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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolute classic - only will add is that the Sir Tristram tales are an absolute slog and take up a third of the book. Overall great read though, the holy grail quest is really a treasure of Engoish literature
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lost Interest, may pick up later again. Stopped on ch.7 of audiobook.
Didn't really enjoy reading this. It's all episodic and disjointed and kind of nonsensical. Lots of lists of names that do a list of actions to a separate list of actions.
I think King Arthur and his knights are more interesting to think about or reimagine than they are to actually read about. Partly because these stories are not really what I remember about them. But centuries of fan fiction and reimaginings have turned their stories into something quite separate, I think. The whole notion of chivalry, for example, seems like a later construction slapped over these stories as they were retold and remolded.
Because what is chivalry in King Arthur's world?
It's hard to say, exactly, but these stories of knights and kings include the following:
Multiple cases of rape, often preceded or followed by kidnapping
Multiple cases of incest
Every knight is sleeping with someone's wife
Sleeping with someone's wife seems to be justified if you're good at murdering people
An endless sequence of indiscriminate murdering
And a whole lot of pillaging
So it's hard to say what about those things are noble or chivalrous. The greatest chunk of these stories is about Sir Tristram and Iseult. Iseult is the wife of King Mark, who is cuckolded and shamed and beaten by Sir Tristram constantly, but King Mark is judged the evil one. Sir Tristram mostly goes around murdering other knights and then takes a wife who he abandons to kidnap Iseult and runaway with her. This brings him honor, I guess, and his many murders bring him acclaim and find him a seat at King Arthur's court. Sir Tristram is seen as one of the greatest and most chivalrous knights!
Then there's King Arthur, who was born from a woman who his father raped. Then he comes of age and falls in love with his aunt, who he fathers a child with. Then he meets his queen as a girl of like fourteen and makes her his wife. He gathers a crew of marauders, rapists, and murderers and puts them at his Round Table. Greatest among them is Launcelot, who has a 25 year affair with Arthur's queen, resulting in a civil war and all of their deaths.
It's utterly bizarre! But there are good stories buried in here. The problem is that the telling is so non-dramatic. It really does read like a list of names and actions, sometimes for dozens of pages at a time.
--Sir Blank won jousted with Sir Whatever and threw him from his horse, then they fought for three hours and both bled copiously. Then they became friends and kissed, and Sir Blank rode off. After a time he came upon Sir Whoever and they jousted and fought for two hours, before Sir Blank beheaded him and rode off for more adventure.--
Most of the book reads exactly like that.
Anyrate, it was very interesting to read these. I didn't particularly enjoy reading most of it, but it is a lesson that fantasy has always been bizarre and quite dark, populated by terrible nobles doing terrible things.
But, yeah, I wouldn't really recommend reading this. It's told in a quite boring fashion. I'm planning on reading a few of the 20th century reimaginings of the legends, which I'm hoping are a bit more fun to read.
I think King Arthur and his knights are more interesting to think about or reimagine than they are to actually read about. Partly because these stories are not really what I remember about them. But centuries of fan fiction and reimaginings have turned their stories into something quite separate, I think. The whole notion of chivalry, for example, seems like a later construction slapped over these stories as they were retold and remolded.
Because what is chivalry in King Arthur's world?
It's hard to say, exactly, but these stories of knights and kings include the following:
Multiple cases of rape, often preceded or followed by kidnapping
Multiple cases of incest
Every knight is sleeping with someone's wife
Sleeping with someone's wife seems to be justified if you're good at murdering people
An endless sequence of indiscriminate murdering
And a whole lot of pillaging
So it's hard to say what about those things are noble or chivalrous. The greatest chunk of these stories is about Sir Tristram and Iseult. Iseult is the wife of King Mark, who is cuckolded and shamed and beaten by Sir Tristram constantly, but King Mark is judged the evil one. Sir Tristram mostly goes around murdering other knights and then takes a wife who he abandons to kidnap Iseult and runaway with her. This brings him honor, I guess, and his many murders bring him acclaim and find him a seat at King Arthur's court. Sir Tristram is seen as one of the greatest and most chivalrous knights!
Then there's King Arthur, who was born from a woman who his father raped. Then he comes of age and falls in love with his aunt, who he fathers a child with. Then he meets his queen as a girl of like fourteen and makes her his wife. He gathers a crew of marauders, rapists, and murderers and puts them at his Round Table. Greatest among them is Launcelot, who has a 25 year affair with Arthur's queen, resulting in a civil war and all of their deaths.
It's utterly bizarre! But there are good stories buried in here. The problem is that the telling is so non-dramatic. It really does read like a list of names and actions, sometimes for dozens of pages at a time.
--Sir Blank won jousted with Sir Whatever and threw him from his horse, then they fought for three hours and both bled copiously. Then they became friends and kissed, and Sir Blank rode off. After a time he came upon Sir Whoever and they jousted and fought for two hours, before Sir Blank beheaded him and rode off for more adventure.--
Most of the book reads exactly like that.
Anyrate, it was very interesting to read these. I didn't particularly enjoy reading most of it, but it is a lesson that fantasy has always been bizarre and quite dark, populated by terrible nobles doing terrible things.
But, yeah, I wouldn't really recommend reading this. It's told in a quite boring fashion. I'm planning on reading a few of the 20th century reimaginings of the legends, which I'm hoping are a bit more fun to read.
So much forsoothing, unhorsing, wrothing and smoting, and that is my main takeaway from this book 🤣
I’ve basically treated this as required reading as I will be visiting Tintagel this summer. Some parts of this book were excellent, others were a total snooze fest. It was at least 50% longer than it needed to be imo. But anyways, glad I read it ⚔️
I’ve basically treated this as required reading as I will be visiting Tintagel this summer. Some parts of this book were excellent, others were a total snooze fest. It was at least 50% longer than it needed to be imo. But anyways, glad I read it ⚔️
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
