World Famous Comics: The Quest of the Holy Grail (Penguin Classics)
The Quest of the Holy Grail (Penguin Classics)
By: Anonymous Publisher: Penguin Classics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Penguin Classics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 304 Publication Date: February 28, 1969
Spring of wisdom and inspiration This book is special for me. Now I feel like Galahad, Perceval and Bors would always stay in my heart.
Being part of a busy everyday city life this book carries you away from it, somewhere very far away, and somewhere within you.
The way heroes of this book act while facing their trials is very very inspiring and is presented in such a way that you question yourself: "How can it be otherwise?"
For those who are interested to understand the Bible on a deeper level, it does explain some of the Christian symbols and parables.
Fantastic book, I would give more than 5 stars, but unfortunately that's not an option.
lovely book, needs an update Lovely book. The text is vastly different than a modern work of literature (perspective, emotion, time, etc.) but it remains quite beautiful and moving, and is a central text in our western heritage.
A modern reader will find some passages strange and difficult to accept at face value. For example, knights and persons that appear from nowhere, floating apparitions, flame throwing serpents, interpretations of dreams, and commonplace miracles (an oxymoron) all occur with some frequency. Also, if you've seen Monty Python's film version, it's hard not laugh out loud when reading certain sections (the peril is too perilous!). However, this book puts one into the medieval mind like nothing else.
The reviewers here have focused almost entirely on the religious aspect of this book; however, the text also describes the chivalric code of the knights... an important detail. Their notions of "prowess", shame, honor, love, and masculinity are all there. One can easily see that this story was written by a monk or holy man in order to constrain the "noble violence" that the knights inflicted on themselves and others.
One beef, however, Penguin really needs to update this edition. It was published in 1969 and the introduction, notes and references need sprucing up to include new scholarship and to reference terms that readers today may have trouble with, for example, the Christian calendar: Advent, Pentecost or Whitsunday may befuddle those unfamiliar with it. Otherwise, this book is a must read for serious readers, students of fantasy literature, or those interested in western history.
Ok This book was an older version but was still in good condition. It arrived a week later then when I had requested it.
What is the secret of the grail? As a fan of the King Arthur myth, legend, and fact I really liked this book. The book gives you a vary accurate snapshot of what the story read at a certain point in English histoy. In the introduction the author writes of ancient myth and how the early Christians made these stories their own story. Any knight errant questing for the Grail will find this a great read.
Teachers and Homeschoolers I teach the Arthurian legend in my 9th grade English class at a college preparatory Christian high school, using excerpts from T. H. White, Thomas Malory, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Our textbook explains how every generation makes the legend its own, and the Grail story is a good example of that. Though the author of the Quest of the Holy Grail is unknown (see author's introduction for educated guesses), this particular set of legends shows the spiritual side of the Middle Ages. I find it quite good for teaching symbolism to young adults as there are a series of events and dream sequences whose meanings are eventually explained as spiritual metaphors. Though the adulterous relationships in the legend are mentioned, one clearly sees how the dark side of human nature can bring about disastrous results. It doesn't read like a modern novel, of course, but students are certainly capable of understanding that medieval quest literature and modern popular novels and/or movies are completely different genres. All in all, I find it enjoyable, but I would use it as a supplement rather than a text.
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