The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf

These books really are fun. They're very light reading, but they do interesting things with the stories -- and they make admirable sense of Malory's stories without twisting them too far out of shape, which rather amuses me. It's a pity that Gerald Morris thinks women mostly bother about their looks and the men they're in love with, or seems to from the way he portrays Lyonesse and Guinevere, and sometimes Lynet. But he doesn't write delicate little flowers, either, so that's a point in his favour.

I love the way he portrays the Orkney boys. The brotherly squabbling really works, and I've always had a soft spot for Gawain and Gaheris, while not being so fond of Gareth (too attached to Lancelot) and Agravaine (too attached to Mordred).

A couple of useful bits for my dissertation, but not enough yet. At least they're quick, fun reads. ( )

A re-read. Love these books, especially this one. A re-telling of Arthurian legend, complete with dwarves, enchantresses, the Seelie Court, and hidden identities. Oh, and some great lines. “You’ve clefted my dinner!” [Feb. 2009] ( )

Clever, occasionally trite, but really interesting. I knew the story, so I ignored all the clues, which turned out to be a mistake, as the story was slightly enhanced. The author makes some interesting remarks about his sources in the afterword.

It should be interesting to read more about Lancelot's development from the deeply annoying person, but brilliant jouster of the previous books. ( )

This is an Arthurian tale about Lady Lynet who is trying to save her sister and lands from the Red Knight and Sir Gareth and a dwarf who goes with her to do so. For someone familiar with Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d' Artur, the characters should seem familiar, except that Gerald Morris fleshes the sometimes characters out into a more believable persona. He adds humor, making the gallant Sir Gareth a pompous jerk, making the Savage Damsel into a intelligent, if harsh woman, while portraying her sister as empty headed as any traditional arthurian tale could want. Because this is a chapter book, the plot is very episodic and action filled, each chapter having at least one if not more fights. But they are all interlaced with humor. The setting is in the traditional idea of King Arthur's Britain, including all the magic and Avalon. The theme is over all good vs. evil, but it can also be seen as a struggle to prove that intelligence is more important than gallantry. The voice of the book is very humorous, which is very different them most Arthurian tales. Morris tries to add humor into every aspect especially by poking fun of the chivalry that medieval writers so highly praised, but knights didn't follow. I would recommend this to a middle school library and to any person who likes medieval or arthurian tales. ( )

This is an Arthurian tale about Lady Lynet who is trying to save her sister and lands from the Red Knight and Sir Gareth and a dwarf who goes with her to do so. For someone familiar with Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d' Artur, the characters should seem familiar, except that Gerald Morris fleshes the sometimes characters out into a more believable persona. He adds humor, making the gallant Sir Gareth a pompous jerk, making the Savage Damsel into a intelligent, if harsh woman, while portraying her sister as empty headed as any traditional arthurian tale could want. Because this is a chapter book, the plot is very episodic and action filled, each chapter having at least one if not more fights. But they are all interlaced with humor. The setting is in the traditional idea of King Arthur's Britain, including all the magic and Avalon. The theme is over all good vs. evil, but it can also be seen as a struggle to prove that intelligence is more important than gallantry. The voice of the book is very humorous, which is very different them most Arthurian tales. Morris tries to add humor into every aspect especially by poking fun of the chivalry that medieval writers so highly praised, but knights didn't follow. I would recommend this to a middle school library and to any person who likes medieval or arthurian tales. ( )