Book Journal: Mists of Avalon

I keep a book journal that sometimes gets a lot of love and sometimes doesn't (read: got a lot of love before before college, and doesn't really now, except during winter and summer breaks). I've got a pretty big collection of books I've read--many name-brand titles, many random reads I picked up--and usually just a brief blurb about how the book made me feel, and what I both liked and disliked about it.

It's not really anything but just a supplemental statement that I enjoy reading, because I'm pretty good at remembering not only what I've read, but also what struck me (both positively and negatively). But I've got a number of books now that I need to read and have been pouring through, because now these books are not only entertainment for me, they are examples of what works and what doesn't--everything from character to plot to the very words on the page.

So the first book I'm going to review in this blog (and that I will inevitably transfer over to my Book Journal) is a pretty sweeping epic--some 876 pages of omniscient narration that spans decades, and all in very beautiful, very crisp prose.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Mists of Avalon is, in one word, sweeping. It spans generations of feminine perspective during the Middle Ages (Late Antiquity?), and particularly during the golden reign of King Arthur of Britain. I'm a huge closet sucker for medieval-themed literature and that certainly includes King Arthur's romances, which are individual epics unto themselves, their scope an incredible repertoire of romance, action, humor and despair.

Bradley's retelling hangs on to all of that. A feminist's perspective on the women of the Arthurian legends, The Mists of Avalon gives the women character and depth that much of the ancient works do not.

Mists is certainly a weighty book; at almost 900 pages, it's both a pleasure and a task to read. After taking a several-week break from the novel, I picked it up again over spring break and have finally finished it. Zimmer does not explain most of Old Britain, and the reader is like to pop on over to Google or Wikipedia to understand, for example, what "Less Britain" is (Brittany); likewise, the rich plethora of characters will usually warrant a bit of a background search as well.

For me, the most interesting and intense aspect of Mists is the battle between Christianity and "the Old Religion" of the Druids and Avalon and the like--the Goddess. It is certainly at the forefront of the drama, propelled by the unsympathetic (sorry, Zimmer) Gwynhwyfar and Zimmer's clear favorite, Morgaine. The conflict between the warring religions is incredibly heartfelt; I cringed when Arthur blindly appeased his increasingly fanatical wife and forsook the Avalon flag. Most of the tension is wrung between the religious battles, and suddenly we see how history too has been a constant war for--and on--religion. That conflict is more effective than Bradley's romantic subplots, which are effective, but not as fueled (they seem more minor even to Bradley). The very first romantic encounter, between Uther and Igraine, is the most convincing, and from that moment the other impassioned relationships (Lancelet and Gwynhwyfar, Morgaine and Lancelet) are less convincing.

The grand scope of The Mists of Avalon is incredibly impressive and a true testament to Zimmer's ability to create a complete story. The tension between religious ideals is strong throughout and makes for the most emotional undercurrent, and the end will either satisfy you or surprise you. Overall, a great, intelligent read, full of incredible writing, vivid dialogue, and enchanting drama.

Rating: 8.0/10