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Product Description
The legends of King Arthur - the most revered hero of British Mythology - have been retold many times, but Roger Lancelyn Green's version has become a classic since its first publication in 1953. Using as his sources not only Malory's MORTE D'ARTHUR but other chronicles, poems and romances, he has made each adventure of Arthur's knights part of an overall pattern - the struggle of Arthur's kingdom, the realm of Logress, the model of chivalry and right, against the barbarism and evil that surrounded and at length engulfed it. So here are the stories of the sword in the stone, of the Green Knight, of the fatal love between Launcelot and Guinevere, of the quest for the Holy Grail, and of the final departing of Arthur to the Vale of Avalon. The illustrations are taken from an edition of MORTE D'ARTHUR published in 1893 with which Aubrey Beardsley first made a name for himself at the age of twenty.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 54 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is a detailed, authoritative _and_ exciting account of the Arthurian epic from beginning to end. Roger Lancelyn Green brought all his scholarship to bear in getting the details just right from the source texts, and, as much as possible, preserving even the original phraseology, including the memorable "'Where,' he said 'is the governor of this gang?'" in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
This is not simply a translation, though. Unlike the Greek and Norse myths which were consciously reworked over many hundreds of years into a form of coherence, the Arthurian cycle is complex, diverse, and frequently self-contradictory. Many of the writers themselves misunderstood their source material.
In his introduction, Green explains why and how he wove this tangled thread of tales into a single epic. The result is a masterpiece of its kind. This is not a book of fine descriptions, insightful character development or lyrical speeches. It is written in the epic style with the epic voice, and, in so doing, tells a story whose power is chiefly in the episodes and the figures, rather than in the realisation and the characters.
Roger Lancelyn Green introduced me to the Greek, Egyptian and Norse myths, and I owe him a lot. They opened a door to the original texts, which later came to play an important part in my education. But as I grew up I discovered that the original texts were better than the Green retellings. This, of course, is to be expected.
With Arthur, though, I have to say that Green's book really does work for me better than Mallory or Chretien de Troyes. In rereading it recently I realised why so much of Arthurian lore seemed second nature to me while studying middle-english at university - I had read it all before in this book.
I would recommend it to any child with an enquiring mind - it opened the Matter of Britain to me, and it will do so for them.
5 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
THIS SERIES OF BOOKS ARE WONDERFUL, WHATEVER YOUR AGE. THEY TAKE YOU BACK TO THE TIME WHEN ALL BOOKS WERE PRODUCED LIKE THIS.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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1 review
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Between Good and Evil
19 Oct 2010
Format:Hardcover
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is a version of the classic legends, constructed by Roger Lancelyn Green. The story is set in Britain in the early medieval period. It has an odd and somewhat confusing mixture of English and French origination, as it is set in Britain (and the story of King Arthur is generally considered a British legend); yet the author explains that the stories initially came from old French sources, which is reflected in some names of people and places.
The book follows the complete life of King Arthur, from before his birth to the time when he is mortally wounded and disappears. The middle is like a collection of short stories, mostly about King Arthur's various knights and each with their own plot; yet the stories are all part of a bigger picture and plot--mainly, the quest of King Arthur's evil half-sister, Morgana le Fay, to destroy his kingdom; and later, the quest of the mysterious Holy Grail. However, all suspense is spoiled as the good magician, Merlin, who helps Arthur in the beginning of the book, tells Arthur several times about all sorts of things that will happen later.
Although it is overall an enjoyable story, some details are inaccurate, confusing, or outdated. For example, in the book there are several instances where men are made knights spontaneously, on the spot, whereas really this was a process which took more time and was done more carefully. Another example is that several knights are described as "the best of all knights, except for..." (or something very similar), resulting in a complicated and confusing hierarchy of knights. Besides this, there are mentions of places and holidays, such as "Michaelmas," that are unheard-of in modern times.
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is a unique mixture of Magic and God, chivalry and scandal, treachery, and most of all, adventure. It will transport you into another world, where anything is possible.
The book follows the complete life of King Arthur, from before his birth to the time when he is mortally wounded and disappears. The middle is like a collection of short stories, mostly about King Arthur's various knights and each with their own plot; yet the stories are all part of a bigger picture and plot--mainly, the quest of King Arthur's evil half-sister, Morgana le Fay, to destroy his kingdom; and later, the quest of the mysterious Holy Grail. However, all suspense is spoiled as the good magician, Merlin, who helps Arthur in the beginning of the book, tells Arthur several times about all sorts of things that will happen later.
Although it is overall an enjoyable story, some details are inaccurate, confusing, or outdated. For example, in the book there are several instances where men are made knights spontaneously, on the spot, whereas really this was a process which took more time and was done more carefully. Another example is that several knights are described as "the best of all knights, except for..." (or something very similar), resulting in a complicated and confusing hierarchy of knights. Besides this, there are mentions of places and holidays, such as "Michaelmas," that are unheard-of in modern times.
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is a unique mixture of Magic and God, chivalry and scandal, treachery, and most of all, adventure. It will transport you into another world, where anything is possible.
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