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Avalon
This saga of yearning and mystery travels across oceans and continents to Iceland, Greenland, and North America during the time in history when Anglo-Saxons battled Vikings and the Norsemen discovered America. The marked contrasts between powerful royalty, landless peasants, Viking warriors and noble knights are expertly brought to life in this gripping tale of the French prince named Rumon. Shipwrecked off the Cornish coast on his quest to find King Arthur's legendary Avalon, Rumon meets a lonely girl named Merewyn and their lives soon become intertwined. Rumon brings Merewyn to England, but once there he is so dazzled by Queen Alrida's beauty that it makes him a virtual prisoner to her will. In this riveting romance, Anya Seton once again proves her mastery of historical detail and ability to craft a compelling tale that includes real and colorful personalities such as St. Dunstan and Eric the Red.
440 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
880 people are currently reading
4699 people want to read
About the author
Anya Seton
34 books900 followersAnya Seton (January 23, 1904 (although the year is often misstated to be 1906 or 1916) - November 8, 1990) was the pen name of the American author of historical romances, Ann Seton.
Ann Seton was born in New York, and died in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. She was the daughter of English-born naturalist and pioneer of the Boy Scouts of America, Ernest Thompson Seton and Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson. She is interred at Putnam Cemetery in Greenwich.
Her historical novels were noted for how extensively she researched the historical facts, and some of them were best-sellers.[citation needed] Dragonwyck (1941) and Foxfire (1950) were both made into Hollywood films. Two of her books are classics in their genre and continue in their popularity to the present; Katherine, the story of Katherine Swynford, the mistress and eventual wife of John of Gaunt, and their children, who eventually became the basis for the Tudor and Stuart families of England, and Green Darkness, the story of a modern couple plagued by their past life incarnations. Most of her novels have been recently republished, several with forewords by Philippa Gregory.
Her novel Devil Water concerns James, the luckless Earl of Derwentwater and his involvement with the Jacobite rising of 1715. She also narrates the story of his brother Charles, beheaded after the 1745 rebellion, the last man to die for the cause. The action of the novel moves back and forth between Northumberland, Tyneside, London and America.
Anya Seton stated that the book developed out of her love for Northumberland. Anya certainly visited her Snowdon cousins at Felton. Billy Pigg, the celebrated Northumbrian piper played 'Derwentwater's Farewell' especially for her. The novel shows her typical thorough research of events and places, though the accents are a little wayward. Anya Seton said that her greatest debt of all was to Miss Amy Flagg of Westoe Village in South Shields, her father's birthplace.
Ann Seton was born in New York, and died in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. She was the daughter of English-born naturalist and pioneer of the Boy Scouts of America, Ernest Thompson Seton and Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson. She is interred at Putnam Cemetery in Greenwich.
Her historical novels were noted for how extensively she researched the historical facts, and some of them were best-sellers.[citation needed] Dragonwyck (1941) and Foxfire (1950) were both made into Hollywood films. Two of her books are classics in their genre and continue in their popularity to the present; Katherine, the story of Katherine Swynford, the mistress and eventual wife of John of Gaunt, and their children, who eventually became the basis for the Tudor and Stuart families of England, and Green Darkness, the story of a modern couple plagued by their past life incarnations. Most of her novels have been recently republished, several with forewords by Philippa Gregory.
Her novel Devil Water concerns James, the luckless Earl of Derwentwater and his involvement with the Jacobite rising of 1715. She also narrates the story of his brother Charles, beheaded after the 1745 rebellion, the last man to die for the cause. The action of the novel moves back and forth between Northumberland, Tyneside, London and America.
Anya Seton stated that the book developed out of her love for Northumberland. Anya certainly visited her Snowdon cousins at Felton. Billy Pigg, the celebrated Northumbrian piper played 'Derwentwater's Farewell' especially for her. The novel shows her typical thorough research of events and places, though the accents are a little wayward. Anya Seton said that her greatest debt of all was to Miss Amy Flagg of Westoe Village in South Shields, her father's birthplace.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
February 19, 2023
A frustrating story.
September 18, 2018
A historical novel based on events that occurred in the 10th Century in England, Iceland, and Greenland, Avalon did not live up to my expectations of Anya Seton. The plot of a bit plodding and fairly unsophisticated. However, I did enjoy getting a glimpse of this time period, which is not one that is encountered that often. I now have a better understanding of how the very important Norman conquest came to be and why the Normans came to sit on the throne of England.
The story traces a Cornish girl, Merewyn, who is revealed to be a result of a Viking raid, and Rumon, a French descendant of Charlemagne. Their lives intersect several times, as they thread their ways through the royal house of first King Edgar and then Ethelred the Unready. The influences of both the raiding Norsemen and the Christian church are well-presented. It is primarily the person stories that lack impact. Merewyn, to whom we should feel attached, falls a bit flat for me, and displays a kind of inconsistency of character that bothers me as well. I do feel the section that deals with her life among the Iceland/Greenland Norse is better-written than her time in England.
I have had this book sitting on my shelf for years and have always believed it was going to be a book I would love if I could ever get it into the schedule. It was not that, but I am pleased to be able to say I have read it and that I did walk away with information and impressions of the time period that I did not have at the outset.
The story traces a Cornish girl, Merewyn, who is revealed to be a result of a Viking raid, and Rumon, a French descendant of Charlemagne. Their lives intersect several times, as they thread their ways through the royal house of first King Edgar and then Ethelred the Unready. The influences of both the raiding Norsemen and the Christian church are well-presented. It is primarily the person stories that lack impact. Merewyn, to whom we should feel attached, falls a bit flat for me, and displays a kind of inconsistency of character that bothers me as well. I do feel the section that deals with her life among the Iceland/Greenland Norse is better-written than her time in England.
I have had this book sitting on my shelf for years and have always believed it was going to be a book I would love if I could ever get it into the schedule. It was not that, but I am pleased to be able to say I have read it and that I did walk away with information and impressions of the time period that I did not have at the outset.
March 25, 2017
A wonderful historical saga of the tenth century. Rumon, descendaant of Charlemagne and King Arthur journeys from his native Provence to England, which is being torn apart by rifts between Christian and pagan, and violent invasions and raids by Vikings and Danes.
He meets the beautiful and valiant Merewyn, in Cornwall, but is bewitched by the evil Queen Alfreda, who after Edgar's death has Edgar's older son Edward assassinated, and replaced by Alfreda's own son Ethelred.
Merewyn is later captured by vikings and the epic takes us to Iceland, Greenland and North America.
A fine work of engaging and event-filled historical fiction and romance, taking us to the heart of 10th century England and beyond.
Impossible to put down
He meets the beautiful and valiant Merewyn, in Cornwall, but is bewitched by the evil Queen Alfreda, who after Edgar's death has Edgar's older son Edward assassinated, and replaced by Alfreda's own son Ethelred.
Merewyn is later captured by vikings and the epic takes us to Iceland, Greenland and North America.
A fine work of engaging and event-filled historical fiction and romance, taking us to the heart of 10th century England and beyond.
Impossible to put down
February 12, 2017
Eh...it was okay, but not recommended unless you're a hardcore Seton fan.
-spoilers ahead-
The story begins with Merewyn & Rumon's time at the court of Edgar & his son Edward (roughly 970-80 AD). The secret of Merewyn's non-royal birth is a deathbed vow that Rumon carries only by accident; he's a petulant, sanctimonious whinger who thinks entirely too much of his worth to God's creation. Merewyn was more likable, though something of a dim bulb, so she doesn't have much personality besides providing a bookmark for various historical settings. Eventually she's captured by a shipload of Vikings -- one of which turns out to be her blood-father -- and is forced to settle for life on Iceland. Despite her misgivings, she grows fond of her father & marries his foster son, Sigurd, then moves with them to Erik the Red's colony in Greenland.
