This is from the publisher's summary for the Audible audio book version of Le Morte D'Arthur read by Chris MacDonnell and published by Spoken realms.
It has to be a candidate for the title of 'Dumbest reading of the book' or 'How to misrepresent a book in a desperate attempt to attract readers'.
To the modern eye, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have many similarities to our own contemporary super-heroes. Equipped with magical powers, enchanted swords, super-strength, and countless villains to take on, they protect the weak and innocent and adhere to their own code of honor. Comparing Batman, Superman, and Captain America to Sir Launcelot, Sir Tristram, and Sir Galahad isn't a huge leap of the imagination.
Perhaps, for the 15th century reader, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were the equivalent of our modern day Justice League or Avengers.
There are so many things wrong with this description of the Morte and its readers that I wonder if the person who wrote it had read the book or knew anything about the fifteenth century.
It may not be a huge leap of the imagination to compare Captain America and Sir Galahad but it's a leap away from anything meaningful in the book.
Comparing Batman and Sir Lancelot is like comparing Napoleon and Brigitte Bardot: they have many similarities: they were both French, they both had hands, feet, a mouth and eyes.
2 comments:
Dr. G --
I concur that Malory is nothing like the Marvel (or DC) universe, & yet, I recall reading that the earliest appearance of Arthur's band of knights, in the Mabinogion, named them according to various superpowers, such as Ear son of Hearer or Aim son of Aimer. Crude fairytale structure, almost comic book, particularly when compared to Sir Thomas's Morte. I doubt the publishers had that tenuous connection in mind, but I guess we can't blame them for trying to tempt a new audience.
At least it's not as offensive as the No Tears Shakespeare editions that reduce all the poetry of Shakespeare's plays to plainspeak.
It's inaccurate, which is what bothers me. It's hard to think of one of Malory's Knights who has 'superpowers'. Gawain gets close with his strength increasing as the sun rises and failing as it falls, but the others on that list are just good at what they do. No one believes in Super man or Gotham City, but Caxton states he published the book because he thought there had been a king called Arthur and he and his knights were historical characters.
No tears Shakespeare, like the 'translation' of Milton into Modern English (see the post on this blog called 'Milton and the Nipple Nazi') is indeed depressing.
Whoever wrote our version of 'How Culuwch won Olwen' loved lists, and he does indeed name 260 heroes(+/-) of Arthur's court in one burst of exuberance, but I think tongue was firmly in cheek...according to Sioned Davis, Black, Stab and Strength sons of the hunchback from the uplands of hell are there, as well as Ear son of Hearer and Track son of Aim....but it's unlikely Malory knew that story or that tradition.
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