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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
My introduction to the Arthurian Legends,
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This review is from: Stories of King Arthur and His Knights (Hardcover)
This small green volume which I purchased used here without the dust jacket flooded me with memories of my somewhat quixotic youth and innocence. It was my first love in Arthurian books and even after all these years upon re-reading, it holds up better than most retellings of this mold. While Roger Lancelyn Green's similar volume covers the same terrain with more detail, this one has more heart.The stories here really do draw you in, there is more dialogue, and the characters come to life. Green's volume is good but I was disappointed at how some parts felt rushed, even disjointed. It is a commendable attempt but I may be biased, having read Picard's rendition first. The volume itself has some beautiful woodcut illustrations by Roy Wood and the type set is exquisite to the eye. They don't seem to make books like these anymore. The prose flows beautifully capturing the feel of the sources: Malory, the Pearl Poet, the Mabinogion etc.., yet aimed directly at readers perhaps in middle school. If you have read C.S. Lewis's Narnian series, then you have the feel of this book. The stories here are heartfelt and drawn from a wider net than Malory. Here you will find wonderful retellings of the sword in the stone, Morgan le Fay, Gawaine and the Green Knight, Tristram that includes the dragon episode and the tragic ending, Geraint and Enid, Lancelot, Percevale, Galahad and the Holy Grail, the healing of Urre and even the adventure of Uwaine and the Lady of the Fountain. Twenty Seven well rendered Arthurian stories that keep the characters intact. One highlight is the bond between Gawaine and Lancelot, making their battle against one another that much more intense, as they seem to be well matched. You will even find Kay come across as sharp tongued yet endearing loyal knight. The stories are well balanced and achieve a fluidity in narration that Green's book set out to achieve. Picard's work feels balanced and even complete Although one will find that there are stories or elements one wished she would have included, this will come down to personal taste and preference. These stories are linked by the noble and tragic King Arthur. This Arthur seems more akin to T.H. White's version. If you are looking for a darker more adult retelling, this is not the book you are looking for. However, I would not have found myself immersing myself in the legend at such a young age had I not loved the characters and their tragedies.But if I were to introduce some new dreamer to the Arthurian legend, this would be it. From here, I found myself searching out the sources such as Malory Morte d' Arthur (Collector's Library Editions) and the Mabinogion The Mabinogion (Oxford World's Classics) then to modern retellings such as T.H. White's The Once and Future King, which this volume complements well.
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