The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien and edited by Christopher Tolkien

This book contains J.R.R. Tolkien's unfinished attempt to write part of the Matter of Britain in an alliterative verse form used for Old English poetry (such as Beowulf) and used again in Middle English (for example, in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). The story starts with Arthur away from England, going east to fight barbarians when he hears of his nephew/son Mordred's treachery back home. The poem is enjoyable--Tolkien had a good ear for this verse form (as he also demonstrated in some of the poetry in his Middle Earth stories and in his translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). Perhaps more interesting, though, is the supplementary material. The first essay is on The Fall of Arthur's place among other tellings of the story of King Arthur, especially The History of the Kings of Britain, the alliterative Morte Arthur, the stanzaic Morte Arthur, and Le Morte Darthur. The second essay argues (I think more convincingly thematically than on hard evidence) that not only was Middle Earth Tolkien's attempt to provide mythology for the English people, but that it was directly connected to the King Arthur legends--indeed, that the Isle of Avalon (where in some versions of the story King Arthur still awaits the moment to return and lead Britain to glory) is Tol Eressëa, or the lonely island, which was where the elves could dwell and look on Valinor after their exile. I really enjoyed this volume; however I would not recommend it to anyone just looking for a good story (there are better--and more complete--retellings of the Arthur myth) or who is a casual fan of The Lord of the Rings. If you like Tolkien's poetry, or are interested in the intricacies of the Arthur story, however, this book is well worth a look.

The Romance of Tristan by Beroul and translated by Alan S. Frederick

This book combines prose translations of The Romance of Tristan by Beroul and Tristan's Madness. The story is not one that a modern reader would expect: there's little continuity (for example, one character dies twice), and the author tells the reader what to think (and then the characters' actions may not match the author's descriptions of their morality). But this version does give a clear version of the romance of Tristan and Yseut with the best episodes preserved (the sword between the sleeping lovers, the piggy-back ride in disguise, Yseut's double-speak, the sail confusion). Of interest to those who want a more complete view of the Matter of Britain and those interested in medieval romance (in a modern translation).

The Legend of the King by Gerald Morris

I must admit, I was worried how Gerald Morris would handle this book: throughout the series, he's played up the noble side of the King Arthur legends (Lancelot and Guinevere repent of their affair, for example), and while he's not afraid to portray the characters who behave idiotically as idiots (Tristram and Isolde), I wondered how the [spoiler alert] everyone dies aspect of most of the traditional legends would play out here. I must say, the book handles the story magnificently. It doesn't give a sappy, everyone-meets-as-friends-at-the-Kings-Cross-Station-to-see-their-kids-off-to-Hogwarts-20-years-later kind of ending, but it did present the facts of the ending reasonably close to a familiar version of the story while maintaining the nuances he's introduced to the various characters throughout the series (if you can believe some people don't recognize forged notes, which is fine with me). I found this book, and the series generally, immensely satisfying, and I don't doubt I'll return to this version of the stories again.

The Squire's Quest by Gerald Morris

In this book our attention returns to Gawain's squire, Terence, who has aged, but is still pretty sharp. He's worried because he hasn't heard from his family at Avalon for quite some time. Furthermore, a young man called Mordred has turned up at court, and while he impresses almost everyone, a few (including Terence and Kai) remain skeptical. There's a long bit with the Emperor of the Roman Empire (in Constantinople) and a Romeo and Juliet type plot, too. Overall, I liked this book; it seems to be shoring things up as they draw toward a conclusion.

The Quest for the Fair Unknown by Gerald Morris

I can tell that this series is building towards its finale: although it has much of the same style as the previous books, there are hints that not all is well in Arthur's kingdom and that a final confrontation is coming. I enjoyed the send-up of the falsely pious hermits, and even the book's lack of patience with Galahad (who is, as usual, somewhat of a twit). I am also a fan of the way that these books are on Gawain's side (as the best knight in Arthur's court).

