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Review
I thought Peter Ackroyd's Morte d'A was masterful. The quality I admired most was the absolute clarity of the storytelling. This story - or set of stories - has to move with both swiftness and dignity, and yoking those two qualities together is not an easy task; but Ackroyd does it with ease. I think he can probably do anything. I admire this version enormously. (Phillip Pullman )
Peter Ackroyd's lightly trimmed and streamlines Le Morte d'Arthur makes it eminently readable (Sunday Times )
'In this ingenious decanting of an old wine into a new bottle, [Peter Ackroyd] he has taken a glorious part of our cultural heritage and made it more accessible to the readers of the 21st century. ' (David Robson Sunday Telegraph )
...the majesty of Malory's book survives too, not least in the final chapters telling of the internal conflicts that destroy the Round Table, the passion of Lancelot and Guinevere, and the destiny that Arthur has had coming to him for a long time: death in battle. This, as retold by Peter Ackroyd, remains a bizarre but thrilling piece of writing. (Michael Caines Wall Street Journal )
Peter Ackroyd's lightly trimmed and streamlines Le Morte d'Arthur makes it eminently readable (Sunday Times )
'In this ingenious decanting of an old wine into a new bottle, [Peter Ackroyd] he has taken a glorious part of our cultural heritage and made it more accessible to the readers of the 21st century. ' (David Robson Sunday Telegraph )
...the majesty of Malory's book survives too, not least in the final chapters telling of the internal conflicts that destroy the Round Table, the passion of Lancelot and Guinevere, and the destiny that Arthur has had coming to him for a long time: death in battle. This, as retold by Peter Ackroyd, remains a bizarre but thrilling piece of writing. (Michael Caines Wall Street Journal )
Product Description
An immortal story of chivalry, treachery and death brought to new life for our times.
The legend of King Arthur has retained its appeal and popularity through the ages: Mordred's treason, the knightly exploits of Tristan, Lancelot's fatally divided loyalties and his love for Guenevere, the quest for the Holy Grail. Now retold by Peter Ackroyd with his signature clarity, charm and relish for a good story, the result is not only one of the most readable accounts of the knights of the Round Table but also one of the most moving.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
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The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable is so deeply ingrained in English heritage that I was excited to finally read the story in full, through Ackroyd's updated retelling of Le Morte D'Arthur.
It's a spectacular legend, and Ackroyd has faithfully retold the story, capturing both the mystical descriptions of the Knights' slightly odd-ball heroics, and the all-encompassing nature of the chivalric code by which each Knight lived.
Yet for all that its a disappointingly dull tale. Perhaps reflecting the style of story-telling prevalent when Sir Thomas Malory first wrote Le Morte D'Arthur, it is really a collection of shorter tales, each quite simplistic and repetitive. For me there was little sense of suspense, excitement or developing narrative, which made the 300-odd pages drag.
I've not read the original, but I suspect Ackroyd was limited by trying to remain faithful to Malory's style. On reflection I think Ackroyd would have done better by using the best bits of Malory (and others) on the legend, but writing a new account injected with a bit more excitement.
It's a spectacular legend, and Ackroyd has faithfully retold the story, capturing both the mystical descriptions of the Knights' slightly odd-ball heroics, and the all-encompassing nature of the chivalric code by which each Knight lived.
Yet for all that its a disappointingly dull tale. Perhaps reflecting the style of story-telling prevalent when Sir Thomas Malory first wrote Le Morte D'Arthur, it is really a collection of shorter tales, each quite simplistic and repetitive. For me there was little sense of suspense, excitement or developing narrative, which made the 300-odd pages drag.
I've not read the original, but I suspect Ackroyd was limited by trying to remain faithful to Malory's style. On reflection I think Ackroyd would have done better by using the best bits of Malory (and others) on the legend, but writing a new account injected with a bit more excitement.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
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I've really enjoyed this. Now I confess that some other reviewers have much more knowledge of the original tales than I do but coming at this with just a layman's knowledge of Arthurian legend I have found it to be a fascinating read.
The style is simply classic and conveys the feeling of its age without losing real readablity for a modern audience.
As such, I think this is a book with genuinely broad appeal to a wide audience including younger readers with a passion for the era.
The style is simply classic and conveys the feeling of its age without losing real readablity for a modern audience.
