Male.
One thought:
The problem with being a man reading The Mists of Avalon is that it makes you feel inferior. It isn’t that all the men are bad guys, it’s just that the women are always superior. Even Galahad is a bit of a smoothie so far. The only man who comes across as significant is Taliesin, the Merlin. Fortunately, Merlin and the Lady of the Lake were always my two favourite characters anyway, even in the standard version of the story.
But, I’m only up to about page 160 so far. Maybe things will change (it’s a bloody big book.) I get the impression, for example, that Morgaine is going to be a right little minx!
2 comments:
I loved "Mists..." and like you found the perspective of women and the characters were so amazingly well-developed, but like I also felt it a bit biased towards men. Even though it remains one of my fave. books, I've found other Arthurian books, where it wasn't so black and white with the characters. I don't think any people are like that, so dimensional, which is why I struggle with the book now. My favorite "fantasy' series which is really mideval isn't based on the Arthurian lore, but is called "A Song of Ice and Fire." There's four books in the series and I've never been more impressed with a story line and the characters. The first one is called "A Game of Thrones." Very intricate and each character is so well-written with everyone being shades of "gray" rather than good guy vs. bad guy, male vs. female etc..I do love that you're not overwhelmed with the whole strong feminine aspect of "Mists..." Jeff. Morgan would surely approve!
Long way to go yet, Wendy. I like to read novels slowly, one chapter at a time, so each reading can sink in before I move onto the next bit.
I must say, though, I do like strong, complex female characters. My next favourite characters in the Dark Materials trilogy after Lyra and Jorick were the witches (until Helen reminded me that they kill any man who stops loving them. 'Careful what you wish for,' she said. Oo-er!)
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