Arthurian Legend Books

I was very happy with the book I received. I received it in about 5 days after I ordered it, it was in good shape and exactly what I needed.

If you're a huge Greek mythology buff like me, you ought to have this in your shelf. And, you should have read it too (atleast twice).

For those who enjoy the study of mythology, this is one of the most important collections ever. Bulfinch's myths are a delight to read, and, as he tells us in his intro, these stories provide us with the framework for all of western culture and art. For those who are drawn, this one is highly recommended.

I'm a foreign student studying in the US. I listened to this audiobook while I was preparing for GRE. I learned many new vocabulary from the audiobook.
Later when I took western philosophy class, I understood what my professor was talking about because I had learned about Greek mythology from this audiobook.
I also notice people often use idioms derived from Greek Mythology in their writing or conversation. So it's handy to have such information in your background. Listening to this audiobook is an easy way to obtain such knowledge.

This a great book for all who have a intrest in hearing the myths and legends of gods and heroes, just in their story form, without it being analytical or narrated as a deconstructed text. This is mythology in its purest form, before it's been tampered with by english professors or translated by the historyian.
A great read of the ancient myths.

I love love love this book! The characterization of Mordred is great and the events retold are masterfully written and wonderful. I really really loved this book. I haven't read any of the other Mary Stewart Merlin books, but I definitely will after reading the Wicked day. Even if you are not a fan of Arthuriana, this book is inticing and entertaining.

The only letdown is the ending, which never really worked for me, BUT the rest fo the book is great, so this can be forgiven.

The fourth book in Mary Stewart's Arthurian saga, with a difference.
This book is not about Merlin, but about Mordred. The boy is lied to
and manipulated by an over-ambitious mother.

This will end in war and bloodshed, and Merlin is no longer around to try and prevent everything tumbling down.

Mary Stewarts The Wicked Day offers an alternative version to the much heard Arthur, Mordred relationship. An excellent follow up to the Merlin/Arthurian trilogy. Readers who have read the first three books will not be disappointed by the fourth.

I enjoyed Mary Stewart's Arthur trilogy and naturally purchased The Wicked Day. The book builds on a few of the key characters from the Trilogy (excluding Merlin) and is as well written; however, the plot will leave those who enjoyed the optimism and sense of purpose of the first books wanting.

Unlike the previous works in which Merlin guides the young Arthur to his destiny of becoming King of a unified Britain, the Wicked Day follows the life of Mordred, the ill-conceived son of Arthur. The divinely inspired guidance of Merlin in the Trilogy is replaced by the evil plotting of Morgause, and the hopefulness of the earlier works, as Arthur rises to power, is replaced by an impending sense of doom for the hapless Mordred. Readers who enjoy an escape into a world of progress, in which good triumphs over evil should pass over the Wicked Day.

A sad ending to Mary Stuart's tales of Arthur and Camelot. This book back-tracks a bit from where the trilogy ends, starting with Mordred as a young boy first being introduced into Morgause's palace and web of intrigue.

A very pleasant book to read, the author has a very nice way of setting a scene and bringing the reader into it. I would have enjoyed this more if I hadn't so recently read another tale on Arthur, Queen of Camelot. I came across many instances where the books were telling the same story and found myself skipping through those sections.

Great looking book, unnfortunately it is not the edition we need fo my son's class

I read three versions of the Arthurian legends recently, and this one was the weakest. The language is somewhere between Malory's archaic form and modern prose, but does not succeed well at being either. The tales were also, in my opinion, less well told than in the others.

For your consideration, I read La Morte D'Arthur in an abridged version and Roger Lancelyn Green's "King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" from the Puffin Classics series. I enjoyed Green's telling the best, as it was credibly compiled from a number of works (including Malory) and had some excellent atmospheric illustrations. Though it is a Puffin Classics edition, I did not find the usual condescension or "dumbing down" that often occurs in youth literature.

Get Green's version. It was just as cheap right here on Amazon, and well worth every penny.

This novel is about King Arthur and his knights - more specifically the tale of how Arthur became king and found excaliber and various stories about some of his knights, Merlin, and others. While not the traditional tale, a very good compilation of short stories about a variety of the characters. Would highly recommend.

