Dear Arthur

[stephbg]

I've been doing a lot of reading lately, but all of it from the same work. I've reached page 838 of The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and have only to hang on until page 1009 before I'm done. Small font, narrow margins. Dense writing.



Thanks must go to black_samvara for the actual book, which I rescued from a book liberation camp at her house, prepatory to her moving. I'm not sure I could say goodbye to so many of my books at once, but they can be a bit of a bastard to pack and move, so I laud her strategy.

I've had this book on my horizon for a very long time. The cover art featuring a pretty horsie helped, as did the standard Arthurian legend. It had the comfort of the familiar about it. I saw it first on the shelves at UniSFA in 1988ish, but never got around to reading it. I found my own preferred retelling in the books of Mary Stewart The Crystal Cave etc series. It was enough, even though I swear I've seen a copy of The Mists of Avalon in every single second-hand bookshop I've ever seen.

Then Merlin came to our screens and milk snorted out of my nose in outrage at the careless disregard for the source material. Week after week (after week, adds Husband helpfully) I watched and snorted, until finally I was forced to confess a love of shiny production values and pretty horses and blind myself to the sundry heresies. I have no plans to watch the new series of Merlin. Being somewhat overloaded with the more traditional version of the stories I think something might explode if book and TV show ever met in my presence.

azhure I have been thinking of you very much whilst reading this. Every druid, every goddess makes me think we really should keep trying to meet. One day it will happen.

In the meantime, I have a goodly chunk of best-selling classic to finish. It could be a lot worse, oh yes.

Comments

[emerald-skies.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I love Mists of Avalon (I've read it a bunch, my poor paperback copy is starting to fall apart from all the times I've read it). I like the idea of hearing about all the Arthurian legend from the women's side of things -- even though some of it manages to get really spectacularly depressing.

How do you like it so far? Any particular favorite parts/characters?

[leecetheartist.livejournal.com]

I read the Mists of Avalon some time ago. Never, ever, felt the urge to re-read it. I too, preferred the Mary Stewart interpretation, much more fun.

[arcadiagt5.livejournal.com]

My biggest problem with Mists of Avalon wasn't that it was a feminist treatment of the Arthurian Mythos (not enough of those, need more) but that it was a CLUMSY feminist treatment.

It seemed to turn all the male characters into drooling idiots who can't do anything without the female characters leading them around.

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it, and wish that there were more like it, just a little less clumsy and little more balanced.