Mists of Avalon Abridged

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Summary: r e v i e w
Review: After reading T.H. White's "The Once and Future King", my teacher recommended this book. Reading it in week, I found it "okay". It seems to be one of those poignant books where one's views shift by the time he/she finishes the book. If you are a big King Arthur fan, do not expect to find your usuall "daring duel" type action. This book is an escape from your everyday knights of the round table book, and it brings into light the women who were center to the Arthurian legend. Marion Zimmer Bradley has created a lovely ficticious book that does not add anything to the legend but is good in its own right. I will stick to Malory, but I strongly recommend this book to anyone.

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Summary: Arthur's court comes alive!
Review: How do you describe art in the written form? The Mists of Avalon! In these pages you'll find muder, mayhem and intrigue, all seen through the eyes of the women of Arthur's court! The characters are thouroughly alive and vibrant. The absolute lack of knowing what will happen next, leaves you breathless and awe struck at the same time. Keep up the great work Mrs. (Ms.) Bradley!

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Summary: Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Review: This book has a good mix of fantasy and real historical significance to the pagan religions and their comparisons to Christanity. I beleive that Ms. Bradley expertly pieced together history and fantasy to make this an interesting book set in the time of King Arthur. It was entertaining and let me see a new perspective on the King Arthur legend. It was very different from any other King Arthur legends I know of though. Still, I recommened this book for anyone interested in the mystical if not fantasy-like side of religion. She is a great storyteller.

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Summary: VERY good
Review: This book was very well written. I was enchanted by the events and characters and I quickly became so addicted to this book I read it twice. It gave new views of characters I had only heard of, like Morgan LaFey. After reading it a second time I quickly went out and bought the Lady of Avalon and am currently reading it. This book has to be one of the best ever written.

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Summary: A powerful and mystical retelling of the Arthurian myth.
Review: I would rate this book, along with Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles, as one of the best versions of the Camelot legend. I particularly liked the way MZB wove birth-names and "baptismal" names to get round the usual Lancelot / Galahad / Nimue / Vivianne confusion, and how she used the Merlin and the Lady of the Lake as titles rather than as one character's name. Virtually all the characters came over as being realistic, i.e. flawed - most notably Gwenhyfar (agarophobic, mindlessly Christian despite very real doubts regarding the nature of God - yet still generous and, at the end, strong and self-sacrificing). In fact, the only character shift I found unbelievable was Igraine, from semi-priestess, using sourcery to protect the man she loved, to canting Christian - and then back again! This was a traditionally "courtly" setting - as opposed to Cornwell's blood, guts and battles - but as the book focussed on Camelot's women, this was an acceptable slant. I found the treatment of Morgaine as a strong, misunderstood (by the Christians), devoted priestess, much preferable to the usual "evil witch-queen Morgan le Fey" portrayal. Even though we sense Morgaine is doomed to "fail", in the complete sense of her vision, there is hope at the end when she realises that she - or the Goddess - will always exist. Taliesin's philosophy of "all Gods are One" is proven to be true - a philosophy which makes more sense than the purely Christian vision! I found the fertility- Goddess / Mother Earth beliefs extremely valid and relevant today. Ultimately, then, an excellent reworking of a myth which asks as many questions as it answers.

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Summary: the humanist's viewpoint
Review: Now at first this book was hard to get through, I thought I'd never get into it enough to finish it. However, after the first chapter, I was spellbound (if you will!)...a beautiful struggle of age old issues from a humanist's point of view; religion, finding your place in the world, the age old guilt women seem to bear, the emnity between friends, life, love, finding your path, all that and more were in this book. A beautifully moving tale woven as it might have been; we see Gwenhwyfar as a malicious woman and Morgain Le Fay not as an evil enchantress, but someone who was doing what she thought right for the universe. From this book we can see that the heroes of legend were truly not the only ones to be accredited with the making of a legend; what surrounded the men made up who they were and how they made their decisions. Bravo!

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Summary: this was a great work of imagination
Review: i enjoyed reading this book a lot, it isnt often that i come across a book that i like this much. i think it will become a classic. for those readers that rated this book very low because it did not correspond with the way things really were in that point of time, i just want to ask you who stole youre imagination?

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Summary: Magnificient
Review: I read the book when I was about 18 years old and it has changed the way I thought about my life as a woman,faith and religion. Although it is a tale, it can be a truth for the readers mind.

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Summary: Absolutely wonderful- a remarkable feat of writing
Review: Upon completing my third reading of this novel, I am still amazed at the amount of work that must have gone into the writing. That aside, it is the most compelling 900 pages I have ever read.

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Summary: The most fascinating and well plotted novel I've ever read.
Review: I've read it twice now and I want to read it again. No book has ever touched me as deeply as this one. Not only does Marion Zimmer Bradley construct wonderfully believable characters that you can really get involved with, but she tackles the difficult issue of Christian theology versus Pagan theology and she does it brilliantly. Women and young girls have a true heroine to admire in Morgaine and men and young boys see their passions and stregths relfected in Arthur, Lancelet, and Kevin. I can't say enough good things about this book. It is my all time favorte novel and well worth the time investment it takes to read it. The story will consume you and the theme will make you question history, religion, gender issues, and spirituality.