Help?

[brigdh]

Okay. So let's imagine, for a moment, that I somehow managed to grow up and become a fairly well-read adult, and yet I have no knowledge of the King Arthur legends. At all. Aside from vague memories of a TV miniseries from about five years ago and the kinds of tiny details scattered throughout English literature (there's a sword in a stone? Or possibly a sword in a lake? They go looking for the Grail? Stay and found Camelot? There's an island with apples on it? Merlin wears Bermuda shorts? Knights who say ni?), I have no idea about any of the people, events, or places. But I want to know. Recommend me some things- what do you suggest as good starting points? What are some nice, thorough versions that require no foreknowledge? Or alternatively, what are some cool retellings?

And hey, since we're on the topic, recommend me any book, King Arthur or no. I'm thinking of what to ask for for Christmas, and things to read are always good.

Comments

Yay books!

[thedemonprist.livejournal.com]

Can't help you on the Arthurian stuff (I know next to nothing about it and it's never been one of my particular favorites, probably because it's so widely popular - I tend to avoid the 'status quo'), but I can recommend a couple of good reads:

On Writing by Stephen King - a funny sort of 'how-to' on writing and his particular experiences. Kind of like a mini-biography, in a way, but damn funny and interesting.

The Iranians: Persia, Islam and the Soul of a Nation by Sandra Mackey - It's an introspective look at the history of Iran (particularly since the days of the Shah up to the 1990's moderate movement) and gives a glimpse of possibilities for the future. I find this one particularly interesting given current world events and our dictatorship government.

The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron - It's basically a self-help book for anyone with creative impulses, with various writing exercises and such you can do to try to harness your ideas.

Re: Yay books!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And how ironic- I just finished reading The Right to Write by Julia Cameron last week. ^^