Several years later, Rumon manages to find her...but now she's in love with Sigurd & content with her lot, so Rumon sulks away to become a monk. Fast forward sixteen more years & widowed Merewyn is leaving Greenland with her kids. She ends up married to a rich English dude & we're treated to several episodic snapshots of Ethelred's reign, at which point Rumon-the-Monk drops back into Merewyn's life, somehow convincing her that his opinion matters, & she spends a few pages confessing that she's a Viking bastard. The end.
...Yawn.
At first I was intrigued by the story, despite a meh pair of leads. But the second half blows. We don't see any of Merewyn's acclimation to Viking life, the developing relationship with her father & Sigurd, or even the process of settlement on Greenland. FAIL. The episodic nature of the Viking section really soured my response to the entire story -- which sucks, because I enjoyed the Viking parts that were included. But in the aftermath of important character & plot developments that were so heavily glossed, I wasn't in the mood for Merewyn's meandering around England to highlight a parade of infodumps re: Ethelred's reign. The last 100 pages was a definite slog that inspired zero interest.
Anyway, the first section managed to include some interesting bits about the Dark Ages & (peripherally) the roots of the Greenland settlement. I've read another novel about said doomed experiment -- The Thrall's Tale -- and really enjoyed it. But The Thrall's Tale succeeded where Avalon failed -- that is, crafting a brutal, visceral story that centers on a small cast of characters as they survive an equally brutal, visceral environment. Avalon's scope was too broad, too dry, & too much I AM HISTORY(tm) for genuine involvement. I much prefer books that don't buff away the grittiness to flaunt a sheen of research & beauteous language. Sound grammar & background is good, yes...but vivid characters & involving plot will trump the occasional linguistic wobble or bending-of-facts any day of the week.
-spoilers ahead-
The story begins with Merewyn & Rumon's time at the court of Edgar & his son Edward (roughly 970-80 AD). The secret of Merewyn's non-royal birth is a deathbed vow that Rumon carries only by accident; he's a petulant, sanctimonious whinger who thinks entirely too much of his worth to God's creation. Merewyn was more likable, though something of a dim bulb, so she doesn't have much personality besides providing a bookmark for various historical settings. Eventually she's captured by a shipload of Vikings -- one of which turns out to be her blood-father -- and is forced to settle for life on Iceland. Despite her misgivings, she grows fond of her father & marries his foster son, Sigurd, then moves with them to Erik the Red's colony in Greenland.
Several years later, Rumon manages to find her...but now she's in love with Sigurd & content with her lot, so Rumon sulks away to become a monk. Fast forward sixteen more years & widowed Merewyn is leaving Greenland with her kids. She ends up married to a rich English dude & we're treated to several episodic snapshots of Ethelred's reign, at which point Rumon-the-Monk drops back into Merewyn's life, somehow convincing her that his opinion matters, & she spends a few pages confessing that she's a Viking bastard. The end.
...Yawn.
At first I was intrigued by the story, despite a meh pair of leads. But the second half blows. We don't see any of Merewyn's acclimation to Viking life, the developing relationship with her father & Sigurd, or even the process of settlement on Greenland. FAIL. The episodic nature of the Viking section really soured my response to the entire story -- which sucks, because I enjoyed the Viking parts that were included. But in the aftermath of important character & plot developments that were so heavily glossed, I wasn't in the mood for Merewyn's meandering around England to highlight a parade of infodumps re: Ethelred's reign. The last 100 pages was a definite slog that inspired zero interest.
Anyway, the first section managed to include some interesting bits about the Dark Ages & (peripherally) the roots of the Greenland settlement. I've read another novel about said doomed experiment -- The Thrall's Tale -- and really enjoyed it. But The Thrall's Tale succeeded where Avalon failed -- that is, crafting a brutal, visceral story that centers on a small cast of characters as they survive an equally brutal, visceral environment. Avalon's scope was too broad, too dry, & too much I AM HISTORY(tm) for genuine involvement. I much prefer books that don't buff away the grittiness to flaunt a sheen of research & beauteous language. Sound grammar & background is good, yes...but vivid characters & involving plot will trump the occasional linguistic wobble or bending-of-facts any day of the week.
April 2, 2021
I remember being so disappointed at the end of this one. What did you expect from a silly young teenager? I was expecting "happily ever after" - not THAT! Still, the rest of the story was interesting because in those days I was REALLY super into VIKINGS!
August 20, 2008
Very enjoyable. It was nice taking a travel through history in a period of time not so frequently written about. The up and down see saw of Merewyn's and Ruman's star crossed love was heartbreaking at times. I don't want to say more to give out the end.
It isn't Katherine by a long shot, but still a good read, and I would recommend to any lover of historical fiction.
It isn't Katherine by a long shot, but still a good read, and I would recommend to any lover of historical fiction.
November 5, 2022
Don't we all search our Avalon? Our blessed place. And perhaps, like Rumon and Merewyn we find it in some peaceful, small garden or with a calm, balanced human.
It was a book hard to put down. The adventures, an action, plot twists gripped my whole attention. From Cornwall, through Winchester and the court of English Kings, through Vikings communities (in Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, New Hampshire Coast) and back to England. My favourite mix of historical events and everyday life details, spiced with personal choices, dreams, fears and longings.
It was a book hard to put down. The adventures, an action, plot twists gripped my whole attention. From Cornwall, through Winchester and the court of English Kings, through Vikings communities (in Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, New Hampshire Coast) and back to England. My favourite mix of historical events and everyday life details, spiced with personal choices, dreams, fears and longings.
"Always we live on islands of one kind or another,"
September 30, 2020
Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know how this criticism will come out, for although I have high hopes for it. I think I've written it because I didn't feel like continuing to read another book, and my heart right now is more watching the neverwinter Nights and Icewind Dale https://www.goodreads.com/series/4918... videos in order to write baldurs Gates https://www.goodreads.com/series/4190... long-awaited (at least for me) reviews, set in the Forgotten Realms in the Dungeons and Dragons universe https://www.goodreads.com/author/show....
