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A review by lupuslibrorum
The King Arthur Trilogy by Rosemary Sutcliff
5.0
Sutcliff makes this look easy. Just tell the most famous parts of the medieval Arthurian legends, and weave them into a coherent whole—simple, right? But her saga reads so smoothly and feels so right, that her success masks some of her achievement. The sources she draws from often contradicted each other, and some even frequently contradict themselves (hello Thomas Malory!). There is a huge variety of material to draw from, with hundreds of characters and plot lines and a plethora of themes. And yet these three books (best read in a single volume) manage to pick the most significant and emotionally affecting threads and follow them through to their powerful, unforgettable ends.
Sure, there are a very few things I would’ve done differently. One of my favorite characters from Malory’s “Le Morte Darthur” is entirely left out; but then, Sir Palamydes the noble but jealous Saracen gets left out of most adaptations anyway, despite being a fascinating example of an outsider in both culture and religion who nonetheless rises to the top ranks of the Round Table.
In the end, this is a magnificent achievement that only gets more entertaining and enthralling as it goes. If you love the tales of King Arthur, and want a faithful but artful adaptation rather than a revisionist retelling, then this is the story to read.
Sure, there are a very few things I would’ve done differently. One of my favorite characters from Malory’s “Le Morte Darthur” is entirely left out; but then, Sir Palamydes the noble but jealous Saracen gets left out of most adaptations anyway, despite being a fascinating example of an outsider in both culture and religion who nonetheless rises to the top ranks of the Round Table.
In the end, this is a magnificent achievement that only gets more entertaining and enthralling as it goes. If you love the tales of King Arthur, and want a faithful but artful adaptation rather than a revisionist retelling, then this is the story to read.