While this book is intended for kids, adults will probably appreciate it as well...I know I did. If you've tried to wade through Mallory's Le Mort d'Arthur recently, you might agree that it can be relatively slow going and tedious reading at times. Pyle's version of the tales are excellent, and can be read much more easily (and in my opinion with more entertainment) than Mallory's book. I'd recommend this to anyone, young or old, who likes adventure stories and wants to start or continue learning about the Arthurian legends.

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.

With details of troop deployments and excerpts from speeches kings deliver to their men before battle, it becomes obvious it is unlikely that the details are historically accurate. Little time is spent discussing personal relationships; most of the stories revolve around battle. The book is easy reading for the most part. Some of the details offered before any given battle are hard to understand, but they rarely have a significant impact on the course of the plot. The price is more than fair, considering the volume of the book itself and the multitude of fantastic stories. Despite the fact that the work cannot be considered a true source of history, there is still a great deal of educational value.

I'm not sure why another reviewer asserts that "this is not a translation of the Latin HRB." Thorpe is translating the Latin Historia Regum Britanniae from the Cambridge MS. 1706 (see p. 34 of Thorpe's intro).

Geoffrey composed the History of the Kings of Britain ca. 1136-38. It is a medieval chronicle, and it adheres to the standards of historiography of the time. While it does not provide the kind of coherent reading experience one might expect from a modern novel, it does offer early versions of what will become familiar tales. Most Arthurian courses (including mine) begin with excerpts from this book--which places the figure of Arthur and his prototypes somewhere in the twilight between Late Antique history and medieval romantic legend. Later vernacular versions of the HRB will be Layamon's Brut (in early Middle English) and Wace's Roman de Brut (in Anglo-Norman French).

Geoffrey was probably Welsh, and some believe that he writes the HRB to please the Norman ascendancy as they have defeated the Anglo-Saxons (the old enemy of the Welsh) a few generations earlier.

In The History of the Kings of Britain, Geoffrey of Monmouth presents a detailed history of the Britons, beginning with Brutus in the twelfth century B.C. and ending with Saxon invasion in the seventh century A.D. Through the main characters of his book, Brutus, Belinus and Arthur, Geoffrey illustrates Britain's glorious past, recalling the events in chronological sequence and providing detailed descriptions of every event, especially those strategic to the building of Britain.
While Geoffrey's source has yet to be proved, in his own introduction, Geoffrey claims to follow a reliable and ancient source given to him by a friend. The lack of evidence to support this claim, coupled with the supernatural elements incorporated into The History of the Kings of Britain, makes it difficult for the modern reader to place complete trust in the text as a historical account of Britain's history. The text is, however, rich in historical value as from his writing, one can deduce much about the political structure of Britain in that time frame, as well as the sociological makeup of the nation. The emphasis on politics, war and international relations, form a rough picture of Britain's power system, and the lengthy stories revolving around his characters give the reader insight on the lives of the British nobility.
The History of the Kings of Britain deserves as much credit (if not more) for its literary value as its historical one. While Geoffrey considers himself a historian, his artistic talents, fluency and extensive use of vocabulary bring his accounts to life, turning the text into an enjoyable literary piece. Especially in key passages (in particular those concerning Arthur), Geoffrey makes very fine and detailed points, often narrating livelily.
Lastly, Geoffrey writes "to be read by the solitary reader, not to be declaimed aloud...recital." While unable to resist the temptation to exalt certain characters he favor, Geoffrey is sensitive to leave much room for the reader's imagination. The experience of reading Geoffrey includes filling in the gaps in his stories with speculations of your own, giving every reader a personal "version" of the book.
The History of the Kings of Britain is both an acclaimed literary piece and a famous historical account. The richness of its text lies in the careful description of the events, and the accessible style of writing. A marvelous attempt at introducing Britain's early history, the History of the Kings of Britain also provides one of the greatest accounts of the Arthurian legend.

I had to read some parts of this book for class and there were times when I was so confused by the writing that I had to reread parts three or four times. At other times I had no problem understanding what was going on. Overall, it is an enjoyable read if you are interested in how biographies were written in the middle ages and if you don't take every word seriously since the author wasn't very faithful to history.

