≡ PDF Gratis Excalibur Adult Fantasy Series Sanders Anne Laubenthal Gervasio Gallardo 9780345234162 Books

Excalibur Adult Fantasy Series Sanders Anne Laubenthal Gervasio Gallardo 9780345234162 Books

Download As PDF : Excalibur Adult Fantasy Series Sanders Anne Laubenthal Gervasio Gallardo 9780345234162 Books

Excalibur Adult Fantasy Series Sanders Anne Laubenthal Gervasio Gallardo 9780345234162 Books

One of the final volumes published in the legendary Ballantine Adult Fantasy series, this novel was also one of the very few originals in that roster of fantasy classics. It most definitely deserves to be in their company!
Nowadays there are all too many fantasy novels that are merely drab, by-the-number imitations of Tolkien. But in the first few years of Tolkien's mass popularity, his influence was far more subtle and original. What Laubenthal does in this wonderful novel is to capture the magical, otherworldly feel that infuses Tolkien's work -- as well as that of his fellow Inklings, C.S. Lewis & Charles Williams. The result is a novel that burns with true poetry, true magic, true wonder.
The storyline seems improbable on the face of it: a quest for both Excalibur & the Holy Grail in contemporary (1972) Mobile, Alabama? Yet it not only works, it works gloriously. I've seldom come across such a moving & inspiring depiction of the power & transcendent beauty of the Grail. And in the brief glimpses she gives us of the Otherworld, Laubenthal has created a seamless fusion of Arthurian mythos & Tolkien-flavored fantasy. It leaves the reader wanting much more!
What Laubenthal has done, in fact, is not only craft a powerful & entertaining fantasy novel, but successfully depict a spiritual journey in lyrical, luminous prose. Pagan & Christian themes are perfectly interwoven into a shimmering tapestry. Both the characters & the readers emerge changed by the end of this tale. Most highly recommended!


Tags : Excalibur (Adult Fantasy Series) [Sanders Anne Laubenthal, Gervasio Gallardo] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Mass-market paperback,Sanders Anne Laubenthal, Gervasio Gallardo,Excalibur (Adult Fantasy Series),Ballantine Books,0345234162,Non-Classifiable

Excalibur Adult Fantasy Series Sanders Anne Laubenthal Gervasio Gallardo 9780345234162 Books Reviews

After having read Catherine Christian's "The Pendragon," (1978) I found my Arthurian appetite sufficiently whetted to try another novel that I had heard about but never tackled till now, Saunders Anne Laubenthal’s “Excalibur” (1973). Like Catherine Christian, Laubenthal is another gifted writer, who is able to tap into one of the most unlikely places for an Arthurian novel, Alabama, and somehow bridge into a full foray of Arthurian adventure, with quests, magic creatures, and even a fitting tribute to Morgan le Fay (perhaps one of the most intriguing characters of all Arthurian lore). I could think of several other states that would have provided a more fitting atmosphere and must confess I was a bit put off by the setting, but Laubenthal pull sit off beautifully, almost eerily as if this were a “Twin Peaks” episode (and I mean this in a good way). The book opens, predictably, on a dark and stormy night with the main character, Linette, receives Rhodri, an archeologist on a quest for the very thing that is implied in the title of the book.

We soon meet other characters, Linette’s aunt Julian, a medievalist, who lives in an Alabama castle and dresses accordingly. We meet a certain Morgan Cornwall, and I don’t think there will be any spoilers for Arthurian buffs to take one wild guess at her real identity—the name feels very much contrived; why not just go all the way and call her something like Morgan Fay? Yet her in the end sympathetic portrayal of Morgan was way ahead of its time and may have inspired other retellings of the legend. I also agree with other reviewers in that these characters seem to be more archetypal than flesh and blood characters. The romance element of the novel, despite some of beautiful prose passages with moonlight and trees and lights fall surprisingly flat in the end. I think this may be due to Rhodri’s archaeological focus that leaves room for little else. But, the novel does open promisingly enough and found myself enjoying the conversations between Julian and Morgan, and later let down a bit with Anthony, a lit student whose dissertation on Malory and the Grail should have provided for some interesting banter, which is only hinted at in the novel.

It does help to be familiar with the Arthurian legend, particularly Malory to enjoy some of the descriptive sequences of past events, but otherwise brace yourself in the end for surreal trip into the underworld, which could have benefited from being shortened. I was almost tempted to rate the novel three stars because of the long meandering finale, but in the end I am still glad I have read it and am glad to have added it to my Arthurian bookshelf. Even so, it is not a novel I will return to again. I have read and reread my Malory, Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, Twain, Tennyson, T.H. White and Mary Stewart—all of these works I would not hesitate to place on an Arthurian syllabus or a shortlist of recommended books, but I think this one just falls short of the mark.

Even so, it is much better than many modern Arthurian works we find today. It captures a bit of the 70’s pulp fantasy style in wonderful way and perhaps should be made available for the e-reading market. In the intro, we are told that C.S. Lewis and Tolkien inspired Laubenthal, and I wonder what the Inklings would have made of this novel. Lewis also explored the Arthurian theme with a bit more depth in “That Hideous Strength,” and if you have enjoyed this novel I do recommend that you check on Lewis’s Space Trilogy.
A blend of C. S. Lewis, Arthur Machen and Charles Williams with a dash of Dunsanny (spelling?). I found it marvelous in the 1970s when I first read it, and enjoyed very much re-reading it now.
Although it has been a number of years since I read this extrapolation of the Arthurian legend into modern America, I remember how it engaged me. I am happy to have upgraded to a hardcover copy for my library.
One of the final volumes published in the legendary Ballantine Adult Fantasy series, this novel was also one of the very few originals in that roster of fantasy classics. It most definitely deserves to be in their company!
Nowadays there are all too many fantasy novels that are merely drab, by-the-number imitations of Tolkien. But in the first few years of Tolkien's mass popularity, his influence was far more subtle and original. What Laubenthal does in this wonderful novel is to capture the magical, otherworldly feel that infuses Tolkien's work -- as well as that of his fellow Inklings, C.S. Lewis & Charles Williams. The result is a novel that burns with true poetry, true magic, true wonder.
The storyline seems improbable on the face of it a quest for both Excalibur & the Holy Grail in contemporary (1972) Mobile, Alabama? Yet it not only works, it works gloriously. I've seldom come across such a moving & inspiring depiction of the power & transcendent beauty of the Grail. And in the brief glimpses she gives us of the Otherworld, Laubenthal has created a seamless fusion of Arthurian mythos & Tolkien-flavored fantasy. It leaves the reader wanting much more!
What Laubenthal has done, in fact, is not only craft a powerful & entertaining fantasy novel, but successfully depict a spiritual journey in lyrical, luminous prose. Pagan & Christian themes are perfectly interwoven into a shimmering tapestry. Both the characters & the readers emerge changed by the end of this tale. Most highly recommended!