Mists Of Avalon Collection: "Mistress Of Magic", "The High Queen", "The King Stag", "The Prisoner In The Oak"

by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Caroline Goodall (Narrator)

Coleção As Brumas de Avalon [4 volumes] A Senhora da Magia, A Grande Rainha, O Gamo-Rei e O Prisioneiro da Árvore são os quatro volumes que compõem As Brumas de Avalon - a grande obra de Marion Zimmer Bradley -, que reconta a lenda do rei Artur através da perspectiva de suas heroínas. Guinevere se casou com Artur por determinação do pai, mas era apaixonada por Lancelote. Ela não conseguiu dar um filho e herdeiro para o marido, o que gera sérias conseqüências políticas para o reino de Camelot. Sua dedicação ao cristianismo acaba colocando Artur, e com ele toda a Bretanha, sob a influência dos padres cristãos, apesar de ser juramento de respeitar a velha religião de Avalon. Além da mãe de Artur, Igraine e de Viviane, a Senhora do Lago que é a Grande Sacerdotisa de Avalon, uma outra mulher é fundamental na Morgana, a irmã de Artur. Ela é vibrante, ardente em seus amores e em suas fidelidades, e polariza a história com Guinevere, constituindo-se em a sua grande rival. Sendo uma sacerdotisa de Avalon, ela tem a Visão, o que a transforma em uma mulher atormentada. Trata-se, acima de tudo, da história do conflito entre o cristianismo, representado por Guinevere, e da velha religião de Avalon, representada por Morgana. Ao acompanhar a evolução da história de Guinevere e de Morgana, assim como dos numerosos personagens que as cercam, acompanhamos também o destino das terras que mais tarde seriam conhecidas como Grã-Bretanha. As Brumas de Avalon evoca uma Bretanha que é ao mesmo tempo real e lendária - desde as suas desesperadas guerras pela sobrevivência contra a invasão saxônica até as tragédias que acompanham Artur até a sua morte e o fim da influência mítica por ele representada. Igraine, Viviane, Guinevere e Morgana revelam através da história de suas vidas e sentimentos a lenda do rei Artur, como se ela fosse nova e original.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Mythology

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

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.

Bradley's first published novel-length work was Falcons of Narabedla, first published in the May 1957 issue of Other Worlds. When she was a child, Bradley stated that she enjoyed reading adventure fantasy authors such as Henry Kuttner, Edmond Hamilton, and Leigh Brackett, especially when they wrote about "the glint of strange suns on worlds that never were and never would be." Her first novel and much of her subsequent work show their influence strongly.

Early in her career, writing as Morgan Ives, Miriam Gardner, John Dexter, and Lee Chapman, Marion Zimmer Bradley produced several works outside the speculative fiction genre, including some gay and lesbian pulp fiction novels. For example, I Am a Lesbian was published in 1962. Though relatively tame by today's standards, they were considered pornographic when published, and for a long time she refused to disclose the titles she wrote under these pseudonyms.

Her 1958 story The Planet Savers introduced the planet of Darkover, which became the setting of a popular series by Bradley and other authors. The Darkover milieu may be considered as either fantasy with science fiction overtones or as science fiction with fantasy overtones, as Darkover is a lost earth colony where psi powers developed to an unusual degree. Bradley wrote many Darkover novels by herself, but in her later years collaborated with other authors for publication; her literary collaborators have continued the series since her death.

Bradley took an active role in science-fiction and fantasy fandom, promoting interaction with professional authors and publishers and making several important contributions to the subculture.

For many years, Bradley actively encouraged Darkover fan fiction and reprinted some of it in commercial Darkover anthologies, continuing to encourage submissions from unpublished authors, but this ended after a dispute with a fan over an unpublished Darkover novel of Bradley's that had similarities to some of the fan's stories. As a result, the novel remained unpublished, and Bradley demanded the cessation of all Darkover fan fiction.

Bradley was also the editor of the long-running Sword and Sorceress anthology series, which encouraged submissions of fantasy stories featuring original and non-traditional heroines from young and upcoming authors. Although she particularly encouraged young female authors, she was not averse to including male authors in her anthologies. Mercedes Lackey was just one of many authors who first appeared in the anthologies. She also maintained a large family of writers at her home in Berkeley. Ms Bradley was editing the final Sword and Sorceress manuscript up until the week of her death in September of 1999.

Probably her most famous single novel is The Mists of Avalon. A retelling of the Camelot legend from the point of view of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar, it grew into a series of books; like the Darkover series, the later novels are written with or by other authors and have continued to appear after Bradley's death.

