I’ve always loved the Arthurian legends and read whatever books I can get my hands on concerning them. The whole image of those days when knights errant went in search of adventure and enchantments – and damsels in distress were a plenty. Of course, it’s a highly romanticized version of how things really were, but I choose to ignore that for the moment – it’s the image after all. An image of a life when things were cut and dry – good and evil were clearly defined and chivalry was the greatest thing to aspire towards.
In fact, the saddest moments of the book is when this distinction between good and evil breaks down – when Lancelot, the paragon of virtue blemishes himself. And the achievement of the Holy Grail leads to nothing but the loss of all that was beautiful in the legends of Arthur.
I’ve read so many books concerning Arthur, that I realize that there is no canonical work. Most people refer to “Le Morte D’Arthur” as the definitive legend, but there is no such thing. Different authors have different tales to tell – and different manuscripts weave various legends about Sir Lancelot, Sir Tristram and Sir Percival.
In my quest for the most exhaustive Arthurian legends, I came across the work of Howard Pyle, whose set of four volumes impressed me with their exhaustive treatment of Arthur – enchanting me with tales I had never heard before, such as the origins of Sir Percival.
The Story of the Champions of the Round Table is the second book in the series, and one I have just finished reading. I wish to jot down my impressions of this great book while they’re still fresh in my mind.
The story of the Champions of the Round Table – Review
This book deals with the adventures of three knights – Sir Lancelot, Sir Tristram, and Sir Percival. In descending order, the greatest champions of the round table. It recounts in exquisite detail, the origins of these three knights and how they established themselves as the foremost of their kind. Apart from Sir Tristram, whose story ends tragically, the adventures of the other two set the stage for further adventures in the next two books in the series.
The language in Pyle’s books is not like those found in other Arthur books. While it retains the charm of the old world, it doesn’t flounder in over archaic expressions and lugubrious language. This makes me very happy. I love reading language that immerses me in the time and yet poses no barrier to my understanding.
This book by far, gives the most detailed descriptions of the histories of these three knights that I have ever come across. I read the book on my iPod Touch using Stanza, but the original book consists of 328 pages of the origins of just these three knights. Perfect for fans who want to hear the maximum possible about their favorite hero!
Also, Pyle makes sure that the stories make sense in various little ways. This is greatly appreciated. Furthermore, he also gives lovely short descriptions of the splendid scenery through which the knights sometimes travel through, adding to the the enchanting feeling.
As a bonus, Howard Pyle also illustrated these books (he was an artist as well) and the volume benefits greatly from these pictures.
Where to get it from
The book is out of copyright and the best place to get it from is Gutenburg for free. Make sure you get a copy that has the pictures included. Of course, if you want a hard copy, you will have to pay for it. Search on some online book store and maybe you’ll get your hands on it.
The next in the series, namely “The Story of Sir Lancelot and his companions” hasn’t been published onto Gutenberg yet. As of this writing, it’s in the Post Processing (PP) stage and so I’ve only been able to download a draft without pictures (which is the saddest part). I’ve found that the Internet Archive maintains scanned copies of these books which are available for free download. If you enjoy reading from a PDF (I don’t), then this might be just what you’re looking for!
So Arthur fans, don’t hesitate. Pick up this book and get ready for a real treat :)
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