Adaptations Books

"I gazed down at her, asleep on her bed of feather pillows. Never before have I seen beauty like this. Even if mother had not long ago banned from the castle anything that might be pleasing to the eye, I would never have been prepared for this. Little did mother know that tucked away on the grounds of our very own castle lay such loveliness."

The Prince is a confused character who finds a building in the back of their family's castle while he ran away from home for the first time. Princess Rose is a very smart, elegant, and musical character. That is, because her seven fairy godmothers cast their gifts upon her when she was a new born baby, but when an unexpected visitor arrives which is the eighth fairy who everyone thinks is dead she is very angry that she didn't get invited so she casts a spell on her which will make her drop dead when she is poked by a needle at the age of sixteen. One of the younger fairies saves the day because she didn't give her gift before, so she can weaken the curse by just making her drop into a sleep for one hundred years. On the other hand the Prince is a boy that has issues of his own because his mother is part ogre she has a craving for human flesh every first and second Thursday of the month, also he doesn't have a name everyone just calls him the Prince. One day Prince is in the forest and he discovers a large building in the middle of his back yard and tries day and night to pry the door of the building open but it wont budge. If you want to know what he finds in the castle you would have to read the book to find out. The theme of this book is that you should be ready for what life throws at you because in this book the Prince has to bring Sleeping Beauty home to his mother which is a problem because she is very beautiful. The meaning of the title "Sleeping Beauty the One Who Took the Really Long Nap" is its name because it is about a girl who went to sleep for one hundred years, she is beautiful, and she took a really long nap.

The pacing of this book is a very slow but detailed and it explains everything so well that you have a picture in your head of what the characters in the book are doing. The authors craft is a happy, feel good mood. It does not say anything about what religion it they are either. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to 6th and 7th graders.

I enjoyed this retelling of the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, more than the original. The story is simply told (from two points of view, the Prince's and Rose's). The story is engaging, yet at the same time explores ideas such as: What is the nature of true beauty? What is nobility? I recommend this book, especially to fairy tale and fantasy afficianados.

This is a great book! I cant wait to read the next book! has a great twist to the fairytale.

After read the first book in the series (which I loved), I bought this one immediately because I enjoyed the Rapunzel one immensly. I was never a big fan of the sleeping beauty story, but I thought I'd read it any way. And I am glad I did. The author makes the characters very real and very funny that you get swept away in their two tales. I also love hour the two main characters always end up having their stories tie in to each other's, and of course they always live happily ever after! What can I say? I love fairy tales and this author gives a new spin to the old tales. I highly reccomend reading them if your looking for a fun read.

"I already know the story of Sleeping Beauty." you say to yourself. "Do I really need to read it again?" you ask. Well, let me help you out a little bit.

First, talking to yourself is a completely normal activity; you're not crazy. (Actually, I can't say that for sure, since I don't know you. That, however, is beside the point. Let's just say that talking to yourself is not the deciding factor in determining insanity.) Second, I'm willing to bet you only know half of the story at best.

Did you know that the Prince doesn't have an actual name? Nope, he's just "Prince." Did you know that his mother is part ogre? Not much, not even half, really. It's not her fault. It's not even that big of a deal. Except for two Thursdays a month. Did you know that Princess Rose feels bad about being good at everything? Except maybe cooking--that one she has problems with. Did you know that her parents live in constant fear of pointy objects? Talk about being overprotective...

If the answer to any of these questions is "No", then you should definitely read this book. You'll find that there's an awful lot more to this story than you ever imagined. Plus, it made me laugh out loud, which I think is a pretty good thing!

This book is perfect for a younger reader who can deal with bigger words, a pre-teen/teenager who doesn't like to read much, or anyone with a good sense of humor. It's told from both the Prince's perspective as well as the Princess', in alternating chapters. I admit that was a bit confusing for me, at first. By the third chapter or so I got into the rhythm of it, and it wasn't an issue.

"That's great and all," you say "but will I like it?"

Yes! Now stop talking to yourself and go read already!

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

Interesting in that it allows film lovers to see what preceded the screenplay and the subsequent film.
Any film buff will enjoy this book.

This is a wonderul collection of stories that have been adapted for film. The book provides revealing commentary from screenwriters and directors and fascinating tidbits of unknown filmography. It is a wonderful find for screenwriters and short story writers and film lovers. Stephanie Harrison writes insightful introductions to each genre. A real treasure.

