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
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