My rating:

add to my books

more photos (1)

The Mists of Avalon (Avalon #1)

by Marion Zimmer Bradley

4.06 · rating details · 45,121 ratings · 2,892 reviews

In Marion Zimmer Bradley's masterpiece, we see the tumult and adventures of Camelot's court through the eyes of the women who bolstered the king's rise and schemed for his fall. From their childhoods through the ultimate fulfillment of their destinies, we follow these women and the diverse cast of characters that surrounds them as the great Arthurian epic unfolds stunningl...more

Hardcover, 876 pages

Published October 31st 2000 by Del Rey (first published 1982)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Favorite Books I read 2010

143rd out of 203 books — 60 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 62,739)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 21, 2007

Claire rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: books-with-swordfighting-in-them, top-25-of-all-time, books-i-loved-in-high-school, five-stars, elves-witches-vampires-and-the-like

You have to be a particular kind of girl to fall in love with this book the way I did.

--You have to be in the sixth grade, a freakishly precocious reader, whose beloved sixth-grade teacher brings a box of her ten favorite books to class and sets them up on the chalkboard and leaves them there for weeks for you to look at, including one HUGE book that looks like it's a billion pages long with some cool fairy priestess chick on a horse on the cover.

--You have to have grown ...moreYou have to be a particular kind of girl to fall in love with this book the way I did.

--You have to be in the sixth grade, a freakishly precocious reader, whose beloved sixth-grade teacher brings a box of her ten favorite books to class and sets them up on the chalkboard and leaves them there for weeks for you to look at, including one HUGE book that looks like it's a billion pages long with some cool fairy priestess chick on a horse on the cover.

--You have to have grown up reading King Arthur stories and LOVE the movie "The Sword In the Stone."

--You have to be so hopelessly nerdy that you would rather sit on the side of the playground reading than play kickball, never mind how much the other kids make fun of you about it.

--You have to be Catholic enough to understand the mentality of the occasionally hateful Christian characters in the book (as well as to be baffled and perplexed by all the sexuality which will make a number of plot elements only make sense to you when you re-read the book as a college student and go, "Ohhhhh. Now I get it").

--You have to be the kind of girl who loves and relates to the plain outcast Morgaine who is treated as a freak has to learn how to rely on herself alone.

--You have to hate the shallow blonde princesses, even when they seem like they might be kind of nice people, and always root for the feisty brunette.

--You have to be a fantasy geek who LOVES any book with swordfighting, magic, princesses, and doomed romance.

--You have to be patient enough to read 800+ pages that cover one woman's entire lifetime from before her birth to old, old age.

--You have to come to the end of the book and secretly wish that (despite your religious conviction in your Catholic upbringing) Britain had never been Christianized and we were all still witches.

--You have to secretly wish you belonged to a mystical female cult where you had to have a blue crescent moon tattooed on your forehead.

--You have to wish you knew how to ride a horse in a dress and look majestic, instead of falling off every time you were forced onto a horse at camp or on vacation and now you hate them and they scare you. (less)

like 189 likes

· see review

Aug 31, 2007

Keely rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, fantasy, novel, reviewed, american

Though I am wont to blame the inescapability of genetics for various aspects of an Epicurean reading of Absurdism, I tend to pause, for some reason, in ascribing gender differences as stringently. It's difficult to say if this is simply a bias of wishful egalitarian thinking or truly an outgrowth of my understanding, for precisely the reasons that Epicureus is worthy to interrupt my many Suicides. So, when I say that women seem more than men to be capable of breaking the Tolkien Curse laid so th...moreThough I am wont to blame the inescapability of genetics for various aspects of an Epicurean reading of Absurdism, I tend to pause, for some reason, in ascribing gender differences as stringently. It's difficult to say if this is simply a bias of wishful egalitarian thinking or truly an outgrowth of my understanding, for precisely the reasons that Epicureus is worthy to interrupt my many Suicides. So, when I say that women seem more than men to be capable of breaking the Tolkien Curse laid so thickly upon Modern Fantasy (barely proper), it is with trepidation.

Flatly blaming rude and wretched socialization always seems easier; despite our inability to understand any First Cause. Original Sin infects us all.

There is certainly something bound in the flesh which drives a breed of dwarfish, ill-socialized, fetish-loving escapists to blindly build and habitate an unoriginal world; and for a further gaggle of the nearly less-talented to consume it ravenously. It seems that, in the spirit of contrariness, when women find themselves thrust by love of horses or exceedingly lax tonsorial concerns into the same arena, that they fight a different fight.

Perhaps they approach the incline from a different vantage; arriving not by way of a)Tolkien to b)Conan to c)some unspeakable modern half-wit, but by Malory, McKinley, and Spenser. Of course, one must not forget that the vein of Fantasy still runs, at least in part, through Austen; and that though those alloys be rarer, still inhabit the edges.

Bradley has certainly taken a different tack on her way to the summit (never tor) of fantasy. She evokes Spenser, the Idylls, and all manner of other ridiculous romanticics of the Arthurian Mythos. She also endeavors to pull the characters out of the romantic and toward post-modern psychological conflict. On occasion, she even succeeds.

There is an undeniable depth to the books, accompanied by a rather pleasing graying at the temples of morality which immediately places her at the opposite pole from her male contemporaries. That those poles is really not so far away somewhat lessens the impact, and one is eventually bound to recognize that there really is a reverse pole to the whole of our concept of fantasy marked somewhere in Peake's Titus trilogy.

