Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Penguin Classics (2012), Edition: Reprint, 336 pages
Description
In this modern adaptation of the story of King Arthur, the author resurrects the legendary epic of Camelot. The names of Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guinevere, Galahad, the sword of Excalibur, and the court of Camelot are as recognizable as any from the world of myth. Although many versions exist of the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory endures as the most moving and richly inventive. In this abridged retelling the author transforms Malory's fifteenth-century work into a dramatic modern story, vividly bringing to life a world of courage and chivalry, magic, and majesty. The golden age of Camelot, the perilous search for the Holy Grail, the love of Guinevere and Lancelot, and the treachery of Arthur's son Mordred are all rendered into contemporary prose.… (more)
Media reviews
Library Journal
Not a scholarly retelling but a popular one, this story should attract an unexpectedly wide audience.
User reviews
LibraryThing member gaskella
I am a huge fan of all things Arthurian – having always enjoyed books about myths and legends by Roger Lancelyn Green et al as a child, it was seeing the 1981 film Excalibur that turned this interest into a bit of an obsession. I read most of the old texts and applied to Mastermind with Arthurian
In those days I had a seriously chunky edition of Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur with beautiful illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley. Those drawings fit so well with the 15th century prose, but the original is not an easy read, which brings me finally to Peter Ackroyd’s new re-telling of Malory. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to get a review copy and put it straight to the top of the pile. I find Ackroyd an interesting author and have enjoyed many of his books.
In the introduction he tells us a bit about Malory and how he came to write Le Morte D’Arthur, before a note about his retelling of the story in loose translation into a ‘more contemporary idiom’ with a streamlined narrative to avoid Malory’s repetitions and inconsistencies. All the stories we know so well are still there – how Uther begot Arthur and Merlin took him away; how Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and became King; how he got Excalibur; Lancelot and Guinevere; the Grail Quest; the last battle against Mordred, plus some we do not know quite so well but are in Malory – like the tale of Tristan and Isolde.
What struck me though reading Ackroyd’s version was how much padding there is in between the main stories. In between Arthur becoming King, sending his knights on the Grail Quest and the last battle – what’s a knight to do? Ride off into the countryside of course and do all things chivalric like rescuing damosels in distress, jousting and fighting all comers with silly (Pythonesque, sic) names like Sir Bagdemagus, Sir Collegrevaunce and Sir Gilbert the Bastard. Frankly, there’s an awful lot of these interludes and it all gets a bit repetitive – theoretically Ackroyd has done some light pruning to avoid some of this.
Although it was good to remind myself of some of the lesser known tales within, as told in its contemporary idiom I found it all a little bit boring and humdrum. Just compare sentences from the very first chapter when Igraine has urged her husband the Duke of Cornwall to take her home to avoid being dishonoured by Uther …
Malory : As soon as Uther knew of their departing so suddenly, he was wonderly wroth.
Ackroyd: As soon as Pendragon knew of their departure he grew very angry.
Yes, I missed the floweriness of the original language. This plain speaking also made many of the knights seem like yobs spoiling for a good fight rather than the figures of romance and derring-do one would normally imagine. The loose plot and arc of stories aren’t Ackroyd’s fault of course, but the rendering of them into modern English loses a lot of the original’s specialness. However, what Ackroyd has achieved should be welcomed by anyone who doesn’t have the time and energy to devote to the original, but wants to read the classic story, although you could do worse than Lancelyn-Green’s children’s version!
I chose this book to review from a list supplied by the Amazon Vine programme. 6.5/10
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Myths and Legends as my specialist subject even – but didn’t get an audition – probably just as well! I still devour any books I come across about the subject, and Philip Reeve’s marvelous Here Lies Arthur is one of my desert island books. In those days I had a seriously chunky edition of Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur with beautiful illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley. Those drawings fit so well with the 15th century prose, but the original is not an easy read, which brings me finally to Peter Ackroyd’s new re-telling of Malory. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to get a review copy and put it straight to the top of the pile. I find Ackroyd an interesting author and have enjoyed many of his books.
In the introduction he tells us a bit about Malory and how he came to write Le Morte D’Arthur, before a note about his retelling of the story in loose translation into a ‘more contemporary idiom’ with a streamlined narrative to avoid Malory’s repetitions and inconsistencies. All the stories we know so well are still there – how Uther begot Arthur and Merlin took him away; how Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and became King; how he got Excalibur; Lancelot and Guinevere; the Grail Quest; the last battle against Mordred, plus some we do not know quite so well but are in Malory – like the tale of Tristan and Isolde.
