New Person

[multipletrees.livejournal.com]

Hello.

I've joined your lovely community because I'm doing a research project on Arthurian Legend. I suppose I should share som information...

I'm 16, at Avalon High School (That's the truth!). I read voraciously, and I've read most of MZB's Avalon stuff, as well as trying to read 'Crystal Cave' and it's sequel. I hope to get some good book-ideas from this...thingy. Which brings me back to my reason for joining...Does anyone know of a single book (fiction or non) that gets the main points of Arthurian Legend? I need a few more...

Comments

[kemeki.livejournal.com]

Well, The Once and Future King of course, though I've never read all of it... didn't like it too much...

[chthonic-gnome.livejournal.com]

As a Classicist, I'd have to say Sir Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur pretty much covers the "main points" of the Legend. Just make sure to get a good, abridged version because it is LOOONG.

And if you ever get time I highly reccommend the Vulgate Cycle, which contains five books (check out this link http://www.maryjones.us/jce/vulgate.html ).

Good luck, and Welcome!

[silver-spryte.livejournal.com]

i agree, le Morte d'Arthur is probably your best bet. its a very good read, enjoy!

[faynudibranch.livejournal.com]

Just don't believe anything you read in the Mists of Avalon--Marion Zimmer Bradley, despite her "authenticity" speech in the beginning, is a very confused woman. Twisted the plot so she oculd fit sex into every other page...still an enjoyable read, but mostly wrong. I agree with the others, though, malory's loads of fun and is what most modern arthurian re-tellings are based off of. I would highly recommend The Once and Future King (T H White).

[a-blue-moon-cat.livejournal.com]

If you're looking for something from a mystical yet historical viewpoint, IMHO, you can't do better than anything by Rosemary Sutcliffe. She wrote several children's books that tie into the legends, but her adult novel, _Swords at Sunset_, is a classic and a must-read.

_The Once and Future King_ is of interest, but be aware that White re-wrote and/or cut down all the four novels to fit into one volume; so if you can find the separate books, you'll get more of the flavour of his work. A library would be a good place to look for these, as I think that they are out of print.

Malory is probably the best from a medieval standpoint. Eugene Vinaver (probably not spelled right) edited/translated a version that I read in grad school and liked.

MZB, as much as I love her Darkover books, was writing from a female and pagan viewpoint in MoA, and that's a rather different approach to the myth. I liked the book, until Morgaine seemed to stop acting in any sort of a logical fashion. :(

Again all these are JMHO and YMMV. [ BTW, I'm also new here, and looking at earlier posts, which might help you as well. :) ]

[minstrel-ivare.livejournal.com]

And of course Geoffrey of Monmouth's "historical" account of Arthur in "History of the Kings of Britain" is always worth a read (and a laugh.) Darling man.

I second those who have warned you away from MZB's books, except as stories in their own right.

Wheee!