From Archetypes to Real People (The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley)

Name: marysiak

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Product:	The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
Date:	25/06/02 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: realistic characterisation, epic in scope, makes you wish it were true

Disadvantages: none

This is yet another Arthurian retelling but it is so much more than that. It takes legendary but cardboard cutout characters and turns them into real people. It takes black and white mythology and turns it into every shade of grey.

This is more than worth reading.

The best thing about this book is that no-one does it right although everyone tries to. Which makes it very real. Everyone is trying to do what they think best and in the end they all lose in one way or another.

It is the story of a family of sisters brought up by the eldest, Vivian, who becomes the Lady of the Lake on the mythic isle of Avalon. Her sisters are Igraine, mother of King Arthur and also of the lead character Morgaine (Morgana or Morgan Le Fey), and Morgause who marries King Lot of Orkney and becomes foster mother to Morgaine and Arthur's son, Mordred.

Despite the female perspective the male characters come over as well rounded, sympathetic and realistic as well.

One of the main threads of this story is the transition from a pagan religious system to a Christian religious system across the land of Britain, symbolised by the isle of Avalon which is also the location of Glastonbury Church with only those who know how to part the mists able to reach Avalon anymore.

This is a long book but it doesn't drag at all and is not a difficult read. It simply tells a very long story that covers over a full generation, starting with Igraine's first marriage as a young girl and covering the whole of her daughter Morgaine's life.

You will probably need to be able to at least accept the validity of pagan beliefs (as opposed to thinking they are evil) in order to read this book.

Summary: