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lucysnowy's review against another edition
3.0
disclaimer : i only read books 1, 7 and 8.
this was a hard book to get through. the long rambling sentences, much more suited to being read aloud, were at times difficult to pay attention to. and i also felt quite lost in the story at times, with s many knights being named. they all got confused!
but when i did understand what was going on, and the writing was manageable, i was actually quite engaged. there is a reason why these stories have lasted so long and will continue to be read for so long. i enjoyed the romance plots more than the battles. quite enjoyed the lancelot sections at the end - he is a very interesting character. able to easily kill every member of the round table with borrowed armour and weapons. but also unwilling to hit a man when he's down. his morals are complicated.
i feel like i will be a little out of my depth in this seminar. let's see.
this was a hard book to get through. the long rambling sentences, much more suited to being read aloud, were at times difficult to pay attention to. and i also felt quite lost in the story at times, with s many knights being named. they all got confused!
but when i did understand what was going on, and the writing was manageable, i was actually quite engaged. there is a reason why these stories have lasted so long and will continue to be read for so long. i enjoyed the romance plots more than the battles. quite enjoyed the lancelot sections at the end - he is a very interesting character. able to easily kill every member of the round table with borrowed armour and weapons. but also unwilling to hit a man when he's down. his morals are complicated.
i feel like i will be a little out of my depth in this seminar. let's see.
casual_henk's review against another edition
4.0
This is historically a lovely piece of literature. As a big fan of the Arthurian legend, this is the creme the la creme. Reading over 1000 years of folklore, scrolls, and manuscripts turned into one story is a great experience.
However, the story is written in Middle English, which is difficult for a non-native speaker to read. It was slow and sometimes tedious. I recommend picking up the Oxford World's Classics, which is much easier to read.
Sometimes, the stories become repetitive, but it was a fun and exciting experience.
I recommend this book if you are a die-hard King Arthur fan and enjoy reading a book like it's 1485. You will have a great time! Refrain from picking this up if you expect a modern fantasy story.
However, the story is written in Middle English, which is difficult for a non-native speaker to read. It was slow and sometimes tedious. I recommend picking up the Oxford World's Classics, which is much easier to read.
Sometimes, the stories become repetitive, but it was a fun and exciting experience.
I recommend this book if you are a die-hard King Arthur fan and enjoy reading a book like it's 1485. You will have a great time! Refrain from picking this up if you expect a modern fantasy story.
blockonthenewkid's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Been on a big mythology and mythos kick for a while now, but even my interest in Arthurian legends wasn't enough to sustain me through this tome. Much more impenetrable than any Homeric epucs.
It felt like a purely academic reading. A ticking of the box, learning the background and keystones of this mythology, so that when I dive into modern retellings I can recognise some of the sources underpinning the stories.
It felt like a purely academic reading. A ticking of the box, learning the background and keystones of this mythology, so that when I dive into modern retellings I can recognise some of the sources underpinning the stories.
fantasythat's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've been obsessed with Arthuriana since BBC Merlin aired and had to read sections of this for my degree a couple of years ago and found it completely ridiculous in most places and incredibly dramatic in others. My copy is covered in scribbles about how dumb the knights are and I've had a blast with it. Sometimes the prose is a bit dense and I admit I did lose interest in the final few sections, but I would also die for Sir Dinadan in a heartbeat, he's the only one with a lick of common sense. From Lancelot getting shot in the butt to Gawain accidentally killing someone he was meant to rescue, there are so many moments that are not meant to be hilarious but really are. I know it wasn't meant to be read as a comedy but, damn, it makes it so much better. Also had a swoon chart going throughout the read for fun. Not quite 5 stars because I did take a year long hiatus because I didn't have the brain power for it.
philadelphiastory's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
and then the threw the sword as far into the water as he might; and there came an arm and a hand above the water and met it, and caught it, and so shook it thrice and brandished, and then vanished away the hand with the sword in the water.
i am not sure where i stand with this book, while i tremendously enjoyed the experience of buddy reading it i also struggled and hated it in some parts. maybe it was the copy i owned that made it such a chore for me to get through in some moments but i genuinely had to remind myself to keep going because i contemplated dnf'ing so many times?
