Rating: 
Summary: Hated It.
Review: Maybe this is meant to be a woman's book and that is why I don't like it (I am a guy). I found it boring, overly mellow dramatic, I found the characters uninteresting, and the story dragged. While I often like the Fantasy genre, most of it is mush and this book is an excellent example of that.
Rating: 
Summary: A striking tale
Review: The Mists of Avalon is a powerful and interesting re-telling of King Arther's court. The book gives a very unique point of view because it was the first to be narrated by the women of Camelot. Much more exciting then the TNT movie, this novel is exciting, poetic, and a definite page turner. I would recumend it to anybody with an imagination.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful!
Review: I could not stop reading this book...finished it in three days, on very little sleep, and I was sad that it had to end. The characters become very real to you and you care what happens to them, almost as if you know them personally. As a follower of the Goddess path, with an interest in the Arthurian legends, the book touched me deeply. Everyone should read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Avid reader review
Review: This book is an excellent fantasy epic and is written extremely well except for many repititions in the story line. As the only plot is the rise and fall of the court of King Arthur; I think that Ms.Bradley did an excellent job on the recreations of what it must have been like. I would that we had proof that the Court and reign of Arthur did exist. I thouroughly enjoyed reading The Mists of Avalon and felt that the feelings expressed by all of the characters are written so that they seem very real. I think that any person who enjoys fantasy, history, and good books would appreciate this work.
Rating:
Summary: Whole new view
Review: I first read The Mists of Avalon 1989 and it facinated me. The women of Avalon weren't the evil witches they were portrayed as in Camalot etc. they seemed to me like todays herbal healers that were also, in varying degrees "sensitive". Of course the men of the Christian church wanted no oposition at all and what they didn't or couldn't understand they labeled as witches. How sad it was for Morgaine to be tricked into sleeping with her brother Arthur at his king making. Already she had to deal with Christian society and the fact that she looked like her "fairy" heritage but then to have to face her brother and others with incest. An act that her aunt orchistrated and she was lead to like a sheep to the slaughter. Her love for Lancelot that would never be fulfilled. I found my heart aching for her. I also read Lady of Avalon and while good it didn't captivate me the same way that The Mists did. I have since read many books about Morgaine, Arthur and Merlin and suspect I will continue to read the different books written about them.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing soap opera spun like a fairy tale
Review: I'll pass on plot descriptions and comments on writing style/characters/etc; there's enough of that here already. I do not consider myself a fan of fantasy. My expectation was that there would be a lot of quests and swordplay. There wasn't much. However, the appeal of this book lies in the story itself. Very well done. The bottom line is: Any book that can hold my intense interest for 1000 consecutive pages deserves no less than 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Tedious
Review: This lengthy book is tedioius and uninspired. The style is awkward and the recurring italics are destracting. I have never seen so much brooding packed in a single book. Do we need to know all of Morgaine's thoughts? The characters are cardboard cutouts and love scenes exude no passion. I fail to see what so many people think is so great about this book. I approached it with a lot of goodwill, almost all of it dissipated by page 60, then I read on a bit more and that was that. I continued to turn the pages, reading passages here and there, but it was the same thing. I found no new insights here about Christianity or the pagan beliefs of pre-Christian Britain. Sadly, I cannot recommend this enormous volume for its educational or entertainment value.
Rating:
Summary: A refreshing look at the tales of King Arthur!
Review: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by Thomas Mallory gave me nothing but bland, two-dimensional smoting and swoons. I was ready to turn my back on the whole story when I heard about the Mists of Avalon from a friend. It seemed awfully long, but the New York Times Bestseller sticker convinced me to try. I had to wait an extremely long time for a copy of this book at the library and read some other books that I don't care to think back on while I was waiting. I finally got to read the Mists and found it every bit worth the praise. Marion Zimmer Bradley, whose thorough details in her other books seemed dull, brought life and feeling into the story of the women behind King Arthur's rule. They are strong and intriguing and really bring the story to life. The book is mostly about Morgaine, Morgan le Fay, and portrays her as I like to think, intelligent and independent, and not some evil, crazy witch. Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), the other main character, is said to be radiantly beautiful and devoutly Christian, which disturbs her in her decision-making: to love Lancelet (Lancelot) or no, to hate Morgaine or no. At the beginning of the book, she appeared overly frightened and weak, probably to keep her from rivaling Morgaine's spotlight. Other women who are in the story are Igraine (for the first hundred or so pages; that was enough because she really annoyed me! She was so self-contradicting and dumb), Morgause (who they kept saying is evil but she sounded as reasonable as the rest!) Viviane, Elaine, Niniane, and Nimue. They are all interesting and good in their own way - a bit different than their characters in other Arthurian books, but of course we all have different viewpoints. I only wish this book didn't get so sexual... Otherwise it was great. Have patience and read it!
Rating:
Summary: Bradley's Retelling of Classic Tales Shines!
Review: I've read so many of Marion Zimmer Bradley's books that I honestly don't recall whether this was the first. I suspect that it was, since the subject matter is of particular interest to me. Bradley's view on the classic Arthurian cycle is presented from a new perspective: that of Morgaine la Fey. Morgaine is presented as a Druid priestess in this novel ... representing the Old Ways, and their juxtaposition with the new Christian faith. In many ways, Morgaine is a victim of circumstance and the plotting of those around her ... a far more sympathetic view than is ordinarily given of Arthur's stepsister. This novel is sometimes referred to as a "feminist perspective on the Arthurian tales" -- as though this were somehow damning. I'm not certain that I find it entirely feminist ... just something like the other side of the story. Highly recommended to those interested in Arthurian lore.
Rating: 
Summary: A legendary book of a legendary king
Review: There is very little more that can be added to the already numerous insights into this book. This was the second book I have read about the Arthurian legend, the first being White's "The Sword in the Stone", and Bradley's I found to be better by far. Bradley was able to weave the old tale, much of which has been a jumbled of different versions of the myth, and tell it for a different point of view. Bradley has for the most part used females as her protagonist in her other works and continues the trend by telling the legend from the woman's point of view. Bradley mainly focuses on Morgaine and her story, but also tells us of Igraine, mother of Arthur; Viviane, Lady of the Lake before Morgaine and mother of Lancelot; Morgause, aunt to Arthur, mother of a number of his Companions, and all-around power hungry woman; and Gwynhefar, the only character other then Morgaine to provoke such strong emotions that you will either love her or hate her. The only deterrent to the book is that due to the chronological length of the story the book is very long and at some points, especially when the theological debate is voiced (though this is even done so smoothly that one can hardly notice it), very slow. However, these spots are few and do not detract from the overall story. The one character that I wish Bradley went more in-depth on was Raven, though it would have been difficult to write on a character that says nothing unless prompted by a prophetic vision. Like the majority of fans I would suggest this book to everyone, and encourage the skeptics to read it, arguing that it is worth their time.
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