I've been enamored with King Arthur since I was a boy. I read my copy of Howard Pyle's The Story of King Arthur and His Knights over and over until several leaves detached from its spine , wore out our VHS of Disney's The Sword in the Stone (even though Madame Mim used to scare the piss out of me), and tore through T. A. Barron's Lost Years of Merlin series. It’s been a real pleasure then to see so much solid Arthuriana arrive over the last decade, from Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro's The Buried Giant to David Lowery's 2021 film The Green Knight. If you have any interest in Arthurian Fantasy, give one of these a go.
Galahad and the Grail by Malcolm Guite
Merlin's Isle #1
First, do yourself a favor and just take a look at this edition from Rabbit Room Press. With Stephen Crotts's wood-etched illustrations throughout, the physical object is a work of art in itself, a cut above the many "deluxe" editions we get these days that amount to little more than sprayed edges. Add to that a foreword from Susanna Clarke, author of two of my favorite novels Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and Piranesi, and in hindsight it's no surprise at all that Galahad and the Grail became a surprise bestseller.
I haven't finished it yet, but I can already tell you the poetry is glorious. Guite tells the Grail quest in ballad form, and I've fallen headlong into his world. What’s better still is that the whole four-volume Merlin's Isle series is on its way. Book two, The Coming of Arthur, arrived yesterday, November 9, with Knights of the Round Table to follow in 2027 and The Passing of Arthur in spring 2028.
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Buried Giant is one of those books I bought the moment I saw its cover. Thankfully the story was equally as good. Set in a mist-shrouded Britain not long after Arthur's death. It follows an elderly couple, Axl and Beatrice, on a journey to find their son. It’s a quiet, haunting novel about memory and specifically what we choose to forget.
This novel was the first Arthurian tale I’d read that felt truly literary. It’s far more introspective than Arthuriana I’d previously consumed, being more interested in the examination of what its characters remember than in quests and battles.
The Once and Future King by T. H. White
Disney adapted the first part of this book, The Sword in the Stone, into the 1963 film I wore out as a kid. Maybe because I had such a fascination with that movie, I'm oddly hesitant to read the book. I'm very excited for it, and I think that’s why I’ve avoided reading it these last several years. Because I know I’ll love it.
Have you ever been paralyzed like that with books or movies? Have you ever carried the fear that the piece of media is too good to be true? That it seems too tailor made to your interests. That, even if it is a 9 out of 10 it will feel like a disappointment because of sky-high expectations.
That’s how this book makes me feel. Maybe putting these feelings down on the page will carry me one step closer to diving into T. H. White’s masterpiece.
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
Grossman rose to fantasy fame with The Magicians trilogy, which became a five-season show on Syfy. The Bright Sword begins at an interesting moment. It opens after Arthur's death, with a young would-be knight named Collum. He’s reached Camelot but he’s too late and falls in with the ragged survivors of the Round Table.
The Bright Sword is by far the longest book on this list but don’t let that dissuade you. I could not put it down. I picked up my copy the day it came out from independent bookshop Trident Booksellers and Cafe while visiting Boston. I lugged that thing everywhere as I explored. Parks, restaurants, libraries. I read it every spare minute I had. Mind you, I came nowhere near to finishing it but the joy of reading such an engrossing book elevated an already amazing trip.
The King by Donald Barthelme
The King was published in 1990, a year after Barthelme's death. How often does a posthumous book live up to expectations? Often they feel like rush jobs, nothing more than hasty cash-grabs from publishers trying to recoup costs or estates cashing in.
I trusted Barthelme enough from his short story collections that I was willing to give The King a go. I’m glad I did. Looking back at my spreadsheet which tracks my reading, The King was one of my top five reads of the year.
Of the novels I’ve recommended in this list, The King is unique in transporting Arthur to another time. Rather than retelling the legend in a different era, Arthur, Guinvere, Lancelot and the rest of the court have survived into World War II. Like all of Barthelme’s book it’s funny and packs a punch. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how good this short novel is.
Whichever of these you pick up, I hope it sends you back to Camelot for a happy adventure. And if there's an Arthurian tale you think belongs on this list, I'd love to hear about it.