I thought that no event other than the family incidents I've had (which have been very strong) were going to shake my world. This book is proof that I was wrong in my forecasts. I am still shaken by the wonderful novel by writer Anya Seton https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... a writer halfway between the romantic novel and the historical novel, and which has been a great influence for some writers including Philippa Gregory https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... This thing about some writers considering themselves disciples of others is still inconvenient, because if the writer dislikes you, and I recognize that I don't like Philippa Gregory you tend to shy away from the writers he taxes on, or pays homage to. However last year I had a very positive experience with a novel by Anya Seton I mean the very interesting"Dragonwyck" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... from which an adaptation was already made. A Gothic-romantic novel set in 19th-century America in the line of"Jane Eyre",and"Rebecca" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... which is a perfect study of what psychopathy is. This novel was adapted in the 1940s and resulted in a wonderful film played by two actors who were good at working together (I've seen them in three films) Gene Tierney (one of Hollywood's prettiest actresses) and the ever-terrifying (except in"Laura" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...) Vincent Price. In my view, however,"Avalón" in my opinion is even better a novel. I usually be a little cheating, when I choose the books I want to read I always choose the book that I think I can like better. I'm not a masochist. Only on very special occasions, I tend to choose books that will displease me, but I will generally go for sure. Being "Avalón" a book that being very soft seemed enormously promising. I read your argument and loved it. With this argument I knew that this book was made of the materials that serve us to classify a book as a masterpiece. It's not easy for a book to conquer me so easily, but it did and I was after finding out what I was obsessed with owning it, but of course as it usually happens it was discontinued and I could only get it thanks to Amazon, but I have a flaw. I do not like to buy books online, and I also like to bet on the small bookstore in this case the Tree of Letters, which is where I bought almost 90% of the books I read https://www.elarboldelasletras.com/. So when I have no choice but to buy a book online, I ask my sister, and then I pay her. Although this was a gift for my saint (not birthday in my family we also celebrate the saints. It is a custom of my mother Andalusia's land). The truth is that it was a book that made me very excited, and I told my friend Professor Manuel Alfonseca https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... In fact, my plan was to book this title, for later in November or December, which is when I read the favorite titles to be the best book of the year and this year has not been one of the best, however, seeing how stuck and lazy I was with my readings (I don't think I got to read 150 books this year) ahead to decide to read"Avalón" in part because I wanted to read a book I liked. It is rare to find books that exceed my expectations few writers have achieved it although I will quote two Shusaku Endo https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... and the wonderful novel "Black Robe" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... by Brian Moore (which I will talk about later because it has one thing in common with this book).
The first thing I liked about this wonderful novel is the author's attempt to combine the Arthurian world with the other great focus of legends in this case more credible from a historical point of view the Carolingian world and also included King Alfred of Wessex, which in my opinion deserves more recognition than Arthur, because above all Charlemagne has transcended more in history, and is certainly the pioneer of what we call the Universitas Christiana not to confuse with that anti-Christian mustard called the European Union which is another instrument at the service of plutocracy and globalism different from what the sages and thinkers of the Middle Ages wanted. At first this description I have given is very vague, because it makes us believe that Arthur will have an important presence, and it is only an excuse to try to unite two worlds and two people. What you have before you is a romantic novel describing an impossible love between Merewyn (who embodies the Celtic world) and his other rumon protagonist who embodies the rising world half between the Carolingian world that has given way to great legends and songs I think of Roland https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... La Chanson in the Orlandos both the"Enamorado" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... Boiardo https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... being the most interesting work"Orlando Furioso" by Ludovico Ariosto https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... being in turn one of my teacher's favorite books Professor Manuel Alfonseca https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... more modernly speaking we could highlight more modern works such as"Three Hearts and Three Lions" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... Anderson https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (one of the few who can compete with J.R.R. Tolkien https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... or stand up to it, you know, is a duel that has no emotion. Although Anderson as Braudel would say of Count Duke of Olivares was not always richelieu's unworthy rival https://www.goodreads.com/series/1802... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... the same line is the work of Lyon L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, translated by me always dear Juan Manuel de Prasda https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... about a scientist traveling to magical worlds in this volume traveling to the world of Furious Orlando and the Celtic world. But it's not the interesting thing about anya Seton's novel book, although the strength of course of this novel is to tell the impossible love of Merewyn and Rumon. But what fascinated me is the beautiful description of Saxon England from King Edgar to St Edward the Confessor, described by Seaton. It is a pity that Seton did not go into further detail and did not describe to us the rubble of the Carolingian world to which Rumon belongs who is the son of a Duchess of Arles who is a descendant of Alfredo de Wessex and has married a descendant of Charlemagne and has to fight the enemies of the Muslim Franks, and Hungarians, although he also threatens the shadow of the Vikings who will play a starry role in this book. The boy is an idealistic dreamer, who because of his bard Vincent. A precedent of these troubadours who in queen Leonor's time bequeathed to us the world the Artúrica legends make the boy dream of the fantasy world in this case of Avalón hence the title of the book. This boy's obsession is to find that earthly paradise, and he thinks going to England will find him. Initially the narrator moves from Merwyn to Rumon, but mainly notices Rumon, then we will see how the target changes. He also makes leaps in time, as we are first told of Rumon and Merwyn's encounter and then we see flashbacks of Rumon's life his childhood with his grandmother, who loves his grandson, but believes it is a great disappointment, and since he does not adapt to the frank world in the end he authorizes him to go with his grandson to the flourishing Saxon world. The first few pages have no waste as it describes the moral decline of the Celtic world, who seems to live longer than tradition in this case of the tricky myth and refuses to integrate into the Saxon world, which has adopted the artric idea and his dream thanks to the Benedictine reforms undertaken by St. Augustine of Canterbury and continued by a transcendental character in this novel San Dunstano, which I suppose the most shrewd users will recognize him because he is constantly mentioned by Walter Scott in"Ivanhoe " https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... together with Alfredo, and the mythical Hereward (the last Saxon). It is wonderfully described by Seton the great Benedictine reform in England in the second process of re-evangelizing the island. The first began with St. Albano and fell into the fret when Rome withdrew and the Saxons occupied England, despite the titanic efforts of the Celtic Church, which here is very different from how Stephen R. Lawhead https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... or Thomas Cahill https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... painted it, perhaps less striking, but closer to reality and more reliable is the portrait offered to us by Father Santiago Cantera MontenEgro https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... in his wonderful book"Mailoc's Travels The Book of the Hermit Ronan" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... (god willing will be my next review). We see the Benedictines far from the crisis that will affect them and that will favor the creation of Cluny and after the order of the Cistercian (in fact the Order of Cluny has already been created, for this book is set in the 10th century). Instead, the Celtic world is in a moral decline, reverence to Arthur as a hero, but he is a wild, mountainous clergy, and some priests like Poldu live breaking celibacy and with great relaxation ignoring the reforms of the San Dunstan, Ethelwold, and Oswald trio. Merewyn's descendant of Arthur lives in a situation of misery and is easy prey to Viking incursions. This is known by your mother and after I tell you a secret that I'm not going to reveal, because I'm destroying the plot. He asks Rumon to take her with him with his aunt, who is an abbess, although under circumstances that do not come to the case he will end up in court with Rumohn. The best thing is the description of the court and the Saxons with these kings who were often saints, although despite their apparent prosperity we see that it is a fragile society, as was the Visigothic world certainly superior to the Saxon described by Francisco Navarro Villoslada https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9... or by my learned colleague Daniel Gómez Aragones https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... We see a very intricate political situation with two parties the secular headed by the attractive but ambitious Queen Alfrid, magnificently described and is one of the attractive ones of the novel. That she is the wife of King Edgar, and that she is helped by Alfhere, who is also his mistress. He is an evil Alfrid character, but with nuances, and has a decisive influence on the protagonists especially with Rumon, who succumbs to Alfrid's charms. We can say that while Alfrid is the bad genius of much of the novel Dunstan embodies the good genius, and who will seek the salvation and happiness of the protagonist, but let us not deceive ourselves, he is also Machiavellian and will stop at nothing to achieve the prosperity of the kingdom and the Church (especially when taking sides by Edward the rightful heir , in front of the cowardly and incapable Ethelred). Above all, on the subject of succession. There is an event that will have enormous consequences, which will lead to a crisis of faith to the protagonist. . A kind of eclipse of God in the line of Camus https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . The crisis of faith of the protagonist is very well described, and how it falls under the perfidious influence of that magnificent fatal femme Alfrid. This makes us feel more sympathy at first for Merwyn than for Rumon. It is curious how incommunicadoness, doom, and misconception condition the fate of the protagonists, as if it were a novel by Maurice Baring https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... In addition to the dynastic conflict there are subtramas that will interest us as the description of Glastonbury, Rumon's search for love, and Avalón, which I believe is not physical but spiritual. Merewyn Merwinna's aunt's subtramas. As it links with the Nordic sagas (this part affects Merwyn and partly rumon that leads him to become an involuntary pioneer) and as the character we found the most sympathetic Merwyn changes, and the one who ends up earning our sympathy is Rumon. Rumon's evolution reminds me of another character named Godwin, who appeared in Rider Haggard's wonderful novel "The Brethren". There are wonderful supporting characters like Finian the Irish, Merwinna, Elfleda, and we will be captivated by historical characters apart from San Dustan, Leif Erikson (the Islandes-Greenland sub-shed is still interesting, as it captures the idea that the colonization of Greenland was a scam. Also interesting is the mourning between Erik and his son Leif on account of Christianity that is supported by Leif), or Queen Emma (review follows).
