Customer Reviews

The Quest of the Holy Grail (Penguin Classics)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Before reading The Quest of the Holy Grail, one must remember that it is a work of Medieval literature, not a popular novel. With that proviso in mind, this complex and highly allegorical work will delight those interested in the Medieval quest for the Holy Grail--but it will disappoint those wanting a modern page-turner. It is also interesting to compare this volume from the French "Vulgate" Cycle with Malory's later version of the Grail Quest in his Le Morte D'Arthur. Malory streamlines the intricate interlacing of the French version to produce a more compelling read but loses much of the deeper religious symbolism of his source. For those readers willing to delve into Medieval religious allegory I would highly recommend The Quest of the Holy Grail. I have already read it three times, and each time I do I get more out of it.

I purchased this book to do some background reading on the Arthurian legends. Until this book, my readings about Arthur and his Knights had been limited to the Mists of Avalon and a dim memory of Le Morte de Arthur. I did not realize what a diluted version I had received! Reading this book is like taking a clear deep drink from a crystal spring high in the mountains!

The book is primarly a spritual primer on the need for a shriven soul. The lesson that is taught clearly in the book is that one cannot approach Christ without repentance and contrition (with the requisite of Grace). Of course, these lessons are presented in a manner that is both entertaining and moving.

With this book you can begin to understand the mindset of the middle ages and you can see that many of the obstacles we face on our modern spiritual life have been faced many times before (this should never surprise us, but, with our myopia of modernity, it always does).

If you have any interest in Arthur and the Grail legends, you should buy this book. If you are looking for some very apt spriritual lessions, you should buy this book. If you are looking for an insight in the creative side of religious mind in the middle ages, you should read this book.

I should also add the notes are very informative.

Enjoy.

For me this was one of the 4 or 5 books that changes your life. The high ideals of the characters and QUEST still blows me away. Worth the endless footnotes - for if you persevere with the reading you are left feeling you've encountered the grail yourself!

Though this book lacks much of what people expect in an Arthurian tale it does contain an incredible amount of spiritual guidance. This book analyzes a deeper meaning behind every event and dream and relates these events to the search for Christ. Some of the most memorable moments are when the wise men each in turn tell Sir Lancelot, who was once the greatest knight in all the land, that they pity him. He was once great and now they refer to him as a bad and faithless servant. This book is based in the Christian religion and is strongly biased in this aspect. Also, due to the nature of their quest, the characters are not so much faced by physical challenges but by mental and even more often spiritual challenges.

This book is definitely not one you want to read if you are looking for a good action or adventure book. If you are looking for a book with some action with a lot of spiritual overtones, you should consider reading The Quest of the Holy Grail. For some it might be just what they need to realize what is wrong with their lives and how to correct it. For others it could give them the self-confidence that they need to keep doing what they are doing and to succeed. If you are not either of these people you still may want to read this book to understand what other people's experience.

The Quest of the Holy Grail is good for anyone trying to understand the Christian religion. It is the story of a quest for Christ. Before the knights find the Holy Grail they must prove themselves to be good and true knight of the Christian faith. Those who have sinned must try to repent and change their ways, such as Lancelot tries to do, but he has too sinful a nature to amend his path. Even those who have never been sinful must repent and follow in the Lord's path to find the Holy Grail. This is a very somber story that teaches those who listen to repent and to be righteous. It covers a period of history of the Christian religion about which is rarely talked. During this historical era, religion had as much control over a person as their king, if not more. People attended church as much as they possibly could. Some refer to these simpler times as better than now because at least then people took time to spend in religious pursuits and did not have to spend every waking minute working or recovering from working.

This book contains many spiritual conflicts as well as mental conflicts as opposed to the more common literature about this era. Other books support the more gruesome aspects of the time. The Quest of the Holy Grail approaches the whole idea of a knight in shining armor uniquely where the armor is the armor of God and the knight is the priest. Also, it entertains the idea of a knight being the soldier of Christ and owing as much fealty to Him as to their king.

