What do you think?
Rate this book
Lancelot's Grail
New age teachings on self-awareness and enlightenment are explored in an Arthurian-age story of two siblings' journey to enlightenment after they discover Sir Lancelot living as a hermit and uncover his knowledge of the Holy Grail.
Alura and Frith, abandoned at an abbey as children, have grown up in social isolation and are desperate for a new life.
Sir Bedivere, desolate over the knights' abandonment of the Round Table after the fall of Camelot, has come up with a plan.
Sir Lancelot, abandoned by his once-adoring public, has found enlightenment while living as a hermit.
Their lives converge when Frith leads Sir Bedivere to Lancelot’s hermitage. There, they learn that Lancelot has found the Holy Grail – within himself. Bedivere tries, without success, to persuade Lancelot to come help him rebuild the Knights of The Round Table. After Bedivere departs, Frith begs Lancelot to teach him, hoping to become a knight. Soon Alura joins them, hoping to snare herself a husband.
Lancelot, torn between a desire to be left alone and an obligation to pass his knowledge on, agrees to teach them, but soon realizes that everyone simply wants to use him. Yet, seeing the spark of awareness growing in Alura and Frith, he persists and leads them on a quest to penetrate the barriers in themselves that keep them from attaining the Grail.
Then Alura falls in love with Lancelot and incites an angry mob. Bedivere urges Lancelot to flee, but Lancelot stays, struggling to finish his work with Alura and Frith in the little time he has left.
Under Lancelot’s tutelage Alura and Frith come of age, but the ideas presented in Lancelot’s Grail invite the reader to reconsider what coming of age really means.
Alura and Frith, abandoned at an abbey as children, have grown up in social isolation and are desperate for a new life.
Sir Bedivere, desolate over the knights' abandonment of the Round Table after the fall of Camelot, has come up with a plan.
Sir Lancelot, abandoned by his once-adoring public, has found enlightenment while living as a hermit.
Their lives converge when Frith leads Sir Bedivere to Lancelot’s hermitage. There, they learn that Lancelot has found the Holy Grail – within himself. Bedivere tries, without success, to persuade Lancelot to come help him rebuild the Knights of The Round Table. After Bedivere departs, Frith begs Lancelot to teach him, hoping to become a knight. Soon Alura joins them, hoping to snare herself a husband.
Lancelot, torn between a desire to be left alone and an obligation to pass his knowledge on, agrees to teach them, but soon realizes that everyone simply wants to use him. Yet, seeing the spark of awareness growing in Alura and Frith, he persists and leads them on a quest to penetrate the barriers in themselves that keep them from attaining the Grail.
Then Alura falls in love with Lancelot and incites an angry mob. Bedivere urges Lancelot to flee, but Lancelot stays, struggling to finish his work with Alura and Frith in the little time he has left.
Under Lancelot’s tutelage Alura and Frith come of age, but the ideas presented in Lancelot’s Grail invite the reader to reconsider what coming of age really means.
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2013
2 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Richard Gartee
56 books42 followersRichard Gartee is a poet, author and award-winning novelist. Since his first novel, Lancelot’s Grail was published, he has published seven more novels. He is a full-time author. In addition to his eight novels, he has had six collections of poetry published, a biography, seven college textbooks, and a history of the Hippodrome Theatre.
His novel Ragtime Dudes In a Thin Place won the Royal Palm Literary Award. It's sequel Ragtime Dudes Meet a Paris Flapper won him another Royal Palm Literary Award.
He studied eastern philosophy and meditation for 50 years and is a member of Writers Alliance of Gainesville and Florida Writers Association.
He says:
“I started out in creative writing and then spent 22 years in computer software. During that period of my life I helped design two of the preeminent medical systems and became an expert in the field. Along the way I wrote a college textbook which became a national standard. I left the software company, wrote more textbooks, and became a full time author. Between textbooks I turned my attention back to my creative writing origins. I began working on plays and a novel. For me balancing the left brain – right brain is not that difficult. I enjoy writing and find all of it creative, just in different ways. For me the secret is ‘do the work.’ I make it a point to work on some writing project every day.”
His novel Ragtime Dudes In a Thin Place won the Royal Palm Literary Award. It's sequel Ragtime Dudes Meet a Paris Flapper won him another Royal Palm Literary Award.
