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76th out of 300 books
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877 voters
The Dragon and the Unicorn (Arthor #1)
by
A.A. Attanasio (Goodreads Author)
A queen, a pilgrim, a demon -- and a king with a world to save
Beneath every beloved legend there is a deeper legend still, etched in ancient stone. "The Dragon and the Unicorn" begins before the beginning of Time, as light first cools to matter, bearing within it the electron glow of lost Heaven. Attanasio's epic tale of a quest for immortality spans all history, human and...more
Beneath every beloved legend there is a deeper legend still, etched in ancient stone. "The Dragon and the Unicorn" begins before the beginning of Time, as light first cools to matter, bearing within it the electron glow of lost Heaven. Attanasio's epic tale of a quest for immortality spans all history, human and...more
Mass Market Paperback, 539 pages
Published
June 1st 1997
by HarperPrism
(first published December 1st 1994)
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I am certain I bought this at a used book store at least three or four years ago. Turns out a friend just finished reading it and he mentioned I had it and was confused that I hadn't read it. Turns out it was on top of my still packed boxes of books so lets give it a shot.
For the second time I can't quite get through it. The writing just seems to drag for me even though the concepts are interesting (calling on a god in a rather inovative fashion and the gods themselves being... well, you'll find...more
For the second time I can't quite get through it. The writing just seems to drag for me even though the concepts are interesting (calling on a god in a rather inovative fashion and the gods themselves being... well, you'll find...more
This book is effectively high fantasy placed, for better or not, within the bounds of real history. I got a big kick out of it. The author did his best to include all of the major preceding legends that eventually formed Le Morte D'Arthur, which is better than most do when tackling an easy target like the Arthurian legend. He even went so far as to incorporate the gods, magic and 5th century england into a combined system congruent with the Big Bang theory.
For that alone, I would have read this...more
For that alone, I would have read this...more
Originally published on my blog here in April 1998.
This is an Arthurian tale, the first of a series, telling the story of Merlin up until the birth of Arthur. It is apparent from the first page of the very long prologue that it is not a simple story, as it becomes when told by Mary Stewart, for example. Her approach was to minimise the supernatural as much as possible; Attanasio seeks to maximise it, while having some sort of pseudo-scientific justification for it. (For example, "demons" are ali...more
This is an Arthurian tale, the first of a series, telling the story of Merlin up until the birth of Arthur. It is apparent from the first page of the very long prologue that it is not a simple story, as it becomes when told by Mary Stewart, for example. Her approach was to minimise the supernatural as much as possible; Attanasio seeks to maximise it, while having some sort of pseudo-scientific justification for it. (For example, "demons" are ali...more
Whatever I was expecting when I first read this book was completely blown out of the water by one of the most unique and well-crafted epics I have read in quite awhile, and since!
While this is a retelling of Arthurian legends, do not be fooled by such well-recognized themes. This novel reads more like an ancient tale told around the fire than it does the dulcet and expected lines of most predictable retellings of Arthurian legend, and yet at the same time, Attanasio adds a strange mix of scienti...more
While this is a retelling of Arthurian legends, do not be fooled by such well-recognized themes. This novel reads more like an ancient tale told around the fire than it does the dulcet and expected lines of most predictable retellings of Arthurian legend, and yet at the same time, Attanasio adds a strange mix of scienti...more
I would give it 3.5 stars but I rounded up. I read this book a long time ago and I was barely a teenager doing it. I remember liking it but it was a bit long at times. The story was interesting as it is the only Arthur book I have read besides the ones you read in school like Gawain and the Green Knight - poor Gawain, gets no modern loving! Lancelot usurped his role. The characters of Arthurian legend were presented much differently than I was used to in a good way. I guess several Arthur tales...more
Sep 12, 2008
Nathan
marked it as to-read
3/4 of the way through this book and I'm getting to the sad part. Uther and Ygrane are going to lose each other and Arthur will be orphaned. Will pick it up again later.
Arthur legend!
The writing was impressively rich. I was shocked that someone can write in the present tense, mostly, and still sound good (if you have ever written and have tried the idea of writing in the present tense, you'll know what I mean. It's not an easy feat.) The vocabulary is very rich. The stories of different beings (demons, gods, the dragon, the unicorn, the humans...) are all woven together slowly and carefully. I was worried I would feel overwhelmed with so many characters, but somehow the auth...more
Favorite Quotes
No story sits by itself, Sometimes stories meet at corners and sometimes they cover one another completely, like stones beneath a river.
People often belittle the place where they were born.
Heaven can be found in the most unlikely corners.
Scenery without solace is meaningless.
This is the greatest gift God can give you: to understand what happened in your life. To have it explained. It is the peace you have been searching for.
...the human spirit knows, deep down that all lives inter...more
No story sits by itself, Sometimes stories meet at corners and sometimes they cover one another completely, like stones beneath a river.
People often belittle the place where they were born.
Heaven can be found in the most unlikely corners.
Scenery without solace is meaningless.
This is the greatest gift God can give you: to understand what happened in your life. To have it explained. It is the peace you have been searching for.
...the human spirit knows, deep down that all lives inter...more
This book's worldbuilding includes a cool melding of science and myth, with electromagnetism and magic being intertwined.
However, that's not a story. The book's story is a retelling of the legend of Arthur and Merlin, and as such, I found it quietly entertaining. I liked the characters, and the author did clever things with names and interpretations of history. This would make a good beach read. It's not a rip-snorting tale, but it is easy to read and substantive.
However, that's not a story. The book's story is a retelling of the legend of Arthur and Merlin, and as such, I found it quietly entertaining. I liked the characters, and the author did clever things with names and interpretations of history. This would make a good beach read. It's not a rip-snorting tale, but it is easy to read and substantive.