I thought that no event other than the family incidents I've had (which have been very strong) were going to shake my world. This book is proof that I was wrong in my forecasts. I am still shaken by the wonderful novel by writer Anya Seton https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... a writer halfway between the romantic novel and the historical novel, and which has been a great influence for some writers including Philippa Gregory https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... This thing about some writers considering themselves disciples of others is still inconvenient, because if the writer dislikes you, and I recognize that I don't like Philippa Gregory you tend to shy away from the writers he taxes on, or pays homage to. However last year I had a very positive experience with a novel by Anya Seton I mean the very interesting"Dragonwyck" https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... from which an adaptation was already made. A Gothic-romantic novel set in 19th-century America in the line of"Jane Eyre",and"Rebecca" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... which is a perfect study of what psychopathy is. This novel was adapted in the 1940s and resulted in a wonderful film played by two actors who were good at working together (I've seen them in three films) Gene Tierney (one of Hollywood's prettiest actresses) and the ever-terrifying (except in"Laura" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...) Vincent Price. In my view, however,"Avalón" in my opinion is even better a novel. I usually be a little cheating, when I choose the books I want to read I always choose the book that I think I can like better. I'm not a masochist. Only on very special occasions, I tend to choose books that will displease me, but I will generally go for sure. Being "Avalón" a book that being very soft seemed enormously promising. I read your argument and loved it. With this argument I knew that this book was made of the materials that serve us to classify a book as a masterpiece. It's not easy for a book to conquer me so easily, but it did and I was after finding out what I was obsessed with owning it, but of course as it usually happens it was discontinued and I could only get it thanks to Amazon, but I have a flaw. I do not like to buy books online, and I also like to bet on the small bookstore in this case the Tree of Letters, which is where I bought almost 90% of the books I read https://www.elarboldelasletras.com/. So when I have no choice but to buy a book online, I ask my sister, and then I pay her. Although this was a gift for my saint (not birthday in my family we also celebrate the saints. It is a custom of my mother Andalusia's land). The truth is that it was a book that made me very excited, and I told my friend Professor Manuel Alfonseca https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... In fact, my plan was to book this title, for later in November or December, which is when I read the favorite titles to be the best book of the year and this year has not been one of the best, however, seeing how stuck and lazy I was with my readings (I don't think I got to read 150 books this year) ahead to decide to read"Avalón" in part because I wanted to read a book I liked. It is rare to find books that exceed my expectations few writers have achieved it although I will quote two Shusaku Endo https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... and the wonderful novel "Black Robe" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... by Brian Moore (which I will talk about later because it has one thing in common with this book).
The first thing I liked about this wonderful novel is the author's attempt to combine the Arthurian world with the other great focus of legends in this case more credible from a historical point of view the Carolingian world and also included King Alfred of Wessex, which in my opinion deserves more recognition than Arthur, because above all Charlemagne has transcended more in history, and is certainly the pioneer of what we call the Universitas Christiana not to confuse with that anti-Christian mustard called the European Union which is another instrument at the service of plutocracy and globalism different from what the sages and thinkers of the Middle Ages wanted. At first this description I have given is very vague, because it makes us believe that Arthur will have an important presence, and it is only an excuse to try to unite two worlds and two people. What you have before you is a romantic novel describing an impossible love between Merewyn (who embodies the Celtic world) and his other rumon protagonist who embodies the rising world half between the Carolingian world that has given way to great legends and songs I think of Roland https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... La Chanson in the Orlandos both the"Enamorado" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7... Boiardo https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... being the most interesting work"Orlando Furioso" by Ludovico Ariosto https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... being in turn one of my teacher's favorite books Professor Manuel Alfonseca https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... more modernly speaking we could highlight more modern works such as"Three Hearts and Three Lions" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... Anderson https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (one of the few who can compete with J.R.R. Tolkien https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... or stand up to it, you know, is a duel that has no emotion. Although Anderson as Braudel would say of Count Duke of Olivares was not always richelieu's unworthy rival https://www.goodreads.com/series/1802... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... the same line is the work of Lyon L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, translated by me always dear Juan Manuel de Prasda https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... about a scientist traveling to magical worlds in this volume traveling to the world of Furious Orlando and the Celtic world. But it's not the interesting thing about anya Seton's novel book, although the strength of course of this novel is to tell the impossible love of Merewyn and Rumon. But what fascinated me is the beautiful description of Saxon England from King Edgar to St Edward the Confessor, described by Seaton. It is a pity that Seton did not go into further detail and did not describe to us the rubble of the Carolingian world to which Rumon belongs who is the son of a Duchess of Arles who is a descendant of Alfredo de Wessex and has married a descendant of Charlemagne and has to fight the enemies of the Muslim Franks, and Hungarians, although he also threatens the shadow of the Vikings who will play a starry role in this book. The boy is an idealistic dreamer, who because of his bard Vincent. A precedent of these troubadours who in queen Leonor's time bequeathed to us the world the Artúrica legends make the boy dream of the fantasy world in this case of Avalón hence the title of the book. This boy's obsession is to find that earthly paradise, and he thinks going to England will find him. Initially the narrator moves from Merwyn to Rumon, but mainly notices Rumon, then we will see how the target changes. He also makes leaps in time, as we are first told of Rumon and Merwyn's encounter and then we see flashbacks of Rumon's life his childhood with his grandmother, who loves his grandson, but believes it is a great disappointment, and since he does not adapt to the frank world in the end he authorizes him to go with his grandson to the flourishing Saxon world. The first few pages have no waste as it describes the moral decline of the Celtic world, who seems to live longer than tradition in this case of the tricky myth and refuses to integrate into the Saxon world, which has adopted the artric idea and his dream thanks to the Benedictine reforms undertaken by St. Augustine of Canterbury and continued by a transcendental character in this novel San Dunstano, which I suppose the most shrewd users will recognize him because he is constantly mentioned by Walter Scott in"Ivanhoe " https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... together with Alfredo, and the mythical Hereward (the last Saxon). It is wonderfully described by Seton the great Benedictine reform in England in the second process of re-evangelizing the island. The first began with St. Albano and fell into the fret when Rome withdrew and the Saxons occupied England, despite the titanic efforts of the Celtic Church, which here is very different from how Stephen R. Lawhead https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... or Thomas Cahill https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... painted it, perhaps less striking, but closer to reality and more reliable is the portrait offered to us by Father Santiago Cantera MontenEgro https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... in his wonderful book"Mailoc's Travels The Book of the Hermit Ronan" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... (god willing will be my next review). We see the Benedictines far from the crisis that will affect them and that will favor