King Arthur Books

[pengolodh_sc at yahoo.no]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Rosmerta" <tmayor at m...> wrote:
> Thanks much for everyone's suggestions including (once and
> future?) lurker Mystril. I will now drag off to our
> teeny-tiny library and see if they have any of these. 

I know that Rosemary Sutcliffe (dead 1995, I believe) has authored 
several books based on the Arthurian legends, including a trilogy.  I 
only read one, and it is a considerable while since I did so (as I do 
not own a copy myself, it had to be remote-ordered from another 
library), but I recall that it was up to her usual superb standard.  

One of her books on Arthur is called _Sword At Sunset_, and is 
described by reviewers at the Amazon-site as NOT being a children's 
book (but Amazon-customers are giving it rave reviews).  Most of her 
books are however suited for children, though seven may be at the 
lower end of the age-spectrum.  I fondly recall her _The Chronicles 
of Robin Hood_; compared to it, all other books on Robin Hood were 
pale copies.  She makes everything spring alive in a unique fashion, 
and is a master of bringing histrical authenticity into her novels.  
According to one online bookstore, she wrote more than 50 historical 
novels for children.

The following books by Rosemary Sutcliff are about the Arthurian 
saga, and meant for a juvenile audience:
_The Lantern Bearers_ (prequel to _Sword at sunset_)
_The Sword and the Circle : King Arthur and the Knights of the Round 
Table_
_The Light Beyond the Forest_
_The Road to Camlann_

The latter three constitute the above-mentioned thrilogy.  I hope 
this is useful.

> Jen, I read The Crystal Cave a long time ago but sure don't
> remember anything even vaguely sexual; maybe it's time to read
> it again <g>?  Ender (or anyone else) if you have any more
> opinions on The Dark Is Rising, I'd love to hear them. I've
> seen the series mentioned but don't know anyone who's actually
> read any of the books... 
> 
> ~Rosmerta

I have read The Dark is Rising-sequence.  It is, in some ways, not 
unlike Harry Potter, and is set in England, sometime during the 70s 
or leate 60s.  It is not a retelling of the Arthur-saga as such, but 
it is heavily interlaced with it.  I enjoyed it very much.  One of 
the main characters lives in a family not unlike the Weasleys, I 
might mention.

The reading-order favoured by most people seems to be the 
chronological order of events: _Under Sea, Under Stone_; _The Dark is 
Rising_; _Greenwitch_; _Grey King_; _Silver on the Tree_.  I have 
only read them in Norwegian, however, and _The Dark Is Rising_ was 
published before _Under Sea, Under Stone_ in Norway.  That is thus my 
preferred reading order.  There are currently three Yahoo!Groups 
dedicated to her books, onbe with less than five members, one with 
around eight, and one with 38 members.  The latter can be found at 
http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/susancooper

Best regards
Christian Stubø