A Fine Retelling: "The Squire, His Knight, & His Lady"

Book: The Squire, His Knight, & His Lady

Author: Gerald Morris

Pages: 229 (Hardcover)

Copy: Yolo County Library (I’m so glad my library has all these books!)

Read: Early July (this was my second reading; first read in Middle School)

Spoilers: a few hints, but nothing big

So here’s the second book in the “Squire’s Tales” series.  This book retells the medieval poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” with the addition of Terrance’s discovery of love.  It’s not a terrible retelling of the ancient poem, though it is a little boring in comparison.  Gone are all the delicate intricacies of the source material, replaced with clever dialogue and budding romance.  On the one hand, Morris has made Gawain’s experiences at the Green Temple a little more human, revealing Gawain’s depression and uncertainty, as well as Arthur’s sadness.  On the other hand, Morris dismisses the subtlety and intricate structure of the original (not that I can really see young readers putting up with the bob and wheel format of the poem or the masterful interlacing of the hunting and seduction scenes).

Overall, this story is better than The Squire’s Tale.  The plot is better thought out (probably because Morris had strong source material, but let’s not be mean) and the characters are as strong as ever.  The depiction of Eileen is, overall, very good, but I can’t help being a little annoyed by her.  She isn’t the cliché of a medieval woman, but she isn’t exactly modern either.  However, she has spirit, and she certainly seems a match for Terrance.

This book also dips into the painful romance between Lancelot and Guinevere.  I was a little excited to see how Morris would handle this famous love triangle, especially in the setting of a young adult novel.  I’d say he’s handled the affair well enough, especially in his depiction of Arthur.  Lancelot is annoying, as expected, and Guinevere isn’t exactly sympathetic, but Morris ties up all the lose ends well.  (It would have been nice if Morris had been really daring and got rid of Guinevere somehow, but I suppose we can’t expect him to completely rewrite the myths, especially since the love triangle is such a well-known aspect.)

This isn’t my favorite book of the series (so far the third book holds that honor), but this is definitely a good read.  More polished and better plotted than the first book, this story shows Morris’s growth as an author and his comfort with his material.  Morris is obviously deeply immersed in Arthurian legend and conveys his passion well.  He also integrates his own characters well with characters out of myth, a move that doesn’t always work.

I’d recommend this to anyone who liked the first book well enough.  This book might actually be a better place to start (maybe treat The Squire’s Tale as a prequel to read later as a way to fill in a few blanks?).  It’s a worthwhile read, and a great introduction to “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” (I’d recommend reading this book then digging up a good translation of the original poem, if only to see the subtle moves that Morris had to abandon in his retelling).  Overall, a good story, but once again: candy, not dinner.  Unless you dislike Lancelot.  If that’s the case, it’s catnip.

-Benvolia

Also Read:

Parsifal’s Page, Gerald Morris (16 July 2011)

Gawain Fan Club: "The Squire's Tale"

Book: The Squire’s Tale
Author: Gerald Morris
Pages: 209
Copy: Yolo County Library
Read: Early July
Spoilers: Nothing specific

When I first read this book in middle school, I was torn between enjoyment and a mild dislike. My second reading only deepened these feelings. The plot is okay, the characters perfectly depicted, the writing is pretty good, but it doesn’t all add up. I like the characters, especially Gawain. Everyone is memorable and vivid. The writing is snappy, with quick, clever dialogue and a good sense of humor. (There’s no swearing. Instead the author uses “By Gog” and “By Gad” which is a little too cute.) I think the biggest flaw of this novel is the plot.

The book runs along at a swift pace, bumping from one adventure to another without much rest or even reflection. Things just happen and the characters accept their adventures without wondering about what has just happened to them. The ending is particularly odd, almost as if the author had nearly forgotten to include this one last adventure and just threw it in at the end. It seems to me that the last adventure could have been the framing adventure for the whole book, with all the other little adventures occurring along the way. Instead, there are a series of adventures without much cohesion. The end is just too easy.

Perhaps Morris was trying to show how far his characters had evolved. Perhaps he was trying to show how much more powerful the various characters have become. Perhaps he just didn’t know how to end the book. I finished the book bemused, feeling as if half the book had been ripped out before I could finish reading.

For all that the weird plotting is an important issue for me, somehow it doesn’t destroy the whole book. I think that’s because the characters are so good and because the writing is interesting. If Morris had been slightly less clever, or taken Arthurian myths slightly more seriously, the book would be unreadable. As it is, this seems like a thinly disguised fan letter to Gawain, which isn’t at all bad. In fact, it’s wonderful.

Lancelot, I think, has taken over Arthurian myths. He lords it over all other knights and all other myths. He has become central to Arthur’s court and central to Arthur’s downfall. But not here. Here, Gawain is growing into the greatest of Arthur’s knights. Here, Lancelot hasn’t even arrived yet. Here, Gawain is the important one. And I think Gawain deserves the spotlight more than Lancelot. Gawain has flaws, but he still tries to be chivalrous. He knows what is expected of a knight, and what’s expected isn’t pretty clothes or shiny armor. It’s hard work, defeat, and sweat. I think Gawain is a better role model. Lancelot is just flimsy in comparison. (I’ll admit I’m getting ahead of myself here—Lancelot doesn’t show up in this series until the second book. But still. Even in this book you can tell that Gawain is a better knight than Lancelot.)

I’d recommend this book to kids mostly. It doesn’t quite hold up to the expectations of an adult—it just isn’t cohesive enough. That being said, it is enjoyable, so it isn’t impossible for an adult to read. (Just be patient.) This is a great introduction to Arthurian myths, especially if you want someone to like Gawain and not Lancelot. I can’t imagine that Lancelot fans like these books very much. The disdain is just too obvious. At any rate, read this book—it’s fun—but just don’t expect too much. This is candy, not dinner.

-Benvolia

Also read:
Deerskin, Robin McKinley, 29 June 2011
The Fourth Bear, Jasper Fford, 30 June 2011
The Squire, His Knight, & His Lady, 1 July 2011
The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf, 3 July 2011
Ready Player One, Ernest Cline (Advanced Reader; Publication Date: August 2011), 13 July 2011
Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi (Advanced Reader; Publication Date: November 15, 2011),13 July 2011