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The Death of King Arthur
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Archived > DONE - Change Original Publication Date?

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message 1: by Donna (last edited Apr 14, 2023 02:14AM) (new) - rated it 3 stars

Donna | 48 comments ISBN: 9780143106951

This is a translation and abridgement of Le Morte d'Arthur, which was first published in 1485 CE.

Currently, Goodreads has 2011 listed as the original publication date, which is the first publication date of this particular translation. The "modern adapation" part of the description is refering to using Modern English and a more contempary vocabulary choice instead of the original's Middle English.

I was wondering if that means the original publication year should be changed. Are the rules different for abridgements?

Sources for the original publication date being 1485: https://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlin...
"Malory’s book was re-titled Le Morte Darthur by William Caxton who produced the first printed edition in 1485"

https://medievalhollywood.ace.fordham...


message 2: by Nat (new)

Nat (nats96) | 41 comments Hello!

Yes, since this edition is a modern adaptation authored by Peter Ackroyd, the original publication is correct. According to the publisher, this refers to a complete retelling, not a direct translation, so these are different works and Malory's original text cannot be combined or referred to as the original publication date.


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