Mists of avalon

Ren

New Member
Has anyone read it? Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley is a must-read for anyone interested in Arthurian legend. It's a retelling from the women's perspective. In saying that, it is written in a certain feminist rhetoric, but mostly it's about the transition of society from old ways of the Goddess to patriarchal Christianity, Morgaine (Morgan le Fey) being the main character. I learned a lot about the culture, and saw all the stories in a new light.
 

Allie-Gator

Member
I haven't read it but I have read other things from Marion Zimmer Bradley. I have read In the Rift and Witch Hill. I enjoyed both but got distracted with other books and just never went back to her's. I will have to see if my local lending library has that one though.
 

Myrddin

Well-Known Member
Has anyone read it? Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley is a must-read for anyone interested in Arthurian legend. It's a retelling from the women's perspective. In saying that, it is written in a certain feminist rhetoric, but mostly it's about the transition of society from old ways of the Goddess to patriarchal Christianity, Morgaine (Morgan le Fey) being the main character. I learned a lot about the culture, and saw all the stories in a new light.
I have heard of it, but never read it. It's part of a series, is it not? How many books are in the series in total?
 

Myrddin

Well-Known Member
I just remembered, I did try to get into once, years ago. I didn't get very far, but I think I might try to give it another chance.
 

LegendofJoe

Active Member
I saw the movie. A lot of Arthurian stuff mixed in with notions of modern Goddess spirituality.
Pretty stupid.
 

Nora_Rose

New Member
When I was a senior in high school I read The Mists of Avalon. I really enjoyed it! I even wrote one of my major term papers on it. Thanks for reminding me, I think I'll go check it out from my local library.
 

Olsen

Member
I haven't read the book yet, but I've read a summary of it because I studied it at the University, in my "Feminist Mythology Literature" course. It's interesting to see how a strong female lead (Morgaine) interacts with weak women like Guinevere, and tortured male leads (a confused King Arthur and a Lancelot living in denial of his bisexual attraction to Arthur).

Maybe I'll make time to read it this summer... although it's not exactly my cup of tea...
 

OracleLady

Member
I read Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon" when it first came out. I think that was in the very early 80s. At the time it was different from anything else out there because it examined the Camelot story from a feminist perspective. It also was the first treatment I'd come across that made readers sympathetic to the darker elements as the newer lights of Christianity entered the world. The tug-of-war between the old and the new religion makes for all sorts of interpretation. This treatment was sheer genius for me.
 

RLynn

Active Member
I tried to read it a few years ago, but I got the strong impression that it is very biased in the direction of feminism, and that turned me off. It's not that I'm against feminism (quite the opposite, actually), but rather I feel that it doesn't help the feminist cause to distort what is known of history and legend in order to promote a cause, no matter how worthy or noble. I do regret somewhat that Christianity ultimately won out over Paganism, but the pendulum has not stopped swinging. I doubt that Christianity will always remain so dominant in the Occident.
 
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