Geoffrey's "The History of the Kings of Britain" is an engaging book about the King's who ruled over Britain and the great deeds they accomplished. I will concentrate particularly on the tales concerning Uther Pendragon and Arthur, since these are the characters that, in one way or another, helped form the image of Arthur we relate to in today's society.
The book is, for the most part, event driven. Geoffrey describes one battle after the next after the next. It is almost certain that he will name each and every important character just as he will explain what happens to them at one point or another. He takes great care in describing how the battles take place. You can be sure he will never miss a name. Although these and other little details about battles and events are interseting, they do not make up for the lack of insight into the characters lives, especially Arthur's.
Throughout the novel it is possible to get a feeling that Geoffrey continues to try and convince us that Arthur is the noblest and most generous of men. Arthur's actions, however, don't always seem to be so. Was his generosity true at heart, or was it a form of subtle bribery to keep his people's and allies favor? Why was Arthur so eager to enter battle, one after another, despite losing so many of his mens lives? Geoffrey does a good job of "telling" us of Arthur's greatness, but does a poor job of "showing" it.
Despite these minor flaws, The History of the Kings of Britain is, if not historically acurate, at least entertaining. The constant battles, change of events and the casual appearance of supernatural powers gives the book that old, medieval feel. As for the text, it is not difficult to understand. Some effort is required to completly comprehend the events taking place, but it's nothing too time consuming. Personally, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about conquest, battles and anything relating to King Arthur.

I found this to be a beautifully written, very poetically styled novel and I was hooked from the very start. The employment of the third person narrative for prologue and epilogue worked extremely well as brackets to the meat of the novel in the first person. Mordred is a highly sympathetic and likeable character and the twists on Arthurian legend and the idea that Arthur was not the shining king of wonder and sparkly rainbows that historians/mythologians tend to portray him as was very refreshing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and had a moment near the end of 'uhoh' when Mordred ruminated on why Merlin did not want Lancelot to go with Mordred to save Guinevere. I sense dark times and sadness ahead for our anti-hero. For that is what Mordred is in this novel, and I cannot wait for the second part of this wonderful trilogy.

The legend of King Arthur is retold from the point of view of Mordred, who is abstaining from sex until he masters sorcery.

Clegg, Douglas. "Mordred, Bastard Son", Alyson, 2006.

The Retelling of a Legend

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

I have always found the legend of King Arthur to be fascinating stuff and I try to read everything about it that I can. Douglas Clegg presents some new ideas in "Mordred, [..]". The book is not only very interesting but looks at the legend in a new way and the Arthurian stories have always been a pleasure to read. The idea of looking at Mordred as something more than a villain and as gay shows a whole new way of looking AT Arthurian England and Clegg really does the story justice.
The plot is filled with running narratives which ramble for pages and then suddenly stop and many pages are spent on Mordred's chastity. Nevertheless, the book is interesting. Clegg's revival of Mordred by beginning with the story of his mother, Morgan le Fay who is fleeing Arthur who wants to kill her before the baby is born. It had been foretold that Morgan's baby would bring the downfall of Arthur's kingdom. Yet Mordred is born and spends his life struggling against his homoerotic desires. He loves his friend Lukat who cannot return that love. Merlin the Magician is Mordred's teacher and he demands that Mordred not have sex until he has mastered the art of sorcery. The core of the story is Mordred's agony in postponing sex so that he can learn. We do get to the point when Mordred finally does have gay sex and it is a very good and sexy passage.
Throughout the book we renew acquaintances with characters that we have met in other books about Camelot and we meet some new characters as well. And finally the book begins to pick up speed.
As Mordred learned of the elements, the forest and magic, he becomes attracted to his best friend and tells him that they are men who love other men. As a teenager, Mordred was consumed with adolescent primal sexual urges but he realizes that knowledge is more important and represses his desires. What he did not know, once he gave in to his carnal desire, was that the man he lusted after was to become his betrayer. He is deceived into believing that he can live as a gay man and remain unaffected by the outside world. He is constantly betrayed and as he reaches manhood, he must deal with his own crimes of passion and his yearning to be at peace in the world.
Clegg gives us a compelling story which is to be part of a trilogy. His reinvention of the sexuality of Mordred is a novel twist. He is now not a betrayer but a seductive and passionate hero living in a world that has no law and is violent and superstitious. Mordred remains bound to the ancient rites of midsummer but he must do what he has been predestined to do.
We read as Mordred changes from a young prince who realizes that he must pay a debt to live to an adult who tries to find a place in the world. As gay we are often enchanted with classical myths and we enjoy reading about gay heroes finding their place in the course of history. Clegg has managed to center Mordred as a hero who enjoys same-sex love and it is hard now to imagine the Arthurian legend being told any other way. We can find similarities in our own lives in the Mordred story as Clegg brings to vibrant life the legend--he did not rewrite the story, he just told it from a different point of view and it is exciting. "Mordred" does not let us forget that life as we know it is a mystery that we are not always able to understand. Love and the loss of love is part of all of our lives whether we are gayer straight just as we all wonder why we are here. Clegg uses these themes powerfully with both sorrow and humor. The only problem with the book is that two more are to follow and I have to wait to read them. Clegg wrapped me in his story from the first sentence and now I am all wrapped up waiting for the next two volumes.