Actually, that's not true. One could very easily read a fantasy novel a week for life and never have to realize that Bradley is really only a little bit out there; but certainly enough to feel like a breath of the fresher.(less)

like 13 likes

· see review

Apr 19, 2009

Ceridwen rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: My younger self

Shelves: fantasy, ceridwens, grrrrl-power

Many moons ago, when Clintons roamed the earth, I was in my first year of college. The broomball ice rink had melted, the grass was greening where it wasn't yellowed by frat boy pee, and I dragged my mother's copy of The Mists of Avalon out in front of the dorm with a blanket, and read. And read and read. People would come by, and bother me about stuff like eating and sleeping and classes, and I would wave them on, obsessed with the story I was reading, and the spring, and the sun.

Th...moreMany moons ago, when Clintons roamed the earth, I was in my first year of college. The broomball ice rink had melted, the grass was greening where it wasn't yellowed by frat boy pee, and I dragged my mother's copy of The Mists of Avalon out in front of the dorm with a blanket, and read. And read and read. People would come by, and bother me about stuff like eating and sleeping and classes, and I would wave them on, obsessed with the story I was reading, and the spring, and the sun.

This is by far my favorite reading experience. It was like a drug, like sex, like neither of these things, like itself. I would read, and my elbows would go numb, so I would lay on my back until my thumbs hurt, and then flip over again. I had read some Zimmer Bradley in high school and enjoyed it, Firebrand and the one about trapeze artists, but I hadn't been swallowed by the story, hadn't consumed it in turn, like I did with this book. She blew my post-adolescent mind with her view of history, of legend, of the long, dark story of men and women.

She tells the Arthurian legend, but not in any way I had experienced it before. The protagonist is Morgan la Fey, who is usually one of the villains. Here she is a priestess of the Old Religion, the Druids, trying to hold her own as the Christians insinuate and change the whole of society around her. It's not one of those perfect pasts; I remember long passages about the mind-numbing banality that is women's work in any given culture. Gwenhyfar is something of a silly girl, Aurthur a bit of a clueless jock. Morgana prays to the goddess Ceridwen a bunch too, which warmed my heart, as that is what my parents named me. And tattoos! And sex! And a bunch of other stuff that had never, ever occurred to me before, because I was young, and it was spring, and maybe I was a little sheltered, but in a good way.

Zimmer Bradley broke new ground with this book, in terms of feminist re-imaginings of the classics. She didn't just put Morgan la Fey in a leather bustier, and have her shoot sex arrows at Arthur. (Hey man, I'm as sex-positive as the next feminist, but I'm pretty sure putting a historical figure in a bustier has nothing to do with wage parity.) She changed the form, used the language and modes of mass produced fantasy for women to utterly subvert the ideas of literature, of women's literature.

I don't know if you've watched soaps recently, but mostly characters sit around the kitchen and talk about other characters. It's like this mirror world, reflected back from the kitchens where the shows are watched. Zimmer Bradley uses this kind of comfortable feminine form to turn the legend upside down and shake all the change out of its pockets. History is important, right? the purview of important men and their important modes of speech. Zimmer Bradley tackles this most manly of subjects using the language of women, and it was a stroke of genius. (Although, the Arthur stuff is maybe the most girly of all the big legends: no unified text, a sort of gossipy, back-and-forth quality of many of the tales, love triangles, love potions. I mean, Knights of the Round Table? You might as well be the Knights of the Giant Metaphorical Vagina. But, whatever.)

I've never read The Mists of Avalon again, and I don't think I ever will. It's too located in my own private history, too perfect. I have a feeling returning this book would be cringe-inducing, and I'd be confronted by a story in need of an editor and an unsubtle view of men and women and religion. My memory is a way to experience my younger self, and my rating reflects that. It's spring again, and I'm feeling nostalgic for springs past, for books past, for selves past. You'd probably have to be a naive, confident girl from the Midwest, living at the beginning of the end of the millennium, to love this book like I do. It's possible you may have whatever oddball collection of character traits that will make you love this book too. I hope so. (less)

like 94 likes

· see review

Nov 07, 2008

Jackie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, celtic, arthurian

An excellent Arthurian saga.
Written from the point of view of Morgaine, Arthur's half-sister and the villian of traditional Arthur tales.
Unique in perspective with strong female characters. It is a story of love; and quite different from any Arthur novel you'll ever read.
Marion Zimmer Bradley's best work. She paints a vivid picture, rich with depth of characters and relationships.
One of my favorites, I can read this over and over again.

like 13 likes

· see review

Feb 09, 2008

Matthew rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantastic, books-on-pod

The Arthur myth from the point of view of Morgaine le Fay, pagan priestess. Supposedly a feminist take on the old legends. There is one main problem with this approach: let's face it, women's lives in the dark ages were pretty boring. And rather than break out of this mold with strong female characters, Bradley talks a lot about spinning, weaving, and having babies. The female characters are either contemptible or irritating, or both. The male characters are cardboard--Arthur is as heroic as a l...more

like 15 likes

· see review

May 24, 2007

Kelly rated it

Recommends it for: fantasy lovers, arthurian scholars, young women, feminists

Shelves: fantasy-and-scifi, fiction, owned, 20th-century-postwar-to-late, grand-opera

I read this book when I was in my mid-teens, and in the midst of an Arthurian obsession phase. I also thought that I was going to leave Catholicism and become a pagan at the time. The second thing nearly happened because of this book. At the time I was struggling for some kind of beauty in spirituality, and this was one of the first books I read that made me feel like that could be accomplished. And not in a distant way that I'd experienced from my childhood. In an earthy way that I felt connect...more

like 13 likes

· see review

Jul 20, 2008

Rachel rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

OK I admit, when I told my college Arthurian Lit professor that I'd read and enjoyed this book, he proceeded to give me a quick-before-the-next-class-comes-in lecture about how Marion Zimmer Bradley's "interpretation" skewed wildly from the genre.