Have you ever waited with great anticipation for the arrival of a movie where you love the book? Then you watch the movie and are disappointed because it wasn't anything like the book. Movies and Books are connected through story. The story has to be good in each form for it to achieve the desired result.

Stephanie Harrison has written a fascinating look at the connection between 35 short stories and the great films which resulted. This book includes the short stories and insight into how the story was adapted into a movie. The key message which I received is that whether it is a short story or a movie, the foundation of storytelling has to be excellent to achieve the desired result.

If you love movies and short stories or just want to learn about the skill of adaptation, I highly recommend this book.

I just came across this at my local bookstore. Wow! I had no idea that so many famous movies were adapted from short stories. A Face in the Crowd is one of my favorite films, but I never knew it was a short story first. Also, I'm a fan of Harvey Pekar's, so I was particularly happy to see that his graphic story, "The Harvey Pekar Name Story" was included (the film is American Splendor). The introductions to each section are interesting and contain a lot of information I was unacquainted with. Who knew that F. Scott Fitzgerald once tried his hand at adapting his classic story "Babylon Revisited" as a vehicle for Shirley Temple? Good reading for movie fans and people who enjoy short stories.

This is the first book that I have read in the series. Outstanding collection of short stories! These stories bring to light different aspects of the fairy tales we all grew up with. I highly recommend it.

Black Swan, White Raven is an excellent anthology of new fairy tales based on the traditional stories. In this series, all the stories are dark, based on the fact that fairy tales were originally written/told for adults, and their relegation to the the nursery occurred with the Victorian era. Particularly strong and memorable stories are the Rapunzel one by Anne Bishop, the Snow White one by Pat Murphy, and the Tin Soldier one by Nancy Kress.

The team of Datlow & Windling have put in their 4th collection of adult retellings of classic fairy tales, and this is the best yet. Strong, haunting tales that are truly not the Disney fluff we grew up on are what this collection is made of. Stories are drawn from many different cultures, not just the familiar Brothers' Grimm type; they also end up in many times/places, not just the dragons and castles type. The entire series is well worth your time.

Why is this fairy tale anthology out of print? It's got a great collection of stories! I liked practically everything that was in here. SNOW WHITE, BLOOD RED may have been the first volume in editors Datlow and Windling's series of such books, but this fourth one is hands-down more gripping... the stories are better written, in my opinion.

Among my favorite selections from this volume are:
SNOW IN DIRT by Michael Blumlein
SPARKS by Gregory Frost
THE REVEREND's WIFE by Midori Snyder
THE TRUE STORY by Pat Murphy, and
GODMOTHER DEATH by Jane Yolen

I hope BLACK SWAN, WHITE RAVEN is published once more so I can grab my own copy. I have the first three anthologies and haven't read number 2 and number 3 yet, but that was only because I had to finish this one in time to return it to the library. Thank goodness they have it!

If you like this series, then I definitely recommend getting your hands on this one.

What a fun book to read. I love 'A Christmas Carol,' and this book puts everything 'Carol' right at your fingertips. For the most part, I agree with much of what the author says, but I feel that 'An American Christmas Carol' and 'Scrooged' deserve higher ratings. I also prefer the George C. Scott version above all others.
This book is broken down so the reader will not only be able to read about the many different film versions of a 'Carol' that have been released, but the cartoon, television, and even the original book version is reviewed as well. An example of what I learned is that I had no idea that there was a version starring Sir Seymour Hicks filmed back in 1935 until I read about it in this book. I then searched out and found a (rather poor, unfortunately) copy of THAT version. There is also a small biography of Mr. Dickens, so the reader will understand where many of his ideas for his novels came from.
The writing style is quick, informative (LOTS of trivia and pictures throughout!), and upbeat.
I don't know if this has been updated to include the Patrick Stewart version or not, as I purchased this book back in '97. I will definitely pick up a revised copy should one become available.
A great bathroom book!

i enjoyed reading this book as it shows a change in a mans heart. The book has a lot of humor in it and is understood by people of all ages you can read it time and time again and never get board. I like the way he sees things in a differend view after he had a visit from the three spirits.