As a fan of Arthurian stories and a gay man I was looking forward to this retelling of the legend of Mordred, Arthur, etc. While Clegg gives us some interesting ideas, I was never really captured by the story. At the end I was left feeling rather ho hum about the story, and not at all interested in seeing where book 2 and 3 would take the story.

The concept - the reinvention (rediscovery?) of Mordred as something more than a villain and as a gay man - has a lot of potential. In execution, this potential was tapped, but not quite enough.

The plot is difficult to follow at times, with rambling narratives that veer off and rejoin and veer off again. A comparatively large amount of time is spent wallowing in Mordred's chastity - too much, I think, because I started rolling my eyes at his Raging Hormones well before the wallowing climaxed, as it were. The sentence structure also sometimes goes galloping off with its bit between its teeth, winding on with such convoluted or rambling phrasing that more than one sentence requires rereading to grasp its meaning. Typographical errors and lingering mark-up - although not a huge problem - are also just enough of a presence to occasionally throw me from my reading.

That being said, it was still an interesting book and I'm glad I read it. I look forward to how Mordred will continue to develop as a character within the constraints of Arthurian legend and how the audience for his narrative will evolve with him. Still, I will wish that my local library would carry the future volumes, as I don't know that I'd want to pay for them.

i was very disapointed with this book! i thought it would be as well written as the forest wife(one of my very favourite books) instead child of the may seemed forced and it rushed along at a dizzying pace. also i truly came to hate magda! she seemed so spoiled and fake. all and all this book isnt really worth buying except for young children who might like it. ages 4-6

Magda, the daughter of Little John and Emma, is the main character in this book. The book begins when John and Robert come to the Forestwife with baby Magda. Emma was killed by one of the sheriff's men and Little John couldn't take care of her. So Magda is raised by the Foreswife. 15 years later, Magda is tired of living in the Forest and wants to go out and seek adventures. She follows her father and Robert to help Isabel, who the sheriff has decided to marry to the man who killed Emma, if she doesn't pay a fee. This book is about Magda's adventures. The Forestwife was a better book. I think this book should have dealt more with Robert and Marian instead of them being minor characters.

This is the best sequel for a book I have yet to read. The connections were accurate, and the future was just what I had wanted. Hope there's a next one on her child!

This was a wonderful book that was in some ways even better than its towering prodeceser, if that were possible! The story is about Magda, the fifteen year old daughter of Little John and the late Emma, who was a close friend of Marian the forestwife, who has raised her so far. Magda however, is totally bored with chores and caring for sick people, and she longs to join her father and Robin Hood and his band of outlaws. She gets her wish, and she goes with her father and the outlaws to save some girl, but faces more challenges than she was prepared for when she finds herself facing in battle the man who ruthlessly murdered her mother. Part of why I liked this book was that it showed in true depth a father's love for his daughter, and that more of the action, in fact all of it, took place with the main character right in the thick of it, instead of just having it happen to other people "offscreen". This was a truly wonderfull book with beautiful writing and style and I would reccamend it to anyone who enjoys strong female heroes.