But I don't care. It's a difficult book (long and utterly depressing,) but it takes the first in-depth look at both women and the pagan Celtic religion of Britain, which Christianity usurped around that time. Evil sorceress Morga...more

like 21 likes

· see review

Carolyn Overall I think your review echoes what I liked about the book - but I wanted to comment on you Arthurian Lit professor - what a jerk! The whole genre...more
Nov 04, 2008 07:44am

Rachel I think that my professor and I were just looking for different things. Medvieval literature was not so much into complex character development, I fi...more
Nov 04, 2008 12:15pm

Oct 28, 2009

Jillian rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Jillian by: Tess Numrich

I copied and pasted part of someone else's review that made me laugh:

"The Arthur myth from the point of view of Morgaine le Fay, pagan priestess. Supposedly a feminist take on the old legends. There is one main problem with this approach: let's face it, women's lives in the dark ages were pretty boring. And rather than break out of this mold with strong female characters, Bradley talks a lot about spinning, weaving, and having babies. The female characters are either contemptibl...moreI copied and pasted part of someone else's review that made me laugh:

"The Arthur myth from the point of view of Morgaine le Fay, pagan priestess. Supposedly a feminist take on the old legends. There is one main problem with this approach: let's face it, women's lives in the dark ages were pretty boring. And rather than break out of this mold with strong female characters, Bradley talks a lot about spinning, weaving, and having babies. The female characters are either contemptible or irritating, or both. The male characters are cardboard--Arthur is as heroic as a limp dishrag, Merlin just an old man sitting in his rocking chair. The pagan-Christian thing is overwrought and shrill, devolving mostly into interminable theological debates between characters that cover the same ground over and over and over again.

A lot of things irritated me about this book, but nothing more than the simple lack of a compelling narrative construction. Nothing happens. There is dialogue, which mostly rehashes things that were already talked about. And then there is monologue, in which the weak and mostly contemptible characters thrash around in their heads so much that it would make Dostoyevsky cringe. It makes me angry that you could even try to tell the Arthurian legend--even from a feminine point of view--without looking at the epic clashes between the knights of the round table and their enemies.

Horrendously disappointing. For a fantasy novel, George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones does everything that this book tries to do, and does it ten times better. For more of a historical view, Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom is a much more fun and interesting look at the clash of Christian and pagan civilizations, and even has characters that you don't hate. ..."

Ok-well this reviewer did appreciate the feminist take which is why I gave it 2 stars instead of one, and I have to admit a friend like id which is why I read it-but I don't enjoy Arthurian legend stories or fantasy-so overall-maybe I'm biased.(less)

like 12 likes

· see review

Allison This is EXACTLY how I feel about this book. It's all embroidery and babies. I did feel that for a "feminist" text, Bradley REALLY attacks th...more
Nov 14, 2008 09:22pm

Ancestral Celt Yes, yes and yes! I totally agree with the reviewer you quoted, and with Allison's comments. It was tedious, slow and just plain boring.
Nov 09, 2010 07:30pm

Kelly Hess I'm currently slogging through this thing, and I agree with a lot of what's been said here. For the life of me, I don't know what all the gushing prai...more
Dec 23, 2010 07:27am

Jan 05, 2008

Meirav Rath rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Young girls with romantic dreams an too many braincells to settle for cheap romance books

Recommended to Meirav by: A friend from university.

Shelves: fiction

Have you ever found yourself reading a book, knowing you're reading crap, but the writing style and the occasional promising plot twist kept you going?

Maybe I was fooled by Hallmark's production, Merlin, and I expected Morgaine to have a backbone to call her own. Zimmer Bradley took whatever hope I had of finding yet another female character to favore and crushed them; Morgaine is obsessed with who everyone marries and who gives birth to who as badly as the simple 'foolish' women she...more

like 11 likes

· see review

Dec 06, 2008

Genevieve rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This is one of the few books that I hate. I'm a feminist and I love King Arthur stories and The Mists of Avalon makes me vaguely nauseous. I read the whole thing hoping it would get better, and it didn't, though there are a few good bits. Overall I found it offensive to the Arthurian legends, to history, and to women, and being a 15-year-old girl who liked fantasy novels did nothing to change this opinion.

like 20 likes

· see review

May 25, 2008

Nick rated it

· review of another edition

This book was awful. Oh my god, I had to put it down five times and read something else just to get through it. The terms pointless and self-serving come to mind as this author might as well beat the reader over the head with a piss poor attempt at Feminism and some kind of pot-shots at Christianity. I would consider myself a Feminist, but Feminism is about equality not role reversal. And I'm as agnostic as the next guy, but cut me some slack, all religions are just about the same. I mean, these...more

like 10 likes

· see review

Feb 20, 2008

Maurean rated it

· review of another edition

I have heard for years nothing but glowing recommendations for this book, yet I am still amazed by the intensity with which this story touched me. Marion Zimmer Bradley is an incredible storyteller with impressive knowledge of the ancient Goddess based spirituality. The history and mysticism are clearly well-researched, and the writing is lyrical, palpable, and quite beautiful.

