Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon.
Del Rey 1982, 876 p.

Review by Althea Morin

Marion Zimmer Bradley is a prolific writer. Many of her books are merely light reads, full of all the requisite elements of fantasy.

However, when she sits down to write a serious book, she can create works which become classics of the fantasy genre.

Her retelling of the Arthur legend is both epic and entertaining. She manages to cover lifetimes without ever running ahead too quickly or getting bogged down in any one moment, and the characters are vivid and believable.

'The Mists of Avalon' has been hailed as (and criticized as) being the 'women's' King Arthur, and indeed the book focuses mainly on the character of Morgaine.

However, her gender is less important to this story than her religion: Morgaine is a Druid and a priestess of the Goddess. The main dramatic conflict in the story is Morgaine's doomed struggle to reinstate her dying religion against the growing legions of Christians.

The portrayal of Druidism and the priestesses of Avalon, descended from the lost land of Atlantis, the frequent intrusions of the land of Fairy, etc. place this book firmly in the fantasy genre, without any pretense to historical possibility.

Unfortunately, by her own admission, Bradley bases her portrayal of ancient Celtic religion on modern Wicca and "Druid" revivalists. Very little to nothing is known about the actual Druids, but one thing for sure, it is highly unlikely that their religion resembled sanitized New Age fluffiness - I would have liked a bit more guts to the portrayal of the lives of the priestesses.

The one incident where "magic" is portrayed otherwise is one where it is portrayed as unambiguously "evil" (a scene which is also one of the weakest in the book). Although the book ends on a message of tolerance, unity and peace, it doesn't quite come off, because Morgaine, as the proponent of the old religion, is a character of depth, intelligence and thoughtful conviction, whereas Gwenhyfar, as the main proponent of Christianity, is portrayed as often being shallow, paranoid and jealous.

The priestesses of the Goddess, especially Viviane, The Lady of the Lake, may be amorally manipulative, but Christian priests are portrayed as stupid and intolerant. The conflict could have been more interesting with a little more moral ambiguity. And, when you get right down to it, the battles and deeds of valor that are an intrinsic part of the Arthurian legends are just as interesting!

There could have been a bit more detail in that regard.

However, such complaints aside, this book is still one of the very finest tellings of the Arthurian legends of all time - absorbing and more than memorable. After reading The Mists of Avalon, the classic characters take on new aspects in one's mind, remaining unforgettable.

For fans of this book, I'd highly recommend Joan Wolf's 'The Road to Avalon', which has a similar feel, without the magical elements.

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