This very slender book is not a bad afternoon read, but ultimately it fails in what it attempts to do.
The author himself comes off as pompous and disengaging, as his "trivia" book is little more than a brief collection of personal opinions of his favorite Christmas Carol versions. These thinly veiled reviews lack the calibre of even your local TV Guide synopses. The only real trivia examples here are in classroom style question-exercises included at the end of each chapter! While I have no problem with this, the author postures himself as the true expert on A Christmas Carol with no real exposition as to why said versions are his favorite! I am giving it three stars, though, as the subject matter remains enjoyable no matter how clumsily presented.
Also worth noting- The recent Patrick Stewart version is omitted from this collection. Sacrilege!

If you're a Fan of Dickens Christmas Carol, like I am, you might enjoy this book.

It has Chapters on Dickens, the story and it's creation and the many Film, T.V, and Cartoon versions. I don't agree with the author that the movie Scrooged is so avfull, I'm not saying it's a Great movie But I found it quite Funny actually.

But apart from that this is a Fun Book to read around Christmas time when you have reeread Christmas Carol, watched all your Christmas Carol Videos, stuffed yourself full of Marsipan, Chocolate and Sherry and been visited by the Ghost of Christmas past.

This modern version of Cinderella is fascinating. Children will enjoy reading a familiar tale in a modern setting. The story in poetry form with the wonderful illustrations will keep children reading it over and over again.

My five year old daughter has asked us to read this book to her every day for the last 3 days. It's a great modern version of the old classic with a more with-it cinderella and Prince Charming, done in rhyming verses. The characters are multi-cultural too. My favorite thing about this book as a parent is that it is fun to read out loud, so I don't mind reading it numerous times.

This is a wonderful up-to-date, inter-city version of the classic Cinderella. It is written in poetry-style, in a humorous way. The illustrations are done in a rough childlike way. It is very funny and a really fresh view of the classic.

This is a great example of tweeking an old fairytale for today's kids to enjoy. I heard this book read aloud at a literary contest for elementary students and was impressed with the content and readibility. The students in the audience laughed out loud during the reading.

This is a good book, because it tells a beautiful story about a prince that loved Emma, but Emma doesn't want to live in a beautiful castle. This story is about love.

I like this book because it tells about a prince that loved Emma. He want to married her and take her to a castle, but she doesn't want to live in a big beautiful castle. She want to stay home and help her mom to clean the house.. I think the kids that would read this book they would like it.

I bought this book for my daughter and we love it! It's a great way to breath life into the classic tale told in the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas". The illustrations are lovely and text tells the very funny and lovely story of a farm girl and her suitor, the Prince. It is a sweet story that can be enjoyed all year round.

I have a daughter named Emma and originally got this book for her. I have read it numerous times at home, at school and at the library and it is always a hit. This is a hilarious retelling of the twelve days of Christmas. Humor, romance and lovely illustrations make this a great addition to any library.

The short stories in this book were marvelous. And it does not make any difference if you know the meaning of ELISHA or ELIJHA. Who really cares? Lets keep a controversial philosophy out of good westerns, thank you.

The inheritors of the authors estate are trying to locate people the author had met over his lifetime and during the second world war. This search for people L'Amour knew, is a section at the end of the book.

Nevertheless, L'Amour is first, a judge of human character.

After Sec'y of Commerce Brown's plane went down an exacerbation of events occurred.

Apparently, a seder, or printed read-through used by Jewish people observing the exodus from Egypt at Passover at dinner, a seder or Haggadah was held in security by Muslims in Yugoslavia. Reading here includes _Black Land and Grey Falcon_ by Rebecca West, and the Vatican Codex Haggadah, _Tanna Debe Eliyyahu: the Lore of the School of Elijah_ translated from the Hebrew by William G. Braude and Israel J. Kapstein published by The Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia, 1981.

The _Tanna_ on page 16, that age at which Americans are given the privelege to drive (more road death from automobiles than all the American military deaths in all American wars) has this passage:

"Blessed be the Preserver of the world, blessed be He in whose presence no man is favored more than another, from whose presence clear shining and light [come] to the world, from whose presence rains come to the world and tender grass comes into the world. The reward of the righteous who wear themselves out in study of words of Torah {the first five books of the Bible, starting with Genesis, also called the Pentateuch} is that Scripture regards them as though it is they who bring clear shining and light into the world, as though it is they who bring rains and blades of tender grass into the world. Hence it is said, [Because of the righteous]... {drinking and driving don't mix either, ask a qualified MADD}...clear shining, rain, even tender grass springeth out of the earth (2 Sam. 23:4)."

