The Mists of Avalon Reading Group

This thread is for those of us who will be reading Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon this November.

PLEASE! No spoilers in this thread! We'll have a separate discussion thread for the various parts of the book, a la the Norwegian Book's group read.

Since we're all members of this forum, I thought it would be less hassle to have the threads in here.

This is the perfect place to introduce yourself to us, and let us know why you decided to participate in the November group read.

I have never done a group read before, and am a little nervous about it.
I decided to give it a try because I triple love this book and have for many years. I have read it about a dozen times already. The characters are well loved friends and family to me.

Will see how this goes...

mckait; I'm with you. I also have never done a group read.
So this will be interesting.

I love group reads and I love this book! I have not read the other books in the series. I don't have much time to read right now, but I may have to try to work this one in.

**waves at mckait**

I've never done a group thing here, either. I have read this book at least 4 times, and find it is a world you inhabit rather than a book you just read. I have forced it on two of my friends. :-)

I didn't care for the other books when I tried them, but may be more open now. I doubt it, but maybe. Looking forward to it.

Hi everyone. I've only participated in one group read (for The Poisonwood Bible) and it was a lot of fun, and I'm also going to be doing the group read for A Pirate of Exquisite Mind in November. I have never read The Mists of Avalon, and um, well actually, um, I'd never even heard of it until richardderus and mckait happened to mention it on the What are you reading now? thread a month or so ago! Please don't think badly of me - I'm going to make up for my ignorance by reading the book with you all.

About a week after I began thinking about doing the group read for this book, I was randomly looking at a second-hand book stall at some markets and found a hardback copy of it in great condition for only $5. I took it as a sign that the book wants me to read it :-) With so many fantastic recommendations I am very much looking forward to it.

richardear... why so many threads? Why not just spoiler free and one with spoilers? ( asks the newbie) I fear that will make it so much more complicated and annoying like that blasted Norwegian thing.

just askin'

cindy, I am glad I am not the only one new to this!

*waves back at Georgia*
Georgia, the other books do not compare to Mists.

rockin, I too have passed it around to friends, and I am on my third or fourth copy due to that fact and lugging it around and rereading it so often. I have it in both hardback and trade paperback.

Elee, it has been around for a long time. In fact, the author passed away a few years ago. She wrote a lot of books in the fantasy genre, but this is far and away the best thing she ever wrote.

I'm looking forward to this. I have my wife's copy and I've thought about reading it for awhile now. Years actually. It's time I finally read it.

I 'discovered' The Mists of Avalon 3 years ago. I say discover because even though it was published at about the time I was born I had never heard of it before I read it. It caught my eye in the bookshelf and I took a chance an bought it. I loved it! It was such a good book and a long book too. It was books like this one and the Poisonwood Bible which which really hooked me back into reading after a long break from it.

In spite of Richard "Dear" not inviting me to his group read, and having to find it for myself, I will be delighted to read along with you all. Be sure to check out the link in Elee's post >6 Elee: above for the Pirate Group, which I am co-hosting. Lots of prizes to be won.

-TT

How does a group read work? Are we expected to just read on our own and then discuss or is it in sections like by this date try to be here in the book? I was in a discussion on another thread about Wicked Lovely but it didn't seem to go anywhere because people just read the whole book and then made a few comments instead of it being broken up in some way.

I've had this book on my shelf and read it AGES ago. I'm definitely thinking about doing the group read.

Hey y'all...the usual format for group reads around here is the main thread is for general chatting about the book's impact on you, the group read's challenges, etc etc...BUT NO SPOILERS or discussions of plot.

The reason for the threads divided up by book is based on the fact that I really, really hate wading through spoilers for sections of the book that I ain't read yet. Spoiler away in the thread for the section you're reading! It's there for discussion of that thread! Come back to an earlier thread and spoiler a later section and I will personally incur bad karma and curse you.

Anyone is welcome to join in the group read at any time and to post her/is responses to the book at any point. There isn't any timetable other than we sorta kinda felt this was a winter-y read...the kickoff time more or less Haloween/All Soul's Day/Day of the Dead-ish. Life being what it is, anyone who wants to go now can and anyone who reads the book in 2009 and wants to comment, feel free.

This is meant to be fun. Not work.

I'm computerless at the moment and unsure when Ol' Flivver will be back among the living. Since I am reduced to library computer use, anyone at all can moderate any discussions. I got no brief to be leader.

Cheers all, especially El Tortoise-o,
RMD

I, too, have never done a group read, and found out about this one through a complicated, very roundabout way of reading comments posted to someone else's library page. Anyway, I'd love to join this one! The Mists of Avalon has always been one of my favorite books, but I haven't read it in about twenty years. I'm looking forward to reading it again.

>12 richardderus: O He who is "Dear" to us, why be so modest? Take on the mantle and lead us to the promised land, when the "Blue Screen of Death" has been vanquished!

- TT

LOL , I've been slowing reading Mists of Avalon all year ! I keep getting distracted . Maybe my finding this Group Read thread is a sign that I should focus on it !

Started reading MoA this morning, but I'm only a few pages in. So far I'm enjoying it, but since I've read both The Once and Future King (1967-8) and Mary Stewart's series on Arthur (1970s), it's going to have to really engage me to make me devote the time to 800+ pages when I could be reading something else.

whymagg

it is totally different from both of those. I have read all of the books mentioned. This is unique in that it is from a woman's view. Morgan. I enjoyed all of the books a great deal. IN fact Once and Future King ( and The Book of Merlin) are also favorites. But as I say, different.

I agree with mckait. They are all worth the investment. I have read all that were mentioned as well (can you tell I have an Arthurian thing going on?) and appreciate each author for their version. I have to say I didn't make it through the miniseries of MoA. Did anyone else?

#16 - I have read many books about the Arthurian legend (I even have a tag for those kinds of books) and I agree with the others that this one is really different. I've always thought of it as one of my favorite books, but it strays quite a bit from orthodoxy. All the main characters are there, but from a different point of view. I'm looking forward to reading the book again. I hope you like it.

Hi all...quick note to mention that MoA is one of the all-time bestselling Arthurian books, and there is a good reason for it.

It's original, and still faithful to the original story.

Wow!

I finally started reading it yesterday...