To the Chapel Perilous

Rating:
Summary: Excellent satire
Review: Green Knight Press produces (and reprints) some of the best Arthuriana available today, and this 1955 book by Naomi Mitchison is a very rare treat.

"Chapel Perilous" follows a pair of Arthurian journalists, Lienors and Dalyn (of the "Camelot Chronicle" and the "Northern Pict") who are scooping the big story: The Grail. But other developments crop up as well -- interviews with famous personages, the affair of Lancelot with Queen Guinevere, and more.

We follow Lienors, Dalyn, and other characters such as Ygraine la Grande (whose hair is "revolting" due to hair dye from Nimue) and Lord Horny (don't ask). We also have old favorites like Queen Guinevere, Morgan-Morgause (one person in this book), Sir Lancelot, the somewhat chattery Sir Galahad, the somewhat angry Elayne (you can tell that in this one, Galahad got his personality from his dad), and Merlin of course. (Addressed occasionally as "Mr. Merlin" -- this particularly interpretation of the old wizard is delightful)

Mitchison's writing is very clear and evocative; dialogue is very enjoyable, often lapsing into a "veddy veddy English" manner of speaking (Galahad is the most prominent of these). The usage of such terms as "O.K." never detracts from the dialogue, which is less pompous and self-conscious than many Arthurian books. These characters are willing to lampoon bishops, talk about hair dye, and discuss teen girl crushes on Lancelot.

Like all the GKP books I've read, this book has a lovely cover, and a very good binding and fine quality paper. It's shorter than most of the books by this publisher (219 pages) though significantly longer than many successful spoofs that I've read. And perhaps "spoof" is the wrong word for it — satire is infinitely better. There's a wry, sideways feel to this story, with some serious scenes and some that are outright hilarious. (It's not really suitable for kids, due to some mild subject matter connected with the original stories -- as well as one mildly dirty scene in Spiral Castle -- but is fine for teens)

This is a must-read for any Arthuriana fan, especially those who enjoy seeing sacred cows barbecued. And it will insure that you will never again read the stories about King Arthur and his knights without imagining Lienors and her dwarf in the background.

Rating:
Summary: Ingenious twist on Arthurian legend
Review: This is one of the more inventive Arthurian novels I have read. It is set in an Arthurian world with certain anachronistic qualities, specifically the presence of journalists and newspapers, and everything that goes along with them, such as cameras. It is centered around the quest for the Holy Grail and raises some intriguing questions. Worth reading if you can find it.