I can’t even guess how many times I’ve read this book. I must have been ten or eleven the first time I checked it out from the library, and I’ve read it over and over and over, several times a year, because this is one of the books that changed me as both a reader and a writer. In fact, this book spawned my first fanfic.

Which, let’s face it, I am so SO glad I never put up online because it was awful.

But this is a book I talk about all the time, a book I really wish more people knew, and I realized I hadn’t ever actually talked about why.

As a kid, I grew up on stories of knights and damsels and quests, on the golden age of King Arthur, and all of that. I remember more than a few afternoon “quests” where I hunted down the evil Mordred to slay him before he could take down the great king. That being said, though, I didn’t actually know too many of the stories. I knew about Tristan and Isolde, about Lancelot and Guinevere, about Sir Kai and the Round Table. I’ll admit that my first knowledge of Sir Kai came from Disney’s The Sword in the Stone.

And then this book.

Even the narration made it different than any other books I’d ever read. This is a story, told in the tradition of the bards and minstrels that weave so well through the setting, so it’s not afraid to play with the poetry of its descriptions. It doesn’t go overboard like most of the bards it gently pokes fun of. The thing that made me absolutely fall in love was the honesty of the emotions. It’s not like the characters don’t have filters, because they do- they know what is or is not appropriate to say in court, for example, and they know how to be polite (i.e. lie)- but they’re not afraid to be honest and cmofortable in their emotions. These are men and boys who cry when they feel sad.

It seems like a little thing, right? Males crying?

But keep in mind how old I was when I first read it. Ten was the age when boys and girls were really getting separated. Girls could fall on the playground and bawl their eyes out, but boys were supposed to get over it with nothing more than a sniffle. It was reinforced in classes, at the playground, at parties: girls were allowed to cry and boys weren’t. And I HATED that. Mainly because I hated crying and got irritated by adults telling me “It’s okay to cry” whenever I skinned my knee but my boy friends were told “you’re okay, you’re fine”.

And there was this book where these amazing things were happening, and people were getting injured or insulted, people were learning these incredibly painful things, they were getting their hearts stomped on- and these men were allowed to cry without there being anything shameful about it. I was hooked.

But it was so much more than that.

Their adventures were amazing, ranging from the Huge- fighting a war for the sovereignty of all England- to the Small- helping two people in love find happiness. But every step along the way gave something to learn. It’s not a moralistic story, but at the same time it’s full of valuable life lessons that made me look at things in a new way.

And the characters!

Terence is sweet and innocent, loyal, open to learning new things, and rendered entirely wide-eyed by this wide world from which he’s always been sheltered. He starts out a very young fourteen, but though only a few months pass, his experiences make him mature in thoroughly expected and lovely ways. Gawain starts out as a teacher but along the course of their journey becomes a friend, even a brother. He’s sometimes grouchy and overbearing, but he’s young, and he learns even more than he teaches. He learns that being a knight is much more than a title and a shiny suit of armor, and that chivalry isn’t just a word. The friendship that forms between the two is wonderful and inspiring. Arthur is the king you’d give anything to follow, wise and compassionate, a true leader of men who’s able to put the well-being of his people before his own personal happiness. There’s Tor, hungry to improve himself, and Plogrun, the grouchy, overbearing, opininiated squire he obtains. There’s characters you love to love, others you love to hate, and some you kind of can’t help but cheer for, even when you’d really rather not.

The setting is comfortable and casual. We’re in the early middle ages, no doubt about it, but it doesn’t strain or force the point. The historical details are effortlessly dropped in- clothing and food and weapons and armor, even bigger picture world events (in a general sort of way)- but they’re never done in such a way as to sidetrack us from the story.

And the story continues. One of the things I love about the series that follows is that it doesn’t always directly follow Terence and Gawain. We’re introduced to a wonderful, wide cast of characters that weave in and out of the story, that we revisit at times, like a reunion with old friends. I was heartbroken when this series ended, but also so gloriously happy because it was brilliantly done. I reread these books every year, usually more than once.

This is an amazing story to read on your own, with family, with a classroom, a gorgeous balance of humor, sorrow, adventure, triumph, setbacks, and just plain fun.

The Squire’s Tale, by Gerald Morris, one of my favorite books of all time.

Until next time~
Cheers!

I love Gerald Morris. I have been reading his books since I can’t even remember when. I checked them out almost every time I was at the library and read them again and again and again. They made the Arthurian tales come alive for me, and more than that, they made the idea of retellings stick in my head and lodge there in a very satisfactory way. I was incredibly saddened when the Squire’s Tale series started drawing to a close- sad, but also content, because everything was as it needed to be. So when I head rumor of a series of Arthurian retellings for a younger audience, I was intrigued.

And they’re just as wonderful.

Like the other installments (none of which have to be read in the order in which they’re written) this book is laugh out loud funny, with a keen sense of absurdity and a Shakespearean delight in highlighting the ridiculous. And the humor isn’t just for kids- adults can fully appreciate the sly, understated wit in the repartee, even as kids giggle over the accidental happenings. They’re easy stories but they’re not dumbed down, perfect for any child who’s ever loved knights and damsels-not-in-any-distress-thank-you-very-much.

The illustrations are perfectly pitched, a little cartoony but not distracting. They help to break up the page for newer or reluctant readers, but there aren’t so many that they overshadow the text and the story in any way. This is a perfect book to read aloud with kids. What’s more, they’ll learn scads of fun words without even realizing they’re improving their vocabulary.

