REVIEW: The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Paperback: 1009 pages
Publisher: Sphere; (1982)
ISBN-10: 0722119577
ISBN-13: 9780722119570
Copy: Bought in bookstore
Reviewer: Cara

From the back cover:
Here is the tragic tale of the rise and fall of Camelot – but seen through the eyes of Camelot’s women: the devout Gwenhwyfar, Arthur’s queen; Viviane, high priestess of Avalon and Lady of the Lake; above all, Morgaine, possessor of the Sight, the wise-woman fated to bring ruin on them all…

I must be honest from the outset, this is one of my all-time favourite novels ever. I first read it way back in the early 80’s and this book gets re-read about every 7 years or so. Yes, it is a long book at over 1000 pages, but the rich detail and range of characters are worth the time invested in reading The Mists of Avalon. Marian Zimmer Bradley wrote a series of books after this one, tracing the history of Avalon back through the ages, but none of these match the grand retelling of the story of Camelot.

I will not summarise the plot as it is already well known, however, here we have the full story of King Arthur told by the women in his life. Principle of these is Morgaine, half-sister to Arthur, Priestess of Avalon and mother of Mordred. She represents the old religion of the Goddess and Celtic Britain, a way of life being threatened by the rise of Christianity. She uses her gift of Sight and magic to manipulate those around her, using them as pawns in her power struggles, yet she believes all her actions are predestined by fate. Misguided and vengeful, she is a tragic character who lives to see all she loves die around her. The Mists of Avalon is really Morgaine’s story.

The main theme in The Mists of Avalon is the dying of the old Celtic traditions and way of life. A world where women had spiritual power and the Goddess held sway is being eroded by the rise of the Christians and their patriarchal God. Arthur is caught in the middle and tries to balance both sides but ultimately he fails. It is this theme that has caused controversy among present-day Christians who complain that the book portrays their religion as intolerant and misogynist. Personally I loved the detail of the pagan religion as practiced at Avalon. Viviane, the Lady of the Lake is another strong character and her role in Arthur’s conception and eventual rise as King is pivotal to the plot. As her influence wanes, so does the Celtic Druidic society she represents. A large part of the book is set in Avalon, a kind of spiritual retreat where, at various times, Morgaine, Arthur, Galahad, Lancelet and others spend time learning the ways of their ancestors.

This is a book about women and how their role in society is shaped by the predominant religion. The viewpoints of Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, Viviane, Igraine and others serve to show us the influence women had in the daily life of Celtic Britain. While men held political power, women were the guardians of spirituality. Certainly the women in The Mists of Avalon are, for the most part, strong characters full of intelligence and a desire to protect all they hold dear.

My one criticism is that The Mists of Avalon is over long and has a tendency to ramble in places. There is a large cast of characters, all of whom have their own role to play in the story, but I found that there was too much background information given about minor players, which was confusing at times. Despite this, I will continue to re-read The Mists of Avalon periodically because of the sympathetic depiction of Morgaine, a woman who wants to preserve her traditions and her religion but oversees their demise.

Plot: 10
Characters: 9
Style: 9


Overall rating 9/10