Have you ever heard people say that sequals are never as good as the first ones? Well, in this case, that is not true. This sequal to The Forestwife, is as good as the first and I highly recomend this book to those who haven't read it.

Yes, this is serious literature: a very early 'Bildungsroman' of some historical and cultural import. But it is also delightful, and in places, an absolute scream. Hilarious & entertaining as well as beautiful. And while I've not read other translations (except to note that one in modern German, of which I have read a passage or two, appears to be somewhat dry), I have read big swaths of a published version of the Middle High German original text. The fact that this is a prose translation takes away from the gloriousness of the tale *not one bit*. If you like a good yarn involving knights, their entourages, their quests, and the unusual characters they meet in their wanderings -- read this translation. Hatto comes to the text with a lovely feel for language. And the story moves. You don't have to be a philologist to groove on it.

...the Grail - or Gral - was a stone. Yep. It had the magic power of filling your glass and providing you with high quality cuisine.
Wolfram Von Eschenbach's Parzifal, written in the 12th Century (when knights still really did joust and women still really did wear wimples), will disappoint anyone determined to discover the hidden secrets of the Templars. Instead it illuminates in rich and exhuberant detail the desires and concerns of the aristocratic Germans of Wolfram's class while telling a timeless story of spiritual development. Parzifal, the child who knows nothing of knightly ways makes mistakes, but slowly, by learning to understand them, grows into the not-too-perfect knight who achieves the Gral through compassion.
For a modern reader who is really interested in the period it is full of fun insights into Mediaeval life - have you ever considered how rusty one gets in armour? Wolfram's ideas about women, people of colour and Muslims might surprise you too.
If, however, you're not patient enough to deal with many a joust or details of kinship lovingly described, I think this won't be the book for you.

Hatto gives his usual accurate, precise and elegant English prose rendering of this classic German epic poem of the early 13th century.

Wolfram's Parzival is a more coherent and well-structured narrative than the Niebelungenlied, and is more courtly and refined than the Icelandic sagas of the same era. It is a lively, colorful insight into 13th century European culture. This, along with its place in the evolution of the Arthurian and Grail legends, is its main source of interest to modern readers.

Wolfram is particularly knowledgeable about military affairs and you can learn a lot from this story about what it was like (or supposed to be like) to be a knight at the time.

The Grail of this story is a stone. In Chretien's earlier story, on which Wolfram's is based, the Grail was a bowl. In other stories, it doubles as the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and the vessel used to catch the dripping blood at the crucifixion. In our own time it has served as a boon to conspiracy theorists and an excuse to cast Sean Connery in an Indiana Jones movie. Next...well, who knows what's next?

Parzival combines folk traditions - the Grail's power of providing unlimited food and drink is a favorite folk motif, most famously with the magic porridge pot - with knightly adventure, and adds a dash of mysticism. It is no more than a dash, and I think subsequent commentators have read too much into this aspect. Certainly it is a coming-of-age story and a tale of redemption, but the spiritual edifice that has since been built around it seems to me a bit of a stretch. At the time of writing this review, youth counselors in Britain are using Parzival as an allegory to teach the true meaning of manhood. Good luck to them.

Although Parzival does not have the continuity errors of the Niebelungenlied, individual sentences are sometimes mangled beyond comprehension. Presumably they sounded more acceptable when recited as poetry. Hatto wisely avoids the temptation to tidy these passages up and translates them warts and all.

History books can only take us so far in an understanding of a previous age. To get beneath the skin, to understand the anxieties, hopes, prejudices and beliefs of the people who lived then, we must share the stories that they told. In Parzival, we see how medieval man related to his own masculinity, his fellow man, his womenfolk and his god.

Wolfram von Eschenbach gives us a glimpse into the fantasy life of the 12th century noble. His romance of Parzival, based on Chretien de Troyes Arthurian works, is the modern day equivalent of an action movie - the plot is unbelievable but the settings, ideas and characters reveal much about the society for which it was produced.