The interesting story that relates to the Codex Haggadah passage is in this collection of Louis L'Amour's, _End of the Drive_.

The name of the story is: "Elisha Comes to Red Horse".

Do you know the difference between Elijah and Elisha in the Bible?

A most splendid collection of short stories from America's premier storyteller. Reading these newly discovered stories made me realize how sad it is that we will never again be rewarded with his true brand of genius. The novel at the end "Rustler Roundup" was superb. I truly hope his spirit and love of the Old West will forever live on

The short stories are beautifully written, intelligent and to the point. The novella, however, drags and loses focus. Shorter is better.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Item was exactly as described; arrived quickly.
Very prompt service. An excellent seller!

The Frog Prince is a lush retelling of the classic fairytale by the Brothers Grimm, about the princess and her fateful meeting with a frog who is really an enchanted prince. Lavishly illustrated with detailed, museum-quality art, The Frog Prince spins its story in sufficient detail as to be appropriate for young readers who are almost ready to transition from picture books to chapter books. Highly recommended. "As the carriage rolled away, the prince heard a loud cracking noise. He yelled to Faithful Henry that he was afraid something might be breaking. But Faithful Henry answered that it was simply the bands around his heart snapping free, now that the spell was broken and his master was free at last."

I really looked forward to receiving this book, as I had been looking for a beautifully illustrated version of the Frog Prince for a while. This one really seemed to fit the bill until a very unfortunate turn in the story. I'm the first to admit that I don't know if this is the original telling. However, I do not remember the frog turning into a prince after the princess "smashes" him into the wall. I was reading the story happily--princess loves ball, plays with ball, ball falls into well, frog offers to help, princess promises to love frog forever and let him live with her, frog retrieves ball, princess breaks her word, king makes princess keep her word, princess begrudgingly lets frog sleep in her bed, princess throws frog "against the wall with a mighty SMASH"--errr, I'm sorry, what was that last part?

"The princess became furious over having to share her room and her bed, and could not take it any longer. In a burst of anger she reached down and grabbed the frog firmly in her fist and hollered, 'Now you will be quiet you horrible frog!' and threw him against the wall with a mighty SMASH. But when he fell he was no longer a frog but a handsome young prince with kind and beautiful eyes."

(next page spread) "The king was happy as the two were wedded for life."

Well, I know that there are often uncomfortable parts in the old fairy tales (grandmothers and little piggies getting eaten by wolves, poisoned apples, etc.). However, I don't remember this little fit and I'm not comfortable with a book that has someone being rewarded for poor and violent behavior. Usually the morals of fairy tales are the opposite, with goodness and decency winning out in the end. In my old version of this tale, the princess found that the frog grew on her in the process of her keeping her promise and it was a kiss that turned him into a prince, not a violent outburst spawned by a temper tantrum.

I just wanted to caution other parents of this content. If this is the original and what you're looking for, have at it. The illustrations are quite lovely. I'm kind of tempted to take some white out and a Sharpie to it to change that page to my liking. Ha Ha

Bedwyr, Arthur's last remaining knight, didn't do what he was asked.

Some time later he comes into contact with a younger man, a descendant of Arthur. Although aging, he is asked to help with the fight against the Saxons because of his skills and knowledge.

King Arthur is dying and he commands Bedwyr to throw Excalibur into the lake as his last request. Bedwyr disobeys and hides the sword for another time thinking that Arthur may be healed of his wounds and have need of it again. Well, Arthur doesn't recover and eleven years later Bedwyr returns from fighting for Rome to right the wrong he committed. However, one thing leads to another and he finds himself being asked by Irion, Arthur's grandson to help fight against the Saxons. Irion is the son of Medraut, but is in no way like him. He resembles Arthur in both appearance and personality. Bedwyr refuses, saying that Britain's troubles are no longer his and continues to search for Excalibur. As Bedwyr continues on his quest to find Excalibur Irion tries to find a way for the Britains to reclaim Britain and Camelot. Will their two paths cross again?

