The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights
This retelling, by John Steinbeck, of the King Arthur story is based on Malory, along with some other sources. I read it as I was coming back from the film version of Tristan and Isolde, which was utterly appropriate; for although the King Arthur story has elements of humour and elements of romance, it’s essentially tragic. Its message, as in Tristan and Isolde, is that fate rules; that no matter how hard you try to evade it, your death will come; that you will do terrible things because of fate, and hurt the people you love most, and that even if you foresee it, you cannot, cannot, prevent it.
John Steinbeck writes in his introduction that Malory awoke in him the power of language. Steinbeck’s own spare prose is in evidence here, although not so barely as in his novels (which I came across at the perfect age of about twenty, I think, along with Hemingway). He occasionally chooses to revert to the middle English of Malory – for example when Lancelot is tempted by a witch and she whispers a curse. At the same time, his dialogue occasionally becomes overly colloquial, which, as he wrote it in the 50’s, sits uncomfortably with the rest of it. But that is rare; it is for the most part beautifully told.
Steinbeck covers the beginnings of the legend, several of the knights’ tales, and of course Lancelot’s story. He tells the stories very simply and clearly, structuring them on the Winchester manuscripts of Malory which he studied closely – although he adds to them. He doesn’t turn Arthur into a mere man, but keeps him a terrible heroic figure who reminds me of King David, actually, in this version, with his unforgivable sins and all-consuming loves. Steinbeck never finished this book, for unknown reasons, so it ends at an accidentally perfect point; Lancelot’s betrayal with Guinevere. Even a reader unfamiliar with the Arthur story will know, from various prophecies throughout the text, what the outcome of that will be.
I think that for anyone interested in either Steinbeck or the King Arthur stories this is a wonderful book. And really, I’m not sure who could not be interested in one of those two.
John Steinbeck writes in his introduction that Malory awoke in him the power of language. Steinbeck’s own spare prose is in evidence here, although not so barely as in his novels (which I came across at the perfect age of about twenty, I think, along with Hemingway). He occasionally chooses to revert to the middle English of Malory – for example when Lancelot is tempted by a witch and she whispers a curse. At the same time, his dialogue occasionally becomes overly colloquial, which, as he wrote it in the 50’s, sits uncomfortably with the rest of it. But that is rare; it is for the most part beautifully told.
Steinbeck covers the beginnings of the legend, several of the knights’ tales, and of course Lancelot’s story. He tells the stories very simply and clearly, structuring them on the Winchester manuscripts of Malory which he studied closely – although he adds to them. He doesn’t turn Arthur into a mere man, but keeps him a terrible heroic figure who reminds me of King David, actually, in this version, with his unforgivable sins and all-consuming loves. Steinbeck never finished this book, for unknown reasons, so it ends at an accidentally perfect point; Lancelot’s betrayal with Guinevere. Even a reader unfamiliar with the Arthur story will know, from various prophecies throughout the text, what the outcome of that will be.
I think that for anyone interested in either Steinbeck or the King Arthur stories this is a wonderful book. And really, I’m not sure who could not be interested in one of those two.
posted by Carly at 8:02 am
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