The Lioness and Her Knight by Gerald Morris

This book retells the story of Ywain and Laudine with some additions and Morris's Seelie Court (of fairies and magic) involved. As usual, Morris makes the secondary characters (the ones of his own devising, or the ones peripheral to the traditional legends) far more interesting and sympathetic, perhaps in part because he has more leeway to do as he likes with them. I particularly liked seeing the development and maturation of Luneta.

The Princess, The Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight by Gerald Morris

In this book a young woman with remarkably fine clothes sets out to avenge herself on the knight who lead to the deaths of her mother and her protector. As she travels, however, she learns that revenge isn't everything and that she's not the center of the universe. I was not familiar with the Chrétien de Troyes story on which this book is based, but I enjoyed the story. I also really appreciate this version of Lancelot, who seems to have given up his passion for Guinevere.

The Ballad of Sir Dinadan by Gerald Morris

This book had considerably less to do with the Seelie Court (i.e. fairies) than previous entries in the series. I still enjoyed it however. I particularly liked the inclusion of Sir Palomides and the depiction of Sir Dinadan's humility. There was a nice twist in his friendship with Lady Brangienne as well. Finally, the depiction of Tristram and Iseult was somewhat of a relief after all the overblown accounts of their story.

Parsifal's Page by Gerald Morris

In this book young Piers wants nothing more than to be called Pierre and to join the courtly world that his mother tells tales about, much to the disgust of his father, a simple blacksmith. When a knight rides up, Piers gets his chance, but he quickly learns that neither he nor the knight knows much about the courtly world--and Piers gets a new master, Parsifal. I enjoyed this story, perhaps especially because although I have read some about the Fisher King, I hadn't read all that much about Parsifal. The story ended on a heart-warming note.

The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf by Gerald Morris

I enjoyed this book which is less about Gawain and Terrance and more about the way Lyanna finds that love depends on character rather than appearance. There are lots of mistaken appearances in this book. Morris continues doing a good job making Arthurian legends relevant and entertaining.

The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady by Gerald Morris

This book recounts the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, with a few parts from other Arthurian legends thrown in for good measure. This series is very enjoyable, if a bit predictable (because it works with such well-loved material). I also think it's a bit rosy for a King Arthur story--these stories, I think, at heart are not meant to be entirely happy ending stories (and to be fair, the one I just read is not entirely a happy ending story), but the role of the fairy realm ultimately seems to be to take the edge of the sadness, and I'm not sure how much I like that.

The Squire's Tale by Gerald Morris

This book is an entertaining, YA retelling of some of the King Arthur legends. It focuses on Sir Gawain and his squire, and basically recounts The Wife of Bath's Tale from Chaucer. The prose is entertaining, even if the story is familiar.

Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper

This book deals with the Light's last efforts to stop the Dark from rising. Will, Jane, Barney, Simon, and Bran must work with Merriman Lyon to save everything. I thought this book worked really well, from a story point of view--that is, the choices that characters made paid them back in kind. Overall, I found the series to be quite enjoyable. They're obviously aimed at an audience that's a bit younger than I am, but they work. They remind me of Lloyd Alexander's Pyrdain Chronicles.

The Grey King by Susan Cooper

In this book Will Staunton gets to go on his own quest (with less help from Merriman Lyon and the Drew children) for one of the artifacts (a golden harp). He goes to Wales, the author gives a good try at indicating proper Welsh pronunciations, and confronts the Grey King, who is trying to stop him from retrieving the harp and waking the sleepers. The plot in this book was more skillfully managed than in other books in this series. The Arthurian connections are becoming more clear as well.

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

This book starts a sequence describing a conflict between the Dark and Light in (more or less) modern England, though its roots stretch back to Arthur's days. In this book, three children go to the Cornish coast for a holiday and discover an old manuscript that claims to describe the hiding place of the grail. The children, with a bit of help from their Great Uncle Merry (apparently Merlin), must find the grail before the forces of the Dark can stop them. The story was entertaining, but I get the sense that this series would have been much more entertaining to me were I a bit younger when I first encountered it.