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A review by lizabethstucker
Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table by Thomas Malory
3.0
This is the classic rendition by Keith Baines. Baines works his way through the original, flowery language, changing it to a more accessible prose form. I must admit that I last read this book almost 30 years ago in the flowery epic poetry version. For those curious about some of the Arthurian legends, this might be a good introduction. Particularly if the very sight of stanzas freak them out.
Overall, this was a good read, but it felt as if something was missing, that Baines sped through some of the more descriptive passages too quickly. He makes note in his introduction that Malory didn't go into specific details about much of the battles or descriptions of the various characters. I never minded that as I have an imagination of my own to fill in those bits. But once the language is muted, some of the joy and delight appears missing. Some sections almost seem like simple name listing.
Overall, this was a good read, but it felt as if something was missing, that Baines sped through some of the more descriptive passages too quickly. He makes note in his introduction that Malory didn't go into specific details about much of the battles or descriptions of the various characters. I never minded that as I have an imagination of my own to fill in those bits. But once the language is muted, some of the joy and delight appears missing. Some sections almost seem like simple name listing.