There are fabulous lessons in each of the Knights’ Tales books, but they’re not presented as morals. There isn’t a big block of bold print somewhere near the end saying “HEY LOOK AT THIS THING I AM TEACHING YOU”. They’re presented with the same tongue-in-cheek widsom as all the other accolades and foibles the characters present. Everything Sir Balin does seems to fit perfectly within the bounds of the prophecy, so that even when he deliberately sets out to obfusticate it, he still seems to be fulfilling it. But as his mother, his brother, and the adventurous Lady Annalise remind him, prophecies are just words. Ultimately, his life and his choices are his own, to do with as he will. It’s foolish to let a few words by a raving old woman make you scared to live your life. But, as with any wisdom that’s granted rather than earned, it takes time for him to appreciate the truth of their sentiments.

These books are a fabulous addition to any home or classroom library, and for more advanced readers, be sure to check out The Squire’s Tale, the first book of his older readers series.

Until next time~
Cheers!

The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True by Gerald Morris.  Illus. by Aaron Renier.  (2011). 118 pages.  Houghton Mifflin.  Grades 2-6.  Fantasy Novel.

This is the third book in Morris’ The Knight Tales series.  After children read this one, they will want to go back to read the others in the series.  Morris retells the stories from the King Arthur legends with humor and verve.  His retellings make the stories accessible for younger children.  Large size font, a small book size and action-packed line drawings also make these books attractive for younger readers.  The story of how Sir Gawain the Undefeated takes on the challenge of the fearsome giant, The Green Knight, makes a rousing tales.  The adventures come tumbling out of the pages.  Readers will be glued to the story of how Sir Gawain meets the challenge of the Green Knight and discovers wisdom and grace along the way.

Oh, Gerald Morris. You had me at “You don’t think that just because you saved my life we’re, you know, in love or something, do you?”

Sir Gawain the Undefeated was just that and while he didn’t lack courage, King Arthur also wanted his knights to learn how to be kind and courteous.  Shortly after Gawain’s less than stellar encounter with a lady and a dragon, (but no tattoo) King Arthur reminds his nephew, and the other knights, that chivalry is NOT dead! Sir Gawain is having none of it, I mean, he doesn’t want to be called Sir Gawain the Love Doctor now does he? But, alas, we follow Sir Gawain and watch as he moves from a steadfast belief that “might makes right” to thinking carefully not only about situations but about the people involved in them. If you don’t know anything about King Arthur, no worries, Morris takes the legend and brings it to an understandable and easy-to-grasp level.  This would be perfect in a classroom.  It’s only 118 pgs and includes adventure, friendship, battles, and trickery all covered in a healthy dose of humor.  I can see it as a read aloud.  I’ll be picking up the other two books in the The Knights Tales and you should too!

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In this case, I discovered a series that would quickly become one of my favorites and would greatly influence what genres I would gravitate towards as I got older.

The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady is a re-telling of the epic, romantic poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Morris tells the same story through the eyes of Gawain’s squire, Terence using simplified prose. It’s the second installment of the Squire’s Tales series, and I’d say that the intended audience would be kids from 10 – 13 years old.

He fleshes out the adventures that the two of them have while searching for the Green Chapel and adds in a couple of new characters along the way. There’s also a greater focus on the Faerie World and its magical denizens, much to my delight.

All this makes for a fun and engaging story that is much more easily understood than the original version (no disrespect intended, but the poem itself is no easy read).

Of course, this story is geared towards younger readers, so it’s relatively short and light. Despite this though, it’s still enjoyable for older readers – especially those who love the old Arthurian Legends. Morris does a good job of not over-simplifying the story, but rather just making it more accessible. It’s obvious that he’s a great fan of the original Arthur stories, and that enthusiasm is what elevates his writing from a simple children’s adaptation to an actual, exciting adventure story for that age bracket in its own right.

Now, I’ll admit, I read this version long before I ever read the original poem – and I’m very glad that I did. Having the basic premise and framework from Morris’ story really helped me understand what was going on in the poem when I first read it in high school and when I read it again in college.

All that being said, I very much enjoy the original poem, and it makes me happy to have found a good quality adaptation of it for light reading! I highly recommend it to any Arthur fan – it’s well worth your time!

The topic for the week of August 14th is “5 Best Books to Re-Read”. So, without further ado…

• Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice – This is my go-to book when I want to read something, but don’t know what. I talked about it a lot in my entry, “Your All-Time Favorite Book“, so I won’t go into too much depth here. Suffice to say, the story draws me in every time, I love both the tone and the quality of the writing, and there is always something new to find in the text. It’s just a wonderful book all around!

• Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonflight - As much as I love Dragonsinger, Dragonflight is a better re-read. Since it can be read as a stand-alone book, it’s got a more cohesive plot. F’lar and Lessa are a bit more dynamic and active than Menolly and Sebell are, and the story has a sense of urgency. After all, Potential Extinction has a bit more inherent drama than a coming-of-age story does. Once again, I wrote about this one in an earlier entry.

• Gerald Morris’s The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf - It’s a children’s adaptation of one of the Arthurian Legends, but it’s still a lot of fun. Lynet, our heroine, is most definitely not an average medieval princess. Shrewd, sarcastic, not pretty, and she has an appetite. For the entire book, other characters are amazed at the amount she can eat. This isn’t part of a curse or spell to affect beauty and such, it’s just part of who she is and leads to the personality quirk of her getting grumpy when hungry (something that we are shown rather than told – how refreshing!) Anyways, the humor is bright and quirky, the characters interact well, and the plot carries on at a good pace. I’d recommend this one to any person who loves King Arthur stories, regardless of age.

• Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women - I’ll never get tired of reading this one. The book’s strength is its characters and the family dynamic between them. Their struggles are struggles that real people have and their desire to overcome them is inspiring. It’s a book where the characters’ flaws are not off-putting because they aren’t solely there to be plot devices – they successfully add depth to each character. And, yep, I’ve written about this book before, here.

• Last, but not least, Ekaterina Gordeeva’s My Sergei: A Love Story - Gasp! A biography! One of two in my collection. I love the story of Olympic ice skaters, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov. I idolized these two growing up (maybe not as much as I idolized Scott Hamilton, but still) and when I got older, I really enjoyed learning more about their childhoods and how they grew closer as a couple until they got married. Gordeeva has a wonderfully easy-to-read, conversational style of writing that fits the intimacy of the story she tells. Funny, poignant, and frightening by turns, I never get tired of reading it.

Adventurous knights, fantasy, and romance books!

Gerald Morris (link page on Fantastic Fiction):

The Squire’s Tales:

The Squire’s Tale (#1)

The Squire, His Knight and His Lady (#2)

The Savage Damsel and The Dwarf (#3)

Parsifal’s Page (#4)

The Ballad of Sir Dinadan (#5)

The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight (#6)

The Lioness and her Knight (#7)

The Quest of the Fair Unknown (#8)

The Squire’s Quest (#9) – I haven’t read this one yet.

The Legend of the King (#10) – I haven’t read this one either.

Tamora Pierce:

Song of the Lioness:

Alanna: The First Adventure (#1)

In the Hand of the Goddess* (#2)

The Woman Who Rides Like a Man* (#3)

Lioness Rampant* (#4)

Protector of the Small:

First Test (#1)

Page (#2)

Squire* (#3)

Lady Knight (#4)

The Dragon of Trelian – Michelle Knudsen – 2010-2011 nominee

A Dream-Maker’s Magic – by Sharon Shinn – 2007-2008 nominee

Ella Enchanted – by Gail Carson Levine – 1998-1999 DCF winner

Book of a Thousand Days – by Shannon Hale – 2008-2009 nominee

Rapunzel’s Revenge – by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale – 2009-2010 nominee

Princess Academy – by Shannon Hale – 2006-2007 nominee

Keturah and Lord Death – by Martine Leavitt– 2007 -2008 nominee

The Hunger Games* – by Suzanne Collins – 2009-2010 DCF winner

The Cabinet of Wonders – by Marie Rutkoski – 2009-2010 nominee

Once Upon a Marigold – by Jean Ferris – 2003-2004 nominee

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow – by Jessica Day George – 2009-2010 nominee

The Grimm Legacy* – by Polly Shulman – 2011-2012 nominee

The Lioness and Her Knight – Gerald Morris – 2006-2007 nominee

Princess, Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight – by Gerald Morris – 2005-2006 nominee

The Ballad of Sir Dinadan – by Gerald Morris – 2004-2005 nominee

Parsifal’s Page – by Gerald Morris – 2002-2003 nominee

Savage Damsel and the Dwarf – by Gerald Morris – 2001-2002 nominee

The Hero and the Crown* – by Robin McKinley – 1985-1986 nominee

The Blue Sword* – by Robin McKinley – 1983-1984 nominee

I don’t care what critics or anyone else says. That Starz show features probably the most worthless, weasel-faced, selfish toolbag of an Arthur in the history of time immemorial. I honestly never thought it possible to make Camelot, Arthur, Morgan, Igraine and even Merlin seem so utterly lame. I mean, Camelot is supposed to a most congenial spot for happy-ever-aftering not a shrine to stupidity located somewhere near the Cliffs of Moher. And don’t even get me started on how many opportunities were wasted in terms of revamping legends or using Merlin’s magic to accomplish simple tasks.

Anyway, because that show is so godawful and just an utter insult to legends I have held near and dear since childhood, I feel obligated to suggest books that do various aspects of King Arthur, Merlin, his knights, and pretty much anyone living in or near Camelot more justice.

(Note: With the exception of newer Morris and Barron books, I have read all of these titles. But that was long before GoodReads or this blog became a part of my daily life.)

Fiction:
Anything that was written by Chretien de Troyes
The Lost Years of Merlin series by T. A. Barron
Mordred’s Gift and Mordred’s Curse by Ian McDowell
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Squire’s Tales series (The Squire’s Tale, The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady, The Savage Damsel and The Dwarf, Parsifal’s Page, The Ballad of Sir Dinadan, The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung Cart Knight, The Lioness and Her Knight, The Quest of the Fair Unknown, The Squire’s Quest, and The Legend of the King) by Gerald Morris
The Sword in the Stone and The Once and Future King by T. H. White – Sort of obvious picks, but still good.
The Winter Prince by Elizabeth E. Wein

Graphic Novels:
Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur by Tony Lee and Sam Hart

Picture Books:
The Kitchen Knight by Margaret Hodges
Merlin and the Dragons by Jane Yolen
Of Swords and Sorcerers by Margaret Hodges
Young Arthur by Robert D. San Souci
Young Guinevere by Robert D. San Souci
Young Lancelot by Robert D. San Souci
Young Merlin by Robert D. San Souci

If anyone has any suggestions along similar lines, let me know. It’s been far too long since I’ve read any Arthurian-related fiction.

29. The Princess, the Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight by Gerald Morris (R)

And wonderful.

Sir Gawain the True is the third of this new series and revisits one of the main characters from the other series. The classic tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is retold here with a charming lesson on manners and the importance of keeping promises- and making them carefully. King Arthur firmly believes in courtesy and gallantry, but his knights- including his nephew Gawain- are a little slow to take this to heart. When Gawain rescues a damsel but doesn’t bother to ask her name or accept her tokens of thanks, he finds someone more than willing to teach him that all-important lesson, and he may even find a very good friend along the way.

