Arthur (Pendragon Cycle, Bk 3)
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Paperback
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Paperback
From a reviewer at Amazon.com:
"I was somewhat disappointed in this book. It presents a very watered-down version of the King Arthur legend. I am no medieval scholar, and it is possible that it is historically accurate and well-researched; this is not my gripe. It's just that so many of the elements of the story are missing, like the love between Guinevere (Gwenhwyvar in this book) and Lancelot (Llenlleawg). The prophecy about Arthur meeting his death at the hands of his son is mentioned once, but he never has a son - Lawhead does not incorporate Arthur's inadvertent incest with his sister into his story, hence there is no product of the union. It seemed to me that the search for the Grail was added almost as an afterthought, with a few foreshadowed lines thrown in here and there in Merlin, the book before this one.
Mostly, this book was about a seemingly endless series of battles, where all sorts of miracles happen like Arthur's army of 900 men defeating a barbarian army of 10,000 without a single casualty. Aside from the major players Arthur, Merlin, Charis, and the evil Morgian, none of the characters were very well-developed. They spoke the same, reacted the same, and had very few distinguishing characteristics. The women were all impossibly beautiful but (aside from Charis) never had much to say. The device of having the three sections of the book told from three different viewpoints didn't do much for me; I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it had just been written in the third person.
One redeeming quality of Lawhead's writing is his descriptive ability. Every once in a while he describes a landscape so clearly that I could see it in my mind's eye.
If you are looking for a quasi-historical account of the battles that King Arthur fought, the politics of the Roman empire at the time, and the rise of Christianity in Britain, then this book may be for you. If you are looking for a retelling of the legend in all of its magic and with all of its darkness, go read Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon" instead."
"I was somewhat disappointed in this book. It presents a very watered-down version of the King Arthur legend. I am no medieval scholar, and it is possible that it is historically accurate and well-researched; this is not my gripe. It's just that so many of the elements of the story are missing, like the love between Guinevere (Gwenhwyvar in this book) and Lancelot (Llenlleawg). The prophecy about Arthur meeting his death at the hands of his son is mentioned once, but he never has a son - Lawhead does not incorporate Arthur's inadvertent incest with his sister into his story, hence there is no product of the union. It seemed to me that the search for the Grail was added almost as an afterthought, with a few foreshadowed lines thrown in here and there in Merlin, the book before this one.
Mostly, this book was about a seemingly endless series of battles, where all sorts of miracles happen like Arthur's army of 900 men defeating a barbarian army of 10,000 without a single casualty. Aside from the major players Arthur, Merlin, Charis, and the evil Morgian, none of the characters were very well-developed. They spoke the same, reacted the same, and had very few distinguishing characteristics. The women were all impossibly beautiful but (aside from Charis) never had much to say. The device of having the three sections of the book told from three different viewpoints didn't do much for me; I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it had just been written in the third person.
One redeeming quality of Lawhead's writing is his descriptive ability. Every once in a while he describes a landscape so clearly that I could see it in my mind's eye.
If you are looking for a quasi-historical account of the battles that King Arthur fought, the politics of the Roman empire at the time, and the rise of Christianity in Britain, then this book may be for you. If you are looking for a retelling of the legend in all of its magic and with all of its darkness, go read Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon" instead."
Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
