The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

I like heroic fiction. And as one raised in an culture descended from England, King Arthur is one of my favorite mythical heroes. I've picked up a variety of retellings of the legends of Camelot and this is my latest acquisition. Written for children, it was originally published in 1903 and, according to the scholarly afterward, is a rather American flavored retelling of the legend. I can see that, as the knights are all very individualistic and self sufficient. The book focuses on Arthur: how he became king, how he gained Excalibur and won the hand of Guinevere, among other tales. The stories are rather simplistic and the characters are all stereotypes, but for some reason it's fun and I had quite a good time reading it. (Though I have show more to admit, towards the end, as yet another joust was being proposed, I was hoping that some lowly squire would break character and say, "you know, there are less painful ways to settle differences.") If you like Arthur at all (the king, not D.W.'s brother), I would suggest you check it out.
--J. show less

This is the lead book in howard Pyle's four volume redaction of the Arthurian cycle. It draws heavily on the Malory Version, but also contains material from the Prose lancelot, and the Gawaine set of stories. The prose is not the language of the 1890's and turn of that century, but the kind of Midieval-speak also found in conan Doyle's "The white company". That's a bit sad, but there is the art-work. Pyle was a magnificent illustrator, and draws wonderful horses and te most realistic looking castles to be found in young adult literature. These books set my Arthurian focus, and I am rereading them for the joy of it. The armour details are not good, and the ancestor of Marvel universe Spandex.
So we have the sword in the stone, Gawaine and show more Ragnell, the quest for Excaliber, and the wooing of Gwenivere, and the chilling story of Sir Pelleas, and the Lady of the Lake, one of the most supernatural of the Arthuriana. Get a big format copy that grants the full power of the illustrations.
This book has enchanted the world since 1903. show less

Each chapter is another adventure in the life of King Arthur, a strong and noble king. The language is archaic and would be difficult for young readers to follow, but I would definitely suggest it to high schoolers looking for a challenge, who like classic Medieval fairy tales. One nice thing about the style of the book is the author relates King Arthur to the young reader, giving encouraging advice and compliments.

A bedtime story book that I read aloud to my eight-year-old. I found it a lot less stuffy than the collection by Roger Lancelyn Green that I read to my older son some years back. The language was very stylized, and there were a few phrases that it took my brain several chapters before it stopped trying to replace "missing" words -- but it didn't seem to borrow my kid at all.

We thoroughly enjoyed this, and if I ever get around to picking up a kid-appropriate grail story, I'm sure that I'll look for Pyle's version.

Gorgeous illustrations, but the story itself is watered down to just amusing adventures. The whole story of Guinevere and Lancelot's love story is totally dismissed.

Still one of the best stories ever written for children and young people, and my favourite retelling of the Arthurian legend. A delight to read to my kids at bedtime. Pyle's illustrations are beautifully elegant, whimsical, and refined in style. Revisiting this series again for the first time since childhood.

This work is a bit different than what we normally review and post, but I feel it would be difficult to find a better book to introduce the young ones to the wonderful story of the legendary King Arthur.
I think it would be difficult to find a folk hero, historical figure or group of legends that are better known, have spawned more literature and have had more movies made of them than King Arthur and his legendary Round Table and the Knights and Ladies who were a part of his story. To be frank, I grew up on this stuff, and furtherer more, admit to having been tremendously influenced by these stories when I was younger. In a fashion, they are very much a part of my total make up. I can well remember reading and being read to out of this show more very rendition. That being said…
Howard Pyle first published this work in 1902. This book represents the first volume of Pyle’s retelling of the Arthurian Legend. These books, as most of this author’s work, were directed toward young people of that time. Do not though make the mistake of considering this work a simple child’s story, as it is far more than that. When I was in high school and then college, I ran headlong into Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur, and like many other young students, when completely numb. Later, I read Baines’ rendition, which was of course more readable, but still quite a chore. While these works are certainly worthwhile, and should certainly be read by anyone with the least bit of interest in classical literature, they never-the-less are not easy works. Actually, they are rather difficult and you actually have to work at them. This is good, but sometimes you just want to relax and enjoy a good story. (I often speculate as to just how many people have been completely turned off to classical literature via having been forced to read these old tales when they were young. For those of you who were; a suggestion…try rereading them now. It is amazing what twenty or thirty years will do to your outlook!
This offering by Pyle fits that need, both for the younger reader and for the adult. I admit to taking great delight in reading this author’s rendition of these old tales and am absolutely thrilled that they are again in print and in such a wonderful edition. The language Pyle uses stays true to the archaic style it was meant to be, yet it is not overwhelming. While the Malory translation is just a kick above G. Chaucer’s, it is never the less difficult in this day and age. Pyle has toned things down so that the average reader can read and enjoy without a lap full of arcane dictionaries setting in their lap, yet he has not lost the essence and beauty of the original work.

This volume starts with the birth of Arthur and then covers many of the tales concerning the various Knights of the Round Table. We meet Sir Kay, Queen Morgana le Fay, Sir Pellias, Sir Gawaine, the wicked down fall of Merlin; The Lady Vivian, Merlin himself and many, many others. The courtly manners, speech and now long outdated attitudes are all meticulously recorded in a readable manner. Now do beware; this is not a politically correct book by any means. The original basis for the story goes back hundreds of years and Pyle’s rendition was, after all, written in 1902. Actually, if this one is read to a much younger child, an adult really should do the reading and offer explanations as to why events were handled in the way they were.

This particular volume is of course illustrated by Howard Pyle himself. I must admit that he is probably one of my most, if not the most, favorite of the older illustrators. The pen and ink drawings are so typically Pyle that it is difficult to confuse him with others. The ample illustrations in this volume are all of that style and in fact strongly resemble old wood engravings. Pyle of course was the creator, or at least the inspirational origin of the Brandy Wine School of Illustration, which include some of the best of the past and are still quite influential today.

For a pure reading joy, this volume is difficult to beat. I cannot wait to get my hand on the rest of the things.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks show less