the creation of Cluny and after the order of the Cistercian (in fact the Order of Cluny has already been created, for this book is set in the 10th century). Instead, the Celtic world is in a moral decline, reverence to Arthur as a hero, but he is a wild, mountainous clergy, and some priests like Poldu live breaking celibacy and with great relaxation ignoring the reforms of the San Dunstan, Ethelwold, and Oswald trio. Merewyn's descendant of Arthur lives in a situation of misery and is easy prey to Viking incursions. This is known by your mother and after I tell you a secret that I'm not going to reveal, because I'm destroying the plot. He asks Rumon to take her with him with his aunt, who is an abbess, although under circumstances that do not come to the case he will end up in court with Rumohn. The best thing is the description of the court and the Saxons with these kings who were often saints, although despite their apparent prosperity we see that it is a fragile society, as was the Visigothic world certainly superior to the Saxon described by Francisco Navarro Villoslada https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9... or by my learned colleague Daniel Gómez Aragones https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... We see a very intricate political situation with two parties the secular headed by the attractive but ambitious Queen Alfrid, magnificently described and is one of the attractive ones of the novel. That she is the wife of King Edgar, and that she is helped by Alfhere, who is also his mistress. He is an evil Alfrid character, but with nuances, and has a decisive influence on the protagonists especially with Rumon, who succumbs to Alfrid's charms. We can say that while Alfrid is the bad genius of much of the novel Dunstan embodies the good genius, and who will seek the salvation and happiness of the protagonist, but let us not deceive ourselves, he is also Machiavellian and will stop at nothing to achieve the prosperity of the kingdom and the Church (especially when taking sides by Edward the rightful heir , in front of the cowardly and incapable Ethelred). Above all, on the subject of succession. There is an event that will have enormous consequences, which will lead to a crisis of faith to the protagonist. . A kind of eclipse of God in the line of Camus https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . The crisis of faith of the protagonist is very well described, and how it falls under the perfidious influence of that magnificent fatal femme Alfrid. This makes us feel more sympathy at first for Merwyn than for Rumon. It is curious how incommunicadoness, doom, and misconception condition the fate of the protagonists, as if it were a novel by Maurice Baring https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... In addition to the dynastic conflict there are subtramas that will interest us as the description of Glastonbury, Rumon's search for love, and Avalón, which I believe is not physical but spiritual. Merewyn Merwinna's aunt's subtramas. As it links with the Nordic sagas (this part affects Merwyn and partly rumon that leads him to become an involuntary pioneer) and as the character we found the most sympathetic Merwyn changes, and the one who ends up earning our sympathy is Rumon. Rumon's evolution reminds me of another character named Godwin, who appeared in Rider Haggard's wonderful novel "The Brethren". There are wonderful supporting characters like Finian the Irish, Merwinna, Elfleda, and we will be captivated by historical characters apart from San Dustan, Leif Erikson (the Islandes-Greenland sub-shed is still interesting, as it captures the idea that the colonization of Greenland was a scam. Also interesting is the mourning between Erik and his son Leif on account of Christianity that is supported by Leif), or Queen Emma (review follows).
June 18, 2017
Avalon is my first Anya Seton read, and it is set in 10th century England during the prevalent Viking raids and the ever-present discord between Saxons and Danes. It tells the story of a young nobleman from Provence who has a vision of Avalon, and a Cornish girl who belatedly learns about her disreputable pedigree. The two meet by chance (after the former gets stranded off the Cornish coast on his way to King Edgar’s court), and together they travel to England, where their lives radically change along with the changes brought about by the country’s tumultous times.
I find the story slow moving and the characters a little uninteresting at first, but once the historical events from the time of King Edgar (whom I have no knowledge of) to King Ethelred eventually unfolded and the female character Merewyn showed us a glimpse of what life in medieval Iceland and Greenland was like, it became easier for me to appreciate the story. I did like the ending for its realistic touch, although it was sadder than I had expected.
I find the story slow moving and the characters a little uninteresting at first, but once the historical events from the time of King Edgar (whom I have no knowledge of) to King Ethelred eventually unfolded and the female character Merewyn showed us a glimpse of what life in medieval Iceland and Greenland was like, it became easier for me to appreciate the story. I did like the ending for its realistic touch, although it was sadder than I had expected.
May 9, 2024
Many decades have passed since I first read this at the instigation of a friend when I was in the ninth grade. Underlying this novel is a romantic story from a thousand years ago, and although I don’t usually read romance novels, this was overall an adventure story about a young woman’s change of fortunes. Celtic, Nordic, Saxon and Norman times are always of interest, and even through the occasional eye rolls on my part, I enjoyed traveling to parts known and unknown with pagans and christians.
January 3, 2020
I love reading books that are based on historical fact that are set this long ago. It feels like she's done a great job researching and recreating their world and life. I definitely recommend picking this up if you're interested in Medieval history and Arthurian stories.
April 18, 2010
Avalon was my 3rd Seton novel, and my least favorite of the three.
Even a sub-par Seton is a good read, though :)
Merewyn and Rumon, both orphans of royal descent, are on their way to the court of King Edgar. Merewyn plans to live with her aunt, Abbess of Romsey. Rumon hopes to be given a place at court.
But Rumon carries a secret - the truth of Merewyns birth. She is not the descendant of Arthur, as she was always told by her mother, but the product of rape by a viking raider. Her parentage will ultimately be the over riding force in her life, and an important part of Rumons, too.
Their fates are woven together, and they will always be connected.
I didn't like Rumons character. I only liked Merewyn some of the time. The constant hardships of the characters in this book just didn't effect me like I think they were supposed to, because the characters weren't identifiable enough for me.
However, I was (as always) impressed with Setons vast knowledge and her attention to accuracy. I loved the bit of background on Erik the Red and Leif Erickson.
Overall an entertaining book. If 1/2 stars were allowed I'd give this one 3.5. Since they're not I'm rounding up to 4, out of respect for Seton.
Even a sub-par Seton is a good read, though :)
Merewyn and Rumon, both orphans of royal descent, are on their way to the court of King Edgar. Merewyn plans to live with her aunt, Abbess of Romsey. Rumon hopes to be given a place at court.
But Rumon carries a secret - the truth of Merewyns birth. She is not the descendant of Arthur, as she was always told by her mother, but the product of rape by a viking raider. Her parentage will ultimately be the over riding force in her life, and an important part of Rumons, too.
Their fates are woven together, and they will always be connected.
I didn't like Rumons character. I only liked Merewyn some of the time. The constant hardships of the characters in this book just didn't effect me like I think they were supposed to, because the characters weren't identifiable enough for me.
However, I was (as always) impressed with Setons vast knowledge and her attention to accuracy. I loved the bit of background on Erik the Red and Leif Erickson.
Overall an entertaining book. If 1/2 stars were allowed I'd give this one 3.5. Since they're not I'm rounding up to 4, out of respect for Seton.
October 27, 2019
Another captivating -- albeit very very dark --historical novel by the talented Anya Seton. This is not what I was expecting at all: there is no romance, just intrigue and violence, and a lot of traveling to extremely unexpected places. Despite all of that, I was up until 2 am after "just a chapter before I go to sleep" and couldn't wait to get home from work the two next days to finish it! Here is a link to my review:
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...
April 6, 2020
“Nobody can live a continuous lie and find serenity. I can see that you are not at peace with yourself.”
Well-written historical romance set in the tenth century. Melds what we then knew about both England and the Vikings. Excellent inner voice with historically appropriate attitudes. Better-than-average rendering of dialects.
“Always we live on islands of one kind or another.”