The tone of these books is amazing, light and fun with a dry wit and pointed commentary that will delight adult readers as well as children. I don’t know what this says about me, but I spent years convinced that Morris was British because of the breed of humor. There’s a lovely balance between the humor and the more serious moments, with a keen sense of the ridiculous in its many forms. Proof?- read the challenges at the castle. I nearly hurt myself laughing, but there really are people like that! Or, for a somewhat sharper observation, read between the parentheses on page 37 (review from an uncorrected advance through NetGalley- finished page numbers may not correspond).

There’s something about the idea of knights that’s a little irresistable. Maybe it’s the shiny metal suits, or the way they bash each other off high-speed horses with pointy sticks (anyone else have Wat from A Knight’s Tale stuck in their head now?), or the chivalry, or the damsels in distress. I played at knights all the time when I was little. Never the damsel in distress, though. I was the girl disguised as a boy to earn my knighthood and go off on grand quests. It’s not just a child’s fascination though. There’s a reason jousts are so well attended at Renaissance Festivals, and it’s not just because the knights are hot rock stars. We never really grow out of our fascination with knights.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or librarian, or just think knights are rock stars, this is a fantastic way to introduce young readers to the Arthurian legends. Aaron Renier’s illustrations are beautiful and fun, spaced well throughout the text, and the writing is fast-paced and light. Think The Princess Bride on a younger scale, with a narrator who admits to cutting out the boring parts. If they get hooked on this, then definitely introduce them to the Squire’s Tale series as they get a little older. If this is your first exposure, each of the Knights’ Tales books stand on their own, so you don’t have to read the others first, but you’ll definitely want to read them after.

Sir Gawain the True, the third book of the Knights’ Tales series by Gerald Morris, available on 18 April 2011. If you ever cheered for the knights racing down the lists, you want to read these books.

Until next time~
Cheers!

Anyway, this children’s story, set in days of King Arthur, is about a short knight (no pun intended) that over comes his stature with keen intellect.  The story moves from through a series of situations and Sir Givret aides in the resolution of those situations.  Here are a couple of things that caught my attention.

Dialog tags:

• They flip-flop.  Sometimes the author uses “XXX said,” and sometimes he uses “said XXX.”
• They are either generic or expressive.  Sometimes he uses “said, asked, etc.,” and other times he uses “repeated, explained, replied, soothingly.”

What I am learning about dialog tags is they can be passive or active.  Generic tags seem “feel” passive and do not draw attention away from the story.  Expressive tags “feel” active and make the reader aware of the tag.

The author had some fun with old English.  He used old English and then translated the old English into words and phrases that are commonly used today.

Tension was created in the story with “good versus bad,” “jealousy,” and “greed.”

A fun read and my daughter liked it.

PS – No one dies.

With every book in the series, Morris has reinterpreted a classic story of Arthurian legend, building his own version of Camelot populated with characters both new and familiar but all lovingly, brilliantly real. The Legend of the King is told through alternate viewpoints, bringing together characters from all of the other nine books. Everybody’s back for one last hurrah, although if you know anything about Arthurian legend, you know it can never really end in happily ever after, which, if I’m honest, is partly why I took my time finishing it. I didn’t want to say goodbye. Mordred’s attack on Camelot comes into full swing in this book, as he and Morgause stir dissent among the court and try to divide the Round Table. Like every volume of the series, it is exciting and action-packed, but also thoughtful, funny, and heartfelt. And it ends in the best way possible: with hope.

I firmly believe that there is something in this series for everyone. Fantasy, adventure, romance, and humor along with believable, three-dimensional characters and exceptional writing. If you’re already a fan of the series, you’ve probably already read this or don’t need me to tell you to. If you haven’t read any of Morris’ books, you won’t want to start with this one, but absolutely go out and find a copy of The Squire’s Tale. You won’t regret it. Lastly, I want to offer my deepest gratitude to Mr. Morris for the gift of these books. Thank you.

 Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh – Absolutely charming, spooky, touching and delightful. If you like Cornelia Funke or Joseph Delaney, you will love this book as well as the clever way all sorts of mythologies and faery lore are blended in with angels as cosmic journeyers and the daily lives of monks.

 Zeus: King of the Gods by George O’Connor – If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, you’ll definitely like this first in a series of graphic novels about the Greek Gods. It’s the perfect amount of action and storytelling. O’Connor’s Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess came out this year and was great too. In 2011, the stories of Hades and then Hera will come out. I can’t wait to read those as well.

 Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan – A very touching, poignant graphic novel as well as a quick read since the story is told more through pictures than words. The majority of Jack’s tale and eventual confrontation with a rain god/king/spirit is made up of silent, heart-breaking moments. This book that really captures the desperate situation of  people living in through the Dust Bowl and the loneliness of one little boy who can’t seem to do much for anyone including his sickly sister or his unhappy father.  That said it does have a happy ending!

 Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi - An absolutely amazing Science Fiction book about a young girl, a robot, and a lot of aliens searching for answers about what happened to all the other humans. The illustrations were incredible and the care put into the entire story was lovely. I came to really care deeply for Eva Nine, Otto, Muthr, and Rovender.

 The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady by Gerald Morris – The tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight through the eyes of his squire Terence. A terrific book although I haven’t been able to get myself to finish the rest of Morris’ series.

 Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson – A really amazing and powerful story about a teenage girl who deals being a slave at the start of the American Revolution. Through it all, despite lies, betrayals, wrongful punishments and profound loss, Isobel remains determined to free herself and right the wrongs done to her. Needless to say, I couldn’t put this book down.

 Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen – Think Gossip Girl meets the Twenties and deals with prohibition, bootleggers, and speakeasies. This book was very well-written, historically detailed, and enjoyable. Even when I disliked the decisions characters made, I could see why they made them and I can’t wait for the next book about Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty.

 Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan – For me Greek and Norse myths remain old, dear friends whereas Egyptian Myths are more like the friends I don’t hear from very often but still care about. And I have to say that really helped me enjoy this book a little bit more than most of Percy Jackson’s adventures.  I still need to get around to The Lost Hero which also came out this year.

 Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler – Lisabeth struggles in believable ways with her own self-doubt and inability to see the world as it really is. Only by becoming Famine and confronting the other horsemen can she overcome the Thin voice and all the fear that prevents her from opening up and accepting the love of others. Overall, Kessler tackles the very difficult and sensitive issue of anorexia very well in this book. I also cannot wait to read Rage which comes out in April 2011.

Runners-up include:

• Skinned by Robin Wasserman
• Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
• Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz
• Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess by George O’Connor
• Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
• How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell
• The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Is it odd that 7 out of 10 of these books have blue-ish covers? Ah well.

Check back tomorrow for a post of my Top 10 Adult Books of 2010!

The first in the series is The Squire’s Tale.  The squire in question is Terence, and, as you no doubt expect, he is squire to Sir Gawain.  From Camelot to the fairy realm of the Other World, the two embark on a series of adventures, some hilarious and others suspenseful.

Terence is one of those heroes who is charmingly unassuming.  I’m sure it never occurs to him to think of himself as a hero–after all, he’s “only” a squire.  Sir Gawain probably knows he’s heroic–he’s got the horse and the armor and the sword, after all, along with the knighthood.  But he’s also wonderfully down to earth and practical.  For instance, when he encounters a knight who wants to fight anyone crossing a river, Gawain wants to know why, and doesn’t the man have anything better to do with his time?

I think I love Morris’ books, not only for the wonderful characters, but equally as much for the world they live in.  Morris tells Camelot the way it ought to be–Arthur is wise and noble, his knights are brave and loyal, there are recreant knights to fight at every crossroads, and mysterious magical beings (including one bearing a marked resemblance to Puck) lurk behind the trees.  And all of it with that practical bent that pokes a little fun at the more absurd parts of the legends.  I suppose there’s a place for stories of the darker side of Camelot, but I like Morris’ sunlit version.

And it’s not that there aren’t villians and danger, or that anyone is so saccharinely good that it gets dull.  The adventures are exciting, the characters are human, and watching Gawain and Terence grow as people and as friends adds more depth to the story too.  I love stories about comrades in arms–people who have fought together and struggled together and would die together if it came to that.  Except it probably won’t, because they’re good at what they do, and they’re even better together.  That’s why I like Star Trek too.  But that’s another review.

At the end of each book, Morris includes an author’s note about the Arthurian legends he drew on for his story.  Terence is original, but many of the other characters and plot elements come from older tales.  Some are familiar, and others are very surprising–especially some of those more absurd ones.

And if you’re wondering where the Green Knight is…that’s the second book in the series.  And another review. 

I have not yet written a single story that could be marketed by Christian publishing companies. Don’t get me wrong, I never have any sex/swearing/overly dark themes in my stories and I intend to keep it that way. I want my stories to be light PG-13 at their grittiest and the norm to be G or PG rated. However, my stories don’t have any Christian characters, clear Christian messages, or allegorical potential. Therefore, a Christian publisher would never agree to market one of my books, which is fine by me.

I didn’t choose to be a writer for young adults. The type of books I like to write decided that for me. I write the kind of books I love to read and I love to read books that are gripping, powerful, and usually fun without making me blush or cringe. I believe that all art (acting, painting, music, dance, writing, etc) is at least a partial reflection of the artist. Perhaps more importantly, the viewers of the art see it as an extension of the artist (how many people have crushes on actors just because of a role they’ve played?). Everything we listen to, watch, or read affects us and books have a powerful impact on the reader–they can change a person’s life! You can’t always help what readers do with your story (for example, I don’t think it’s J.K. Rowling’s fault if kids practice witchcraft–that was clearly never her intent and her books don’t support the occult). But I still believe it’s important to be very aware of what sort of influence your books could have.

In my sci-fi novel, I stay away from anything related to religion just as I stay away from anything political. This is not how it will always be, though. I’m going to say this now to go on record because I doubt anyone will believe me once I get published: In later books in the Atlantean series (not with Jezel, but with Mystra), I intend to write quite  a lot about Christianity and God. The basic plots of these stories have already been decided long ago and I will stay faithful to them. I don’t want to give anything away, but know that just because my characters don’t believe in God doesn’t mean he’s absent from my novels–my characters only think he is. I just want to mention this now so no one accuses me later in life of suddenly growing up and deciding I want to slap a Christian message onto my books midway through the series. Nope, that is where I intend to story to go, and I can prove it now because I wrote this blog

Switching gears…I want a quick word about Christian fiction ~shudder~. It’s a really sensitive topic, but the truth is that most Christian fiction is woefully sub par–especially sci-fi/fantasy. It’s earned a reputation for being sappy, unrealistic, boring, predictable, sanitized, badly written, and most of all: preachy. This goes for Christian film (worse off than the book industry, if you ask me) and Christian art. Personally, I believe that the Christian music business is the only one that’s actually in the ballpark in terms of stylistic quality.

But all is not lost! Here is a short list of Christian authors who I believe deserve to be singled out as Contemporary Christian fiction authors who don’t suck. I say contemporary because, we all know that C.S. Lewis rocks.

