The Mists of Avalon
Cover of the American first edition
|
|
| Author | Marion Zimmer Bradley |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Davina Porter |
| Cover artist | Braldt Bralds |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Avalon |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
|
Publication date
|
January 1983 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) and audio-CD |
| Pages | 876 |
| Award | Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (1984) |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 8473972 |
| 813/.54 19 | |
| LC Class | PS3552.R228 M5 1982 |
| Preceded by | Priestess of Avalon |
The Mists of Avalon is a 1983 fantasy novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine (often called Morgan le Fay in other works), a priestess fighting to save her matriarchal Celtic culture in a country where patriarchal Christianity threatens to destroy the pagan way of life. The epic is focused on the lives of Gwenhwyfar, Viviane, Morgause, Igraine and other women who are often marginalized in Arthurian retellings. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are supporting rather than main characters.
The Mists of Avalon is in stark contrast to most other retellings of the Arthurian tales, which consistently cast Morgan le Fay as a distant, one-dimensional evil sorceress, with little or no explanation given for her antagonism to the Round Table. In this case Morgaine is presented as a woman with unique gifts and responsibilities at a time of enormous political and spiritual upheaval who is called upon to defend her indigenous matriarchal heritage against impossible odds. The Mists of Avalon stands as a watershed for feminist interpretation of male-centered myth by articulating women's experiences at times of great change and shifts in gender-power. The typical battles, quests, and feuds of King Arthur's reign act as secondary elements to the women's lives.
...
Wikipedia