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acerosalina's review against another edition
3.0
chivalry just isn’t it for me but the writing slaps
willworm's review against another edition
3.25
Tennyson’s work is rich for analysis, especially on its reflection as a work about British identity and empire, as well as how within these notions of race and empire are some very deeply ecological themes, as Arthurian literature inevitably ends up something deeply ecological. Guinevere is both more and less human, or more human and less herself, which is sad, and there is a fascinating impulse from Tennyson to tiptoe around the sexual assault at the heart of much of Arthuriana while still touching on it in ways I often found to be quite nuanced and interesting! It’s such a complicated work, one deeply born of its time, and for that reason I find it both compelling and frustrating: especially the last three or so idylls which were so shallow in comparison to much of the complications of identity and spirit found in the other stories, but that’s just a personal narrative gripe that is unrelated to my overall intentions with Idylls as adaptation.
pbobrit's review against another edition
3.0
Read this for class, and adapted one of the idylls 'Balin and Balan' for my final paper. It was fun reading this text, Tennyson's poetry is full of beautiful imagery and great stories. Fun for fans of poetry and Arthurian legend.
hansilouni's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
alicechannington's review against another edition
Zero stars... because I hated it.
booksmellers's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
hannahbananali's review
4.0
Whoever would have thought that I would enjoy a 300 page poem?
Yes, this was a difficult read, but worth it in the end. Some of the idylls were heartbreaking, others infuriating, but all were written with such lyrical eloquence. If I didn't read this as part of a class, I think I would have hated it. But studying it in an academic perspective with a brilliant professor helped greatly in my understanding and appreciation of the text.
Yes, this was a difficult read, but worth it in the end. Some of the idylls were heartbreaking, others infuriating, but all were written with such lyrical eloquence. If I didn't read this as part of a class, I think I would have hated it. But studying it in an academic perspective with a brilliant professor helped greatly in my understanding and appreciation of the text.