In this “retelling” of the Arthurian legend- which parallels, too, the Celtic mythology of Finn MacCool & ...moreI have heard for years nothing but glowing recommendations for this book, yet I am still amazed by the intensity with which this story touched me. Marion Zimmer Bradley is an incredible storyteller with impressive knowledge of the ancient Goddess based spirituality. The history and mysticism are clearly well-researched, and the writing is lyrical, palpable, and quite beautiful.

In this “retelling” of the Arthurian legend- which parallels, too, the Celtic mythology of Finn MacCool & the Fenians, and the Red Branch Heroes of Ulster - from the perspective of the women in the story, it details magically the struggles of Christianity vs. Paganism, where the lines between good and evil are much blurred;
All the characters are well-drawn in depths both good and bad, flawed and noble, completely and ultimately human.

My favorite passage:

“That faith [Christianity] seems too simple to me – the idea that we have only to believe that Christ died for our sins, once and for all. But I know too much of the truth…of the way life works, with life after life in which we, ourselves, and only we, can work out the causes we have set in motion and make amends for the harm we have done. It stands not in the realm of reason that one man, however holy and blessed, could atone for all of the sins of all men, done in all lifetimes.” (pg. 611)

This is a story of how the old pagan ways of Avalon are engulfed by the rise of Christianity after the fall of Rome. Portrayed through the story of Camelot, told in the voice of Morgaine, Morgan La Fey, niece of Viviane, Lady of the Lake; queen of Cornwall, sister to the High King, and consort to the King Stag; a refreshing perspective to a well-known tale.

This is a masterful interpretation, giving new life to all the old characters: Gwenhwyfar, the pious, Christian Queen to Authur; The handsome Lancelet, most honorable knight and Queen’s Champion; Taliesin, the Great Merlin of Britian, Morgause, Morgaine’s Aunt and foster-mother to Galahad…truly, an engrossing and engaging tale of epic proportions; I cannot find words to praise it enough. This will procure a spot in my “favorite five fiction” reads of all time. If you have not yet treated yourself to this enchanting feat of imagination into this world of Old, I urge you to do so, soon. It is well worth the journey
(less)

like 6 likes

· see review

Aug 27, 2007

Dayna rated it

· review of another edition

I commented before that this book is slogging ... and that's what it is. I slogged through half of it ... and then it was due back at the library (yeah ... it took me a month to slog through half of it) so I skimmed the rest until the end. I'm going to be fair and say that if you enjoy Arthurian romance and if you already know the legends through and through that you might enjoy The Mists of Avalon more than I did. Yet you may be even more frustrated than I was. Perhaps disgusted. I cannot give ...moreI commented before that this book is slogging ... and that's what it is. I slogged through half of it ... and then it was due back at the library (yeah ... it took me a month to slog through half of it) so I skimmed the rest until the end. I'm going to be fair and say that if you enjoy Arthurian romance and if you already know the legends through and through that you might enjoy The Mists of Avalon more than I did. Yet you may be even more frustrated than I was. Perhaps disgusted. I cannot give it less than two stars (even though I think it's really only a one-star) simply because of the fact that if I understood all of the author's sources I might have liked it a lot more than I did. As it is I just could not get into it and so I call it second-rate slop. Tripe.

It is the story of Arthur and Camelot from the womens' point of view. Sounds excellent, right? Whatever. I was frustrated by the fact that every female character seemed manic. In one paragraph she (any SHE in the story) is madly in love with a man (any MAN in the story) and in the next ... moments later SHE is digusted with him. Back and forth it goes. One minute SHE feels like a goddess and the next she feels lost and all alone and confused. Arthur is basically pathetic and all his knights are either "My sword is bigger than yours!" or "I love Pathetic Arthur more than you do!" Beyond that it seems like the book could have been cut by half and you would have had the same exact story ... with all of its wishy-washy characters. Give me a break! I basically concluded that some people will like the "feminine" aspect better than I did and that I simply prefer the story of Arthur to be told from the warrior aspects. Forget the twisted love crap. I wanted more Excalibur! And not this "the blood of a woman woven into the threads of the sheath ... " blah-blah-blah. Just the sword & battle ... and the knights' adventures. I don't care who so-and-so may or may not have fooled around with. Anywho ... if you're into King Arthur I would not recommend this book to get you started. (less)

like 5 likes

· see review

Jan 15, 2012

Jeane rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: hf-challenge

Spoilers may be possible

The mists of Avalon is written from a different view than most known stories about Arthur, Camelot, the knights of the round table.... . This story shows a time before Arthur and Camelot. We get introduced to many characters but it starts with two main characters, two strong women: Viviane, priestess of Avalon and Ingraine, born in Avalon but married at a young age to a king.
These two women have in common Morgaine, daughter of Ingraine who spends h...moreSpoilers may be possible

The mists of Avalon is written from a different view than most known stories about Arthur, Camelot, the knights of the round table.... . This story shows a time before Arthur and Camelot. We get introduced to many characters but it starts with two main characters, two strong women: Viviane, priestess of Avalon and Ingraine, born in Avalon but married at a young age to a king.
These two women have in common Morgaine, daughter of Ingraine who spends her life from young age in Avalon with Viviane and becomes priestess. Her brother is Arthur who is helped by Avalon to become the king who brings peace to the country and swears to do this under the name of Avalon.

