tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post7278372068139226365..comments2024-03-12T09:44:18.874-07:00Comments on Howling Frog Books: Idylls of the KingJeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14247515387599954817noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-28266040565606529612011-01-15T17:47:48.002-08:002011-01-15T17:47:48.002-08:00Thanks for stopping by, Gypsi--and Enbrethiliel to...Thanks for stopping by, Gypsi--and Enbrethiliel too!<br /><br />Heh, good point about which is worse. And there is more to the story--but I think that's kind of the core of it, how you have this ideal society set up and it's wrecked by treachery--whether romantic or revengeful.Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14247515387599954817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-14806750034458344242011-01-15T17:31:52.609-08:002011-01-15T17:31:52.609-08:00I've had a copy for years and never read it. ...I've had a copy for years and never read it. After reading your review, I'm interesting in it!<br /><br />(Found your review via the Victorian Reading Challenge.)Gypsihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09726952526544619098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-51032194491304039032011-01-15T06:48:38.527-08:002011-01-15T06:48:38.527-08:00+JMJ+
I had forgotten about the Mordred versions...+JMJ+ <br /><br />I had forgotten about the Mordred versions! Thanks for reminding me. <br /><br />But now that I have them side by side in my mind . . . Oh, I don't know whether it is worse for a woman to betray a man with his worst enemy or with his friend. =S <br /><br />And then I have to remind myself that <i>of course</i> there is more to Camelot than Guinevere behaving badly . . .Enbrethilielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03414765854670926854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-58623011916925800562011-01-12T07:45:11.403-08:002011-01-12T07:45:11.403-08:00I think Tennyson just makes him so *good* that he&...I think Tennyson just makes him so *good* that he's not quite human. He has a hard time recognizing that people can't live up to his ideals, they're just people. Guinevere sees him as so far above her that she can't be close to him--but on the other hand she never tries, because she fell in love with Lancelot at the start, and she uses Arthur's perfection as an excuse. She even scorns him for it, until the end when she realizes what she has really done.<br /><br />I'm always kind of fascinated by Lancelot and Guinevere--it's such a rotten thing to do, and they manage to be so blind about it. And then it ends up destroying Camelot. But as I'm sure you know from your own reading, the storyline was originally a way to make things more interesting and Guinevere less bad--the first Arthur stories have her betraying Arthur with Mordred. And I always like to read about the changes to an old story over time.Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14247515387599954817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-67466436605504104732011-01-12T06:30:09.579-08:002011-01-12T06:30:09.579-08:00+JMJ+
I heard of this a few years ago (but never...+JMJ+ <br /><br />I heard of this a few years ago (but never read it), when I pursued a personal fascination for the Round Table and Camelot. I confess that Guinevere and Lancelot's adultery always totally killed the story for me. I don't know how they could stand betraying Arthur that way. It's interesting that Tennyson lets Arthur share a bit of the culpability, too. Is he wilfully blind, like someone in denial, or is it just his fatal flaw, so to speak?Enbrethilielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03414765854670926854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-77389422467603861982011-01-08T06:04:26.297-08:002011-01-08T06:04:26.297-08:00Wow, this sounds really interesting. I didn't ...Wow, this sounds really interesting. I didn't evne know about this. So thanks for the review!Bethanyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14467655046379247950noreply@blogger.com