The Mists of Avalon

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Summary: Absolutely wonderful- a remarkable feat of writing
Review: Upon completing my third reading of this novel, I am still amazed at the amount of work that must have gone into the writing. That aside, it is the most compelling 900 pages I have ever read.

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Summary: The most fascinating and well plotted novel I've ever read.
Review: I've read it twice now and I want to read it again. No book has ever touched me as deeply as this one. Not only does Marion Zimmer Bradley construct wonderfully believable characters that you can really get involved with, but she tackles the difficult issue of Christian theology versus Pagan theology and she does it brilliantly. Women and young girls have a true heroine to admire in Morgaine and men and young boys see their passions and stregths relfected in Arthur, Lancelet, and Kevin. I can't say enough good things about this book. It is my all time favorte novel and well worth the time investment it takes to read it. The story will consume you and the theme will make you question history, religion, gender issues, and spirituality.

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Summary: A really great book
Review: Mists of Avalon, in my own opinnion, has to be one of the best books, written in this type of jenra. I particulary enjoyed reading the story of King Arthur from the view point of the women involved in his life.

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Summary: By far the best, most magical book I have EVER read!!!
Review: The Mists of Avalon is the greatest literary MAGIC I have ever read, captivating from page 1 to page 800+. The beautiful imageries and descriptions will make you long to live during the reign of King Arthur. Brilliant.

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Summary: Disinteresting
Review: Sorry for contradicting all the shameless flattery this book has received so far, but this book really was rather boring. The characters seemed to do too much drifting, without anything to capture the reader's attention in between important or interesting events. The race for power between Gwenhyfar and Morgan Le Fay becomes a race into Arthur's bed as these two use promiscuity as their power-gaining method. The concept of hearing about Arthur's legend from the perspective from the women involved is indeed a potentially excellent concept. However, there's more to the legend of King Arthur than unstable, hypersensetive women and their romantic problems. I suggest reading the original Knights Of The Round Table.

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Summary: Spellbinding!! This book was amazing!
Review: It could not have been written any better. At first I thought that I would never finish because it's so thick but it's the fastest book i've ever read. I love the characters in it and how it's written from the womens point of view. It helped me understand these legends which are so very old. I hope to read more by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

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Summary: Arthurian legend cleverly used to explore religious theory
Review: My book club decided to read "Mists" based on a heartfelt recommendation by a massage therapist (who is also a Wicca follower) several of us see. The exploration of the history of the goddess religion fascinated me (although I notice some of the reviews here question the validity of MZB's historical detail in this respect). I was almost through the book, however, and somewhat depressed by what I kept thinking of as a tale of the end of goddess-worship in Britain, when it finally began to dawn on me that what I'd thought were some mixed messages from MZB regarding the benefits/drawbacks of the spread of Christianity might actually be an exploration of the similarities/continuity of various religious beliefs as civilization continues to refine/redefine the concept of god. In noting that the goddess's holy relics must continue to be available to humanity, and that the goddess continues whether recognized as such or not, MZB's message seems to be that, regardless of names and genders, the need for a supreme being is a constant that has continued/will remain for as long as humanity's existence. I find this especially interesting in light of current discussions about science making god obsolete, or alternatively, the belief of many scientists that they are on the verge of "proving" the existence of a god beyond a shadow of a doubt. We continue to redefine our concepts of god, even as those who are fearful of change continue to try to fix and limit the terms.

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Summary: all too realistic tale of love, greed, hate, and destiny
Review: "The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley, is probably my most favourite book. I first picked it up from a friend and was immediately captivated just from reading the first page. Being a Pagan myself, I found it fascinating to read what my religion was like in the days of the legendary King Arthur. Arthur himself is not nearly the center of the book, away from the norm of Arthurian legends. The book focuses on the "evil" Morgan le Fey, Morgaine of the Fairies, whom doesn't appear evil at all. Morgaine is adopted by Avalon to become a priestess where she flees after a fight with her Aunt Viviane, Lady of the Lake. She is then bounced from court to court, always feared and looked down upon for being a strong female and a priestess. The book is so amazing real and fits in perfectly with all Arthurian legends, from the ravings of the beautiful yet brain-washed Gwenhwyfar and her Christian priests to the relieving open-mindedness of the ladies of the Goddess and the Druid bards. I recommend every human to read this book, though most will probably not be able to leaf through it's 800+ pages easily. A beautiful story/

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Summary: The twisting courses of women's lives in King Arthur's time
Review: A mind capturing adventure through space and time. The book brings you in, and keeps you captivated. pulling you through the 800 pages. It leaves you begging for more.

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Summary: Interesting view of the Saga of Arthur
Review: I've read many books on King Arthur, but this one seemed to almost mesmerize. I really got off on the concept of the woman's tale, their viewpoints & a new look at their part in the legend. Thogh others have dealt with the idea that this was a time of religious conflict also (the old vs the new), the concept of the women in the leading religious & polital roles was quite interesting.