Her reputation has been posthumously marred by multiple accusations of child sexual abuse by her daughter Moira Greyland, and for allegedly assisting her second husband, convicted child abuser Walter Breen, in sexually abusing multiple unrelated children.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Mariana Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fé, fanatismo, amor, traição, ódio, resignação... Esses são alguns dos recheios que embalam o leitor de As Brumas de Avalon. Uma história sobre uma lenda conhecida: a do Rei Artur. Já havia lido sobre a lenda de Artur e os Cavaleiros da Távola Redonda em As Mais Belas Histórias da Idade Média. Mas nada como ler os quatro volumes de Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Os esforços de Artur para unificar a Bretanha, uma saga contada desde antes de seu nascimento. Três irmãs: Igraine, Morgause e Viviane. Esta última, sacerdotisa de Avalon. Igraine com o poder da visão, mãe de Morgana e Artur. E Morgause, linda e perigosamente vaidosa. Uma história em que as mulheres são a chave de como tudo se sucedeu. Mulheres fortes, imbuídas de forte personalidade e caráter. Em todas as fases da história, as mulheres é que compõem os papéis de destaque. Os homens são personagens pouco interessantes, fracos e que não esporadicamente são feitos de marionetes. Isso ocorre quando Igraine, Morgause e Viviane ainda são jovens. Permanece na fase adulta das vidas de Morgana e da rainha Guinevère. E segue com Nimue, filha de Lancelote com Elaine.

Artur, Kevin, o Merlin, Lancelote e até mesmo Gwdion, filho fruto de um incesto, todos são ao longo da história manipulados pelas mulheres em quem confiam e admiram.

Tudo isso tendo como plano de fundo a guerra entre bretões e saxões, entre cristianismo e paganismo.

A saga é composta por quatro volumes:
- A Senhora da Magia
- A Grande Rainha
- O Gamo-Rei
- O Prisioneiro da Árvore
A personagem mais incrível do livro é, sem dúvidas, Morgana. O livro é em terceira pessoa. Mas por vezes há Morgana na primeira pessoa, com seus pensamentos, suas certezas e dúvidas. Morgana que, desde pequena, tem o poder da Visão. Que ainda criança foi levada por sua tia Viviane para Avalon, para ser treinada e educada como sacerdotisa. Amava e era amada com fervor e durante toda a sua vida, passando por experiências ímpares. Malgrado chamada de bruxa, feiticeira e pagã, era admirada e respeitada até pelos seus inimigos, como no caso da rainha Guinevere. Marion Zimmer nos mostra uma faceta da lenda de Morgana bem diferente da que estamos acostumados a ler e/ou escutar.

Podem ser facilmente encontrados no site das Lojas Americanas e está por um preço incrível: menos de R$50,00 os quatro volumes... Quando penso que comprei os dois primeiros volumes por R$44,00 cada na Livraria Cultura...

Leitura recomendada! Mas é bom advertir: a lenda do rei Artur vicia! Já estou com os três volumes de Bernard Cornwell comprados e ansiosa para iniciar a leitura!

[Carla Barroso]

Since I have a boxed edition with four books, I will try to write a bit at the end of each volume.

Mistress of Magic
I've read it some years ago and remember being fascinated with Igraine and her story, mostly because it mentions Atlantis and I'm a sucker for everything that mentions the lost continent, and bored by Morgaine who seemed to follow and do everything Viviane told her or was expected of her to do. Now I was disgusted with Igraine, when she becomes only devoted to Uther and completely dismissing her children, and was fascinated by Morgaine's inner voice which felt real to me. She accepts her fate but not lightly, having many rebellious thoughts. Ok, she does not act on many of those thoughts but I guess no one does and it makes her a very balanced character.

I still have some reservations, but I guess most comes from translation. There was a sentence in which Morgaine and Morgause were mixed up, for example. The plot seemed to move quickly and it seemed that a lot happen in just one book, which isn't bad (I wish more books had such a pace and storytelling, most could become a stand alone novels instead of trilogies) and leaves me curious (for the first time) to read the next one.

Rating: I guess I would give it a 4 or a 3,75.

The High Queen
Not as good as the first, I think. For starters, Gwenhwyfar is just annoying but I do enjoy watching her inner fight when it comes to religion. Actually, the debates over religion are what's making me pick up this books and read. I believe it's wonderfully done and welcomes one to think over their beliefs as well which can only benefit the reader.

Again the translation seemed to leave something to be desired, there are to many mistakes and orthographic errors, and the time seemed a bit off with years passing by in a blink of an eye. But I did enjoyed it as it seems to set up a story that's way to bigger and I can't wait to see how the events will shape Britain. :)

Rating: This one is a solid 3 but it has potential to be a lot more.