Contemporary Christian Authors Who Do NOT Suck!

1. Kathy Tyers’ Firebird Trilogy: Science Fiction. Political intrigue, passionate romance, and telepathy!

2. Gerald Morris’ Squire’s Tales series: Hilarious Monty Python-esque retellings of Arthurian legend.

3. Sigmund Brouwer’s Mars Diaries, Cyber Quest, and Wings of Dawn: Science fiction, time-travel, and Medieval adventure.

4. Ted Dekker’s The Circle Trilogy: Parallel world jumping, lots of heart pumping action, all wrapped up in a non-cliche allegory.

5. Randy Alcorn’s Lord Foulgrin’s Letters: Modern version of The Screwtape Letters gives the story a new angle

6. Frank Peretti: Horror. I’ve only read one or two of his less-scary stuff, but he’s definitely a masterful writer.

The best part is that there are so many more that could go on this list that I just don’t remember. They do exist! You just have to search to find them!

Cover Art for Sir Givret the Short

The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short
The Knights’ Tales: Book 2
By: Gerald Morris

Synopsis:

When a small man named Givret becomes a knight of the Round Table he is tasked with a quest that takes him across England and along the way he finds himself in one strange situation after another.

Sex/Nudity (1)

Knights compete for the right to “Kiss the fairest damsel in the world.”

A large group of people begin kissing.

A man and woman hug.

Violence/Gore (2)

A group of people throw rocks at a person, another person uses a whip to defend the person.

A knight considers slaying a dragon or fighting recreant knights.

A man says that another man kills ten or fifteen people every day before breakfast.

A man says that another man has killed twelve men.

A man says that another man died after killing two giants.

Several people are defeated and injured by a character.

Two men fight with swords.

Profanity (2)

Several minor insults (warty hag, simplepate, trash-for-brains, idiot, pussycat, duffers, looby)

Amazon Link: The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short (The Knights’ Tales)

Cover art for The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great
The Knights’ Tales: Book 1
By: Gerald Morris

Synopsis:

Sir Lancelot wants to leave his father’s castle and become one of the Knights of the Round Table, so he polishes his armor and heads off on his adventure. As his adventure continues he meets new friends and enemies and earns fame and glory across England.

Sex/Nudity (1)

Four women catch a knight and ask him to choose which one of them is his true love.

Violence/Gore (2)

A knight is poisoned and dies.

Storytellers say that certain knights “slew troublesome dragons and fought wicked knights.”

A knight is accidentally shot with an arrow.

Twice two knights fight until one knocks the other unconscious.

Two knights participate in a mock battle for a tournament.

Twice a knight takes part in a jousting tournament.

Storytellers say that a certain knight is so famous that everywhere he goes other knights challenge him and he defeats them all.

A knight throws acorns at another knight.

A knight is captured and thrown into a dungeon.

A knight is tied up and slung over his horse.

Profanity (1)

One very minor expletive, (the duce) and two insults (recreant knight, wench).

Amazon Link: The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great (The Knights’ Tales)

Sherlock Holmes – Guy Ritchie – USA – 2009
I realized while watching this film that I’ve finally adopted a fairly reasonable response to book-to-movie adaptations. I don’t come completely unglued anymore when the movie differs from the book. I can generally look at them as separate art forms and rate each on their own merit. That still leaves me plenty of room to complain, though, and question the totally crazy decisions that are made more often than not – decisions like twisting the plot in bizarre and unnecessary directions, inserting new characters or ridiculous love interests, KILLING OFF characters (I am still livid to this day over a certain adaptation of Captains Courageous!!), or just generally mucking about and making a mess of a great story to satisfy Hollywood and the American public… However, getting back to Sherlock Holmes, I found Guy Ritchie’s approach to the iconic and already frequently re-imagined characters of Holmes and Watson to be completely acceptable – even satisfying. The movie was a rip-roaring adventure, complete with strange paranormal twist and plenty of clever dialogue. Guy Ritchie definitely brought some of his own unique flavor to the film, although somewhat toned down I felt (it was missing some of the oomph that propelled films like Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smokin’ Barrels). I LOVED the score by Hans Zimmer. Not an astounding film on any level, but definitely fun, and I didn’t feel like my love for Holmes had been in any way offended. I still think of Jeremy Brett as having given the most accurate portrayal, but Robert Downing Jr.’s version was a fresh look at the character, and one that I couldn’t be bothered to fuss over. While the best Holmes can still be found only in the books, I will admit that I will be getting my grubby paws on this DVD when it comes out and enjoying it again in the future!

Spy Game – Tony Scott – USA – 2001
I love when Brad Pitt gets upstaged by someone old and wrinkly – and it happens quite a lot! Robert Redford does a good job of it, playing a wickedly clever spy who, on his last day of work before retirement, finds himself having to bail out ‘the Boyscout’, a kid he trained and worked with back in the day who seems to have gone rogue. There’s a lot of office spy games to balance out fairly interesting espionage episodes set in Beirut and China. An entertaining, if somewhat light film.

Sahara – Breck Eisner – USA – 2005
This movie is like comfort food. I’ve seen it numerous times every year since it came out on DVD in 2005. I have a weakness for great soundtracks, and this one is full of fun classic rock. Matthew McConaughey is always nice to look at, but it is a show stealing performance from Steve Zahn, and a fun appearance from William H. Macy that makes me put the movie in whenever I need something funny that also has good action and a lively soundtrack. The story is ridiculous – IMDb’s synopsis sums it up well: ‘Master explorer Dirk Pitt goes on the adventure of a lifetime seeking out a lost Civil War battleship known as the “Ship of Death” in the deserts of West Africa while helping a UN doctor being hounded by a ruthless dictator.‘ Hehe.

Excalibur – John Boorman – USA – 1981
I’m mildly surprised that I’ve never seen this before. I used to be WAY into King Arthur. It was totally satisfying to see that world brought to life, and have all the different parts of the story click into place so deftly. Very funny to see early performances by Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson, and Helen Mirren – oh the fabulous, brilliant Helen Mirren in the role of Morgana! Made me want to read both Le Morte D’arthur, finally, and Gerald Morris’ novels again. I can feel a King Arthur phase coming on! (But don’t worry, I won’t be watching Camelot any time soon.)

Kiss of the Dragon – Chris Nohan – USA – 2001
The nice thing about a movie that is built around a martial arts star of Jet Li’s caliber is that, even if the story is lacking, the amazing martial arts sequences will usually make up for it. This movie actually had a fairly interesting story, and I finally liked Bridget Fonda in something, but honestly I watched it for the martial arts. I mean, even though it’s all rehearsed to the max, Jet Li DOES all that stuff. There’s only two spots where CGI is used in this film! Cool.

Kitchen Stories – Bent Hamer – Norway – 2003 (Movie of the Week!)
Another wonderful film from Bent Hamer, who more recently directed O’Horten. I was completely mesmerized by a film where almost nothing happens. Isak is a scientific observer, sent to examine the kitchen habits of a grumpy, single old man. From his seat in a tall chair in the corner, Isak maps Folke’s travels around the kitchen, not allowed to speak to him or interfere in any way. Even though it takes a long time, eventually a friendship grows between the two, which complicates the scientific study, and threatens Folke’s only other friendship with his jealous neighbor Grant. Definitely a film that examines human connection and relationships, it does so in an elegant, unpretentious way that is immensely satisfying, and amazingly entertaining. Absolutely lovely.

Tsotsi – Gavin Hood – South Africa – 2005
In contrast to Invictus (mutter mutter mutter), here’s a film set in South Africa that has authentic (and superb) music. Featuring Kwaito music performed by Zola as well as a score by Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring the voice of South African protest singer/poet Vusi Mahlasela, the soundtrack was only one of the things that I really liked about this movie. The story – 6 days in the violent life of a young man from the slums outside Johannesburg – dealt with questions about redemption and second chances, and was gut-stompingly sad. An amazing, almost silent and powerfully visual performance from Presley Chweneyagae really held the film together. The ending was amazing. Not an easy movie to watch, but a very good one.

Amreeka – Cherien Dabis – USA – 2009
The debut feature from Cherien Dabis, this film takes a look into the life of a Palestinian single mom who is granted a green card and makes the tough choice to leave her home and try to make a new life in America with her teenage son. Whether faced with intimidating West Bank checkpoints, or the harassment of small town American teens, Muna Fara clings to optimism and perseveres. Nisreen Faour plays Muna with irresistible charm – she’s absolutely beautiful. While overall the story is a tough one, the humor of everyday life comes through vividly. A thoroughly charming film.

I definitely feel that I’ve improved my movie selections with this batch, and my only aim for the coming weeks of movie watching is to watch more foreign films. Any great suggestions?

Gerald Morris’s The Squire’s Tale and The Quest of the Fair Unknown

Essentially, Gerald Morris writes very sweet retellings of King Arthur legends from various sources, making fun of impractical chivalry rules and having Gawain be the coolest knight of all the knights.  Instead of Lancelot, who starts out really lame and gets much less lame as time goes on.  Every time he writes a new one, I’m afraid he’s going to have Mordred show up, which finally did happen in The Quest for the Fair Unknown (or maybe it happened before?  I haven’t been reading his new books faithfully because they have insufficient Gawain & Terence in them), and now I am far too worried to read any future books in case Arthur dies.  DO NOT WANT.  (The ostrich approach to literature.)  Oh, and Gerald Morris’s books are for children, and rereading them as an adult I find they are a smidge simplistic.  Still charming though and if I have children I will assuredly procure these books for them.

Gerald Morris’s early books (including The Squire’s Tale) are better than his later ones.  This is because he started with all the best stories.  The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady is best of all, because it is Sir Gawain & the Green Knight.  And who doesn’t love that story?  So The Quest of the Fair Unknown, you know, it had moments that were really fun, but none as good as those early stories that were all about Gawain and Terence.  However, the covers I am linking to are all pretty and matchy, and they make me want to buy all of Gerald Morris’s books at once.

P.S. It is possible that part of the reason I am writing these half-assed reviews is that I am addicted to TVTropes.org.  Don’t go to that website.  I am not even going to provide a link to it.  I am telling you that if you enter you won’t be able to get out again.  Hey, did you see my hat (above)?

Nick Bantock’s Griffin and Sabine, Sabine’s Notebook, and The Golden Mean

Did you ever read these books?  Essentially these two people Griffin and Sabine, are mentally connected.  Sabine can see the pictures that Griffin draws, and one day she writes to him.  They write each other angsty letters about the power of love and how much they miss each other; they overcome a bunch of obstacles and eventually find each other and have major reunion snuggles.

Which I realize doesn’t sound all that great.  If you were to accuse these books of being short on plot, you would be correct.

But.  But but but!  Here is why it is that great!  Because the letters are there, in the book!  Griffin and Sabine are both artists, so they create beautiful postcards and envelopes, which are eye candy for me, and sometimes you get to take the letters out of the envelopes.

And yes, okay, mostly the letters themselves are not thrilling (it gets more interesting when they introduce a villain character), but you get to TAKE THEM OUT OF THE ENVELOPES.  It is like The Jolly Postman for adults.  With darker, edgier art.  And did I mention that there are actual letters that you can physically take out of the envelopes?  Envelopes containing removable letters?  GLORIOUS.

