King Arthur and His Knights by Roger Lancelyn Green

My entire knowledge of the Arthurian legends is based on movies from my childhood (“Camelot” and Disney’s “The Sword in the Stone”), so this book was bound to be enlightening. I must admit the first fifty pages were tough going with countless knights being named on one page and countless unnamed knights being killed on the opposite page. But I’m glad I persevered.

In the introduction to King Arthur and His Knights, Green states that although he used Sir Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte D’Arthur” as the basis for his retellings, he also includes stories from half a dozen other sources. I was disappointed that Green told the stories quite simply without any beautiful language, but discovered that the legends themselves are so compelling that they don’t need much embellishment. I thoroughly enjoyed the book once I adjusted my expectations in that regard. As I read, I was reminded of other favorite stories. The lion that meets Sir Percivale had Aslan-like characteristics and the Enchanted Ship and the Quest reminded me of Lord of the Rings. At times I felt I was immersed in a sad and beautiful fairy tale. The Christian symbolism throughout was also fascinating.

Green does his best to weave the separate stories into a single timeline, but don't expect the same cohesiveness as a novel. The first group of stories introduce Arthur and the evil Morgana le Fay. Book Two is about the noble knights of the Round Table. Book Three focuses on the quest for the Holy Grail, and Book Four is about the final days of King Arthur’s reign.

My nephew named his new daughter Columba (after a woman in the Arthurian legends) and I wanted to know more about her. Sadly, she appears in only one sentence in this book, but I am delighted that my curiosity led me to take the plunge into these fabulous tales.  It is easy to see why they have captured the imagination of fans for centuries. 

P.S. When I finished this, I immediately devoured Sir James Knowles' version which was a bit longer and in King James English (which seemed more fitting). I loved both versions.

Blessings,

These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon (Mitford #3)

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two Mitford books, but there is something very special about These High, Green Hills. Maybe it's because I feel like I know the townspeople well enough to really care about them. Or maybe it's because this book (even more than the others) shows deep suffering while still offering plenty of solid hope (not to be confused with fluffy optimism).

The other books hinted at Father Tim's childhood, but Book Three digs a little deeper into that subject and we begin to see some necessary healing take place. In fact, quite a few people in the book are dealing with past hurts.

But it's not primarily a sad book. The Mitford folks band together to support one another. Laughter is interwoven with tears. Written 25 years ago, there are jokes about adapting to life with computers when hardly anyone knew how to use them. Delightful literary references are sprinkled throughout such as C.S. Lewis quotes, snippets of poetry and an occasional quote from The Book of Common Prayer.

Karon has a gift for balancing suffering with hope, and lighthearted banter with more serious conversations. Quite a trick, but the end result is delightful.

Blessings,