Lancelet is shown as a knight connected to Avalon but his love for Arthur and Guinevere, bring him also to the Christian court. Struggled between his love for Arthur and his forbidden love for Guinevere, he stays true to Arthur.

Morgaine is trained to follow up Viviane as priestess, once time comes to it. But in important event that makes Arthur king, changes Morgaine's life for ever. She struggles with this personally and keeps trying to do what the Goddess ask from her as priestess. As a strong priestess, she suffers as much as any ordinary woman. She fights for Avalon her whole live.

Merlin tries to show people that religion isn't important in the way that people beleive there is only one right religion. Merlin brings Avalon and Christianity together, which helps peace.

Many characters are important in the story, in which many things happen. Every little thing has influence on other things, like an unbreakable chain.

It took me seven years after writing it on my to read list, and I am so happy that I finally read it. I wa absorbed by the story which was very lifely, fast paced and intriguing. I loved the strong figure of Morgaine who keeps true to Avalon in the end. The story flows over in each other trough all that happens and with the many characters, so that it enver slows down or bores.(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Mar 01, 2008

Chelsea rated it

· review of another edition

It took me two whole months to get through this 876 page tome. Not that it wasn't two months well spent, but in the scheme of things, even with my slow pace of late, two months is a long time.

MZB's well crafted world of Avalon and Camelot is not a bad place to spend two months; I actually quite enjoyed the book, up until the last hundred pages or so. She creates a rich tapestry of characters and circumstances (one of those books that probably needs a map and family tree in the back, bu...moreIt took me two whole months to get through this 876 page tome. Not that it wasn't two months well spent, but in the scheme of things, even with my slow pace of late, two months is a long time.

MZB's well crafted world of Avalon and Camelot is not a bad place to spend two months; I actually quite enjoyed the book, up until the last hundred pages or so. She creates a rich tapestry of characters and circumstances (one of those books that probably needs a map and family tree in the back, but hasn't.) Generally, I'm not a big fan of books that have to give you character maps, but because of the epic nature of the novel, you're introduced to the characters gradually, over time as they move in and out of the story, and some die off, some are born, so you're not trying to keep all of their stories straight at the same time.

There are times when the time line itself gets a little confusing, simply because of the effort to tell all these congruent tales. Ultimately, they blend together pretty well into something that's pretty readable and often captivating, if sometimes a little wordy. (Like fantasy tends to do.)

Something I'll only mention briefly is the issues of sexuality/sexism that are addressed through the characters lives. Bradley creates women who are strong-willed, born into a tradition of matriarchal hierarchies and yet, when brought into the increasingly Christian court of Arthur, they seem to meld themselves right into the "traditional" female roles - sitting in gossipy group, spinning and weaving all day. Kinda frustrating. Stop whining about how you want to be included in the court talk and go down there, dammit!

As I mentioned earlier, my biggest problem with the book is the end, really. In the last coupl of chapters, the whole story seems to dissolve into mists and uncertainties; suddenly a lot of people are dying. The main character, who's spent the majority of her time being very strong willed and self-assured starts to break down into mush. The religious talk gets very mealy-mouthed in the Druid/Christian/Pagan debate. Overall, it just sort of felt like she spent the first 700 pages creating this great world, and then realized in the last 100 that she had to destroy it somehow to get back to "reality".

All told, I really like her retelling of the Camelot story. Her characters are real, and the three-somes/pagan sex rituals are kept to a tasteful minimum. I do have to say that its length worked against it in one respect - it took me so long to read that I was kinda wanting to be done and move on to the next thing about two thirds of the way through. So, if you're a quick reader, or you find yourself with lots of free time on your hands, I would recommend this classic fantasy novel. (less)

like 4 likes

· see review

Jun 16, 2008

Nadia rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: no one

ugh. i can't decide whether to give this a 1 or a 2 (i am SHOCKED that the average rating for this book is over a 4, btw!!!). this book DRAGGED. i am a huge fan of sci-fi/fantasy, and the fact that this (a) is one of those books that you hear about in conversations somewhat frequently, and (b) is a re-creating of a "known" story (the legend of king arthur) from the perspective of the females behind the throne, is what originally prompted me to read this book. BUT, the sci-fi elemen...more

like 5 likes

· see review

Nov 05, 2007

Linda rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

This book is one of those that I would consider required reading. Marion Zimmer Bradley's telling of the Arthurian legend from the point of view of Morgaine is so captivating that even twenty years later, I come back to it.

