Hello all!

I just finished John Steinbeck's The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights and highly recommend it if you haven't checked it out. Anyone else here read it?

It was the last book Steinbeck worked on before his death and was never finished, but the part that he did finish is truly beautiful. Included with the book are a host of letters written by Steinbeck to his publisher and editor between 1957 and 1965 about his thoughts about the work, which is also valuable.

Steinbeck's goal was to "translate" Malory, for whom he clearly had a deep and abiding love, for the modern reader, to make it accessible much as Malory had done with the French romances in his own time.

I found his characterizations of Sir Kay and Sir Lancelot to especially stand out.

Acts is my favorite Arthurian book by quite a margin. I always feel a twinge of sadness when I come to the end with the story unfinished, but still can't help but go back to read it every so often. Steinbeck's introduction to the book is beautiful. He talks about his aunt giving him Malory's Morte D'Arthur and how it sparked his love for language.

It's been a while, but I remember loving how Lancelot was portrayed; too perfect to fit in with the rest of the world without being unsufferable.

Was it Galahad Gawain that had such the awful experience with the woman hating him while they were questing together? Steinbeck's voice between Gawain and the maiden is hilarious.

Was it Galahad Gawain that had such the awful experience with the woman hating him while they were questing together? Steinbeck's voice between Gawain and the maiden is hilarious.


Yep. That was Gawain.

I found myself very moved by the conversation between Lancelot and Kay a short time after Lancelot defeats Sir Turquine. It's a truly enlightening and sympathetic exploration of Kay's character.

I also enjoyed Steinbeck's book (including the letters, which are one of my favorite parts).

Another feature that I liked was his fleshing out the thirty-year-old lady and the sixty-year-old lady from the story of Gawain, Uwaine, and Marhaus into full-fledged characters, particularly the sixty-year-old lady.

Ita definitely one of my favorite books. :) it was the first time that i really remember loving the story of sir Balin. it was told so well

I really like this, but between this and Of Mice and Men, I'm really starting to think ol' Johnny had some issues with women, holy crap. The scene with Lancelot and the four queens was really awkward to read.

Old thread, I know, but guess what I found in the used books stall that had set up shop next to the student cafeteria today? A very nice copy of this from 1979, for the fair price of 5 Euros; that’s about $US 6.5. It’s not rare or anything, but it is a lovely edition, and it’s not going to leave my bookshelf again. (Well, except to be read, of course.)

http://postimage.org/image/s1yaw0e5h