As such, I think this is a book with genuinely broad appeal to a wide audience including younger readers with a passion for the era.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
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King Arthur and his band have been transmogrified over the years even more than Robin Hood. From a Romano-British war-chief to the parfait gentil knight who appears to live in those tall castles of Les Tres Riches Heures of the Duc de Berri. Peter Ackroyd's recasting reminds me immediately that this is a book for menopausal knights, written in an age where the knight was less one who pricked forth and broke a lance for Christ and more an administrator and official.
Looked at from a distance the whole chivalric construct has serious internal inconsistencies. There is the religious fervour on the one hand (a very formal Christian impulse). But on the other hand there is the old Germanic warrior cult, it matters little whether Sir Lancelot is right, he's simply going to beat you. A consideration of importance in an era when duels were an essential part of relationship counselling. On the...er...third hand there's the women, one minute they are the object of platonic love and the next in bed with their knight. This is the world of Les Rois Maudits where duty points one way and desire the other. The Death of Arthur covers these inconsistencies by usually disregarding them; a good answer for its audience. But occasionally even the bone-headed knights spot the problem. In an age where (post Black Death) there was great ferment and a great consumption of fermented potables the heightened emotion of these inconsistencies comes through.
A fine reworking of an old classic, but like in the Iliad there's an awful lot of fighting. And if you were hoping for something magic then I have to report the general style is that of reading football results (Sir Lancelot 10, Barbarians O) but that was much as I imagine it sounded to the original readers. And you do need to try to get Monty Python out of your head.
Looked at from a distance the whole chivalric construct has serious internal inconsistencies. There is the religious fervour on the one hand (a very formal Christian impulse). But on the other hand there is the old Germanic warrior cult, it matters little whether Sir Lancelot is right, he's simply going to beat you. A consideration of importance in an era when duels were an essential part of relationship counselling. On the...er...third hand there's the women, one minute they are the object of platonic love and the next in bed with their knight. This is the world of Les Rois Maudits where duty points one way and desire the other. The Death of Arthur covers these inconsistencies by usually disregarding them; a good answer for its audience. But occasionally even the bone-headed knights spot the problem. In an age where (post Black Death) there was great ferment and a great consumption of fermented potables the heightened emotion of these inconsistencies comes through.
A fine reworking of an old classic, but like in the Iliad there's an awful lot of fighting. And if you were hoping for something magic then I have to report the general style is that of reading football results (Sir Lancelot 10, Barbarians O) but that was much as I imagine it sounded to the original readers. And you do need to try to get Monty Python out of your head.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Accessible
This isn't the best thing Ackroyd has done, but it is not the worst. A faithful and spirited retelling of the Arthurian legends as per Malory. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Otto99
Great Modern Version
I've always been a sucker for the Arthurian Story, ever since seeing various films as a child in the sixties. Read more
Published 2 months ago by H. meiehofer
Classic
This is an absolute classic - beautifully written and if you are a lover of all things Athurian, you simply must own this book. Read more
Published 6 months ago by mutlien
A cracking retelling
This is a cracking retelling of the Arthurian tales written by Thomas Mallory in his novel "Le Morte d'Arthur" by writer Peter Ackroyd who brings the original to the modern... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog
The master storyteller takes on the biggest story ever
I loved this book. Peter Ackroyd has made the dry old story of Arthur and his knights relevent to a new generation. Read more
Published 8 months ago by P. Wilkinson
Terrific translation
This is a modern retelling of the classic Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur. Beautifully written, lyrical and well-paced. Read more
Published 9 months ago by JH
A very readable version of a classic
My first impression was that this was a fair version of the medieval tale, but that i was unsure it was really essential, or what it achieved that the original did not. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Herbie Green
The Legend of King Arthur
I was somewhat surprised to find that this book is written almost as though it were a bible, without much detail and simply romping along at full speed to tell the story of King... Read more
Published 13 months ago by I. H. C. Mellor
Exciting reading from times gone by
I can remember as a child hearing the stories about King Arthur, and having been brought up in Cornwall where a few of the tales were said to have originated I have been looking... Read more
Published 14 months ago by J. Lyne
Apologies, I tried but could not bring myself to like this book...
This was a book that I wanted to like. A fascinating combination of lore and medieval history? Yes, indeed. Read more
Published 14 months ago by ROROBLU'S MUM
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