An Arthurian Starter-Kit!

[@CDNChaoZ]

Steve's Arthurian Starter Kit: The History of the Kings of Britain - Geoffrey of Monmouth (1136) (Lewis Thorpe trans.) Arthurian Romances - Chrétien de Troyes (1190) Le Morte d'Arthur - Thomas Mallory (1485) Norton Critical Ed. Idylls of the King - Lord Alfred Tennyson (1885) A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain (1889) The Age of Arthur: A History of the British Isles from 350 to 650 - John Morris (1973) The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley (1983) Arthur Rex - Thomas Berger (1978) Prince Valiant - Hal Foster et al. (1937 - present) The Once and Future King - T.H. White (1958)

[@stevegilhool8526]

Thank you for this. Very helpful.

[@WeWiLLRefuse]

Thank you so much!!

[@skjoldursvarturskikkjan7860]

If we add other media to this starter kit, we need to mention Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's an essential arthurian retelling.

[@Wilsonn_esquire]

The Once and Future King is absolutely still in print! and taught at my old school. This list is super, thank you so much, Steve! Much now to read...

[@Pantano63]

Burton Raffel translated all four chivalric romances by Chrétien de Troyes and they're pretty readable, so that might be translation you're looking for. They're published by Yale University Press individually.

[@gaildoughty6799]

I read The Once and Future King a long, long time ago. The first section about Wart was so charming and so sweet…and every section became darker and grimmer and sadder. I laughed and cried, and have read it many times since. Thanks for this great starter kit, Steve.

[@lavernehodge3320]

I always enjoy your starter kits, but this one put a huge smile on my face. Wonderful recommendations of books I need in my life. Thanks so much.

[@sararichards518]

I was directed to The Once and Future King by my high school teacher and I adored it. I have bought a few of your recommendations already! Love these starter kits.

[@separateglances1]

As with many other myths and legends my introduction to Arthur came via the books of Roger Lancelyn Green.

[@TheBookclectic]

😃 Steve I'm so happy! I love your starter kits, and I love Arthurian Fiction and lore! How perfect!

[@DavidWiley7]

Aha! Well, two I haven't read on this one, so Prince Valiant shall join Arthur Rex on my wish list.

[@stantonsullivan-readdelillo]

Very cool, Steve. Been thinking about these stories again after seeing The Green Knight recently

[@OldBluesChapterandVerse]

What are your thoughts on the Norma Lorre Goodrich take on the historical Arthur?

[@ryansmallwood1178]

Was really excited for this one, thanks Steve!

[@alexandrahinrichsen6772]

Jesus, Steve, you know how to make a woman happy.

[@nickpiccirilli4278]

The Once and Future King has a great edition that's still in bookstores!

[@AnEruditeAdventure]

Great list. I’ll get to several of these that I haven’t already, but not sure when. -T

[@fadista7063]

Was hoping TH White would be there. I read that and The Hobbit when I was about 14 and much preferred TOAFK. Still have the book, definitely will read it again soon.

[@ThatReadingGuy28]

Thanks so much for this starter kit! I immediately went and bought a used copy of John Morris' book. Any other nonfiction you would recommend?

[@vilstef6988]

I read and re-read The Once and Future King starting in 1970. Agreed, a truly great novel!

[@LizSchubert]

Once and Future King is 2.99 on Kindle today.

[@sararichards518]

I found that there is a starter sourdough flour called Arthur, so starter kit or starter dough became interchangeable when I was looking for this 😊

[@NP-Hunt]

Fantastic starter kit, Steve. Thanks very much. As always, my wishlist just expanded again. I'm going to end up with a mostly Donoghue-approved personal library at this rate! (which must be the best kind to have, right?)

[@stevengentry9396]

A very good list. You'll have to share, at some point, your view on the Book of Merlyn. When I read The Once and Future King and the Book of Merlyn years ago, I remember the tremendous praise for the former, but many commentators being more disappointed with the latter, or finding it to be a less worthy, somewhat bitter work. I would be interested in your opinion.

[@perrychang4480]

I recall he shares some Book of Merlyn thoughts on his "BookTube Top Tens Tag" entry.

[@stevengentry9396]

@@perrychang4480 Thank you. I found the video.

[@zmaxwell9548]

Have you ever done a mythology starter kit?

[@ramblingraconteur1616]

Perceforest, the entirety of the Lancelot-Grail cycle, and KW Jeter’s Morlock Night for the intermediate kit? Do you regard Tristan and Isolde as Arthurian, Steve? Thanks for sharing this! Cheers, Jack

[@battybibliophile-Clare]

"The Once and Future King" is wonderful book. I agree that it's essential to this list. I wouldn't part with my copy for the world. The Folio Society did an edition, which I bought when I lent my first edition to an ex-friend, who denied having borrowed it. It turned out she had donated it, unread, to a charity shop. Hence the ex- !!

[@carolinasiqueira752]

I read and loved The Mists of Avalon as a kid, but when I reread it as an adult last year I was quite disappointed.

[@ThatReadingGuy28]

What made you disappointed by it?

[@carolinasiqueira752]

My biggest problem with the book was how petty and annoying most of the women were, and how they all hated each other, either because the other was prettier or because of men. For example, the books says that the lady of the lake is much more important and more wise than the Merlin, but Tallesin is the voice of reason, while Viviane (the Lady of the Lake in the beginning of the book) sent her 15 year old sister away to be married to a middle age man because her sister was prettier than her and she didn't want her around.

[@booknikYT]

No! We wanted the Arthur starter kit. The famous books written by an Arthur... Clarke, Doyle, Read....

[@LizSchubert]

Yay!

[@PerfectHandProductions]

Tarted?