The story tells the tale of how Parsival is born, becomes a knight of the Round Table and ultimately achieves the Grail, which, it turns out, is not Joseph of Arimathea's chalice but is rather a stone. The text does not actually dwell on the description of the Grail, and aside from this oddity, follows the usual myths about the Grail quite closely. And while the Romance is entitled Parzival, he has to share his screen time almost equally with Gawan (Gawaine) who looms large in the book and generally gets all the interesting action.

The Romance is often less than romantic. No stodgy Victorian drama this, it revels in violence, dirt and sexual encounters, often much more explicit than later Arthurian writings. Parzival definitely does not fit the "my strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure" knightly mold. One of his first acts is a rape. Gawan, noble knight that he is, basically falls in love with anything that moves including a girl who is little more than a child. Death and destruction are all part of daily life for these guys and it becomes very difficult to tell the difference between tourneys and battles. Wounds are described in detail, including the unfortunate Lord of the Grail's rather private injury.

The plot largely concerns itself with tourneys and jousts, although there are definitely some interesting moments. The description of the Grail, the mystical Bed Marvelous (translated as Wonder Bed in this version) and the horrifying appearance of the sorceress Cundrie add some magic to the daily grind of hand-to-hand combat.

The Arab world also plays a large role in this novel, revealing a much more complex and enlightened medieval view of Islam than is commonly thought to have existed. Of course, the author seems to think Muslims worship Jupiter but, that aside, several of the main characters are Muslim and they are usually cast in very positive roles. Clearly, being a good knight had little to do with Christianity, and Feirefiz's (Parzival's brother) conversion at the end of the book seems almost an after thought by the author. The author's approach to Christianity is none to orthodox either and Parzival actually denies the existence of God at one point only to be led back to the the truth sometime later by a kindly cleric.

This translation of Parzival, originally written in German, leaves something to be desired. It often seems that the translators attempted to leave the German grammar intact. Perhaps they were seeking to leave an impression in English of the convoluted German sentence structure. Indeed, they often leave footnotes indicating that certain phrases were too tortured to translate directly and they have added information to make them more readable. The end result is that the book reads a bit like the King James Bible if you only modernized the vocabulary and left the grammar alone.

The book is also published in a rather unusual format, a very narrow paperback, with two unattributed illustrations that seem to have been added at random. It also contains a fairly extensive introduction, an extended set of text notes, a list of persons, and a set of family trees. The packaging seems intended for a general audience with some attention to artistic book headings and "Gothic" fonts on maps and elsewhere.

Overall, the story is fascinating both as a tale and as a way to understand how real knights viewed their ideal role models. The translation is tolerable, if difficult. The lack of an index or bibliography would not make this the best book for a scholar but, for fans of Arthurian legends who have the desire to study the early manuscripts and the persistence to get through them, this is a good read.

Is this the greatest "novel" ever written? - the most beautifully written insight into the threefold nature of mankind via the Grail journeys of Pazival, Gawain, and Feirefiz.

Morris here introduces some darker themes: cruelty, anti-Semitism, vengeance and hatred. There's humor, but the book also shows some of the harsh reality of the Middle Ages -- and of the present day. I loved the book, loved how Sarah steps in when Gawain, Terence and even Lancelot can't help, conquering her fear and discovering the rewards and the obligations inherent in friendship.

The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight is a GREAT book!

In this story the heroine, Sarah, is an orphan. Being the only witness of Queen Guinevere's abduction, she sets off to Camelot to tell King Arthur about his wife. Soon she finds herself on quest with Gawain and his Squire, Terence, both to rescue the queen and a secret quest of her own.

Filled with the usual assembly of recreant knights, "holy men", and other hilarious characters, this book has kept me turning pages till the very end. My favorite character is King Bagdemagus, a very, very silly man who is always in the latest fashion; whether it's a brilliant green silk robe or torn up shepherd's clothes!!!

In conclusion, The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady is something I think everyone should read and enjoy. So, if you like ADVENTURE, ARTHURIAN TALES, KNIGHTS, Sir LANCELOT, SWORD FIGHTS AND MAGIC, this is the book for you!!!