i was obviously very much aware of the gist of the story, i had read bits and pieces here and there over the years but never completely from a to z, so i'm grateful i got to check that of my list but the experience made me both appreciate and loathe it. this review will be focused on my experience and less so on the contents of the book because it literally took me so long i forgot most of the details already? but i will admit that the last chapter, arthur's death, was the highlight of the book for me and i couldn't put it down. every sentence had me eagerly wanting to get to the next one to know what was going to happen because finally, something interesting was happening. not that there weren't interesting bits before that, just that this chapter had it consistently the whole time compared to earlier chapters where it felt a bit redundant of a knight going on a knight, meeting another knight and immediately hitting them on the head. this felt like it was actually going somewhere, not just running in circles. obviously another highlight was lancelot getting shot in the butt with an arrow in the forest, that genuinely made me laugh out loud and will probably stay in my head for years to come.
but yeah, i knew the treatment of the women of these stories wasn't great but some buts had me flat out gagging in disgust, we are not here just to be a means to an end or a punching bag. some knights definitely did lose several places in my esteem.
but yeah, all in all i think i enjoyed it enough to give it a 3* rating, unfortunately i wish i had a more enjoyable read. maybe with the caxton edition? one day i'll give it a try, but for now i'm good. i still dearly love these characters though, they've been with me my whole life and i'm not about to let them go because of what a little 15th century man decided to write.
also i'm sorry but tristram and lancelot should have kissed (they actually did. many times. gay rights!)
i am not sure where i stand with this book, while i tremendously enjoyed the experience of buddy reading it i also struggled and hated it in some parts. maybe it was the copy i owned that made it such a chore for me to get through in some moments but i genuinely had to remind myself to keep going because i contemplated dnf'ing so many times?
i was obviously very much aware of the gist of the story, i had read bits and pieces here and there over the years but never completely from a to z, so i'm grateful i got to check that of my list but the experience made me both appreciate and loathe it. this review will be focused on my experience and less so on the contents of the book because it literally took me so long i forgot most of the details already? but i will admit that the last chapter, arthur's death, was the highlight of the book for me and i couldn't put it down. every sentence had me eagerly wanting to get to the next one to know what was going to happen because finally, something interesting was happening. not that there weren't interesting bits before that, just that this chapter had it consistently the whole time compared to earlier chapters where it felt a bit redundant of a knight going on a knight, meeting another knight and immediately hitting them on the head. this felt like it was actually going somewhere, not just running in circles. obviously another highlight was lancelot getting shot in the butt with an arrow in the forest, that genuinely made me laugh out loud and will probably stay in my head for years to come.
but yeah, i knew the treatment of the women of these stories wasn't great but some buts had me flat out gagging in disgust, we are not here just to be a means to an end or a punching bag. some knights definitely did lose several places in my esteem.
but yeah, all in all i think i enjoyed it enough to give it a 3* rating, unfortunately i wish i had a more enjoyable read. maybe with the caxton edition? one day i'll give it a try, but for now i'm good. i still dearly love these characters though, they've been with me my whole life and i'm not about to let them go because of what a little 15th century man decided to write.
also i'm sorry but tristram and lancelot should have kissed (they actually did. many times. gay rights!)
mafm22's review against another edition
5.0
Mainly about knights murdering each other, written in jail by a knight who was a career criminal.
Very entertaining if you like old books. The language is modern enough that it's easy to read, once you get through the first thirty pages or so. A story told by someone who's world view was totally different from any sane modern reader's. This is older than Don Quixote, and even in the (almost) original language, much easier to read.
I read the Vinaver edition. I think it's significantly better than most of the alternatives.
It would have been a better book if Malory had cut something like 30% of it.
Very entertaining if you like old books. The language is modern enough that it's easy to read, once you get through the first thirty pages or so. A story told by someone who's world view was totally different from any sane modern reader's. This is older than Don Quixote, and even in the (almost) original language, much easier to read.
I read the Vinaver edition. I think it's significantly better than most of the alternatives.
It would have been a better book if Malory had cut something like 30% of it.
decembermagpie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
marvelruinedmyspirit's review against another edition
2.0
I can forgive boring, I can forgive repetitive, I can forgive poor writing, but all three together? No. Mallory was (according to the introduction) in jail for very good reasons, but the least he could have done to atone for his crimes is write a better book.
Also, there was a mistake in the introduction, Beowulf's maternal uncle is Hygelac, not Hrethel. That being said, for a book in which the author can't decide if Arthur fathered Mordred or not, it's fitting.
Also, there was a mistake in the introduction, Beowulf's maternal uncle is Hygelac, not Hrethel. That being said, for a book in which the author can't decide if Arthur fathered Mordred or not, it's fitting.
chloex_xlouise's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
1.0