What struck me though reading Ackroyd’s version was how much padding there is in between the main stories. In between Arthur becoming King, sending his knights on the Grail Quest and the last battle – what’s a knight to do? Ride off into the countryside of course and do all things chivalric like rescuing damosels in distress, jousting and fighting all comers with silly (Pythonesque, sic) names like Sir Bagdemagus, Sir Collegrevaunce and Sir Gilbert the Bastard. Frankly, there’s an awful lot of these interludes and it all gets a bit repetitive – theoretically Ackroyd has done some light pruning to avoid some of this.
Although it was good to remind myself of some of the lesser known tales within, as told in its contemporary idiom I found it all a little bit boring and humdrum. Just compare sentences from the very first chapter when Igraine has urged her husband the Duke of Cornwall to take her home to avoid being dishonoured by Uther …
Malory : As soon as Uther knew of their departing so suddenly, he was wonderly wroth.
Ackroyd: As soon as Pendragon knew of their departure he grew very angry.
Yes, I missed the floweriness of the original language. This plain speaking also made many of the knights seem like yobs spoiling for a good fight rather than the figures of romance and derring-do one would normally imagine. The loose plot and arc of stories aren’t Ackroyd’s fault of course, but the rendering of them into modern English loses a lot of the original’s specialness. However, what Ackroyd has achieved should be welcomed by anyone who doesn’t have the time and energy to devote to the original, but wants to read the classic story, although you could do worse than Lancelyn-Green’s children’s version!
I chose this book to review from a list supplied by the Amazon Vine programme. 6.5/10
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LibraryThing member JBD1
A simplified retelling of Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, which I think doesn't quite work all that well. While Ackroyd cuts quite a bit, the reworking doesn't really improve the narrative, and the modern terminology &c. inserted into the text makes it perhaps more readable but also just, I
Ackroyd's introduction about Malory and his work, however, is thoroughly enjoyable; I would have been happy to read a longer version of that!
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don't know, silly-sounding. I suspect there must be better versions of Malory out there for the reading.Ackroyd's introduction about Malory and his work, however, is thoroughly enjoyable; I would have been happy to read a longer version of that!
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LibraryThing member andy475uk
I loved this book - an epic, exciting, sometimes shocking and romantic read. I haven't read Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur but this version moved at a terrific and easily readable pace without seeming to be flat or boring as some curmudgeonly reviewers seem to think.
LibraryThing member everfresh1
It was so boring. It is simplified retelling of original writing so I can't blame the author for that.
LibraryThing member arjacobson
The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend by Thomas Malory; adapted by Peter Ackroyd (New York: Viking Adult, 2011. 336 pp) Originally Posted at wherepenmeetspaper.blogspot.com
Peter Ackroyd, CBE, is a British biographer and novelist. His biographies include those of Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot,
Sir Thomas Malory (1405-1471) was an English writer and poet, and compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur.
In Praise of Honor and Valor (Or Honour and Valour)
Always a fan of the legend of King Arthur and his knights, I’ve found enjoyment in the chivalry and altogether fascinating exploits within the collective. It’s an unforgettable story of love, adventure, treachery, and magical escapades. The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend is an attempt by Peter Ackroyd to bring the classic story by Sir Thomas Malory into the modern idiom, but I’m not sure he succeeds.
The Beginning
Arthur is raised by a knight, and becomes king when he finds his destiny enclosed in a stone.
“It has been ordained by God that the one who takes up this sword will reign over us...so the people of London set up a great cry. ‘We will have Arthur to be sovereign over us. There must be no more delay! The day has come. God’s will be done!’” (14-15).
The story begins just like you remember it, and Arthur became king. Merlin tells Arthur he will be victorious in battle and a mighty king as well. But, the retold tales are still the same: Merlin, The Sword and the Stone, Arthur and Guinevere, Morgan le Fay, Tristram and Isolde, The Quest for the Holy Grail, Arthur’s mendacious son Mordred, and Lancelot’s betrayal of Arthur with his unrequited love for Guinevere.
So, no real surprises here and not much to tell outside of why Ackroyd’s version may have some merit.
Same ‘Ol Same ‘Ol
In the attempt to retell the story of King Arthur, Ackroyd ends up dumbing it down more than bringing it into a new, fresh state. He could have done much more to enliven the story, but he simply translated it into a somewhat monotonous storyline that leaves much to be desired, especially if you’ve read the version by Sir Thomas Malory (Le Morte d'Arthur).