Perhaps the greatest ever Arthurian novel, this first book in a series recounts the fall to earth of the demon Lailoken, who becomes the wizard Merlin and sets out on a quest to find the man who will father Arthur and set in motion the events of legend. This novel transcends genre with elements of cosmology and fantasy as well as gripping historical fiction. I've read it many times and will return to it again.
I really enjoyed this read. It's written in an older epic-style, very descriptive and imaginative. Set during the pre-Arthurian period when Uther becomes King, and Ygraine, Queen of the Celts, becomes his Queen to bring the Roman Christians and the Celts together as one people. It's a mix of La Morte d'Artur, Celtic mythology and an interesting twist on gods, religions, and modern cosmology. The first in a series, I will be getting the rest of the series.
I like the mix of religion and physics. The idea that "magic" wasn't really all that magical after all. The characters stop just shy of being believable, and it's not your typical Arthurian legend. All in all, I liked the book. It was a quick read and true to Mr. Attanasio's style, I learned a few new words.
I found myself quite enjoying this book. I was a bit tentative after reading the prologue - which basically covers the history of the universe starting from before the big bang up to the roman empire, incorporating dragons, unicorns, angels, the nordic pantheon, christianity and the magnetosphere. Busy! But once it got past the crash course in the history of the universe I thought it settled down into a great story. It was very unique and I enjoyed the language, which was dense but beautiful.
Pros: Really creative rethink of a story that's been around for a long time. Never gets dull; the sheer weirdness of it makes you want to keep reading.
Cons: Characters are kind of flat; limits your emotional investment in them and what happens to them. Author's writing sometimes tries a tad too hard to be lofty and epic, gets the job done but can feel cluttered.
Cons: Characters are kind of flat; limits your emotional investment in them and what happens to them. Author's writing sometimes tries a tad too hard to be lofty and epic, gets the job done but can feel cluttered.
I picked up this whole series years ago and didn't get to reading it until recently. Unfortunately, I just didn't click with the author and getting through the first book was a chore. I did start in on the second book, but set it down after about fifty pages.
I found this to be an interesting variant on the Arthurian legend. The mix of myth and the conflict between the Romans and the Celts was well done. I have only read this first book of the series, so I cannot comment on the overall story.
It's been a while since I read this, but I remember that it had some interesting ideas. It's a story about King Arthur, but it's told from Merlin's point of view. I'll re-read it and then I can give a more accurate review.
The Dragon and the Unicorn, The Eagle and the Sword, The Wolf and the Crown, and The Serpent and the Grail are the four books in the series that weave a beautiful and highly imaginative story of the Arthurian legend. The cascading of language and images is amazing, as is the breadth of knowledge written into this book. It has sent me to the dictionary many times.
"At the base of the overhanding cliff, they hop from a precarious ledge to cinderous gravel and find themselves finally before the bla...more
"At the base of the overhanding cliff, they hop from a precarious ledge to cinderous gravel and find themselves finally before the bla...more
Meh...it was okay. I liked some of the originality in the story. A little mix up of cultures and folklore. The characters were portrayed in a different light than I'm used to seeing. These were all good. The bad was the excrutiatingly painful prelude that was a chore to read (and understand) and the constant diversions from the action that really was the story. By the end of it I was cursing both the bloody dragon AND the unicorn. I guess cosmic fantasy isn't my bag afterall.
I normally love Arthurian legends. That being said, I just could not get into this book. I forced myself to finish, just in case it got better. I felt that the characters were poorly constructed and did not lend themselves to connecting with the reader.
This was at times a hard book to get through. It was more fantastical than other books in the Arthurian legend. I appreciated all aspects which were given story to in this reselling. I did enjoy it and look forward to finishing the cycle.
Started of like an epic masterwork but ended more like most of the mass produced fantasy today, albeit fairly well written throughout. Piecewise a bit boring.
This is a really interesting book. I only read a little, but the writing style and logic of the book are definitely more intricate than most.
The book sounded very good, but I couldn't get into it. It's simply way too scifi for me. I do hope that if you like Scifi you give it a read. The prose was well written and intriguing, but I'm not someone who enjoys reading about electron clouds and circutry in my spare time. Sorry!
Attanasio's take on Arthuriana combines quantum mechanics, religion, history, and personal drama in a way that is dense but compelling.
The best telling of the beginning of the Arthurian legend. A most unusual world view that brings fresh insights on why & how of the epic.
This is a fantastic retelling of the Arthur tale(Arthor in this case)
Very poetic and visual
Love Triple A's books
Pshaw. Merlin. Igraine. Ancient gods. It's all good. But I'm a sucker for Arthurian stuff, no matter the quality.
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I’m a novelist and student of the imagination living in Honolulu. Fantasies, visions, hallucinations or whatever we call those irrational powers that illuminate our inner life fascinate me. I’m particularly intrigued by the creative intelligence that scripts our dreams. And I love carrying this soulful energy outside my mind, into the one form that most precisely defines who we are: story.
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“I dream of a true husband—a good man, not a brute, nor a champion of men on the battlefield; I dream but of a gentle man, one who neither speaks too loud nor ignores evil. I pray for such a like-minded mate, who will be ever for me like harmony to music, virtue to the soul, prosperity to the state, and forethought to the universe.”
—
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“The fact of that devotion is nothing less than sacrifice. The only good of which mortals are capable of love. To even begin to do good, one must be willing to go beyond oneself. All things made by man perish. All words scatter into the emptiness that is the future. Only love endures. Love for what is. Not for what was or could be. Love for what is—that alone is true love. That alone the future cannot dissolve. For that love is God.”
—
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Nov 09, 2012 11:32am