[Chuck Camp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe the author had a lot of problems in her personal life, but as a writer, at least with this set of books, i felt thoroughly entertained. It had a rhythm that those who were bored were unable to grasp. So many of her characters went through their lives seeking paths of redemption from there own personal guilt. Maybe writing this book was the authors path. It certainly reminded me of my own.

[Cate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still one of my favorite retellings of the King Arthur story...by the women. I only wish that Guinever didn't come off so wimpy.

[André Gustavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of the saga, took me almost a year to finish them all.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start by saying Bradley is a great writer. Her writing is positively beautiful. It was so incredibly captivating I was compelled to keep reading long after the story turned me off.
I really wanted to like this book. I don't generally like fantasy, but her style is truly mesmerizing.
But...
The story was absolutely awful. Non-stop incest, adultery, rape, abortion, murder, suicide, pedophilia, etc. I understand that different cultures (both real and fictional) can have a set of morals separate from my own. But this book didn't seem to have any morals at all. Behaviors depicted as abhorrent by an antagonist, were embraced by the hero/heroin just a few pages later. There simply was no moral footing to build on.
Each new character she introduced captured my sympathies, and I was immediately rooting for their success. But instead of character development, they seemed to be spiraling downward over time. It's hard to celebrate a character's victory (or even know if it's a success) when their main goal is to kill one family member on the path to seducing another family member.
Despite the beautiful setting and engaging characters, this book was simply too much Flowers in the Attic for my taste.

[Natacha Martins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quando me falam de As Brumas de Avalon sorrio, porque gosto mesmo muito dos livros. Já os li mais que uma vez e, agora por estar a escrever sobre eles, tenho vontade de reler tudo outra vez! É para verem quão fantástica é a história. :)
Muito bem escrito, como seria de esperar, é sem dúvida daqueles livros que se têm que ler antes de morrer e, reler sempre que nos apetecer. Li, emprestados pela minha prima linda, mas quando os apanhei aos quatro nesta edição especial da Difel, tive de os comprar e valeram cada cêntimo que custaram (e não foram assim tão poucos como isso).

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why I am having difficulty finding my book the way I bought it - as one book, not divided into four sections. But I've probably had it for 35 years, if not longer.

This is the Arthurian legend that got me totally hooked, and is by far my favorite - and I have read and collected a number (probably enough to fill a couple of bookshelves). I also love Crystal Cave, and Whyte's historical fiction series, but this is the one. For some reason, I've never liked Guinevere, and felt like she played both Arthur and Lancelot, although I do think Lancelot is to blame for betraying his friend. This book, in my mind has always been from Morgaine's POV, and even listening all of these years later, that opinion stands - even when the POV is someone else's, Morgaine seems to have access to their thoughts, like she's seeing them through the magic well or a glass.

This is story of political power, and how those in power (Merlin, Patricius, Morgause and especially Vivienne) use those who they can, regardless of the effect on those people. It is the way that it is told that captures the mind.

I hoped for the same experience with some of the other Avalon stories, but that was not to be... but I still revisit this book at least every five years, if not more often (and had I not discovered Gabaldon's Outlander 20 years ago, it would probably be every two years).

I cannot recommend Davina Porter's reading of this book highly enough. She also reads Outlander's unabridged books, and when I discovered that she did Mists, I searched far and wide until I finally found it all (again, for some reason it was divided into parts for some reason). She is by far my favorite female reader - and only George Guidell and Jim Dale are her equals.

I do something that some may thing odd. When I am dealing with a strange place, outside noise, or insomnia, I listen to audiobooks. The books are not boring - and the readers certainly aren't, but since they are Mists, Outlander, or Harry Potter, they are well known tales and these three readers have amazing voices and reading style. As a combination, this is comforting.

[John Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the reviews for Bradley's four-part work reads something like, "a bold reimagining of the Arthurian tales." Indeed, a bold re-imagining, telling the story almost entirely from the perspective of the women. Only a few pages here and there "cheat" by telling the story of the men apart from the women. That alone is bold and interesting: what were the women feeling and thinking, anyway? So often we get caught up in the male heroes that we lose track of the fact that women were part of the story and, in Bradley's hands, the women are the driving force of the story and conclusion.

Is the story any better for Bradley's retelling? No, not really. But it's still the same great story, simply told in a different way. You get much more intrigue and very little in the way of battle scenes. That intrigue is fully fleshed out, as it's not merely political or religious intrigue, but also romantic and cultural.

