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scra0716's review against another edition
I found out that the author abused her daughter
nynja's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lady_of_the_labyrinth's review against another edition
After finding out what marion zimmer Bradley is accused of and hearing a few lines in this book that depict a child getting raped by an older man i can't bring myself to keep listening.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
andoayumi's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
umbrellatrees's review against another edition
1.0
"Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children."
I was going to write a proper review bashing this awfully dismal novel, but I believe this is all the information you need to know.
I was going to write a proper review bashing this awfully dismal novel, but I believe this is all the information you need to know.
jamponicki's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mitchjwright's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
mccglattly's review against another edition
Turns out the author is a pedophile so as much as I loved this book as a teenager, I DNFed it.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
2.0
It was with great joy and much rejoicing that I finished Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon. Ms. Bradley had a hard row to hoe with me on any Arthurian legend. I have never been a fan of Arthurian legend, since I first read “The Death of Arthur” in high school. In my opinion, Sir Thomas Malory hated women, as they are nothing but evil, conniving, shallow creatures in his story. As a young woman and budding feminist, the story completely turned me off from any story of Arthur or the Knights of the Round Table.
So I wanted to like “Mists”. Ms. Bradley went out of her way to make women the focus of the story, and not only as the villainous foil for the heroic knights from Malory’s story. And that was one of my problems with her plotline; there was none of the epic battles of good and evil, but only lots and lots of selfish and self-centered people repeatedly bumping into themselves. Yes, Morgaine was not the evil sorceress of Arthurian legend, but only an ineffectual leader of a dying religion. Genevieve was not the evil temptress of Arthurs court, but was a mentally ill young woman ill equipped for the duties required of a queen, Mordred was not the devilish spawn of Morgaine’s villainous plot, but merely a neglected child abandoned by both his parents in infancy, and left to fight a battle that was lost before he was of an age to complete the task he was born to. I know Ms. Bradley was attempting to show that none of the characters were “evil” but only led by “The Goddess”, or fate into roles that were preordained. This brings me to another issue I had with the novel.
I was clobbered over and over by the multitude of themes running rampant through this almost 900 page novel. Ms. Bradley blasts the reader with theme after theme over and over again throughout the book. One would have to be blind and completely dumb to not see the same themes repeated over and over throughout the book. I prefer a more subtle approach to the introduction of theme into a story. I don’t need to be beat with a thematical stick to understand that the author is trying to make a point. See what I mean, it gets tedious after a while.
Between the obviously repeated themes and never ending description that went on and on and on, I must say I found this book very difficult to finish, and only really started to care for the book when Arthur was finally killed because it meant I was almost done with the book. The Mists of Avalon may be a modern classic, but it will not be finding its way into this reader’s library.
2 of 5 stars
So I wanted to like “Mists”. Ms. Bradley went out of her way to make women the focus of the story, and not only as the villainous foil for the heroic knights from Malory’s story. And that was one of my problems with her plotline; there was none of the epic battles of good and evil, but only lots and lots of selfish and self-centered people repeatedly bumping into themselves. Yes, Morgaine was not the evil sorceress of Arthurian legend, but only an ineffectual leader of a dying religion. Genevieve was not the evil temptress of Arthurs court, but was a mentally ill young woman ill equipped for the duties required of a queen, Mordred was not the devilish spawn of Morgaine’s villainous plot, but merely a neglected child abandoned by both his parents in infancy, and left to fight a battle that was lost before he was of an age to complete the task he was born to. I know Ms. Bradley was attempting to show that none of the characters were “evil” but only led by “The Goddess”, or fate into roles that were preordained. This brings me to another issue I had with the novel.
I was clobbered over and over by the multitude of themes running rampant through this almost 900 page novel. Ms. Bradley blasts the reader with theme after theme over and over again throughout the book. One would have to be blind and completely dumb to not see the same themes repeated over and over throughout the book. I prefer a more subtle approach to the introduction of theme into a story. I don’t need to be beat with a thematical stick to understand that the author is trying to make a point. See what I mean, it gets tedious after a while.
Between the obviously repeated themes and never ending description that went on and on and on, I must say I found this book very difficult to finish, and only really started to care for the book when Arthur was finally killed because it meant I was almost done with the book. The Mists of Avalon may be a modern classic, but it will not be finding its way into this reader’s library.
2 of 5 stars
myriadreads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was poetic and captivating, I enjoyed it so much that I slowed down in last 100 pages because I didn't want to see it end!