The era before the Norman conquest of England is as much terra incognita to most moderns as Viking exploration and settlement in North America, both of which Seton provides excellent (sometimes fictional) eye witness accounts.
“Now we’ll go to the church, and mind ye, m’lord, whatever we find’ll be God’s Will.”
Could not be written today, not only because it violates current political correctness, but it treats matters of faith with a tolerance no longer the norm in western literature.
“Is she Christian?” “She’s been baptized,” said Orm defiantly. “But what does all this water-sprinkling matter! We Norse do it too.” “I’m not sure how much it matters, if the Spirit isn’t there.”
Well-written historical romance set in the tenth century. Melds what we then knew about both England and the Vikings. Excellent inner voice with historically appropriate attitudes. Better-than-average rendering of dialects.
“Always we live on islands of one kind or another.”
The era before the Norman conquest of England is as much terra incognita to most moderns as Viking exploration and settlement in North America, both of which Seton provides excellent (sometimes fictional) eye witness accounts.
“Now we’ll go to the church, and mind ye, m’lord, whatever we find’ll be God’s Will.”
Could not be written today, not only because it violates current political correctness, but it treats matters of faith with a tolerance no longer the norm in western literature.
“Is she Christian?” “She’s been baptized,” said Orm defiantly. “But what does all this water-sprinkling matter! We Norse do it too.” “I’m not sure how much it matters, if the Spirit isn’t there.”
March 1, 2024
I can’t think clearly about this book. It was engrossing and I didn’t want it to end and also I did want it to end … the utter torment of everyone involved. I will say it isn’t until halfway through that this story becomes even remotely what it is described as. And yet without all that build up, the ramifications of the second half wouldn’t matter as much. Gah. Frustrating but so interesting. The tonal shifts between the kings court, abbeys, Vikings was most impressive to me. I’ll be thinking of this story for a long time.
November 25, 2015
Based on this novel, I'm not sure why Anya Seton has such a reputation as a great historical writer. This book was dull and not-at-all exciting.
Merewyn at 14 thinks she's a descendant of King Arthur. She finds a 19-year-old man from France, Rumon, wandering around on the heaths of Cornwall. She's just made a pilgrimage to appeal for her mother's life. He's voyaging to the current king's court, being obsessed with Avalon and King Arthur's court. Merewyn's mother dies and Rumon has pledged to her mother to take Merewyn to court to find her aunt, who is the the most powerful abbess in England.
The book follows the lives of these two. She loves him, but he can't "see" her for his obsession with the queen. Once he realizes that Merewyn is "the one" for him, she's been kidnapped by Vikings and married off to a Viking warrior and no longer wants him. Argh! The drama! The schlock!!
Merewyn at 14 thinks she's a descendant of King Arthur. She finds a 19-year-old man from France, Rumon, wandering around on the heaths of Cornwall. She's just made a pilgrimage to appeal for her mother's life. He's voyaging to the current king's court, being obsessed with Avalon and King Arthur's court. Merewyn's mother dies and Rumon has pledged to her mother to take Merewyn to court to find her aunt, who is the the most powerful abbess in England.
The book follows the lives of these two. She loves him, but he can't "see" her for his obsession with the queen. Once he realizes that Merewyn is "the one" for him, she's been kidnapped by Vikings and married off to a Viking warrior and no longer wants him. Argh! The drama! The schlock!!
September 15, 2010
This historical novel, set mainly in 10th century Britain, tells the story of a young Cornish girl and a Breton knight, who become caught up in English politics and Viking raids. As usual for Seton, it's well researched and convincing, and I liked the first half or so all right, when Merewyn and Rumon are caught up in English politics and the machinations of beautiful Queen Alfrida. Later, though, it became too episodic, skipping years at a time and interrupting character arcs; often, the characters' changes of emotion seemed more dictated by the needs of the plot than by consistent characterization.
April 7, 2010
WHAT A BOOK!! Another masterpiece by Anya Seton and I must re-read Katherine some day.
September 14, 2022
Seton was one of my entrees into historical fiction in the mid sixties. Avalon represents the view on paganism and mysticism that presented when she did her research, and she is true to the material, as it would then have been seen.
I compare it first to the biography of Kathryn Swinford, a later and perhaps more mature work, which I loved. This one does not present a strong sense of the characters diverse spiritualities, christian, norse pagan and grael-avalonian. The author seems to show the mystic as defeated in his quest and no longer beleiving in his vissions, which he never deeply penetrated and tended to keep on a literal or geographic quest level. The christian loses interest in her faith, and then picks it up again somewhat disinterestedly when she moves back to christendom. And her raised pagan son never veers from his course.
On the whole it reads more like Jane Smiley’s Greenlanders. Or the horrible “Freydis” who appears, by the way as a malevolent actor in the Greenland community in this book. Like a romantic adventure, moved by the characters but never developing them deeply. The only interesting insights came near the end when Merewynn, living as a descendant of Arthur even though she now knows herself otherwise, falls into a depression and is saved only by a moral choice to confront the truth in her new life.
I can’t say the choice was persuasive. It didn’t build long or convincingly. But it did hold to the romantic adventure genre, and the heroine was able to find peace. My problem was, the moral “wrong” did not itself seem to disturb her much and so the motive to change felt superficial.
On the other hand, it was engaging enough, and the writing is excellent. I just happen not to prefer saga-style stories. I have never gotten through Greenlanders. And I skimmed quite a bit, or at least fast-read toward the latter part of the book.
Oh, and one of the sourest notes was the use of homosexuality to indicate moral corruption, and occured only in three copletely corrupt characters.
The 60s. She did illuminate the moments of political disintegration the immediately precede the entry of the Normans into English feudalism, and it is well reaearched and probably true to beleifs of the time.
I compare it first to the biography of Kathryn Swinford, a later and perhaps more mature work, which I loved. This one does not present a strong sense of the characters diverse spiritualities, christian, norse pagan and grael-avalonian. The author seems to show the mystic as defeated in his quest and no longer beleiving in his vissions, which he never deeply penetrated and tended to keep on a literal or geographic quest level. The christian loses interest in her faith, and then picks it up again somewhat disinterestedly when she moves back to christendom. And her raised pagan son never veers from his course.
On the whole it reads more like Jane Smiley’s Greenlanders. Or the horrible “Freydis” who appears, by the way as a malevolent actor in the Greenland community in this book. Like a romantic adventure, moved by the characters but never developing them deeply. The only interesting insights came near the end when Merewynn, living as a descendant of Arthur even though she now knows herself otherwise, falls into a depression and is saved only by a moral choice to confront the truth in her new life.
I can’t say the choice was persuasive. It didn’t build long or convincingly. But it did hold to the romantic adventure genre, and the heroine was able to find peace. My problem was, the moral “wrong” did not itself seem to disturb her much and so the motive to change felt superficial.
On the other hand, it was engaging enough, and the writing is excellent. I just happen not to prefer saga-style stories. I have never gotten through Greenlanders. And I skimmed quite a bit, or at least fast-read toward the latter part of the book.
Oh, and one of the sourest notes was the use of homosexuality to indicate moral corruption, and occured only in three copletely corrupt characters.
The 60s. She did illuminate the moments of political disintegration the immediately precede the entry of the Normans into English feudalism, and it is well reaearched and probably true to beleifs of the time.
May 17, 2009
This novel is in many ways the total opposite to Anya Seton's Katherine. Whereas Katherine is the story of a passionate love affair this is the story of a love that never had a chance to be. Merewyn and Rumon simply miss each other, first Merewyn loves Rumon but he feels himself above her and by the time that he discovers himself Merewyn has been taken taken across to Iceland to discover her true identity where she falls in love and marries. Rumon traces her to Iceland and discovers he is too late.
