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Loading... Merlin's Mirror (edition 1976)by Andre Norton
Work InformationMerlin's Mirror by Andre Norton
Books Read in 2021 (3,129) Modern Arthurian Fiction (117) Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I love the Arthurian mythos and I love Andre Norton, so you would think I would love this book. I remembered reading it back in the mid-1970s and thinking it was bold and exciting. And the science fiction twist on what is usually fantasy should be fascinating. Alas, on this rereading, I found it to be different, but not exciting. Its depictions of female characters felt dated. I liked the premise, but just didn't enjoy the story as much as I thought I would. I actually felt relieved when I finished it. Recommended for those who want every book on Arthur or Merlin or for those who wish a complete collection of Andre Norton. no reviews | add a review
Few authors have achieved such renown as World Fantasy Life Achievement honoree and Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master Andre Norton. With the love of readers and the praise of critics, Norton's books have sold millions of copies worldwide. In this great science fiction novel, Andre Norton brings to new life the legendary King Arthur and the wizard Merlin in the light of modern knowledge of a lost period of history and today's understanding of science and interplanetary communication. Yet, as in all Norton's wonder novels, this is a fabulous adventure in fantasy. Here is Merlin, half star-born, gifted with the advice of an alien intelligence, given the task of renewing civilization and starting humanity again up the ladder to the stars. Here is Arthur, unaware of his stellar heritage. And here, too, is the Lady of the Lake, akin to Merlin in that she is also a listener to the music of the spheres and obedient to a celestial command post. No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.52Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1900-1944LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Two space-faring races have encountered planet Earth in the far distant past. Humanity, under the mentoring of one of them, known as the Star Lords, rose to a technological peak, but civilisation was destroyed in a cataclysm and the survivors reverted to barbarism. Gradually, human beings have clawed their way back up and it is now the time of post-Roman Britain. A beacon placed long ago by the Star Lords guides in one of their automated starships which sets up a base in a cave system and sets out to influence human development, with the aim of eventually restoring the advanced technology of the past.
The first step in the process is to bring about the conception of someone who will work to accomplish certain aims - Myrddin, as he is initially known. We follow the tale of how he is conceived and raised, with the help of an old druid, and gradually comes into his heritage with his discovery of the alien technology in the caves. He must return a certain stone to the Temple of the Sun (pretty obviously Stonehenge) which will activate a new beacon to guide the Star Lords back, as the old one failed some time ago, and also bring about the birth of a leader who will establish peace - Arthur. But an adversary already works against him - a woman called Nimue, the representative of the Star Lords' enemies who do not want humanity to develop a technological society and eventually space flight.
This should have been an absorbing tale given the novel treatment of the well-known legend. And yet the style was quite distant. It is possible to tell an absorbing story even with the older style of omniscient narration, yet here it often set Merlin apart so that it was difficult to relate to his concerns, human as they were. I felt more could have been made of the church's enemity towards him, but there was also a slight continuity glitch. After his unavoidable absence for some years
The characters of women - or rather non-characters - suffer greatly in this story. Early on, we are in the viewpoint of the woman who will give birth to Myrddin, but she is rather shallow and can't wait to get married. She is soon sent off stage. A foster nurse has something of a bond with the young boy, but is killed off. Nimue, the main female character, is always trying to seduce Myrddin/Merlin who has to keep himself totally celibate for not very convincing reasons, and doesn't have much of a motive for what she is doing, although there is a little hint of this right at the end of the book which, if it had been brought out sooner, might have been interesting. Morgause is a non-event, only a brood mare to produce Mordred, and Genievere is a shallow woman only interested in being the centre of attention to men: both have small cameo appearances and their importance is more in what they do offstage - Morgause being Nimue's prisoner, then supposedly being the one who spreads the 'truth' about Arthur, and Genievere supporting Mordred against Arthur.
As an informational note, the cover of this edition is rather misleading with its portrayal of the cliched white-bearded old man: Myrddin/Merlin is in his prime, especially in view of the fact that he didn't age at all for at least sixteen years during the story.
Given the distancing narrative style, I found the book slow going although it is not long - only 205 pages. But it took quite a long while to get through which wouldn't nomally be the case for a book of this length. So with this and the other issues, I can only rate it 2 stars. ( )