It's the story of Britain after Rome has faded but the influence of Rome, particularly through spreading Christianity hasn't. Britain is on the cusp where the spread of Christianity is eclipsing the native, ancient religion. You'll see all the familiar names from t...more

like 9 likes

· see review

Dec 15, 2007

Mary-Beth rated it

Shelves: fiction, fantasy

I've read lots of takes on Arthurian legend. That's probably why I find this version ploddingly dull. Mists seems to focus in a lot on religion in a really boring way and I have nothing wrong with feminist writing or revisioning, but the main stories, the interesting stories of Arthurian legend are mostly not about women. That's probably why I'd never touch a second book of this series with a ten foot pole.

like 3 likes

· see review

Aug 21, 2011

Rachael Sherwood rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

When I was about a fourth of the way through The Mists of Avalon, I glanced at some reviews on GoodReads and was disheartened to see that the consensus of many reviews was that the book ended on a FEMINISMRULESMENDROOLSCHRISTIANITYSUX message. Thus far I had found the book to be more complex than that, but I could see that ending coming, as MZB is not always the subtlest of writers. However, at the end I happily conclude that seeing such a reductionist message from the text is a failing on the ...moreWhen I was about a fourth of the way through The Mists of Avalon, I glanced at some reviews on GoodReads and was disheartened to see that the consensus of many reviews was that the book ended on a FEMINISMRULESMENDROOLSCHRISTIANITYSUX message. Thus far I had found the book to be more complex than that, but I could see that ending coming, as MZB is not always the subtlest of writers. However, at the end I happily conclude that seeing such a reductionist message from the text is a failing on the reader, not the author.

The Mists of Avalon, for those who are not familiar, is a retelling of the Arthurian saga from the women’s point of view. Most notably, it follows the women of Avalon, traditionally regarded as witches, crones, and villainesses. Morgaine (Morgan Le Fey) is not evil sorcercess intent on destroying the good Christian king, she is a devoted priestess to the Goddess who wants to make sure that her religion is not destroyed by the Christian conversion of the lands. The decline of the pagan religion is symbolized quite literally, through their holy Isle of Avalon. There was a time when any man or woman could find the Island, but as more and more converts abandon the old ways, Avalon fades more into the mists. Morgaine’s foil is Gwynhefar, the passionate young Queen who wants to remake Britain in Christ’s name. Both Morgaine and Gwynhefar are I think what you could fairly describe as religious fanatics, and they both struggle with what they must give up to push their agenda. The Merlin of Britain, leader of the Druids, occupies a middle ground in this religious debate, saying merely that all Gods are one and that it does not matter what form men see them in. In the end, the book’s conclusion lies closest to the Merlin’s, and even Morgaine comes to embrace the Christians and sees her Goddess in the Virgin Mary and Saint Brigid. I think this book is a great starting place for a bigger discussion of the place of feminine spirituality within a patriarchal driven religion.

Although the book is largely concerned with matters of religion, it is also a saga of family and love and is filled with fascinating characters. It’s hard for me to say who I’d recommend it to, or not. For me it was a totally immersive and exciting experience, I suspect for others it would drag. I would NOT recommend it for someone looking for an Arthurian story, this is a postfeminist story about spirituality. If that interests you, go for it. ;) I think possibly it’s best audience would be teenage girls; I really enjoyed reading it as an adult, as a teen I think I would have just loved it.
(less)

like 2 likes

· see review

Dec 17, 2011

Anachronist rated it

· review of another edition

Synopsis:

The magical legend of King Arthur is vividly retold through the eyes and lives of the women who wielded power from behind the throne. I could have written much more but there is really no point of it. I bet you have heard about King Arthur, his unfaithful but beautiful wife, Gwenhyfar, his best friend, Lancelot, who was also his wife’s lover, his Knights of the Round Table, the Graal etc. You will find everybody in this book. Do not expect to recognize them.

Wh...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jan 01, 2009

Gregory rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy

What can I say about this book? I understand that this is largely considered to be one of the great classics of modern fantasy literature. But personally, I found it to be a tedious, repetitive, grossly innaccurate affair that has little redeeming value. To be fair, I have to applaud Bradley for the sheer audacity of what she attempts to accomplish with this book: it's not an easy job re-conceiving the vast array of Arthurian legends. Perhaps she merely bit off a lot more than she could che...moreWhat can I say about this book? I understand that this is largely considered to be one of the great classics of modern fantasy literature. But personally, I found it to be a tedious, repetitive, grossly innaccurate affair that has little redeeming value. To be fair, I have to applaud Bradley for the sheer audacity of what she attempts to accomplish with this book: it's not an easy job re-conceiving the vast array of Arthurian legends. Perhaps she merely bit off a lot more than she could chew. But nevertheless, this book wound up being one of the great disappointments of my reading career.

The entire point of Bradley's book seems to be not really to tell a story, but to push a neo-feminist, neo-pagan point of view. Her arguments, that Christianity ruined egalitarian earth-loving Celtic cultures and shackled women under a male-dominated cultural power supported by the Church, are repetitive and monotonous. Her book becomes far more concerned with repeating this argument over and over again, and the plot suffers greatly. Even if you do agree with some of her points (which I do), you find yourself becoming quite aggravated by her tiresome diatribes well before the book is half finished. Any basic writing instructor will tell you that when setting out to write a story, don't try to make a point. If your writing is good enough, it will make that point clear for you, while leaving your reader to determine their own conclusions. Obviously, Bradley never got this piece of advice or simply chose to ignore it.

