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King Arthur type books?

J

james-88

New Member
What are the best books to read relating to the tale of king arthur and all of the arthurian legend type stuff?
 
Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur combines all of them together but is a bit difficult to trudge through. Good place to start, though.

If you dig poetry there's Tennyson, he played around with the legends quite a bit.

And if you want some new ones sort of inspired by the legends, Anne McCaffrey wrote a young adult novel called Black Horses for the King that is just great.
 
Mary Stewart wrote 3 or 4 books on Arthur and Merlin that were quite readable. And then there is T. H White Once and a Future King.
 
Stephen Lawhead has written some wonderful Arthurian books, starting with Taliesin. Nikolai Tolstoy's books are also worth reading. He is a descendant of the other Tolstoy and genius is apparently genetic in that family. I would warn against Marion Zimmer Bradley, not because she is a poor writer (she is not) but because her books are about feminism more than about the legends. The result is that the stories get mangled and many of the most important parts of them vanish. Bernard Cornwell, who wrote the Sharpe series has also done a very good job with the Arthurian legends.
 
Yes, Bernard Cornwell's Warlord chronicles - Winter King, Enemy of God & Excalibur are worth a look.

They're written with authenticity most definitely in mind rather than the sword & sorcery stuff of legends, that is to say rather than being ''King Arthur'' they're more a story of a possible source of the legend.

They also make good reading !
 
Try Mary Stuart. Her books were very readable-I especially liked The Crystal Cave. (but that book is about Merlin)
 
Bookgatherer said:
I would warn against Marion Zimmer Bradley, not because she is a poor writer (she is not) but because her books are about feminism more than about the legends. The result is that the stories get mangled and many of the most important parts of them vanish. Bernard Cornwell, who wrote the Sharpe series has also done a very good job with the Arthurian legends.
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i really liked bradley. i have read most of the other authors listed in the other posts, so i thought it was really refreshing reading the arthur legends from a woman's point of view.
what a ridiculous reason to avoid a great book, ooh strong female protagonists, watch out!!!! she does veer off here and there,( she had to in order to take us into the lives of the female characters), she still sticks closely to the story of arthur. i think you will find discrepancies in all the novels as each author is trying to give a fresh eye or slight twist to an old story.
 
The Mists of Avalon

by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Even readers who don't normally enjoy Arthurian legends will love this version, a retelling from the point of view of the women behind the throne. Morgaine (more commonly known as Morgan Le Fay) and Gwenhwyfar (a Welsh spelling of Guinevere) struggle for power, using Arthur as a way to score points and promote their respective worldviews. The Mists of Avalon's Camelot politics and intrigue take place at a time when Christianity is taking over the island-nation of Britain; Christianity vs. Faery, and God vs. Goddess are dominant themes.

Young and old alike will enjoy this magical Arthurian reinvention by science fiction and fantasy veteran Marion Zimmer Bradley.
 
The best I've read are the Camolud Chronicles (also called A Dream of Eagles depending on where you are) by Jack Whyte.
 
I thought the Camolud Chronicles by Jack Whyte were very good and I liked the Mist of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. My husband is reading the Once and Future King right now so I have to wait on that one.
 
The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper is also very good. Although this is often classified as childrens books, I disagree and think it's a great series for the adult reader, particularly if you already understand some Arthurian legend. I would recommend starting with the first book and reading all five:

1. Over Sea, Under Stone
2. The Dark is Rising
3. Greenwitch
4. The Grey King
5. Silver on the Tree

Although, one can just read The Dark is Rising as a stand alone. The first book comes across as a childrens book for the most part, but once you hit the second you really begin to be immersed into the Arthurian legend and celtic mythology.
 
Thought of another - Merryl of the Stones by Brian Caswell. I read this back in high school, but I still really enjoy it. It is more adapted from Celtic legend than Arthurian history, but it's still a great read.
 
A couple mentioned represent the 2 I have enjoyed the most are the Camolud Chronicles by Jack Whyte, and TS White's Once and Future King whcih is nothing less than a true classic in the genre. White really has some interesting outlooks. Regarding Bradley, I can't speak on the subsequent novels, and despite not being able to admit I care one bit for Bradley's other works I felt the Mists of Avalon was incredibly well written, while offering the aforemtnioned female perspective.

The mentioned Le Morte Darthur by Mallory is generally the basis of most romantic stores of Aruturian Legend, including TS White's work.

There is of course JRR Tolkien's Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, Sir Orfeo

I have not read Cornwell's work in this particaulr subject, but have found other works by him to be rather sophmoric and indicitive of what I would expect from some run-of-the-mill mainstream thriller (which is to say msot likely a best seller as well).
 
Chuchincakes said:
Try Mary Stuart. Her books were very readable-I especially liked The Crystal Cave. (but that book is about Merlin)
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I've been wandering about reading them but I wasn't sure. Okay, will do. I doubt anyone has more them from my school library in years...!

Kookamoor said:
Thought of another - Merryl of the Stones by Brian Caswell. I read this back in high school, but I still really enjoy it. It is more adapted from Celtic legend than Arthurian history, but it's still a great read.
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I love it! (I'm in high school...)

I think the main books I've read that have anything to do with the legends are the Arthur books (The Seeing Stone being the first) by Kevin Crossley-Holland. They are about a teenage boy, intersperced with the actual legends. While it's an interesting insight into life of that era, and I (and my brother) really enjoyed them, I know may people who have found them... not particularly captivating.
 
I am fascinated by Arthurian legend, and so are many authors. In my collection, in addition to those already mentioned, are:
Gillian Bradshaw - Down the Long Wind (Hawk of May, Kingdom in Summer, In Winter's Shadow).
Catherine Christian - The Pendragon
Molly Cochrane/Warren Murphy - The Forever King
Andre Norton - Merlin's Mirror
Victor Canning - The Crimson Chalice Trilogy
Persia Woolley - Child of the Northern Spring, Guinevere, Queen of the Summer Skies (I think there's another one too!)
Rosalind Miles - Guenevere The Queen of the Summer Country, Guenevere The Knight of the Sacred Lake.
That should be enough to keep anybody quiet for a long while!
Thanks for the Jack Whyte suggestion - I hadn't come across that one. :)
 
I enjoyed the books by Mary Stewart:

The Crystal Cave
The Hollow Hills
The Last Enchantment
The Wicked Day

It has been a while, but I remember enjoying all of them. Of course, I believe these stories are told more from Merlin's view than King Arthur's.

I read one a while back (a LONG while back) told from the view of Arthur and his group being more pimitive than typical. The title had the word fire in it, but I cannot remember all of it. I thought it was Firebrand, but when I did a search for it, all I got was a series (House of Pendragon) and AFAIK this was a single book. Anyone remember it?

David
 
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