Cliff's Notes on Le Morte D'Arthur

by John Gardner

Written in the 15th century, this version of the legend of King Arthur is perhaps the most famous. Filled with stories of adventure and chivalry among the knights of the Round Table in Camelot, love, and magic, it sets the imagination in motion.

80 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 1967

About the author

John Champlin Gardner was a well-known and controversial American novelist and university professor, best known for his novel Grendel, a retelling of the Beowulf myth.

Gardner was born in Batavia, New York. His father was a lay preacher and dairy farmer, and his mother taught English at a local school. Both parents were fond of Shakespeare and often recited literature together. As a child, Gardner attended public school and worked on his father's farm, where, in April of 1945, his younger brother Gilbert was killed in an accident with a cultipacker. Gardner, who was driving the tractor during the fatal accident, carried guilt for his brother's death throughout his life, suffering nightmares and flashbacks. The incident informed much of Gardner's fiction and criticism — most directly in the 1977 short story "Redemption," which included a fictionalized recounting of the accident.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gar...

Reviews

[Ronnie West · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have never read the full book. Reading this was incredible. The medieval author seemed very concerned with morality. The Cliffs notes author helped make sense of the archaic language and gave context so that the bizarre way the story played out was more understandable.
I’m too lazy to read the classics for real but with this I can at least get some of the flavor and understand their relevance more.

[Robert Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I read Le Morte D'Arthur, this was a nice refresher.