I teach the Arthurian legend in my 9th grade English class at a college preparatory Christian high school, using excerpts from T. H. White, Thomas Malory, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Our textbook explains how every generation makes the legend its own, and the Grail story is a good example of that. Though the author of the Quest of the Holy Grail is unknown (see author's introduction for educated guesses), this particular set of legends shows the spiritual side of the Middle Ages. I find it quite good for teaching symbolism to young adults as there are a series of events and dream sequences whose meanings are eventually explained as spiritual metaphors. Though the adulterous relationships in the legend are mentioned, one clearly sees how the dark side of human nature can bring about disastrous results. It doesn't read like a modern novel, of course, but students are certainly capable of understanding that medieval quest literature and modern popular novels and/or movies are completely different genres. All in all, I find it enjoyable, but I would use it as a supplement rather than a text.

The cycle of 'grail romance' from which this book comes from was unfairly slammed by the late Joseph Campbell to millions of people. Comparing it to Eschenbach is like comparing Spenser to Shakespeare. Yes, von Eschenbach's PARZIVAL is the greater work (and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in these worlds), but the QUEST OF THE HOLY GRAIL is a jewel in its own right. It's a book that radiates light. The influences and impressions one receives from a book like this should not be passed up. They won't make you rich or satisfy your sexual desire, but they will help to build your spiritual body. Did you know you have a spiritual body?

First of all I appologize for my writing, 'cause I'm not a native English speaker.

I became very interested with Arthurian literature and with the Quest. I've read many books, and this is the one I have liked best. This book is the full version of the quest that Thomas Mallory included in his book La Morte d'Arthur. So the storyline is somewhat different than it's near predecessors Chretien de Troyes and W. Von Eschenbach. I find this one the deepest in terms of symbolism, and the most valuable one.

For those who would like to go a bit back in time to Merlin's origin, the beginning of King Arthur, etc, you can find that in the book from Robert de Boron.

This tale is described as an "anti-Romance", with pious and virginal knights whose ideals are are a critique of the "cult of the lady" and other aspects of courtly chivalry. As expected, the knights travel around rescuing maidens and attacking castles, but visions also abound and the landscape is dotted with mysterious chapels and innumerable hermits who pop up at convenient moments to give interpretations and religious discourses. Lancelot encounters several of these in a row while repenting his adultery with Guinevere; the point is laboured somewhat. A Christian overlay is imposed somewhat awkwardly on older Celtic material, but there is also some interesting apocryphal material about Adam and Eve, Solomon, and Joseph of Arimathea.

Although choppy at times, and the characters seem to be superhuman in terms of combat and piety, this remarkable book is useful on a number of levels.

What many reviewers fail to note is that this book was intended primarily to be a manual on spiritual growth, not to tell stories of great knights. Given the original audience, this makes sense. The average peasant in the 12th century would not be able to follow scholastic reasoning, but they would be able to follow a story of heroism and spiritual warfare.

This book anticipates many of the elements of the future novel: numerous side-plots where the characters branch off but stay united through the author's skillful weaving of the different strands of the narrative. This allows the author to simultaneously develop different characters, build the plot, and release tension at different climaxes without stealing his thunder for the ultimate Grail climax.

Evaluation:
Modern day readers, whether Protestant or Catholic, will chafe at some of the author's theology. The author, in line with medieval ethics, viewed sex and Concupiscence in a negative light (the author's exegesis of the Genesis account would not stand today's scrutiny).

It would probably pay well to read this in light of Tennyson's account. The Grail story for our author here speaks of redemption (if sometimes in an extreme semi-Pelagian sense) as a reality and man's goal as utter self-abandonment to God. Tennyson, being a respectable Victorian, does not have a sense of redemption (but ironically, a strong sense of sin) and views man's goal as respectability in society. In terms of ethics, let's stick with the 12th century Grail account.

This book is special for me.
Now I feel like Galahad, Perceval and Bors would always stay in my heart.

Being part of a busy everyday city life this book carries you away from it, somewhere very far away, and somewhere within you.

The way heroes of this book act while facing their trials is very very inspiring and is presented in such a way that you question yourself: "How can it be otherwise?"

For those who are interested to understand the Bible on a deeper level, it does explain some of the Christian symbols and parables.

Fantastic book, I would give more than 5 stars, but unfortunately that's not an option.