Mists of Avalon

[Caroline]

This is honestly one of the best book I've read and I'm sorry I didn't read it earlier. I've always loved arthurian stories and Morgan has always been my favourite character. I was very happy to read a story that was told mainly from her point of view.

What did you think about the book? Do you think Morgaine was a good character or a bad character? How about Gwenwhyfar? And Viviane?

Has anybody seen the movie (or was it a miniserie? I saw the DVD at my videoclub)? Is it good? I was thinking of renting it next weekend.

Also, has anybody read Lady of Avalon and Priestess of Avalon? What did you think of them?

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Caroline

[TwinkleGrrl]

i love this book. seriously love it. if i didn't have to leave for work in ten minutes, i'd go further into it. when i get home and hopefully more coherent. :e

the movie...left a lot to be desired. they changed some big things, left out some big things. i was disappointed. i remember yelling at the tv at some points lol

the other books - 'forest house', 'lady of avalon', 'priestess of avalon' - all very good. they don't have the same...i don't know what the word is that i want...maybe power?...as MoA does. you still should read them, though. MZB is quite talented.

okay, going to be late for work now. :e

[QueenElizabeth]

I read Mists, Forest House, and Lady of Avalon. I still need to read Priestess of Avalon.

I agree with TwinkleGrrl, the other books don't have the same amount of power. I didn't care about what happened to the characters in F. House and Lady as much as Morgaine and the Camelot people. Maybe it's because Mists is so long, and you really get to know the characters, both their bad and good points. I didn't even like Gwenhwyfar, but I cared what happened to her. In the other books, that was missing for me. But I'm still going to read Priestess of Avalon some day.

Yeah, and about the movie/miniseries thingie. Go into it knowing it is not Mists of Avalon as you know it. Just the same characters with different events, or actual book events changed. Then again, it must have been hard to make the movie anyway since Mists is just so long and full of events.

Jamie

[lucienne9]

i haven't read the book, but i have always wanted to and my friend is going to lend it to me when she's done. ( ah, i'm so excited!) but i did see the miniseries that was made, and though i know it doesn't follow the book completely and has deleted many things, i still think it was very well portrayed, and i had read the once and future king and it was neat to have the story told from another point of view.

i really like those kind of medevil fantasy stories, can anyone reccomend any other books other than Mists?

[supernova]

At the risk of being a minority of one, I didn't like Mists. I thought it was well written, very descriptive, with unusual characters. I just felt that the author was preachy in many ways. I understand that she was trying to show the differences and conflicts between Christianity and the worship of the Goddess at that time, but I felt she pushed it too far. The discussions between the characters on this subject felt stiff and forced, as if the author had been dying to have a discussion on the subject and had to write one to get all her thoughts out. These exchanges did not seem to flow very well with the story.

[úliel]

Mists---- It was very good the first time I read it. Well written. But the more times I reread it, the less I tended to like it. For one thing, the supposed heroine, really just meddles and messes things up a lot, same with Viviane who I feel we are meant to look up to. Absolutely every single book regarding Avalon by MZB is exactly the same. The heroes meddle, screw things up, and blah blah there is One god who is all gods yeah we get the point. Her books, when you read all of the ones about Avalon (as I have) are just... incredibly repetitive. However, I do like Mists, it is a good and adventurous and well written story, but its kind of like those movie's you shouldn't think too much about, just watch and let the pretty lights entertain you for awhile. I think Mists was definately the best out of all of them, the other books tend to be very boring... I kind of have a mixed opinion if you can't tell. However, Priestess of Avalon did interest me because I enjoy the story about Constantine and his wife manipulating him into killing his son and then he kills his wife (well, she gets boiled to death, I think it was him..) But other than all that, it was kind of boring, much like the others..

The movie left A LOT to be desired. Especially in casting. I simply just do not know where they got some of these guys..Arthur, who in legend is known as the Bear of Britain is this skinny smallish guy (from what I remember) their hairstyles were just blah and the whole thing left a lot lacking. I really do not like who they cast to play Morgaine either. Physically, she just does not match the description of a small dark fairy like person. Though she did have dark hair, she had very light skin.. Anyways.. It just wasn't all that great.



Some really excellent Arthurian legend you guys should check out if you enjoyed Mists:
the Merlin's Descendants Series by Irene Radford (the first deals with the Arthur era, the next is the King John/Robinhood era, the next Marie Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth era, they all go together.. You'll see when you read them. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recomend these books!!)

also, The Dragon Queen (Tales of Guinevere series) By Alice Borchardt. Again, highly recomended, even if you just read the first one its very interesting. All her books are in fact. The Wolf King, Night of the Wolf, and the Silver Wolf are all very good and very adventurous.

There is also Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle, and though it is dry, it is pretty good and interesting, though I lost interest when I got to the Merlin book.

And I can't recomend this book enough, even though it is not Arthurian, (it is a Robinhood tale) it is VERY good. Lady of the Forest. I think especially Mandy would enjoy this one.

[QueenElizabeth]

Ooh, I always love book suggestions. Who wrote Lady of the Forest??

[Caroline]

Wow, thanks Lydia for all the suggestions!

And thanks for the comments, Lydia and supernova, very much appreciated. I still adore the book though.

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Caroline

[TwinkleGrrl]

The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier. excellent. i found the first one by accident, and within the next two-three weeks, i had the remaining two done.

i'm done with the first two books of the Guineviere trilogy, by Rosalind Miles. it's weird seeing Gueineviere in a more...positive light, but it's a good series nonetheless.

'Queen of Camelot', Nancy McKenzie.

and yes, who wrote 'lady of the forest'?

[úliel]

Ohh I can't believe I forgot to list the author :f

Jennifer Roberson wrote Lady of the Forest.

[empresskara]

FYI

They are showing the Mists of Avalon movie tonight on whatever channel it was that made it. (USA? I think?) Tonight at 8pm.

[QueenElizabeth]

I think it's TNT that made it, but check both to be sure. I have neither channel because the cable in our dorm room doesn't work! Aaaaah!

[Caroline]

I don't have cable :( I'll probably rent it next weekend.

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Caroline

[lucienne9]

lol, i think you guys know me too well and you've never met me! thanx lydia, that does sound like something i would definitely want to read, along with slot of other books that were listed. Mists is also definitely on my list, but ugh, i've been so busy with school and work and i get home and i have to get homework done and i am so damn drained! bleh!

[jcldragon]

We talked a lot about this over in New Age, Mysticism, & the Occult.
http://www.atforumz.com/showthread.php?threadid=85536

I liked the movie, since I know that adaptations cannot match what we imagine in our minds, but if a movie gets people reading a book, I figure that's a good thing.

[Caroline]

I saw the movie and I gotta say that I was very disappointed, even though you guys had warned me that it was different from the book. The book is so rich and I think they cut too much from it. No Kevin the Bard! No Gareth! No Faerie people! No Nimue! No holy grail! :( :( :(

I liked that they had the bed scene between Lancelet, Arthur and Gwenwhyfar though, but they didn't show the real love that Lancelet was feeling for Arthur. Oh and what about Lancelet's marriage to Elaine? I loved the way it happened in the book but in the movie? Blah.

I ended up going online while semi-watching the last 30 minutes. I'm not even sure how it ended.

I liked Morgaine though. And I thought Arthur (before he had long hair) was pretty cute.

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Caroline