Later when Merewyn is widowed she tries to reach Rumon again and finds that his situation has changed.
Theirs is very much a story of missed opportunities, it is really quite sad although each of them eventually finds their own peace.
Later when Merewyn is widowed she tries to reach Rumon again and finds that his situation has changed.
Theirs is very much a story of missed opportunities, it is really quite sad although each of them eventually finds their own peace.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2018
This is not about the fabled Avalon, or King Arthur, but referenced to through out the story. Another great story by Anya Seton. She just does not write anything bad! This book travels from England to Iceland, Greenland, and back. The Norseman and their raids on England are woven through the story as two main characters Merewyn and Rumon, go on their journeys seeking each other. I haven’t read of this location in any time period.. thought it was interesting.
April 4, 2022
7/10
Well-researched and believable in terms of the broad strokes of events, all of which could have happened, although probably not to the same two people as they did in this book to Rumon and Merewyn. Still, it was overall an engaging story, with a strong sense of place and time.
Well-researched and believable in terms of the broad strokes of events, all of which could have happened, although probably not to the same two people as they did in this book to Rumon and Merewyn. Still, it was overall an engaging story, with a strong sense of place and time.
November 18, 2023
The good:
1. Loved the historical setting. I’m fascinated by Viking history, so this was particularly interesting to me.
2. Merewyn’s story hooked me. I very much wanted to know what was going to happen to her!
3. A pretty telling look at how despicable the Catholic Church was in medieval times. Absolutely unbelievable.
The bad:
1. The sexuality, though not particularly graphic, was gross.
2. Rumon. I hated him from the beginning.
3. Some very slow parts.
4. The storyline is very frustrating, and doesn’t feel like it resolves well at the end.
CW: language, mentions of sexual assault, sexual abuse of a disabled person, a vague rape scene, racism, a few scenes of domestic abuse
1. Loved the historical setting. I’m fascinated by Viking history, so this was particularly interesting to me.
2. Merewyn’s story hooked me. I very much wanted to know what was going to happen to her!
3. A pretty telling look at how despicable the Catholic Church was in medieval times. Absolutely unbelievable.
The bad:
1. The sexuality, though not particularly graphic, was gross.
2. Rumon. I hated him from the beginning.
3. Some very slow parts.
4. The storyline is very frustrating, and doesn’t feel like it resolves well at the end.
CW: language, mentions of sexual assault, sexual abuse of a disabled person, a vague rape scene, racism, a few scenes of domestic abuse
June 29, 2013
This was a father's day present last year from my younger daughter, she bought it for me partly because we live in Avalon (though not necessarily the one sought by Rumon in the novel), partly because my office window overlooks the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey and partly because she was at the time attending a school named for St Dunstan. With all these connections I had an immediate affinity with the story but that of itself would not have been sufficient should the writing be poor or the characters unbelievable. Fortunately I found this one of the best historical novels that I have read - and I've read quite a few.
Seton apparently wished her stories to be known as historical romances, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that but this reads more like a family saga and those questions of love and marriage that are addressed are done so both realistically and largely off stage. This is also very much a story of two parts, that in which we learn of Rumon and his relationship with the family of King Edgar the Peaceful, and that of Merewyn and her adventures that take her from Cornwall to Iceland and Greenland. The stories start off intertwined and slowly drift apart, as do many real life relationships, and when Rumon and Merewyn meet for the final time there is the sense of two old friends who were once close but have grown adrift due to their experiences and yet still retain a closeness which marks them as friends.
As a historical saga this novel sets a standard and stylistic element that has influenced so many more recent authors. Philippa Gregory readily acknowledges Sefton's influence on her writing and I can also spot structural similarities in the writings of Bernard Cornwall among others and there is definitely a lesson to be learnt here by other writers of sweeping saga - George R.R Martin, I'm thinking of you in particular. Before reading Avalon I always pictured the series to be set against a sort of fictionalised Hundred Years War but actually late Anglo-Saxon Britain is a much better fit with the coming together of several kingdoms under a single king and powerful regional lords still ruling their vassal kingdoms, particularly in the north, with the constant threat of dragon raiders coming over the sea. If George R.R. Martin hasn't read Avalon I'd be surprised but I'd also recommend that he reads it immediately and takes note of the passages which generally start something like "Two years later..." instead of spending whole novels detailing events which may in their own right be interesting (such as the establishment of early settlements in North America for example) but add little to the greater narrative thread of the story.
Overall this is a book full of real life, and though it may be real life of just over 1000 years ago it's as real and relevant today as it ever was.
Seton apparently wished her stories to be known as historical romances, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that but this reads more like a family saga and those questions of love and marriage that are addressed are done so both realistically and largely off stage. This is also very much a story of two parts, that in which we learn of Rumon and his relationship with the family of King Edgar the Peaceful, and that of Merewyn and her adventures that take her from Cornwall to Iceland and Greenland. The stories start off intertwined and slowly drift apart, as do many real life relationships, and when Rumon and Merewyn meet for the final time there is the sense of two old friends who were once close but have grown adrift due to their experiences and yet still retain a closeness which marks them as friends.
As a historical saga this novel sets a standard and stylistic element that has influenced so many more recent authors. Philippa Gregory readily acknowledges Sefton's influence on her writing and I can also spot structural similarities in the writings of Bernard Cornwall among others and there is definitely a lesson to be learnt here by other writers of sweeping saga - George R.R Martin, I'm thinking of you in particular. Before reading Avalon I always pictured the series to be set against a sort of fictionalised Hundred Years War but actually late Anglo-Saxon Britain is a much better fit with the coming together of several kingdoms under a single king and powerful regional lords still ruling their vassal kingdoms, particularly in the north, with the constant threat of dragon raiders coming over the sea. If George R.R. Martin hasn't read Avalon I'd be surprised but I'd also recommend that he reads it immediately and takes note of the passages which generally start something like "Two years later..." instead of spending whole novels detailing events which may in their own right be interesting (such as the establishment of early settlements in North America for example) but add little to the greater narrative thread of the story.
Overall this is a book full of real life, and though it may be real life of just over 1000 years ago it's as real and relevant today as it ever was.
April 11, 2016
It's a pretty serious concern when you can't actually find the romance or the history in a historical romance novel, right? Avalon was enjoyable, but I was definitely cringing about as often as I was smiling. I thought the characters simplistic, the writing way too melodramatic at times and the ending really tediously moralizing. While Seton definitely did make the Icelandic characters speak in a way that parrots the syntax of the sagas, she really needed to research more than the most superficial aspects of the societies she was setting the story in. Certain moments -- especially an instance of domestic violence in tenth-century Iceland being applauded and laughed about -- were disgustingly untrue to the historical milieu and really took me out of the story. That sh*t was grounds for divorce. It was an extremely serious, shameful offence that no one would condone, least of all the wife's father.
But that's enough from the historian's perspective. This is a work of fiction! And there's plenty wrong with that part of it as well. The emotional bonds between the characters were really seriously underdeveloped, perhaps intentionally in an attempt to make the characters seem to be products of 'the dark ages'. Well hey, here's something that should come as a surprise to no one: people have always been people, with human brains and our same feelings and imperatives. They may be in different social contexts and have different ideals, but they're still people. It's ridiculous how little Merewyn thinks about her children, or how little grief she feels about the deaths of her beloved mother and husband. And even emotions that are driving forces for the plot just come out of nowhere, like Rumon deciding all of a sudden that he loves Merewyn enough to sail all over the world after her. It was such an unnatural transition. All the setup we've had before he sails all over the world trying to win her back are a few fleeting thoughts about how hot she'd look if she didn't have freckles. Yeah, I'm calling BS on that. (Not the least because freckles are super cute and YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY, RUMON.)
