Avalon: A Novel (Paperback)

by Anya Seton (Author), Philippa Gregory (Foreword)
Key Phrases: high seat, cross bench, wattle church, Cild Aelfric, Lord Rumon, King Arthur (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is characterized by [an] authentic sense of time resulting from wide reading and detailed sense of place."  —The New York Times Book Review

"Anya Seton has vividly and colorfully portrayed life during the tumultuous Dark Ages."  —Historical Novels Review

Product Description

This saga of yearning and mystery travels across oceans and continents to Iceland, Greenland, and North America during the time in history when Anglo-Saxons battled Vikings and the Norsemen discovered America. The marked contrasts between powerful royalty, landless peasants, Viking warriors and noble knights are expertly brought to life in this gripping tale of the French prince named Rumon. Shipwrecked off the Cornish coast on his quest to find King Arthur's legendary Avalon, Rumon meets a lonely girl named Merewyn and their lives soon become intertwined. Rumon brings Merewyn to England, but once there he is so dazzled by Queen Alrida's beauty that it makes him a virtual prisoner to her will. In this riveting romance, Anya Seton once again proves her mastery of historical detail and ability to craft a compelling tale that includes real and colorful personalities such as St. Dunstan and Eric the Red.

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Product Details Paperback: 448 pages Publisher: Chicago Review Press (May 1, 2006) Language: English ISBN-10: 1556526008 ISBN-13: 978-1556526008 Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,451 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
high seat, cross bench, wattle church, garnet necklace

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Cild Aelfric, Lord Rumon, King Arthur, Lady Merewyn, King Edgar, Brother Finian, Reverend Mother, Romsey Abbey, Bishop Ethelwold, Ari Marson, Lord Ordulf, Aunt Merwinna, Les Baux, Erik the Red, Lady Alfrida, Tavistock Abbey, Father Padraic, Earl of Mercia, King Sweyn, Brother Rumon, Brother Laurence, Queen Alfrida, Sister Herluva, Our Blessed Lord, Blessed Virgin