Good book, weird title. A girl named Sarah lived with her mother and Mordecai until a knight came with the village and killed them. Sarah has to survive on her own stealing food from the village, and an old woman, who leaves food for her. Sarah wants to get revenge from the knight, and sees one that might be him, or would lead her to him, along with a lady. She follows him and tries to steal his sword when he sits down, but he grabs her, and throws her to the middle of the clearing. She apoligises, and they offer to eat lunch with her. While she's fetching water for the horses, another knight comes, and kidnaps both of them. The knight that she met first hints to Sarah to go and tell King Arther, and that the lady is Queen Guinivere. The old lady who left out food for her told her how to get to Camelot. When she finally gets there, Arther sends a search party, and they plan to drop off Sarah on their way to find the knight, and the Queen, but things didn't go as planned.

After reading one book by author Gerald Morris, we were addicted! Now my husband (43), my son (12), and myself (37) are fighting over every book in the Squire's Tales series that we can get our hands on! We bought this book because we heard it was "good literature." We had no idea HOW good until we read it. It is clever, witty, sarcastic, adventurous, and inspirational! My husband laughed so hard he cried! It is a very entertaining retelling of the King Arthur stories and Canterbury Tales, complete with knights, castles, princesses, magic, fairies, herbs with healing powers, and quests! The characters as sassy and full of spunk, and there is a new adventure around every corner. We recommended these books to our local library, some of the librarians read one of the books, and they ended up ordering a bunch of the books from The Squire's Tales series for the library. (This book is the sixth in the series.) It is easy to recommend such a charming and entertaining book!

This is a great book! It's not as funny as THE SQUIRE'S TALE, but it's more adventure. You see, Sarah witnesses the Queen and Sir Kai's obduction, and she goes for help. Soon she finds herself accompanied by the famous Sir Gawain, his squire, Terence, and searching for the queen and kai. But Sarah's also on a quest of her own, with only a mysterious old crone to help her. This book is filled with ACTION, ADVENTURE, KNIGHTS, ENCHANTMENTS, SUSPENSE, MAGIC, OTHER-WORLDLY-BEINGS, all on a MEDIEVAL back ground! This really is a great read!

Morris here introduces some darker themes: cruelty, anti-Semitism, vengeance and hatred. There's humor, but the book also shows some of the harsh reality of the Middle Ages -- and of the present day. I loved the book, loved how Sarah steps in when Gawain, Terence and even Lancelot can't help, conquering her fear and discovering the rewards and the obligations inherent in friendship.

The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight is a GREAT book!

In this story the heroine, Sarah, is an orphan. Being the only witness of Queen Guinevere's abduction, she sets off to Camelot to tell King Arthur about his wife. Soon she finds herself on quest with Gawain and his Squire, Terence, both to rescue the queen and a secret quest of her own.

Filled with the usual assembly of recreant knights, "holy men", and other hilarious characters, this book has kept me turning pages till the very end. My favorite character is King Bagdemagus, a very, very silly man who is always in the latest fashion; whether it's a brilliant green silk robe or torn up shepherd's clothes!!!

In conclusion, The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady is something I think everyone should read and enjoy. So, if you like ADVENTURE, ARTHURIAN TALES, KNIGHTS, Sir LANCELOT, SWORD FIGHTS AND MAGIC, this is the book for you!!!

Good book, weird title. A girl named Sarah lived with her mother and Mordecai until a knight came with the village and killed them. Sarah has to survive on her own stealing food from the village, and an old woman, who leaves food for her. Sarah wants to get revenge from the knight, and sees one that might be him, or would lead her to him, along with a lady. She follows him and tries to steal his sword when he sits down, but he grabs her, and throws her to the middle of the clearing. She apoligises, and they offer to eat lunch with her. While she's fetching water for the horses, another knight comes, and kidnaps both of them. The knight that she met first hints to Sarah to go and tell King Arther, and that the lady is Queen Guinivere. The old lady who left out food for her told her how to get to Camelot. When she finally gets there, Arther sends a search party, and they plan to drop off Sarah on their way to find the knight, and the Queen, but things didn't go as planned.