He studied eastern philosophy and meditation for 50 years and is a member of Writers Alliance of Gainesville and Florida Writers Association.
He says:
“I started out in creative writing and then spent 22 years in computer software. During that period of my life I helped design two of the preeminent medical systems and became an expert in the field. Along the way I wrote a college textbook which became a national standard. I left the software company, wrote more textbooks, and became a full time author. Between textbooks I turned my attention back to my creative writing origins. I began working on plays and a novel. For me balancing the left brain – right brain is not that difficult. I enjoy writing and find all of it creative, just in different ways. For me the secret is ‘do the work.’ I make it a point to work on some writing project every day.”
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 5, 2020
I bought this book directly from the author at a literary event. The story is not what you might expect, bearing the name of King Arthur's best knight, but I found it fascinating and enjoyable. It is the tale of an older Lancelot who is seeking enlightenment. He is tempted to deviate from his path by a fellow knight who wants to restore the Round Table and by two teenage inhabitants of the local abbey whom he agrees to teach. His motivation is to lead the youngsters to enlightenment, but of course they have different ideas, at first. This is also a historical novel that brings the time and place to life. Much research must have gone into the the writing. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read.
September 14, 2013
I was wary of this book, because of the subtitle "New age teachings on self-awareness and enlightenment in an Arthurian story." The "Arthurian story" part was what made me curious enough to sign up for the give away I ended up winning. I hoped to expand on the many versions of the King Arthur sagaI have read as my own spiritual quest. I was surprised that the action takes place AFTER the fall of Camelot, and not during. The Knights of the Round Table are dead or dispersed. Lancelot has become a hermit in a hut within walking distance of an abbey. He becomes the spiritual mentor of two teenagers, brother and sister, Alura and Frith.
My first question was: why has the author chosen Lancelot a the wise teacher? To make it easier to digest for someone new to Christian spirituality? To show that any human being, who has made major mistakes can become wise enough to teach others? The effect this choice, and the age of his pupils had on me, was that the book read as a young adult novel, although Lancelot's lessons, though not new, are far more difficult than they seem on the surface.
The book consists of short chapters with mini paragraphs and a lot of dialogue. Again a sign that it is meant for young people and those new to spirituality.
I was disappointed by the stereotypical characters. Alura's obsession with finding a husband was so exaggerated that the rest of her personality was obscured. Spiritual development is usually more complex than overcoming just one obsession. Lancelot himself is too saintly to be convincing. Sir Bedivere is too battle hungry and drunk to have ever made it as a Knight of the Round Table. The abbot was too busy organizing feasts to keep an eye on his teenage charges.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the book. It will go in my collection of King Arthur books.
My first question was: why has the author chosen Lancelot a the wise teacher? To make it easier to digest for someone new to Christian spirituality? To show that any human being, who has made major mistakes can become wise enough to teach others? The effect this choice, and the age of his pupils had on me, was that the book read as a young adult novel, although Lancelot's lessons, though not new, are far more difficult than they seem on the surface.
The book consists of short chapters with mini paragraphs and a lot of dialogue. Again a sign that it is meant for young people and those new to spirituality.
I was disappointed by the stereotypical characters. Alura's obsession with finding a husband was so exaggerated that the rest of her personality was obscured. Spiritual development is usually more complex than overcoming just one obsession. Lancelot himself is too saintly to be convincing. Sir Bedivere is too battle hungry and drunk to have ever made it as a Knight of the Round Table. The abbot was too busy organizing feasts to keep an eye on his teenage charges.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the book. It will go in my collection of King Arthur books.
July 26, 2014
Disclaimer: I received this book from a first-read giveaway.
In all honesty, I entered this giveaway because I love Arthurian legends (and generally enjoy stories set in that world). The spirituality felt a little forced on the reader, but it wasn't a bad story overall. Just don't go into it expecting a more traditional Arthurian tale, as I did, and you will most likely enjoy it.
In all honesty, I entered this giveaway because I love Arthurian legends (and generally enjoy stories set in that world). The spirituality felt a little forced on the reader, but it wasn't a bad story overall. Just don't go into it expecting a more traditional Arthurian tale, as I did, and you will most likely enjoy it.
September 16, 2013
Except for a few editing mistakes (certain words being cut short) this book was a fantastic read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews