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The Cambridge Companion to the Arthurian Legend (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

by Elizabeth Archibald (Editor), Ad Putter (Editor)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 29 ratings
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For more than a thousand years, the adventures of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table have been retold across Europe. They have inspired some of the most important works of European literature, particularly in the medieval period: the romances of Chrétien de Troyes, Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. In the nineteenth century, interest in the Arthurian legend revived with Tennyson, Wagner and Twain. This Companion outlines the evolution of the legend from the earliest documentary sources to Spamalot, and analyses how some of the major motifs of the legend have been passed down in both medieval and modern texts. With a map of Arthur's Britain, a chronology of key texts and a guide to further reading, this volume itself will contribute to the continuing fascination with the King and his many legends.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0521677882
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0521677882
  3. Publisher
    Cambridge University Press
  4. Publication date
    October 12, 2009
  5. Part of series
    Cambridge Companions to Literature
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5.99 x 0.65 x 9.02 inches
  8. Print length
    286 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

'The welcome new addition to the authoritative Cambridge Companion series traces Arthurian narrative from history through pseudo-history to romance, and on into the post-medieval centuries. … Ad Putter's chapter on the twelfth century is a masterpiece of compression …' The Times Literary Supplement

Book Description

An overview of how the legend of Arthur and his Knights evolved from the earliest documentary sources to Spamalot.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press (October 12, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 286 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521677882
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521677882
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.99 x 0.65 x 9.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
29 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Rachel Pierce
5.0 out of 5 stars great condition
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
it met my expectations.
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Dawn Dominguez
5.0 out of 5 stars to be able to better enjoy current Arthurian fiction
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
Anyone who is interested in having an over-view of Arthurian legends, to be able to better enjoy current Arthurian fiction, needs to read this very academic survey.
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Rachel
5.0 out of 5 stars but it has become a useful tool in my further research of Arthurian literature
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
I bought this for a college course, but it has become a useful tool in my further research of Arthurian literature.
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Josh Beavers
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
Very well written take on the history of Arthurian legend.
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Annette
4.0 out of 5 stars A King Arthur Viewed Through The Centuries
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2014
Rating: 4 Stars
Source: Free copy from Cambridge University Press for the purpose of review.
Was King Arthur a real person? Maybe he was based loosely on a historical figure from the past?
In The Cambridge Companion To The Arthurian Legend, the editors do not seek to find the real Arthur, because they feel he is an enigma. Many historians and researchers have thought they'd found clues as to who he was and what exact time period he lived in; nevertheless, nothing concrete has been found.
The editors of Archibald and Putter state the goal of this book:

"Our aim is to strike a balance between the descriptive and the analytic, so this companion is divided into two parts. The chronological section shows how the legend evolved from the shadowy Welsh tradition through medieval chronicle and romance and post-medieval skepticism to modern novels, cartoons and films. Here we have concentrated on the Anglophone versions for the post-medieval period. In the thematic section we have chosen themes which seem to us to the key to understanding Arthurian literature; all essays in this section deal with both medieval and post-medieval material, though the main focus is medieval." Page 3.

The Cambridge Companion To The Arthurian Legend, is an academic study of King Arthur, both in medieval history and through to the twenty-first century. Arthur legends appeared in France, Germany, Wales, Greece, and Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
The focus of this book will be on "English traditions."

Pros:
1. I'm a beginner in the study of King Arthur and I learned so much in this book. For example, I did not know Arthurian legends were in other countries. I've heard of Tristan and Iseult and Lancelot (which I presumed was French.) I've not read Mark Twain's satire on King Arthur.
2. I enjoyed reading about the psychology and or dynamics of Lancelot and Guinevere's affair.
3. How religion affected King Arthur stories.
4. Was introduced to early authors of King Arthur and their contributions, for example:
Geoffrey of Monmouth and Sir Thomas Malory,
5. The re-establishment of King Arthur during Victorian era through Alfred, Lord Tennyson.
6. The quest of the Holy Grail.
7. How King Arthur transformed through the centuries.
8. "Ethics" and morality of King Arthur and his knights.

Cons:
1. I loved this book, but I'm interested in this subject and felt drawn to it from the beginning. I believe a person of keen interest in the subject would be most interested.
2. A few times during the later half of book it became dry; but I persevered.
5 people found this helpful
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Malamati
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Aid to Understanding the Arthurian Legends
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2015
I submit this review to recommend this Companion as another in the excellent Cambridge series, and in defense of its editor, whose work has been unfairly denigrated by another reviewer (whose critique is shallow, based on mere personal opinion, and in MY opinion is both inexpert and incorrect). I have examined the essays in this volume, and they represent current and competent Arthurian scholarship as of the date of publication--and should be very useful to anyone (including university students) trying to enrich their understanding of the Arthurian literature, its development over time, and many of its central thematic elements. In this context, I will give special attention to the two essays written, or cowritten, by editor Elizabeth Archibald: the general introduction (admirably delivering an overview of the Arthurian literature in compact form) and an essay entitled "Questioning Arthurian Ethics," which discusses the range of treatments of Arthur's character from the 12th century to the present day. Note that this discussion isn't limited to works of the 12th-15th centuries, but traces creative fiction of many kinds authored since that time. Ms Archibald's writing is clear, well-organized, and should be easily digested by any intelligent lay reader or university student. Why anyone would devalue either the editors' or contributors' essays is difficult to understand. I highly recommend this Companion to anyone studying the Arthurian Legends.
9 people found this helpful
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Rosalie Messina
1.0 out of 5 stars Get the Lacy Book Instead and Save Your Money!
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2014
Not a good choice for university students as a companion to the orginal texts. A much better choice is The Arthurian Handbook (Second Edition) Oct 3, 1997
by Norris J. Lacy and Geoffrey Ashe. Everything written by Elizabeth Archibald is pompous and annoying and a big waste for university students.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Aralinya
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2015
Verified Purchase
Arrived in good time, satisfied with purchase.
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