The other grave fault of the books is that Bradley's perspective is based on a lot of New Age, Neo-pagan pseudo-history than any real research. Either she didn't know any better, or just as likely, she chose to ignore historical fact. Now I can allow for a healthy amount of artistic interpretation to history, especially when you take into account the Arthurian period, which is itself layered in so much myth and speculation. But Bradley goes beyond the acceptable levels of "stretching the facts," and instead weaves such blatant misrepresentations that it makes one cringe. For one, Celtic cultures were hardly the peaceful, egalitarian, feminist examples that Bradley portrays them to be. Their religious organization was male-dominated, and they engaged in human sacrifice and even ritual rape. In her attempts to color Christianity black she entirely overlooks the contributions the Church made in bringing peace to war-torn Britain. And, perhaps her most horrendous and unforgiveable sin, is in her portrayal of St. Patrick, who becomes Arthur's bishop in the later half of the book. Not only did Patrick never become a bishop in Britain (or hold any real post there whatsoever), but Bradley again overlooks the fact that while in Ireland on his mission of conversion, Patrick actually allowed for female bishops and priests and created perhaps one of the most egalitarian versions of the Catholic Church.

These points aisde, what about her actual portrayal of the Arthurian legends? Bradley's characters are mostly one-dimensional, alas. There is very little narrative structure, and most of the "action" of the novel occurs within the characters. As mentioned, she seems a lot more interested in making her socio-philosophical point than in telling a real story. The great events of the Arthurian tales are mostly glossed over, though she does have some interesting and intriguing re-interpretations of some of the episode. Unfortunately, these are few, and the end of the book is especially anti-climactic. Arthur's tragic death and the dissolution of the dream of Camelot is merely a footnote.

The final verdict? Read this book if, like me, you are very interested in the Arthurian cycles and their re-interpretations throughout history. This is one of those works that, while painful to plod through, should at least be attempted in order to gain a better understanding of the modern impact of Arthur and his exploits. However, beyond that cultural context, this book hardly stands out. If you are looking for a unique, intriguing, and multidimensional treatment of the Arthurian legends, then I recommend you seek out T.H. White's The Once and Future King.(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Dec 26, 2008

Jamie rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: junior high girls finished with Twilight

Shelves: read-in-2008, abandoned

What started out to be a promising story with a woman-centric perspective quickly devolved into a one-dimensional mess. Maybe the problem is that it was written for a junior-high age audience--this would certainly explain why everything is a set up as a battle to be won. Druid v. Christian, nature v. man, priestess v. everyone.

I think what I truly disliked about this book is that it could have been so much more. At the very least, the women could have been complex and flawed but fu...more

like 3 likes

· see review

Aug 11, 2008

Letitia rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Patient Feminists and Pagans

It is incredibly difficult to carry a reader's interest through a nearly 900 page novel...and Marion Zimmer Bradly does no better than most.

I was fascinated by the perspective of this novel from the first page. It is essentially a retelling of the Arthur legend from the female perspective, giving all of the characters an entirely new slant. This was much appreciated, but when you have nothing to say, can only carry a book so far. What might have been great plot was far too often dis...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Feb 13, 2008

Jessica rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: All people who love Arthurian legend and all girls aged 10 - 100

This novel by Marion Zimmber Bradley was absolutley fantastic. I am a long time fan of Arthurian legends, some of my favorite books have been T.H. White's The Once and Future King and Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, so when I learned there was a book that tells the story of Camelot through the eyes of female characters called The Mists of Avalon, I knew I was in for a good read.

First of all, this book is MASSIVE. 876 pages, to be exact. So you have to sort ...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Jan 08, 2008

Vera rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone interested in medieval lit/feminism, or who loves the movie Practical Magic

I watched the miniseries version all in one night with my old roommate, and loved it. I also really liked the concept of re-telling (pretty much re-writing) the Arthurian legends from the point of view of the women.

I was fascinated by some things in this book - the way of life and beliefs of the people living "the old way" on the mystical isle of Avalon (pagan, I think?), following the Goddess, contrasted against the new Christian views of the people at Arthur's court. Als...moreI watched the miniseries version all in one night with my old roommate, and loved it. I also really liked the concept of re-telling (pretty much re-writing) the Arthurian legends from the point of view of the women.

I was fascinated by some things in this book - the way of life and beliefs of the people living "the old way" on the mystical isle of Avalon (pagan, I think?), following the Goddess, contrasted against the new Christian views of the people at Arthur's court. Also, the old well-trodden stories are told from such a different perspective - sometimes almost as an afterthought to what seems like the primary action - that they're made brand-new. At times I didn't even recognize them until part-way through. Being enamored with medieval literature, I loved this and giggled like a nerd when I realized the old, unwieldy table that Guinevere's father gave Arthur as a wedding present (mentioned offhandedly) was to become the infamous Round Table.

The book gets a bit slow at times when many pages are spent on events at Court, social courtesies, or discussions at dinner. But overall, it's incredibly romantic. I definitely developed a crush on Lancelet (Lancelot) and Morgaine's lover - can't remember his name. The characters are excellent, tragically flawed (if somewhat annoying at times). Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) is an infuriating character that you love to hate. And it's worth making it all the way through this VERY long book for the poignant, perfect ending.

What I loved the most was the portrayal of the rites and powers of Avalon... and the way the land of Avalon could only be found by certain people (sometimes by accident!!) in the mists. It simultaneously occupied the same island as Glastonbury, where nuns and priests lived, but was somehow on the other side of a veil.... eventually "lost to time." GREAT stuff.