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Customer Reviews

36 Reviews 5 star:  (20) 4 star:  (8) 3 star:  (6) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.3 out of 5 stars (36 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 70 of 71 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars avalon - the Saga of Merewyn, March 31, 2004 By A Customer This review is from: Avalon (Paperback) This is a wonderful, romantic tale, almost a saga. Though the main character is fictional, the story itself is set in an interesting historical period and the details are accurate. Merewyn leaves Cornwall at fifteen, after the death of her mother. She travels into England in the company of Rumon, who is the historical figure Romieux de Provence, shipwrecked on the Cornish coast. Merewyn works for some time at England's royal court and then stays at a nunnery, following the assassination of one unfortunate English king. Fate intervenes dramatically with her life when she has to return to Cornwall after the death of the Abbess of her convent. Anya Seton has woven a charming story around the figure of Rumon, a Cornish saint. Merewyn believes herself descended from the ancient, royal line of King Arthur. This is a sustaining myth in her life. Merewyn's actual parentage is far less romantic and has to do with Viking raids on the Cornish coast. The story of the star-crossed love of Merewyn and Rumon is just one strand of this story. England in the tenth century was subject to periodic invasion from the Norsemen - this is a major part of the plot, which is romantic yet plausible. Merewyn does a great deal of travelling both planned and unexpected, to find her real identity. I first read this novel many years ago, and have since read it many times. I warmly recommend it to new readers. 18 of 18 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, September 4, 2006 By  Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)       Very enjoyable. It was nice taking a travel through history in a period of time not so frequently written about. The up and down see saw of Merewyn's and Ruman's star crossed love was heartbreaking at times. I don't want to say more to give out the end. It isn't Katherine by a long shot, but still a good read, and I would recommend to any lover of historical fiction. 19 of 20 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Anya Seton's Avalon speaks of eternal dreams, mystical love, July 10, 2006 By  Rebecca Huston "telynor" (On the Banks of the Hudson) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    Recently, the works of novelist Anya Seton have been coming back into print, with introductions written by fellow writer, Philippa Gregory. With most of Seton's work being produced between the 1950's and 1980's, it's been interesting to reread these stories, mostly of thwarted love and romance, with a generous dash of the mysterious stirred in for good measure. Set in England just before the year 1000, it takes the story of two young people who meet by happenstance, and form a bond that is by turns resentful, friendly and at times, romantic. Rumon, a young princeling from Avignon, descended from the early Saxon kings of England, has been sent to that land by his exasperated grandmother, Queen Edgive. Rumon, unlike the other young men, has not one bit of interest in the arts of war, preferring instead to follow gentler arts, such as reading and music. When he is shipwrecked off the coast of Cornwall, he finds himself in a strange place that seems to hover on the edges of the earth itself. And it is here that he meets Merewyn, a young girl that is everything that he is not -- illiterate, destitute and burdened with a mother that is both crippled, and likely to be mad to boot. But there is one thing that she has in common with the fastidious, aloof Rumon -- a touch of royal blood, claiming descent from King Arthur himself, and proud of her heritage. But from her dying mother, who wrings a vow from him to never speak of it, Rumon learns something else entirely, a secret that both haunts and poisons him, but his own sense of honor has him taking Merewyn with him to the protection of her Aunt, Abbess Merwinna of Romsey. We follow them along to the court of King Edgar, and his beautiful vain wife, Alfrida, meeting courtiers and bishops along the way. One of them, Dunstan, will play pivotal roles in the futures of the young couple, and gives a glimpse of the mystical and religious life of England just before the turn of the first millennium. Religion was at the time, a serious matter, and people believed strongly in the power of visions, superstitions and at times, rather convoluted ways of doing things. Rumon, especially, is rather naïve, even more so than Merewyn, with his insistance on his quest to find Avalon, the mystical resting place of King Arthur, and his strict adherence to doctrine, even when it costs him both self-respect and love. Both of them embark on adventures across the sea, Merewyn to the Norse lands of Iceland and Greenland, and Rumon even beyond that. Throughout their troubles and questioning natures, one thing remains solid -- their bond, and the thirst for happiness. One thing that I really enjoy about Anya Seton's work is her ability to create a world that is both believable and entertaining. I tend to be a stickler for historical accuracy in novels, and Seton goes far beyond what is required. She stays true to what is known, but also isn?t afraid to explore some of the more controversial aspects of history. Of her characters, only those of Merewyn and her family are fictional, but Dunstan, Merwinna and Rumon all lived, along with the English royalty at the times. Too, so are the stories of the Vikings settling in Greenland, which was much warmer than today at the time, and making it as far as the North American continent. So too, might have the Irish monks, and the tales of the Culdees, an early Irish-Christian sect. One of the pivotal points of the novel occurs in North Salem, New Hampshire, and the site known as Mystery Hill. (Warning - there are a couple of spoilers here, so just skip to the end if you don't want to read them, but they're important to the review, so...) In retrospect, this isn?t going to be a novel that appeals to everyone. Many will be upset about the fact that the two leads never really do get to have a future together. Many consider this to fly in the face of a 'romance' novel, but I think that Seton was aiming for something different than the usual romance, and decided to really put the characters through trying times. While Merewyn is able to find happiness of a sort in both of her marriages, there isn't any sort of the grand passion that is expected in most books nowadays. But then, Avalon was written in a very different era than today. Written in 1965, most women were expected to marry, be faithful, and raise several children, all the while denying that there could ever be something more satisfying in life. Certainly novels, if they were to be successful and mass-marketed kept sex and adultery to a minimum, unless the woman involved was a Bad Woman. But times have changed in the last forty years. Nowadays, Rumon and Merewyn would have had little self-doubts and hesitations, and would have been busy steaming up the sheets, and the interest and charm that make this such a readable novel would have vanished. (End spoiler) No, this is not a traditional sort of romance. Here, the longing may or may not be fulfilled, which is left to the reader to guess at until the very end. Instead, the focus is as much on the inner world as it is about Viking raids, adventures, treacherous queens and scholarly monks. Rumon's own arrogance and at times, priggishness, hold the seeds of his own downfall, and the character of Queen Alfrida is certainly one to give anyone pause before getting entangled with her. What I did not like about this edition is Philippa Gregory's forward to the story. Towards the end, she denigrates the very work that she is talking about, an action that I find rather underhanded, after all, Ms. Seton has been dead for several years and it's rather bad form to take a slap at someone who can't fight back. The afterword, however, is excellent, where the author explains her sources and some of the more unlikely - but quite possible - actions in the story. Not everyone will like it, but if you are hunting for a novel that has a solid historical base, keeps away from the sticky, syrupy romances of today, and manages to create a world that is believable - and unusual - then this is one to take in. Five solid stars. Recommended		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars Half review - couldn't get through it To be absolutely neutral, this half review should be 2 1/2 stars. I really wanted to like this book. Read more Published 3 months ago by Wilhelmina 4.0 out of 5 stars Not my favorite of Seton's, but a good read nonetheless My disappointment with this book comes mainly from the ending, so I will not spoil anything. Seton certainly deals with an interesting subject matter, and all the different places... Read more Published 5 months ago by Justine Kelly 5.0 out of 5 stars A fine work of engaging and event-filled historical fiction and romance A wonderful historical saga of the tenth century. Rumon, descendaant of Charlemagne and King Arthur journeys from his native Provence to England, which is being torn apart by... Read more Published 6 months ago by Gary Selikow 5.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed it very much I couldn't put this book down! I love Anya Seton and her books. It is a wonderful story, detailed and interesting. Read more Published 7 months ago by Charlotte Bronte 3.0 out of 5 stars I had problems with this one... Well, much like many of the other reviewers, I had read Katherine and was very excited when this one came in the mail. Read more Published 8 months ago by C. Cole 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, Strange Forward This was one of the best books I have read! I am new to Seton's work and look forward to reading more of her books. I wouldn't really call it a romance though. Read more Published 8 months ago by R. Burnham 5.0 out of 5 stars The only book I can read over and over again I don't know how many times I have read Avalon, and I love it every time I read it. For some strange reason I want to read it when I get depressed, which is very odd considering... Read more Published 8 months ago by Mohican Lily 5.0 out of 5 stars Anya Seton - an historial fiction writing legend This is an incredibly beautifull, well-researched and eloquently written romantic novel. The characters are three-dimentional and believable and, to tell the truth, I could only... Read more Published 9 months ago by C. Shaw 3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing I had high expectations for this novel, as I enjoyed Seton's 'Katherine' and 'Dragonwyck' very much: two very different periods of history, and yet both magnificently written... Read more Published 10 months ago by Jennifer Rothwell 3.0 out of 5 stars Could be better I love Anya Seton's books. Avalon, however was a disappointment. As always the writing style and historical details pulled me in, but I thought the character development of Rumon... Read more Published 10 months ago by M. Marlene Smith Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556526008
• ISBN-13: 978-1556526008
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,451 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars avalon - the Saga of Merewyn, March 31, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Avalon (Paperback)

