July-September 2016 Theme Read: Arthurian Britain

Still from the Mists of Avalon series showing Michael Byrne as Merlin.

Time to go back to Camelot and King Arthur! Or in other words, it’s a new quarter and our theme for July – September is Arthurian Britain. While Arthurian Britain would realy fall under Ancient and Biblical Times because it is after farming and cities reached this part of the world but before the Middle Ages begin, it’s such a different period compared to those two that we’re dealing with it separately. Not to mention that you could probably fill a library with books just about this time period.

This period is from the departure of the Romans from Britain to about 500-600 AD, when the Middle Ages begin. It's very distinct from the Ancient and Biblical Times, focuses on King Arthur, his court, or the happenings around it. There are many different interpretations of the King Arthur stories and many debates about the truth in the myth. Also included in this time period are stories set just after King Arthur’s death and during the decline of his realm, as well as stories like Tristan and Isolde (in all their interpretations) that also fall within this time period. Books about this time period range from using well-known characters like Arthur, Merlin and Guinevere, to using original characters as the main character. There’s a range from gritty realistic to more historical fantasy to idealized fairy tales to find for this time period. Normally I encourage everyone to read from a wide range of geographical settings, however this time period is rather focused on Britain. But everyone who finds an Arthurian book set somewhere else is completely welcome to add it to this theme read!

Some book suggestions:

The Road to Avalon by Joan Wolf
The Skystone by Jack Whyte
The Squire’s Tale by Gerald Morris
The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights by John Steinbeck
Shadow Over Avalon by C.N. Lesley
I Am Morgan le Fay by Nancy Springer

With the clock having passed midnight, I'm going to get started on The Once and Future King, which I'm ashamed to say I've never read. (ETA: Will also satisfy ROOTs and, just barely over 600 pages, satisfy Big Fat Books as well.)

I might also do a reread of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, which I've got in Mark Twain : Historical Romances : Prince & the Pauper / Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court / Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc, so I can do that same LoA volume for rereads of P&P and JofA for the fourth quarter, get a Big Fat Book credit, and also a ROOT.

I've also got Lady of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) that would satisfy a ROOT. All I've ever read by her is The Mists of Avalon, which I adore, but I don't know how much I'll be interested in the other books. Maybe I'll give Lady a try anyway.

>2 CurrerBell: I was just thinking about A Connecticut Yankee this morning as an option for this challenge! I know I have it on hand and I've been meaning to read it.

I have started Rosemary Sutcliff's Sword at sunset and am seriously annoyed by the huge amount of typos. The book itself promises to be very, very good. Has she ever written a bad or even mediocre one?

I have The Crystal Cave in my TBRs, and I'll squeeze it in if I have the time.

I have finished Sword at sunset and I'm still annoyed with the poor quality of the book. The tale itself is wonderful, even if there is no Merlin, no sword in the stone and no lady in the lake. It was very heavy on cavalry, which dragged occasionally, but as always she is wonderful in describing landscape.

>5 cbl_tn: The Crystal Cave is still my favourite version of the story.

I read The Crystal Cave last month. Currently I am reading a book that doesn't fit here H is For Hawk and it discusses T. H. White, author of The Once and Future King who wrote a book called The Goshawk.

>7 Kristelh: ...and for my quarterly read, I just finished The Once and Future King. Okay enough, but I much prefer more radical retellings like Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. Perhaps if I'd read T.H.White when I was young I might not see The Once and Future King as being a bit trite like I do, because in fairness the triteness may be a result of White's own imitators over the past half-century or so.

I've got some other Arthurian reading I may do this quarter. A reread of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and a first reading of Bradley's Lady of Avalon. I've also got The Boy's King Arthur, which I read as a child, and which I picked up a year or two ago at a used book store in really nice condition at a rather hefty price because of the N.C. Wyeth illustrations.

>8 CurrerBell: you should think about reading H is for Hawk now that you finished The Once and Future King, it might give lots of insights into why and how White wrote it. I learned a lot and a reread now would be interesting.

I've just completed Stewart's "Crystal Cave" which I first read in my teens. I'd like to read the rest of the series, yet it's difficult to do so knowing how it ends.

I finished a non-fiction book about the Celts for some background information on the times and the literature in Die Kelten. It gives a concise overview from ancient times to the present and contains quite a lot about the languages and the literatures, once we enter times with written records.

I have started Bernard Cornwell's The Winter King.

I have finished Die Sachsen des frühen Mittelalters, a non-fiction book about Arthur's enemies. Interesting, but sadly full of qualifying "as far as the present state of our knowledge allows" statements. They are a highly elusive people, these Saxons. I have now started The Winter King.

And I can add The winter king to the list. A little disappointing, compared to The crystal cave.

Derfel in The winter king spends time in Brittany fighting the Franks, which looked a bit misrepresented to me, so I re-read Die Franken.

Lady of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. This consists of three novellas, the third of which (the story of Viviane's youth) could be called a prequel to The Mists of Avalon. The two earlier novellas are more Roman Britain, but the whole is tied up in the later Arthurian history of The Mists of Avalon. Lady of Avalon (3***), though, is far inferior to The Mists of Avalon (4½****).

Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. A reread of a book I haven't read in maybe close to fifty years. I'm using the Library of America Edition of Mark Twain: Historical Romances, which also includes Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc and The Prince and the Pauper, which will fit next quarter's medieval and the following quarter's Renaissance, following which I'll have satisfied a ROOT as well. All three are rereads, but it's been probably close to fifty years for P&P and quite many years for JofA as well.

I have finally finished The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell. It took me a long time to get into this book. I will read the other two books in the trilogy as I have them on my bookshelf. I have to say, I much preferred M K Hume's Merlin and Arthur trilogies.

>18 Roro8: Like you, I plan to read the rest of the series, but I'm not smitten.

As you can all probably tell from my very infrequent visits to the group, I am incredibly busy. Therefore, I can no longer keep up with LT. I will not be able to keep the Quarterly Themes going, unfortunately. My hope is that someone else will be able to take over for me. If not, then this quarter will be the last one that the Quarterly Theme will run.

I really enjoyed running the QT and I hope someone will be able to take over.

I haven't read much about Authorian Britain. It is not my usual preferred era to read about but I gobble up books about archeology and the interpretation of Britain's past. Britain AD: A Quest for Arthur, England and the Anglo-Saxons fit the archaeological bill and it referenced Arthur right in the title.

The book was an insightful overview and interpretation of the finds in Britain that hark back to olden times. The writer even tried a few of the sites on for size as potential places in which Arthur could have been based.

I hope that someone will be able to take over the Quarterly Theme. Unfortunately, I am over committed already so can't take it on.

>20 Samantha_kathy:, I will miss your input and wonderful introductions.

>20 Samantha_kathy: : You've done such an amazing job of running this! But whoever steps in to fill your shoes will have the support of grateful readers.

My reads for the Quarter (July-September): Arthurian Britain

The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady, Gerald Morris (July)
The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf, Gerald Morris (August)
Parsifal’s Page, Gerald Morris (September)

Fantasy's not really my thing, but I still enjoyed these light Arthurian reads.