It also showed a very different kind of female power, a spiritual/sensual one that's tied to the land and life itself - kind of similar to what's described in The Da Vinci Code.

Two of my favorite quotes: "Yours is the face of the Goddess for me."

"Truth has many faces and the truth is like to the old road to Avalon; it depends on your own will and your own thoughts, whither the road will take you."

I look forward to re-reading this book sometime!(less)

like 3 likes

· see review

Dec 04, 2007

Stephanie "Jedigal" rated it

· review of another edition

Highly developed characters evolve as events unfold. The author vividly portrays the complex and sometimes conflicting motivations that inform an individual's actions. I found myself sympathizing with almost all of the characters. Whether you agree with them or not, the author presents their different points of view with great clarity.

The storylines revolve around politics and religion, with power as one central theme. The various modes of wielding power employed by the women is sti...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Nov 28, 2007

Amber rated it

· review of another edition

I picked this book up off the shelf as a wim. I had watched bits and pieces of the tv mini series and liked it so I figured the book had to be somewhat good. I had a hard time jumping right into it until about page 150 then I was hooked. I was in shock, and delight and the happening that occured thru out the story. At points I was so repulsed that I couldnt put the book down hoping that characters such as Gwenyfer would redeem herself. Which to my on going hope she did not. Of all the tales I ha...more

like 1 like

· see review

Jul 13, 2007

Some Small Silence rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Dreamers

I remember reading this book at the bell concerts my father used to take us to when I was a girl. I was maybe twelve or thirteen, and I'd sit on a blanket spread on the grass and loose myself completely as the bells chimed in the background.
In "The Mists of Avalon", Bradley creates a beautiful, compelling, and sometimes dark world. She re-envisions Arthurian legend through the eyes of its women, but to say that is to only explain a fraction of what this book is about. It als...more

like 4 likes

· see review

Sep 07, 2007

Lynn rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: british-history, fantasy, historical-fiction

I was intrigued by the idea of telling the King Arthur legends from a feminine perspective. Who wouldn't be? I had been eying this book for years, loving its beautiful cover artwork, and taking comfort in the fact that people said the book was so much better than the TV miniseries, which I had actually sort-of liked anyway.

But I had to chalk it up to a big disappointment. I thought the miniseries had raised some interesting questions about prejudice and fear on both sides of the C...more

like 2 likes

· see review

Sep 08, 2007

Danine rated it

· review of another edition

I love this book. I love it so much I've read it twice. 876 pages x2. I love reading about the Arthurian legends. I've read many books about the legend but I particularly like this one. It is from a female perspective. The book also introduced me my second most hated character in a book, Guenevere. Gwen forces Uther to take down the Pendragon flag and replace it with Christian flag. Gwen is also a ho.

The story is about how Avalon and its worship of the Goddess are being phased ou...more

like 1 like

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 2091 2092 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Madison Mega-Mara...: The Mists of Avalon	4	11	Jan 11, 2012 06:56pm
2012 Big Book Cha...: Gina's largeish book challenge	1	12	Jan 03, 2012 02:27am
How successful was this as a feminist re-interpretation of the Arthurian cycle?	51	122	Dec 31, 2011 04:00am
Romance Readers R...: [Buddy Read] Mists of Avalon by M. Z. Bradley	44	32	Dec 24, 2011 12:26am
Reading the Chunk...: November 27th-December 4th: 774-827 (Chapters 10-13)	3	11	Nov 28, 2011 11:18am
couldn't get into it	33	184	Nov 26, 2011 02:28pm
Has anyone encountered a large print edition of this book?	7	30	Nov 26, 2011 09:38am

combine
Other Editions (52)

More editions...

Videos About This Book

4 comments

Genres

Fantasy

2,525 users

Historical Fiction

444 users

Mythology > Arthurian

224 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

198 users

Fantasy > Mythology

102 users

Classics

88 users

Romance

80 users

Fantasy > Magic

55 users

Adult

47 users

Feminism

44 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About Marion Zimmer Bradley

Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series, often with a feminist outlook.

Born on a farm in Albany, New York, during the Great Depression, she began writing in 1949 and sold her first story to Vortex magazine in 1952. In 1965 Bradley graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hardin-Simmons University in...more

More about Marion Zimmer Bradley...

Books by Marion Zimmer Bradley

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About The Mists of Avalon

20 trivia questions
2 quizzes

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from The Mists of Avalon

“There is no such thing as a true tale. Truth has many faces and the truth is like to the old road to Avalon; it depends on your own will, and your own thoughts, whither the road will take you.” — 105 people liked it

“All gods are one god.” — 51 people liked it

More quotes…

Groups That Shelved The Mists of Avalon

Paranormal Romance & Urba...

11036 members

last activity 15 minutes ago

shelf: read

The Sword and Laser

4334 members

last activity 38 minutes ago

shelf: read

Fantasy Aficionados

1418 members

last activity 32 minutes ago

shelf: read

title link	preview: The Mists of Avalon
avg rating	preview: The Mists of Avalon Goodreads rating: 4.06 (45121 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84527.The_Mists_of_Avalon?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320436577m/84527.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84527.The_Mists_of_Avalon?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley[/url]

The Mists of Avalon (Avalon #1)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website