After reading one book by author Gerald Morris, we were addicted! Now my husband (43), my son (12), and myself (37) are fighting over every book in the Squire's Tales series that we can get our hands on! We bought this book because we heard it was "good literature." We had no idea HOW good until we read it. It is clever, witty, sarcastic, adventurous, and inspirational! My husband laughed so hard he cried! It is a very entertaining retelling of the King Arthur stories and Canterbury Tales, complete with knights, castles, princesses, magic, fairies, herbs with healing powers, and quests! The characters as sassy and full of spunk, and there is a new adventure around every corner. We recommended these books to our local library, some of the librarians read one of the books, and they ended up ordering a bunch of the books from The Squire's Tales series for the library. (This book is the sixth in the series.) It is easy to recommend such a charming and entertaining book!

This is a great book! It's not as funny as THE SQUIRE'S TALE, but it's more adventure. You see, Sarah witnesses the Queen and Sir Kai's obduction, and she goes for help. Soon she finds herself accompanied by the famous Sir Gawain, his squire, Terence, and searching for the queen and kai. But Sarah's also on a quest of her own, with only a mysterious old crone to help her. This book is filled with ACTION, ADVENTURE, KNIGHTS, ENCHANTMENTS, SUSPENSE, MAGIC, OTHER-WORLDLY-BEINGS, all on a MEDIEVAL back ground! This really is a great read!

This book is special for me.
Now I feel like Galahad, Perceval and Bors would always stay in my heart.

Being part of a busy everyday city life this book carries you away from it, somewhere very far away, and somewhere within you.

The way heroes of this book act while facing their trials is very very inspiring and is presented in such a way that you question yourself: "How can it be otherwise?"

For those who are interested to understand the Bible on a deeper level, it does explain some of the Christian symbols and parables.

Fantastic book, I would give more than 5 stars, but unfortunately that's not an option.

Lovely book. The text is vastly different than a modern work of literature (perspective, emotion, time, etc.) but it remains quite beautiful and moving, and is a central text in our western heritage.

A modern reader will find some passages strange and difficult to accept at face value. For example, knights and persons that appear from nowhere, floating apparitions, flame throwing serpents, interpretations of dreams, and commonplace miracles (an oxymoron) all occur with some frequency. Also, if you've seen Monty Python's film version, it's hard not laugh out loud when reading certain sections (the peril is too perilous!). However, this book puts one into the medieval mind like nothing else.

The reviewers here have focused almost entirely on the religious aspect of this book; however, the text also describes the chivalric code of the knights... an important detail. Their notions of "prowess", shame, honor, love, and masculinity are all there. One can easily see that this story was written by a monk or holy man in order to constrain the "noble violence" that the knights inflicted on themselves and others.

One beef, however, Penguin really needs to update this edition. It was published in 1969 and the introduction, notes and references need sprucing up to include new scholarship and to reference terms that readers today may have trouble with, for example, the Christian calendar: Advent, Pentecost or Whitsunday may befuddle those unfamiliar with it. Otherwise, this book is a must read for serious readers, students of fantasy literature, or those interested in western history.

This book was an older version but was still in good condition. It arrived a week later then when I had requested it.

I teach the Arthurian legend in my 9th grade English class at a college preparatory Christian high school, using excerpts from T. H. White, Thomas Malory, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Our textbook explains how every generation makes the legend its own, and the Grail story is a good example of that. Though the author of the Quest of the Holy Grail is unknown (see author's introduction for educated guesses), this particular set of legends shows the spiritual side of the Middle Ages. I find it quite good for teaching symbolism to young adults as there are a series of events and dream sequences whose meanings are eventually explained as spiritual metaphors. Though the adulterous relationships in the legend are mentioned, one clearly sees how the dark side of human nature can bring about disastrous results. It doesn't read like a modern novel, of course, but students are certainly capable of understanding that medieval quest literature and modern popular novels and/or movies are completely different genres. All in all, I find it enjoyable, but I would use it as a supplement rather than a text.

As a fan of the King Arthur myth, legend, and fact I really liked this book. The book gives you a vary accurate snapshot of what the story read at a certain point in English histoy. In the introduction the author writes of ancient myth and how the early Christians made these stories their own story. Any knight errant questing for the Grail will find this a great read.