This is a wonderful, romantic tale, almost a saga. Though the main character is fictional, the story itself is set in an interesting historical period and the details are accurate.

Merewyn leaves Cornwall at fifteen, after the death of her mother. She travels into England in the company of Rumon, who is the historical figure Romieux de Provence, shipwrecked on the Cornish coast. Merewyn works for some time at England's royal court and then stays at a nunnery, following the assassination of one unfortunate English king. Fate intervenes dramatically with her life when she has to return to Cornwall after the death of the Abbess of her convent.

Anya Seton has woven a charming story around the figure of Rumon, a Cornish saint. Merewyn believes herself descended from the ancient, royal line of King Arthur. This is a sustaining myth in her life. Merewyn's actual parentage is far less romantic and has to do with Viking raids on the Cornish coast.

The story of the star-crossed love of Merewyn and Rumon is just one strand of this story. England in the tenth century was subject to periodic invasion from the Norsemen - this is a major part of the plot, which is romantic yet plausible. Merewyn does a great deal of travelling both planned and unexpected, to find her real identity.

I first read this novel many years ago, and have since read it many times. I warmly recommend it to new readers.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, September 4, 2006

By	Misfit (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Very enjoyable. It was nice taking a travel through history in a period of time not so frequently written about. The up and down see saw of Merewyn's and Ruman's star crossed love was heartbreaking at times. I don't want to say more to give out the end.

It isn't Katherine by a long shot, but still a good read, and I would recommend to any lover of historical fiction.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anya Seton's Avalon speaks of eternal dreams, mystical love, July 10, 2006

By	Rebecca Huston "telynor" (On the Banks of the Hudson) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Recently, the works of novelist Anya Seton have been coming back into print, with introductions written by fellow writer, Philippa Gregory. With most of Seton's work being produced between the 1950's and 1980's, it's been interesting to reread these stories, mostly of thwarted love and romance, with a generous dash of the mysterious stirred in for good measure.

