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Product Description
Book Description
An intriguing reworking of the Grail legend.
Product Description
Cal has struggled to cope with his mother's drinking and her psychotic episodes since he was six; cooped up in their dirty council flat he dreams of a new life. So when he leaves to live with his uncle Trevor in Chepstow he is ruthless about breaking with the past, despite his mother's despair. But getting off the train at the wrong station he finds himself at the castle of the Fisher King, and from then on moves in a nightmare spiral of predetermined descent into a wasteland of desolation and adventure, always seeking the way back to the Grail he has betrayed. Catherine Fisher has created a gripping and highly moving novel that moves between myth and a contemporary journey of self-knowledge until one becomes indistinguishable from the other. Drawing in Arthurian themes, historical re-enactments and the Four Hallows, Cal's quest for a return to peace of mind is an elaborate and ambitious Grail novel for our time. An important new work from the author of the Book of the Crow
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Cal has spent an utterly miserable childhood in Bangor with his mother who is schizophrenic and an alcoholic. Since he was six he has looked after her and run the house. Now he is old enough to leave home and get a job, he is off like a shot and the story opens as he travels down to South Wales by train to live with and work for his uncle Trevor who runs an accountancy firm. On the way he falls asleep and gets of at the wrong station, Corbenic, where he is directed to the Castle Hotel. He is greeted by the wheelchair-bound host, Bron, and treated to a sumptuous banquet at the end of which he witnesses the Grail procession. He fails to ask the question, believing it all to be an hallucination and fearing he is losing his mind as his mother has. Next morning, he wakes in a ruin with only a sword that Bron has left him to indicate that his experiences have been real...
There are various versions of the Grail legend and Fisher has based her book on the Welsh versions (naturally) as well as those by Chrėtien de Troyes and Wolfram von Eschenbach. Hence Cal is Percival and not Gawain or Galahad who are the Grail Knights in other versions. Those who are interested in such things can trace the parallels, but it is not necessary for the appreciation of this powerful story.
As ever it is beautifully written with a terrific sense of place and although the characters have their roots in their legendary counterparts, they are real people with real flaws and problems.
Young readers, 12 plus I would say, (though as with Philip Pullman some mature 10 or 11 year olds too) will love it, but as the other reviewers have said it's for adults too. A great read!
There are various versions of the Grail legend and Fisher has based her book on the Welsh versions (naturally) as well as those by Chrėtien de Troyes and Wolfram von Eschenbach. Hence Cal is Percival and not Gawain or Galahad who are the Grail Knights in other versions. Those who are interested in such things can trace the parallels, but it is not necessary for the appreciation of this powerful story.
As ever it is beautifully written with a terrific sense of place and although the characters have their roots in their legendary counterparts, they are real people with real flaws and problems.
Young readers, 12 plus I would say, (though as with Philip Pullman some mature 10 or 11 year olds too) will love it, but as the other reviewers have said it's for adults too. A great read!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If this is an example of children's books today - then I think I'll give up reading adult ones! As "Grail Legends" go it is better by far than some of the "adult" fiction I've come across lately.
The writing style is so much better, more perceptive and far more imaginative than a lot of the better known popular super-hyped super-rich authors of childrens' fiction today.
It is an excellent read, which I found extremely hard to put down (read it in two evenings).
The plot is intricate, sympathetic, enthralling and gives a wonderful insight into the insecurities of Cal the troubled and heroic teenager's mind. It deals with everything from alcohol abuse to the pointless pursuit of materialism, but to say more would be to give away the wonderful ending.
Catherine Fraser is a rare and wonderful find and I would highly recommend this book to both children and adults alike.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very subtle novel. It tells the tale of a boy who has come loose from his roots and must find his way back through the story of the Grail. Catherine Fisher really knows her myths & legends and she weaves them into the story with breathtaking dexterity. I can guarantee you'll find this one hard to put down and I'm not the only adult to think that!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Ancient myth modern tragedy
Beautifully written, tender and heartbreaking this is a reworking of the Grail myth through the life of a lost boy running from the hell of his life caring for his alcoholic... Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2009 by Jo Bennie
For kids? Really?
I was emotionally blown away by this book, which like others I read in a day - I thought Fisher's Darkhenge was good, but this beats it hands down. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2009 by B. Wigmore
A great book
I just thought I'd add my voice to the reviews. I think this book is amazing, not just for being a great fantasy novel but also for the great emotional content, I had a lump in my... Read more
Published on 27 April 2007 by R. A. Dinsdale
Good Book
Fantastic in the main. Catherine Fisher has an excellent grasp of tradgedy. Her characters are never simply good or bad - Cal is flawed. Read more
Published on 16 Nov 2002 by Neil Butler
she's done it again....
I can beat your last reviewer - I read it in four hours, on a car journey, despite the fact that reading in cars makes me feel sick! I couldn't put it down. Read more
Published on 19 July 2002 by Sheenagh Pugh
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