The story is exciting and never lets up. The ending is climatic and engaging! It's just too bad it's only 209 pages long. I was sad to see it end! This was an excellent novel and didn't find any discrepancies concerning history because this was more an alternate historical fantasy novel and leaves the author much license to do with his story as he pleases. It is out-of-print but I had no trouble obtaining a copy and can't recommend this book highly enough!

I read a lot of books over the summer, and tis was one of the best. Rice uses ton of historical information to write a fiction story about a time clouded in mystery. The descriptions and battles are colorful and enthralling. Too bad it's out of print...

Being a first-time author, Rice has wisely (I think) avoided trying to give another retelling of the whole Arthurian saga. Instead, he has written a tale set some ten years after Arthur's death, in which the main characters are Bedwyr, Guinevere and Medraut's son (Arthur's grandson) Irion. He tells how the warring Britons manage to hold off the Saxons for a little longer, and also gives the origin for the myth that Arthur is sleeping until needed by his people again. I found the climax both exciting and moving. There are a few historical howlers, but on the whole the times are created quite well, especially with Justinian's reconquest of Italy being brought to the fore at the beginning of the book. Its not the best book I've ever read, but if you collect good historical (not fantasy) novels about the Arthurian period then add this one to your collection.

Having not yet read the first two of King's Arthurian tales, I stumbled across Le Morte D'Avalon quite by accident. What a treat. It was a fast read which kept me turning pages eager to see what the next twist in the story would be. King introduced some characters to the tale that I had not had the pleasure of meeting in other Arthurian works - mainly Morgan's other children. He also did a fantastic job of evolving the story as Morgan's life from a six-year old with mysterious visions evolved into her reputation as a witch, a priestess and ultimately a goddess. Unlike the supportive loving sister of Mists of Avalon - unaware of her incestuous relationship with Arthur....Morgan in this book is cunning yet caring in an entirely new way. Her feelings for Arthur also mature as she and her powers mature. I don't normally go in for stories with lots of fire and dragons and shape changing, but King did it all very masterfully and mystically without being too hokey about it.

If you like Arthurian tales - give it a whirl...I was very pleasantly surprised!!!

This is the third and final book of J. Robert King's Arthurian trilogy. Moran le Fey is showcased in this novel. And what a novel it is! We follow Morgan from her innocent childhood, cut short by Uther Pendragon's lust for her mother Igraine, to her obsession with the goddess Gaga whom she is determined to bring back to life in Britain.

Arthur, unfortunately, is her sworn enemy, even though he never realizes it, of all she reveres. Arthur is the embodiment of destruction for Britain because he will be a bringer of constant war. Morgan wants to bring back the old ways of Gaea and therefore beauty and peace to the land and its people. She also intends to empower women and give them something they aren't familiar with, power and control over the men in their lives.

A wild exciting ride through Morgan's visions of what Britain and eventually the world should be is riveting and imaginative. This book is fairly reminiscent of "The Mists of Avalon" by the late Marion Zimmer Bradley. This story contains much more edge of your seat reading with immense magic, the visions of Morgan and her quest to destroy Camelot before it destroys Britain and the world.

All three novels in this trilogy stand alone, however, read them all to experience the wonder that is author, J. Robert King!

Her age of innocence lasted until she was eight years old. It was then her mother caught King Uther's eye and her father, Duke Gorlois went to war with him. In a vision Morgan sees his death but she finds her father in her mother's bed the next day. Only she can see that it isn't her father at all but Uther, wearing a magical illusion to fool the duchess. A child is born of that woman and Morgan's mother marries Uther and gives birth to Arthur, the once and future king.

After Uther dies, the queen makes an alliance with King Mark, making Tintagel a part of his kingdom. Sick of being under the yoke of men, Morgan leaves her home. She learns to travel the ley lines and work the earth magic of the goddess Gaea. She becomes a queen in her own right, always plotting to destroy Arthur and his kingdom of Camelot because like all men he seeks to oppress women while she seeks to liberate them.

Only a talented storyteller like J. Robert can make a woman like Morgan Le Fey sympathetic and understandable. The world of Camelot is touched by magic and Guinevere and Lancelot are creatures of fey while the worshippers of Gaea grow in numbers until they are actually a viable threat to the Christian religion. LE MORTE D'AVALON is a fresh and colorful interpretation of the Arthurian mythos reading like a ballad sung by troubadours of yesteryear.

