The Story of King Arthur and His Knights: Centennial Edition (Signet Classics) [Mass Market Paperback]

Howard Pyle (Author), John F. Plummer (Afterword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0451530241 | ISBN-13: 978-0451530240 | Publication Date: September 6, 2011

In these wonderfully illustrated tales, renowned storyteller Howard Pyle carries readers back to the enchanting world of King Arthur and his Round Table. The book chronicles the adventures of Arthur as he draws the sword Excalibur from the anvil and courts and wins the heart of Guinevere. Later he suffers the treachery of the wicked Morgana le Fay and witnesses the tragic fate of the Enchanter Merlin. More powerful than any of Merlin's spells, The Story of King Arthur and His Knights has enthralled and delighted generations of readers fascinated by chivalry, magic, and the unforgettable drama of medieval times.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The characters are legendary: King Arthur, Lady Guinevere, the wizard Merlin, the sorceress Morgan le Fay, the knights of the Round Table. Their stories are rich in magic and intrigue.

In one adventure, Arthur will lose his life unless he can discover the answer to this riddle: What do women most desire? Arthur asks many people and receives many different answers. Some say that women chiefly desire wealth. Some say beauty. Some say the power to please others. Feeling that none of the answers is right, Arthur searches on. But time is running out. --From the Publisher --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From AudioFile

If one is ready to take the plunge into intricate and antiquated language and to attend to the genealogy of each character and the minute details of each episode, then one will come away highly satisfied and steeped in knowledge of Arthur's early years. David Thorn is a masterful narrator. As his accent transports us to the British Isles, his pacing and conversational tone provide an intimate link to the characters. Thorn's characterizations are distinctive. He creates an ethereal Merlin, mystical Ladies from the Lake, an unassuming yet regal Arthur, a scheming Morgan le Fay, and a gracious Sir Pellias. From the moment Arthur is entrusted to Merlin until the quest for the white hart, the stories are riveting. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Signet Classics (September 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451530241
• ISBN-13: 978-0451530240
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,039,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > 20th Century
  • #30 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > Book Characters > King Arthur

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the version worth waiting for . . ., November 9, 2005

By 

Allen Smalling "Constant Reader," (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (Sterling Classics) (Hardcover)

Although Howard Pyle was born in Delaware, he is best known as purveyor of myth and legend to several generation of British and American children -- and their parents.

Published in 1902, THE STORY OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS (Unabridged) is probably the most comprehensive of the Arthurian legends available in one volume--certainly the most comprehensive for kids. We follow Arthur during his "Sword in the Stone" period, then on to adulthood with a nod at the romantic complications that the play/movie "Camelot" focused on, then later an older Arthur and his followers articulate the legend of the grail (spoofed by Monty Python and reverently presented by a score of other writers).

Although 1902 was just past the end of the "Decadent" movement in English arts and literature, this volume displays no cloying irony or clever design a la Aubrey Beardsley. It was, after all, meant for children, although very small children should have it read to them by an understanding sibling or adult. In fact, what I appreciate most about it is its full-body quality that appeals to me as an adult just as it did as a child.

Is calling this tome "unabridged" a mere marketing ploy? Unfortunately not. So many kids' books -- this one included -- have been abridged, then dumbed down, and frequently illustated so profusely that they come across more as a kind of black-and-white Classics Comic than the real thing. And rarely does the book jacket or publishing page admit as much! Of course, I'm not totally averse to abridging a long and challenging work for the sake of the children, and there have been a couple of intelligent shortenings of Pyle's work. But the publishers of this book wisely chose to indicate it is unabridged -- a novel exception these days and a happy one. When we're dealing with cultural history and myth this seminal, it's best not to gloss over the details and the nuances of interpersonal relations that give the Arthurian legend such "oomph" even today.

A note on the quality of the physical book itself: it is extraordinary, really about halfway in workmanship between an ordinary hardbound book meant to mass readership and the much more expensive Folio Society type of book with its art papers and commissioned drawings. THE STORY OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS (Unabridged) has smoothly-trimmed pages, beginning to be a rarity in this age of sloppy, pseudo-deckle cuts. The type font is accessible and attractive and there's enough room to make reading it a pleasure but not so much that it screams "Kid stuff." The spine is bound in quarter-round buckram, not synthetic fabric or cardboard. There's even a ribbon marker included. At this price, I doubt any publisher using USA presses could make much of a profit; this version was printed in China. (There are some people who object to buying/receiving made-in-Mainland-China goods, so the potential gift-giver might think about that beforehand.) But for the money -- and even for more money -- you'll never get this kind of quality, both literary and physical. Highly recommended.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting Adventures suited for reading aloud: 9-12 yr old, November 4, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (Signet Classics) (Paperback)

This book transports the older child into a world of magic, knights and ladies. The main focus is King Arthur, but also features Merlin, and some of King Arthurs Knights. This book provides an excellent opportunity to expand an older childs vocabulary as the author has clearly researched and included elements from King Arthurs time. I read this book aloud to my ten year old daughter and sometimes my wife and we all loved the spirit and adventure. Be aware that this book is not "politically correct" (written in 1903!). There are some really wicked women that torment King Arthur and his knights, and the knights themselves are not always "shining" to todays standards. I am now ordering the next in the series to continue with the adventure!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This doth be an exceedingly good book!, December 30, 2005

By 

Jesse Rouse (Kenosha, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (Story King Arthur His Knight Hre) (Paperback)

Howard Pyle delivers yet another splendid book which recaptures the enchantment and chivalry of the legend of Kind Arthur and his knights. Some have complained of the archaic english, but I love it. It only adds to the magic of Pyle's story. This book is filled with the adventures of noble knights, and it does an amazing job of keeping your interest. Somehow, even after many previous jousts and sword matches, Pyle makes each one more interesting than the last.

I also love the "moral of the story" section he does at the end of most major book divisions. He did not do that in the other Pyle book I have read (The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood), and I very much liked them. In such he made allegories of Excalibur and its sheath (to God's Truth and faith), and does likewise with many things, always wishing to teach to us some truth through his writings about Arthur and his knights. I also loved the oath of the knights of the Round Table:

"And this was the covenant of their Knighthood of the Round Table: That they would be gentle unto the weak; that they would be courageous unto the strong; that they would be terrible unto the wicked and the evil-doer that they would defend the helpless who should call upon them for aid; that all women should be held unto them sacred; that they would stand unto the defence of one another whensoever such defence should be required; that they would be merciful unto all men; that they would be gentle of deed, true in friendship, and faithful in love. This was their covenant, and unto it each knight sware upon the cross of his sword, and in witness thereof did kiss the hilt thereof."

This except, I think, well sums up this book, in which these oaths are held, and if they are not, retribution always follows swiftly. In the land of Camelot, good deeds before God are of highest value, and wicked deeds are always subject to disapproval and punishment.