My only issue is the ending. Bradley's story builds and builds and then suddenly drops off. Morgaine, like Merlin, seems to live on forever in Avalon, but wasn't present at the end of Arthur's reign, so the story ends without much of an ending but also without a great explanation of what exactly is happening. Sometimes Morgaine "speaks" directly to the reader but there's never a point where Morgaine says, "And so I live here in Avalon, telling you this story, for such and such reason." Without that, we are left wondering what the purpose of those sections is. Oh well. Leading up to the last twenty or so pages is great.

[Gloria Squitiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I moved around a lot in my high school and college years, and so had no knowledge of the Inquisition until I was in my 30s. This book not only helped enlighten me, but it helped me to step more into my power, the power of being a woman. It created what some consider the animal I am today - i.e. the STRONG woman I am today.

A wonderful story that will keep you company for a long time to come!

Gloria Squitiro: A first lady of Kanas City and author of May Cause Drowsiness and Blurred Vision: The Side Effects of Bravery—YOU, Too! can OVERCOME ANXIETY and live a bigger more carefree life—Become a New and Better You!

#YayWomenWriters!

[Bianka Brankovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the few books I reread, well, this time I read it in its English original version. I liked it, 20 years later, much older, knowing full well that the author invented a few things along the way not in line with the actual legen, I liked the book and enjoyed reading it. It's a nice modern phantasy take on old mythology with a feminist view on some aspects, fine for me, great reading for long and dark winter evenings.

[Alethea Hammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to it on audible this time and enjoyed it a lot. But it seemed to take a lot longer to finish than it did in book form. I love this version of the Arthur Legend because it is told from the viewpoint of the female characters who don't seem to get their voices heard in the older versions. But I love them all.

[Rebecca Pfiffner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addictive, characters with depth, loved the deeply visual and intricate storytelling. Don’t see how this is feminist though, since the women of this book are most definitely not equal to the men in the story.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never really read any Arthurian stuff, but I know the legends from other media. This was long AF but an interesting take on the tried and true tales. Interesting to see how freaky humans have always been.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Shea Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories of King Arthur from the perspective of the women- LOVE LOVE LOVE

[Taiana Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Christina Frithsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got through Mistress of Magic. I couldn't stomach the high queen and the whining and got so frustrated and cranky, I found myself arguing with the book. Couldn't get through it.

[Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

They said "incest 🤪🥰"

[Techiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to re-read this after 30 years.

[Maria Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Li há milhões de anos. A história nunca saiu da minha cabeça. Avalon, Guinevere, Morgana, Morgause,Rei Arthur, Lancelot.
Tetralogia obrigatória

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first read this in high school. Then reread it in my 30s. And honestly felt like I would never read it again so I got rid of it. It’s so long! I feel so much of it could have been eliminated and still would have been a good story. Well, 30 years later and I decided to spend a credit on the audible version. Over 50 hours of listening time. I can now die peacefully knowing I will never read this book again!!! I got it out of my system. It’s just too much. But, if you ever really want to read a very extensive story about King Arthur then this is your book!

[Creslin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review and five star rating of this book is highly influenced by the fact that I actually heard the unabridged audio version (in four volumes no less) narrated by Caroline Goodall. And her reading of the book is masterful.

I have to admit I have never reread the book (or relistened to the audio version) but it is a novel that has stayed with me for the last decade and a half and one which has coloured my attempted readings of other versions of the Arthurian tale. You see The Mists of Avalon so dominates my imagination as the definitive story of Camelot that I find it difficult to read through any of the many other retellings of the legend.

[Tatiana Valada · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know at all what the story was about, just that this saga is a classic and multiple people recommended it to me. I was really suprised about the main focus of the whole story - different religions and beliefs- and having some wizardry to the mix just captivated me more. Following generation after generation was really interesting and the whole war between religions it's a timeless topic. The only downfall for me is that the characters' ideals are always being brought up the same way, becoming a bit repetitive throughout the story (if it wasn't for that I would have given 5 stars to it!)

[Mirelle Oncken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the reading. I've read the four books in a row. The dialogues are pretty catching, the ideas behind them bring very interesting discussions between characters. Although Gwenhwyfar can be really annoying at times, her imputs always reveal something worth to keep on reading.

[Rafael Augusto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could give it a five stars review, but I can't ignore how annoying is the second book. Actually, how annoying is the queen, and the second book is full of her. The first time I read Mists of Avalon I gave up on the second. But, have a little will to fight against this temptation, guys. Worth it.

[Janessa Oliveira]

História lendária, narrada através da visão de mulheres fortes. Traz a visão de formas diferentes de poder: a lealdade, o poder político, o poder da religião. Faz refletir sobre a religião que empodera versus a que oprime.

[Leonor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorei esta saga. Foram os primeiros livros do género Fantástico que li. Este é sem dúvida o tipo de leitura que mais me agrada.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series.

[Saijee]

A good read.