Sure, Malory is a bit hard to get into with all the old English, but once you’ve gained some momentum it’s pretty fascinating. Perhaps I’ve romanticized the Malory version, but the Ackroyd version, to me at least, leaves something to be desired.
There have been countless editions of the classic Malory story over the years, my favorite of which, already modernized, is The Once and Future King by T.H. White. So, my question is, was a newer version really that necessary?
At the same time, however, I think The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend is still worthwhile as it does do some justice to the Arthurian legends of old. But, if it were me, I’d stick with Malory’s original story.
Originally Posted at wherepenmeetspaper.blogspot.com
Peter Ackroyd, CBE, is a British biographer and novelist. His biographies include those of Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot,
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and Sir Thomas Moore. Sir Thomas Malory (1405-1471) was an English writer and poet, and compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur.
In Praise of Honor and Valor (Or Honour and Valour)
Always a fan of the legend of King Arthur and his knights, I’ve found enjoyment in the chivalry and altogether fascinating exploits within the collective. It’s an unforgettable story of love, adventure, treachery, and magical escapades. The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend is an attempt by Peter Ackroyd to bring the classic story by Sir Thomas Malory into the modern idiom, but I’m not sure he succeeds.
The Beginning
Arthur is raised by a knight, and becomes king when he finds his destiny enclosed in a stone.
“It has been ordained by God that the one who takes up this sword will reign over us...so the people of London set up a great cry. ‘We will have Arthur to be sovereign over us. There must be no more delay! The day has come. God’s will be done!’” (14-15).
The story begins just like you remember it, and Arthur became king. Merlin tells Arthur he will be victorious in battle and a mighty king as well. But, the retold tales are still the same: Merlin, The Sword and the Stone, Arthur and Guinevere, Morgan le Fay, Tristram and Isolde, The Quest for the Holy Grail, Arthur’s mendacious son Mordred, and Lancelot’s betrayal of Arthur with his unrequited love for Guinevere.
So, no real surprises here and not much to tell outside of why Ackroyd’s version may have some merit.
Same ‘Ol Same ‘Ol
In the attempt to retell the story of King Arthur, Ackroyd ends up dumbing it down more than bringing it into a new, fresh state. He could have done much more to enliven the story, but he simply translated it into a somewhat monotonous storyline that leaves much to be desired, especially if you’ve read the version by Sir Thomas Malory (Le Morte d'Arthur).
Sure, Malory is a bit hard to get into with all the old English, but once you’ve gained some momentum it’s pretty fascinating. Perhaps I’ve romanticized the Malory version, but the Ackroyd version, to me at least, leaves something to be desired.
There have been countless editions of the classic Malory story over the years, my favorite of which, already modernized, is The Once and Future King by T.H. White. So, my question is, was a newer version really that necessary?
At the same time, however, I think The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend is still worthwhile as it does do some justice to the Arthurian legends of old. But, if it were me, I’d stick with Malory’s original story.
Originally Posted at wherepenmeetspaper.blogspot.com
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LibraryThing member kewing
Light, breezy, modern re-telling of Malory's classic. Le Morte d'Arthur. Not what I would expect from Ackroyd--unlike everything else of his I've read, this is closer to a book for adolescents.
LibraryThing member jphamilton
This was a fantastic retelling of these immense tales of old. I was captivated by the characters and their motivations, but, at the same time, there are so many contradictions in how these knights of the Round Table broke their oaths time and time again — all the while they were held high as more
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than mere humans. This a fine retelling of this collection of stories about honorable men interacting in a brutal and complicated world. Maybe it all comes down to the fact that little is as simple and pure as some would want you to think. Show Less
LibraryThing member Helenliz
This is the second book of Peter Ackroyd's which is a telling in modern style of 2 old texts. I'm not sure that this was quite as successful. I read this and found that language was somewhat plain and repetitive. There was little in the way of artistic flourish. It goes through the knights of the
What it has done is made me seek out Mallory's text, to see what the original was like. This feels like a poor imitation.
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round table stories that we're all somewhat familiar with, so there's little to learn. What it has done is made me seek out Mallory's text, to see what the original was like. This feels like a poor imitation.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010
Physical description
336 p.; 5.65 inches
ISBN
9780143106951
Local notes
Ackroyd's abridged retelling transforms Malory's fifteenth-century work into a dramatic modern story about Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Guinevere, Excalibur and the court of Camelot.
Part of the Penguin Classics Deluxe series, with French flaps and a contemporary introduction.
Part of the Penguin Classics Deluxe series, with French flaps and a contemporary introduction.