Sword at Sunset in Operation Read All the Sutcliff

Oct 02, 2012 Nicky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourites, historical-fiction-alternatehistory, arthurian, based-on-myth-saga-etc, dissertation

Reread for my dissertation -- and all the more bittersweet this time because I knew how everything would play out. It's beautifully written, and it pretty much exemplifies Rosemary Sutcliff's usual shtick about male friendships (and a sepulchral voice that sounds like my dissertation supervisor whispers the words "homosocial bonds"...), to the point where there is actually an explicitly gay couple in the story, and Arthur and Bedwyr's relationship is deep and intense -- perhaps not sexual, but t ...more

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Feb 28, 2010 Nicky rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction-alternatehistory, queer, children-s-and-ya, arthurian, based-on-myth-saga-etc

I didn't think I was going to like Sword at Sunset as much as I typically like Rosemary Sutcliff's books, even though it was surely combining two of my favourite things -- Sutcliff's writing and realism, and Arthurian myth. It began slowly, I think, and it was a surprising change of tone for Sutcliff -- her books are mainly written for children (of any age!), but this book had decidedly adult themes, with the incest and more explicit references to sexuality than I'd expected. It's also unusual f I didn't think I was going to like Sword at Sunset as much as I typically like Rosemary Sutcliff's books, even though it was surely combining two of my favourite things -- Sutcliff's writing and realism, and Arthurian myth. It began slowly, I think, and it was a surprising change of tone for Sutcliff -- her books are mainly written for children (of any age!), but this book had decidedly adult themes, with the incest and more explicit references to sexuality than I'd expected. It's also unusual for her in that it's written in first person, and narrated by Arthur himself.

It also, to my surprise, had a couple of LGBT themes -- a gay couple among Arthur's men, to begin with, and then the relationship between himself and Bedwyr. There's no Lancelot here, and Bedwyr takes that place in many ways, but with more of a shown relationship than I've ever found typical between Arthur and Lancelot. It brought tears to my eyes several times, especially this moment: "I could have cried out to him, as Jonathan to David, by the forbidden love names that are not used between men; I could have flung my arms around his shoulders."

There's nothing explicit about them, at all, but their bond has a profoundness about it, even after hurt and betrayal, that defies easy categorisation.

The relationship between Arthur and Guinevere is also an interesting one, and again one that makes no shortcuts using the existing myth, but builds up something believable alone. His relationship with her, the odd barriers between them, and the attempts to reach each other, and their love that isn't quite enough to bridge that gap... It's all believable.

The whole book takes some pains to be believable, emotionally, and historically. The themes, characters, etc, all seem to have some explanations for how the story could develop later... Bedwyr somewhat in the place that Lancelot takes later, Medraut almost exactly as he will be later, the moment in which Arthur realises how the badge he chooses for battle will be translated into that text which talks about him carrying the image of the Virgin Mary... And they're all aware of how the stories will be magnified, too. It's an interesting way to put it.

Oh, and I forgot to mention it when I first wrote this review, but I was fascinated by Gwalchmai, despite his relatively minor role. It's odd: he isn't related to Arthur (one of the constants of the Arthurian tradition more generally), and though he is a fighter, his main role is that of surgeon. He's also disabled. I don't think I've seen a portrayal of Gawain/Gwalchmai quite like this anywhere else.

It took me a while to get into Sword at Sunset, but it was worth trusting Rosemary Sutcliff and going with it. ...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Sineala rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, historical-fiction, fiction

I feel like I ought to have liked this one more than I did. I do enjoy Arthurian fiction, although I don't read a lot of it, but on the face of it the historically-based story of Arthur as a British warlord just trying to hold the Saxons back is a great idea, and it should have worked for me. Certainly the book is wonderfully epic in scope, with Sutcliff's usual eye for description, and excellent characters. (Also, can I say how amazing it is that two of Artos' companions were in love with each I feel like I ought to have liked this one more than I did. I do enjoy Arthurian fiction, although I don't read a lot of it, but on the face of it the historically-based story of Arthur as a British warlord just trying to hold the Saxons back is a great idea, and it should have worked for me. Certainly the book is wonderfully epic in scope, with Sutcliff's usual eye for description, and excellent characters. (Also, can I say how amazing it is that two of Artos' companions were in love with each other, and the narrative completely respects this? In a book from 1963, no less.) There's no Merlin, no Lancelot, and pretty much the only recognizable companions are Bedwyr (Bedivere playing Lancelot's role, for the most part), Cei (Kay), and Gwalchmai (Gawain) who does not actually fight people in this version as far as I can tell.

The problem was... I didn't really like Artos. He was fairly messed up, and I spent the first half of the book gritting my teeth and plowing through Artos Hates Women and Artos Hates Women Some More (given what his sister did to him, this is completely understandable, but it didn't make it any easier to read), mixed in with Cavalry Logistics. And I like cavalry logistics, but, seriously, when your book is about the awesomeness of King Arthur and the first quarter of the book revolves around Can We Buy Horses, there's a bit of a mismatch there.

Nonetheless, I persevered, and by the second half it was like reading a completely different (and much better) book. They have horses! They fight Saxons! Artos has at least figured out why he hates women! They spend a winter starving at Trimontium -- seriously, this was probably my favorite part of the book. And it also does Artos Becomes High King and The Battle of Badon Hill Happens and Guenhumara Cheats on Him and Epic Battle With Medraut (Mordred), in case you were wondering. But, seriously, the second half is vastly better, and it's not even because of the plot.

(This is also a Dolphin Ring book, even though it is adult fiction, since the minor characters of Aquila and then Flavian (and then I think Flavian's son) have the Dolphin Ring. In case anyone was wondering.) ...more

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May 28, 2012 Sea rated it really liked it

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