Set in England just before the year 1000, it takes the story of two young people who meet by happenstance, and form a bond that is by turns resentful, friendly and at times, romantic. Rumon, a young princeling from Avignon, descended from the early Saxon kings of England, has been sent to that land by his exasperated grandmother, Queen Edgive. Rumon, unlike the other young men, has not one bit of interest in the arts of war, preferring instead to follow gentler arts, such as reading and music. When he is shipwrecked off the coast of Cornwall, he finds himself in a strange place that seems to hover on the edges of the earth itself.

And it is here that he meets Merewyn, a young girl that is everything that he is not -- illiterate, destitute and burdened with a mother that is both crippled, and likely to be mad to boot. But there is one thing that she has in common with the fastidious, aloof Rumon -- a touch of royal blood, claiming descent from King Arthur himself, and proud of her heritage. But from her dying mother, who wrings a vow from him to never speak of it, Rumon learns something else entirely, a secret that both haunts and poisons him, but his own sense of honor has him taking Merewyn with him to the protection of her Aunt, Abbess Merwinna of Romsey.

We follow them along to the court of King Edgar, and his beautiful vain wife, Alfrida, meeting courtiers and bishops along the way. One of them, Dunstan, will play pivotal roles in the futures of the young couple, and gives a glimpse of the mystical and religious life of England just before the turn of the first millennium. Religion was at the time, a serious matter, and people believed strongly in the power of visions, superstitions and at times, rather convoluted ways of doing things. Rumon, especially, is rather naïve, even more so than Merewyn, with his insistance on his quest to find Avalon, the mystical resting place of King Arthur, and his strict adherence to doctrine, even when it costs him both self-respect and love. Both of them embark on adventures across the sea, Merewyn to the Norse lands of Iceland and Greenland, and Rumon even beyond that. Throughout their troubles and questioning natures, one thing remains solid -- their bond, and the thirst for happiness.

One thing that I really enjoy about Anya Seton's work is her ability to create a world that is both believable and entertaining. I tend to be a stickler for historical accuracy in novels, and Seton goes far beyond what is required. She stays true to what is known, but also isn?t afraid to explore some of the more controversial aspects of history. Of her characters, only those of Merewyn and her family are fictional, but Dunstan, Merwinna and Rumon all lived, along with the English royalty at the times. Too, so are the stories of the Vikings settling in Greenland, which was much warmer than today at the time, and making it as far as the North American continent. So too, might have the Irish monks, and the tales of the Culdees, an early Irish-Christian sect. One of the pivotal points of the novel occurs in North Salem, New Hampshire, and the site known as Mystery Hill.

(Warning - there are a couple of spoilers here, so just skip to the end if you don't want to read them, but they're important to the review, so...)
In retrospect, this isn?t going to be a novel that appeals to everyone. Many will be upset about the fact that the two leads never really do get to have a future together. Many consider this to fly in the face of a 'romance' novel, but I think that Seton was aiming for something different than the usual romance, and decided to really put the characters through trying times. While Merewyn is able to find happiness of a sort in both of her marriages, there isn't any sort of the grand passion that is expected in most books nowadays.

But then, Avalon was written in a very different era than today. Written in 1965, most women were expected to marry, be faithful, and raise several children, all the while denying that there could ever be something more satisfying in life. Certainly novels, if they were to be successful and mass-marketed kept sex and adultery to a minimum, unless the woman involved was a Bad Woman. But times have changed in the last forty years. Nowadays, Rumon and Merewyn would have had little self-doubts and hesitations, and would have been busy steaming up the sheets, and the interest and charm that make this such a readable novel would have vanished.
(End spoiler)

No, this is not a traditional sort of romance. Here, the longing may or may not be fulfilled, which is left to the reader to guess at until the very end. Instead, the focus is as much on the inner world as it is about Viking raids, adventures, treacherous queens and scholarly monks. Rumon's own arrogance and at times, priggishness, hold the seeds of his own downfall, and the character of Queen Alfrida is certainly one to give anyone pause before getting entangled with her.

What I did not like about this edition is Philippa Gregory's forward to the story. Towards the end, she denigrates the very work that she is talking about, an action that I find rather underhanded, after all, Ms. Seton has been dead for several years and it's rather bad form to take a slap at someone who can't fight back. The afterword, however, is excellent, where the author explains her sources and some of the more unlikely - but quite possible - actions in the story.

Not everyone will like it, but if you are hunting for a novel that has a solid historical base, keeps away from the sticky, syrupy romances of today, and manages to create a world that is believable - and unusual - then this is one to take in. Five solid stars.

Recommended