Speaking of glorious, did you see my hat?  Wasn’t it good?

Gerald Morris has done a great job with the Parsifal story too.

Parsifal has been kept in ignorance of knights and all things chivalrous by his mother, for reasons of her own. When he sees a knight ride by though, he is seized by a desire to become one himself….

The story is told by Chretien de Troyes, though he stopped writing it before he got to the end. Wolfram von Eschenbach retold it, claiming to have got the story from one Kyot the Provençal, who himself got it from an arabic manuscript written by a muslim astronomer from Moorish Toledo.

I identify with Parsifal because he’s hopelessly ill-equipped for any quest, but has a sort of raw enthusiasm. Like ‘Lazy Jack’ he’s always following the last piece of advice he’s been given. At first he always asks questions, just as his mother told him to, then he is taught to not ask questions because it is not seemly in a knight, and then, when his moment comes at the famous grail castle, he doesn’t ask about the strange things he sees, the sick Fisher King, the bleeding lance, the Grail that magically produces food.

Later he finds out what a mistake he has made:

The king, the queen and the barons gave the most joyful welcome to Perceval the Welshman, and led him back to Carlion, returning there that day. They celebrated all night and the day that followed: until, on the third day, they saw a girl coming on a tawny mule, clutching a whip in her right hand. Her hair hung in two tresses, black and twisted: and if the words of my source are true, there was no creature so utterly ugly even in Hell. You have never seen iron as black as her neck and hands, but that was little compared to the rest of her ugliness: her eyes were just two holes, tiny as the eyes of a rat; her nose was like a cat’s or monkey’s, her lips like an ass’s or a cow’s; her teeth were so discoloured that they looked like egg-yolk; and she had a beard like a billy-goat. She had a hump in the middle of her chest and her back was like a crook … She greeted the king and his barons all together – except for Perceval.

Sitting upon the tawny mule she said: ‘Ah, Perceval! Fortune has hair in front but is bald behind. A curse on anyone who greets or wishes you well, for you didn’t take Fortune by the hand when you met her. You entered the house of the Fisher King and saw the lance that bleeds, but it was so much trouble for you to open your mouth and speak that you couldn’t ask why that drop of blood sprang from the tip of the white head; nor did you ask what worthy man was served by the Grail that you saw. How wretched is the man who sees the perfect opportunity and still waits for a better one! And you, you are the wretched one, who saw that it was the time and place to speak and yet stayed silent; you had ample opportunity! It was an evil hour when you held your tongue, for if you had asked, the rich king who is so distressed would now have been quite healed of his wound and would have held his land in peace …’

Perhaps the latest Parsifal type person is Po, the Kung Fu Panda – hopelessly ill-equipped, but somehow improbably making it through to herohood in the end. There must be scores of stories like this, Disney seems to like them, where Everyman manages to do the impossible. But my favourite is Parsifal and, I’m pleased to say, Sam loved it too.

We got the bare bones – Arthur, the Round Table, the sword Excalibur, Avalon, Camelot, Guinevere – from a cheap book called “Children’s Treasury”: King Arthur and His Knights Illustrated by Harry Threaker (the author’s name was not on the book). Sam luckily wasn’t bothered by the sentimental style:

“Never was there so handsome and so special a young mornarch! Not only did all the knights and ladies of his court think the world of him, but the fairies of the forests and lakes loved him, too. Had he not been given into the special care of Merlin, that master of magic, who knew a hundred times more secrets than the fairies knew themselves?”

And then we struck gold. I ordered a book called Sir Gawain, His Squire and his Lady (actually number 2 in a series called Squire’s Tales) by Gerald Morris. It’s an excellent children’s retelling, recasting from the squire’s point of view, of Gawain and the Green Knight, with of course much taken out, but also a lot added in. It’s meant for older children than Sam (just coming up to 8 in two days’ time), but with a few words changed or explained, and a bit of patience with the romance (in the modern sense of the word) we have found the Grail!

Naturally there are things that didn’t suit my taste – for instance Guinevere’s total weakness for Lancelot – but there’s none of the fayness or mawkishness of the “Children’s Treasury” one. The characters are unsentimental. And at the same time while there are a lot of liberties taken with the old stories there is also a respect for their weight and meaning. It comes through in the “Author’s Note”:

When I was in college during medieval times, about 1982; Dr Laura Crouch required my English literature class to read a poem called Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It was the most wonderful story I had ever encountered. I loved its brave and courteous hero, and was fascinated by the otherworldly scene at the Green Chapel. I loved the poem so much that I wrote a long and very complicated research paper on it, and like many of those who write about literature, I managed to footnote away all the poem’s charm and to make Sir Gawain and the Green Knight seem as dull and pretentious as I was.

Well, I did no irreparable damage. My paper is long forgotten, but the poem is still around. All the same, some of the things I learned while researching that paper are still interesting to me and may be to others. So, at the risk of being boring twice on the same subject (an unforgivable sin), here is some background to the original work on which this book is based.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written by an anonymous poet in the fourteenth century, at about the same time that the great English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was writing The Canterbury Tales. The Gawain poet, however, wrote in a completely different dialect of English than Chaucer…”

We’ve been reading bits on our myriad journeyings, moving belongings to our new house, going off on holiday in the north. We’ve ended up working our way through the series. The first book is about Gawain too – or perhaps about his squire, Terrence. This one has elements of the “Loathely Lady” tale in it too.

And, again, sometimes I have to leave off at a really exciting bit, and Sam has to pick the book up himself…