed. She also learns that she has always had the love of a great man, the man who was son, brother, and lover to her -- Arthur, King of the Britons.

The Mists of Avalon is a worthy addition to the Arthurian cycle, especially since it takes into account what must have been a very real struggle between the old pagans of Britain and the new Christianity of Rome. The plot is intricate and imaginative, the characters are well drawn (if erratic), there are a few moments of subtlety and beautifully written prose, and there is enough fantasy to make one wonder if there really is a supernatural intervention throughout. Even the lost continent of Atlantis is worked into the tale. Highly recommended for Arthurians and fans of science fiction/fantasy. But don't forget that scorecard.