Harriet Klausner

J. Robert King has done some magical things to the King Arthur mythos. Now, King continues his Arthurian story, in Le Morte D'Avalon by giving us the conflict between nature and warfare. This time, having told the story of Merlin and Lancelot, King gives us the story of Morgan Le Fay. Does King pull off a third great book? While it's interesting, it's nowhere near the level of the first two. A lackluster ending makes it even worse.

As is common knowledge to anybody even semi-familiar with the Arthurian legends, Morgan is Arthur's half-sister who bears a son with him, Mordred. King expands on this, making Morgan become an incarnation of Gaea, the earth-goddess. Morgan foresees that her half-brother will bring nothing but strife to the land, and that he must be destroyed before he can do that. Camelot, rather than being the paradise portrayed in the legends, will instead be the catalyst for some of the darkest times in history. Ever since the fall of Gaea, men have subjugated women and brought nothing but violence and war to the land that was once green and lush. She is determined to bring it back, starting her own earth religion that works toward this end.

As she continues her machinations against Arthur, she happens upon Lancelot, who she discovers is the "perfect consort" of a goddess like she is becoming. She is determined to win him to her side, and she becomes increasingly jealous when she finds out about Lancelot's fascination with Guinevere. This jealousy colours many of her interactions with both of them (as well as Arthur) for the rest of the book. It also causes her to make decisions she wouldn't normally make, jeopardizing her plans. Will she achieve the paradise on Earth that is her goal? Or will the representatives of Christianity and the Faerie folk defeat her?

While the concept of this book is intriguing, I thought the execution was flawed. This is not so much because of how King presented the whole scenario, but because many of the events are just rehashes of what he put in the first two books, just told from a different side. At times, this works (such as Morgan's first attempt at winning Lancelot, when she and her two disciples try to woo him into their lair), but at others it really becomes boring. The ending sequence in particular (No spoilers) is tedious, with Morgan mainly observing events that happened in the previous books. She provides some commentary, but she's not involved. The ending jumps from event to event with no real continuity. Whole sections of the previous books are discussed in a few pages and then the book just limps into nothingness.

While I'm discussing the ending, there is a really nice coda that really ties the series together. I thought that Lancelot du Lethe was the ending, and that it really worked well that way too. Adding Morgan to the mix, it brings an even more satisfying conclusion, as character arcs are wrapped up and the people involved move on with their lives/afterlives. I could have done without the very last pages, though, where King brings a modern-day spin to the gender issues that he's explored throughout the book, though. They seemed trite and unnecessary.

This brings me to the main fault of the book, in my opinion. The gender politics are very heavy-handed in this one. First, the main struggle is between the "male" religion of Christianity and the "female" religion that Morgan sets up (and becomes the embodiment of). Thus, most of the men in the book are either would-be attackers or emasculated men, while most of the women characters are noble and honorable. Some of this may be because of the viewpoint we get (it's all Morgan's), so the shading may be understandable. Arthur and Lancelot are the only two men who don't fall into this trap. Arthur is pretty much a non-character, being the focal point of Morgan's schemes but not interacting with her much. Lancelot is the "perfect consort" so must appear like a beacon of nobility. King does turn this whole idea on its head later in the book, demonstrating that the world still needs what men bring to it, and that a world dominated by a Gaea-like paradise would be, though very green, very cold and sterile. It's a nice contrast, but it's hurt by the fact that there are no sympathetic male characters in the first part of the book. It all appears to be a bunch of male-bashing, and twisting it at the end doesn't help the beginning.

Morgan herself is well done (until she becomes just an observer, at least, when she becomes boring). She walks the fine line between the villainess that we're all familiar with and a sympathetic character. King doesn't do as good of a job with any other characters, however. Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot are based on their portrayal in the other two books, but unfortunately you only get that if you've actually read them. Taken alone, they are woefully underdone. None of the other characters are remarkable in the slightest. King does a decent job with the writing as well, though his prose doesn't rise to the level that he reached in the first two books.

While, in hindsight, a book about Morgan is almost necessary to complete the series he has started, Le Morte D'Avalon almost feels written as an afterthought. It doesn't read anything like the first two and it seems to be more of a rehash of events than is absolutely necessary. If you've liked the first two, this is a valuable conclusion to the series. But I'd buy it in paperback at least, if not waiting for the library.

David Roy