So I don't really know whom I'd recommend this book to. Not to medieval historians for sure, and it seems way too dull for a more casual audience.
But that's enough from the historian's perspective. This is a work of fiction! And there's plenty wrong with that part of it as well. The emotional bonds between the characters were really seriously underdeveloped, perhaps intentionally in an attempt to make the characters seem to be products of 'the dark ages'. Well hey, here's something that should come as a surprise to no one: people have always been people, with human brains and our same feelings and imperatives. They may be in different social contexts and have different ideals, but they're still people. It's ridiculous how little Merewyn thinks about her children, or how little grief she feels about the deaths of her beloved mother and husband. And even emotions that are driving forces for the plot just come out of nowhere, like Rumon deciding all of a sudden that he loves Merewyn enough to sail all over the world after her. It was such an unnatural transition. All the setup we've had before he sails all over the world trying to win her back are a few fleeting thoughts about how hot she'd look if she didn't have freckles. Yeah, I'm calling BS on that. (Not the least because freckles are super cute and YOU SHOULD BE SO LUCKY, RUMON.)
So I don't really know whom I'd recommend this book to. Not to medieval historians for sure, and it seems way too dull for a more casual audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2015
This book surprised me. After looking at a lot of reviews on Goodreads, I was a little hesitant from reading it, because many people found this book to be disappointing, and I could have agreed during the first fifty or so pages of the book, which were kind of awkwardly written and cliché. But after that I started to really enjoy the book.
The book tells the story of fictional Merewyn, a poor young girl from Cornwall who has been told by her mother her entire life that she is a descendent of King Arthur, who is surrounded by a host of several non-fictional characters.
She meets a young man named Rumon around the same time that her mother dies, who then takes her, at her mothers dying wishes, away from Cornwall and to the court of King Edgar I.
After that the story really picks up. Interweaving the exciting and adventurous life of Merewyn (which includes but is not limited to: Viking raids and expansions into Iceland and Greenland, discovering the truth about her birth, serving under the Queen of England, and defending a monastery from Viking raids) are true stories involving real fictional people like Queen Alfrida, King Edgar I, their son Æthelred, and Saint Rumon.
The worst thing about this book is the writing style. It’s not bad, per se, but it’s a little stiff.
The best thing about this book is the setting and period. Seton writes about, and goes into detail of, a time period that not many people write about. I was completely unfamiliar with many of these historical figures until I read this book.
Also, she writes about Viking settlements in Iceland and Greenland, a subject I found very interesting and which I don’t see in many books.
The next book I read will probably be about medieval Norse or Viking culture, and it will be because of this book. If a book can make me so interested in a subject that I go and read more books about it, to me that’s a great thing.
The book tells the story of fictional Merewyn, a poor young girl from Cornwall who has been told by her mother her entire life that she is a descendent of King Arthur, who is surrounded by a host of several non-fictional characters.
She meets a young man named Rumon around the same time that her mother dies, who then takes her, at her mothers dying wishes, away from Cornwall and to the court of King Edgar I.
After that the story really picks up. Interweaving the exciting and adventurous life of Merewyn (which includes but is not limited to: Viking raids and expansions into Iceland and Greenland, discovering the truth about her birth, serving under the Queen of England, and defending a monastery from Viking raids) are true stories involving real fictional people like Queen Alfrida, King Edgar I, their son Æthelred, and Saint Rumon.
The worst thing about this book is the writing style. It’s not bad, per se, but it’s a little stiff.
The best thing about this book is the setting and period. Seton writes about, and goes into detail of, a time period that not many people write about. I was completely unfamiliar with many of these historical figures until I read this book.
Also, she writes about Viking settlements in Iceland and Greenland, a subject I found very interesting and which I don’t see in many books.
The next book I read will probably be about medieval Norse or Viking culture, and it will be because of this book. If a book can make me so interested in a subject that I go and read more books about it, to me that’s a great thing.
November 19, 2019
Update: November 18 2019:
It turns out that I've read this book before. It did look a bit familiar. I didn't remember what happened in the end. I only remembered a couple parts of the story.
Looking down at my review from before, I didn't find Rumon 'odd' this time. Merewyn did have some happy times in her life.
This is a bit of a spoiler. Not a huge spoiler though.
She hoped for another child towards the last half of the book. I wish it had happened for her. That would have made her incredibly happy.
Overall, Merewyn had a very interesting life. She was with the King and Queen. She met family and traveled.
I'm trying to say this without spoilers. Her life had different events and places in it. She did well for herself considering... I found her very engaging. Enduring all that life threw at her, yet remaining kind. She had a warmth about her personality.
Maybe in 6 or 7 years I will read this again.
This story did hold my attention better then Green Darkness. I still like Katherine better. I felt bad for Merewyn. Her life never was happy. Rumon just seemed odd
It turns out that I've read this book before. It did look a bit familiar. I didn't remember what happened in the end. I only remembered a couple parts of the story.
Looking down at my review from before, I didn't find Rumon 'odd' this time. Merewyn did have some happy times in her life.
This is a bit of a spoiler. Not a huge spoiler though.
She hoped for another child towards the last half of the book. I wish it had happened for her. That would have made her incredibly happy.
Overall, Merewyn had a very interesting life. She was with the King and Queen. She met family and traveled.
I'm trying to say this without spoilers. Her life had different events and places in it. She did well for herself considering... I found her very engaging. Enduring all that life threw at her, yet remaining kind. She had a warmth about her personality.
Maybe in 6 or 7 years I will read this again.
This story did hold my attention better then Green Darkness. I still like Katherine better. I felt bad for Merewyn. Her life never was happy. Rumon just seemed odd
December 27, 2008
I can't honestly bash on the woman who wrote "Katherine" but I didn't really like this book. By the end of the book I felt like I didn't even know Merewyn. She was so fickle and confusing. And Rumon was so conflicting. I don't think I liked either of them. Well I liked Rumon at the end. You can tell the extensive research that went into this book and I found that interesting, but the plot was ineffective. I felt like I was in three different plots by the end: with Alfrida in the beggining and then Rumon's little whiny stage then in iceland. I don't know, I just got impatient for it to end. The first half flew by pretty fast, but the last half, I kind of had to force myself to finish it. And when something catostrophic would happen, I kind of just ignored it because it doesn't really ever effect the plot of the whole book. I know it is supposed to be more of their whole lives but she pulled of the climax of Katherine's life to the tee. I don't know how she missed it here.
July 14, 2016
A re-read of an old favourite. Anya Seton really was an astonishingly good writer of HF in her era. I read everything she had written in my early teens and have re-read most of them at least once since. Avalon is one of my three favourites of hers - the others are Devil Water and Green Darkness. In fact, my life-long love of HF stems from the novels of Anya Seton and Margaret Irwin. If you have never read either of these writers, do give them a try!
December 16, 2014
Set at the turn of the first millenium, this story is about Britain, Vikings and early kings. Arthur is already a legend by the time of this book. It had travel to Iceland, Greenland and the "New World" as well as intrigue and politics of England trying to become and remain a united nation in the face of attack by Vikings. I have read one other book by this author -Katherine about Katherine Swynford and have enjoyed them both. I would highly recommend.
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