A retelling of the classic Arthurian legend follows the adventures of the boy who became a king, his councillor Merlin, his beloved Guinivere, and the Knights of the Round Table. By the author of Tristan and Iseult. Reprint. SLJ. C. NYT.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Sutcliff's Best!,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Sword and the Circle: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Paperback)
Rosemary Sutcliff's adaptation of the King Arthur legend is truly a unique and inspiring work, told in a highly descriptive yet very concise format. It is not only powerful and thought-provoking, but creates a sense of the ancient and medieval time it owes its existence to. Starting years before Arthur comes to power, Sutcliff tells the story of young Merlin and how Arthur came to be, following him through his rise to High King, the meetings of such brave and infamous knights such as Lancelot, Tristan and Gawain, right up to just before the quest for the Holy Grail begins. Sutcliff not only tells the traditional and time-honored stories, such as the sword in the stone, but also adapts other variations of the quests that individual knights took upon themselves to maintain peace and honor in Britain. For example, although he may not have actually been a knight of the round table, Sutcliff tells the tragic and romantic story of Tristan and Iseult, the ironic tale of Beaumains, and the humorous story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, all of which reflect the honor and love which bounded King Arthur's kingdom together. This book easily stands alone, but simultaneously lays solid groundwork for the next two books, The Light Beyond the Forest and The Road to Camlann, two other excellent books written by Sutcliff on the rise and fall of Arthur. By taking her stories to a level above just the basic story-telling, Sutcliff also helps put King Arthur's place in history into perspective and gives an excellent reason for retelling this timeless legend again for this day and age. The book is really a medieval romantic story at heart, but has enough battles and swashbuckling adventures to keep readers more interested in action than a rambling story hooked. I would recommend this book to those who have never read a King Arthur book in their life, to those who might know the story by heart, and anyone in between those two categories, because it is an excellent way of reacquainting ourselves with the days of princes and knights, of villains and dragons, chivalry and fair maidens, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. The Sword and the Circle and the other two books in the trilogy truly deserve a place all their own among those stories about the knights of the round table. Reading through it page by page, I truly felt drawn into a dim and room, lit by a crackling fire while the wind howled outside, listening to the voice of an excellent story-teller speak of a bygone age and long-dead heroes.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Adventure About King Arthur and his Knights,
This review is from: The Sword and the Circle: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Paperback)
The Sword and the Circle is a great book about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. The story begins with how Arthur actually became king. The story then continues on with adventures of Arthur and how he assembles his Knights of the Round Table. The book tells about the many quests of Arthur, his knights, Guenever, and Merlin, the magician. During the story Arthur adds many knights to his group, but none stand out more than Gawain and Lanccelot. I enjoyed this book and thought it was very well-written. This book is very exciting and full of adventure. I had a hard time putting this book down because it told so much about the journeys of the knights, such as the mystery between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The book was also quite interesting and gave adequate information and detail without having excessive writing. This book kept me interested because it was so in depth and full of fascinating information, such as the feelings Sir Lancelot was forced to hide from others. The only negative aspect about the book was that it jumped around between characters. I had a little difficulty following what each character was doing, so I had to look back in the book to see what was happening. I would definitely recommend this book because it is an epic story of adventure that people of all ages would enjoy.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A review on "The Sword and the Circle",
By A Customer
This review is from: The Sword and the Circle: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Paperback)
The book "The Sword and the Circle," is about King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. King Arthur is a young man who was crowned King of Britain at an early age. He is a brown haired boy with a slight build, who became king at age 15. He is a king and courteous perosn. He was given the Round Table and 100 good-trained kinghts as a gift from Queen Guenevere's father. This book is mainly about King Arthur and his knights. It is based on the stories of the adventures the kinghts go on. Every chapter is a different adventure for a different person in the story, but all the small chapters are connected by being part of the "brotherhood," the "knights and King Arthur." I thought one very interesting part was when King Arthur went out on his own adventure and was challeneged for a jousting by a knight. King Arthur could not defeat the knight, so the knight gave the High King a chance to live. The deal was if King Arthur could find the answer to a riddle, by the next year, then he would live, but if he did not find the correct answer, he would die. I really enjoyed reading this book because it was very exciting, and it was hard to put the book down. I thought the characters in the book were really admirable. They were fun, and their personalities made the book thrilling. I found the story magnificent because the charaters were always going on exciting adventures. They would always come back to King Arthur's Court and share their story with everyone. It was fascinating to learn that King Arthur invited strangers into his castle. He trusted everyone, and anyone that needed shelter was invited to come into the castle. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book and I think anyone would if they like adventures. It was a great book!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
In the dark years after Rome was gone from Britain, Vortigern of the narrow eyes and the thin red beard came down from the mountains of Wales, and by treachery slew Constantine of the old royal house and seized the High Kingship of Britain in his place. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
white brachet, huge knight, yonder knight, household knights, crooked face, black armour, golden armour, lesser kings, high moors Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Sir Kay, High King, Round Table, King Arthur, King Pellinore, Great Hall, Sir Ector, Sir Gareth, Green Knight, Morgan La Fay, Sir Lamorack, Sir Accalon, Lady Ragnell, King Marc, Sir Knight, Queen Guenever, Red Knight, Less Britain, Sir Tarquine, Tam Wathelan, Lady Nimue, Green Chapel, Sir Ontzlake New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
In the dark years after Rome was gone from Britain, Vortigern of the narrow eyes and the thin red beard came down from the mountains of Wales, and by treachery slew Constantine of the old royal house and seized the High Kingship of Britain in his place. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
white brachet, huge knight, yonder knight, household knights, crooked face, black armour, golden armour, lesser kings, high moors Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, Sir Kay, High King, Round Table, King Arthur, King Pellinore, Great Hall, Sir Ector, Sir Gareth, Green Knight, Morgan La Fay, Sir Lamorack, Sir Accalon, Lady Ragnell, King Marc, Sir Knight, Queen Guenever, Red Knight, Less Britain, Sir Tarquine, Tam Wathelan, Lady Nimue, Green Chapel, Sir Ontzlake New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 29
books:
See all 29 books this book cites
5
books
cite this book:
- The Golden Goblet (Newbery Library, Puffin) by Eloise Jarvis McGraw in Front Matter
- Moccasin Trail (Puffin Newberry Library) by Eloise Jarvis McGraw in Front Matter
- Three Musketeers (Ladybird Classics) by Alexandre Dumas in Front Matter
- Mara, Daughter of the Nile (Puffin Story Books) by Eloise Jarvis McGraw in Front Matter
- Escape to freedom: The story of young Frederick Douglass : a play for young people by Ossie Davis in Front Matter
See all 29 books this book cites
- Arthurian Literature by Women: An Anthology (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities) by Alan Lupack in Back Matter
- The Arthurian Handbook (Second Edition) by Norris J. Lacy in Back Matter
- Time Warped: Five Read-Aloud Plays That Stretch the Truth About the Past by Bruce Berger on page 85
- Parent's Guide to Raising a Gifted Child: Recognizing and Developing Your Child's Potential from Preschool to Adolescence by James Alvino in Back Matter
- Arthurian Literature by Women: An Anthology (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities) by Alan Lupack in Back Matter
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