The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend

            Living in the world today, technology is becoming more and more necessary. We depend on it for much of what we do each and every day. As much as I enjoy and participate in our modern conveniences, and the stories of the day, every now and then I relish my chance to dive into the past and explore a classic, like The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend, from Peter Ackroyd. This book is a modern, abridged retelling of the classic collection of Arthurian legends by Sir Thomas Mallory, called Le Morte de Artur. And while it is considered modern, especially in comparison to Mallory’s own archaic text, there is still an old fashioned style to be found in Ackroyd’s translation that pulls us back to a simpler time, though just as complex and dark.

            For all my life I have loved stories about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and yet I have never read any version of this particular collection. I thoroughly enjoyed this edition, and found myself savoring the prose. I was also surprised by the maturity of the content. While these tales sing of a romantic pseudo-mythic era, there are powerful moments that have the potential to make even Game of Thrones blush. I highly recommend this volume for anyone looking for a new take on an inspiring classic, which deals deeply with the human condition in a mythical way.