HISTORICAL
FICTION |
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CHILDRENS
BOOK: Ages 9-12
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Map of Constantinople (1422) by Florentine cartographer Cristoforo
Buondelmonte and the oldest surviving map of the city which predates
the Turkish conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453.
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Medieval Mummers on British Postage stamp
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"Sir Mordred" by H. J. Ford, from King Arthur: The Tales of the Round
Table by Andrew Lang, 1902
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Medieval woodcut from the legend Tristan and Isolde
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Medieval Book Reviews
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The Squire's Quest
by Gerald Morris
A
modern Arthurian retelling for all ages
In the ninth book of The
Squire's Tales, Terence, squire to King Arthur's nephew Gawain, lives
in the world of men as a stranger. For him, home is Avalon and
the World of Faeries. Now, torn by the absence of connection to
the other world, an absence which might mark trouble ahead for Arthur,
Terence's duty remains in the land where he is but a visitor. He
still has a task to perform for the king. From the appearance at
court of Mordred and Alexander of Constantinople to the journey back to
Alexander's home, Terence's adventures are full of intrigue, action and
humor as he encounters the strange world of chivalry and political
plotting.
THE SQUIRE'S QUEST, marketed as a children's book for ages 9-12, will
appeal to young readers with its fast-paced action, dynamic dialogue,
cleverly humorous insights and modern take on classic Arthurian
literature. Terence is an admirable character with whom the
reader easily aligns him/herself--- honorable at heart, intelligent and
clever, kind and observant of those around him. Seeing the
Arthurian world through his eyes is just downright fun.
Gerald Morris paints a wonderfully detailed portrait of Mordred that
givers new insights into his role as knight and traitor.
Although marketed as a children's book, THE SQUIRE'S QUEST will appeal
to Arthurian literature fans of all ages. The author does not
talk down to his audience, but rather enlists the readers of all ages
as a companion of Terence, enjoying the humor and watching the
unfolding intrigue alongside Terence. Although the adventure
tales might seem geared to male readers, women readers will also
appreciate some of the pointed delightful twists Gerald Morris gives to
some of his characters. As a book marketed to younger readers,
the take on courtly love is a fine practical balance to the destructive
nature of obsessive romance, and a book with an empowering and
refreshing atmosphere of practicality to see through emotions and masks
of all kinds. Although 9th in the series, THE SQUIRE'S QUEST does work
as a stand-alone in and of itself for readers new to the series.
The beauty of THE SQUIRE'S QUEST is in its
ability to reach a wide
audience at multiple reading levels from a modern introduction to the
Arthurian world for young readers all the way to the finer literary
allusions and twists to delight Arthurian literary scholars. Inspired
by the lesser widely known work CLIGES by Chretien de Troyes, THE
SQUIRE'S QUEST brings modern sensibilities and humor to the parody on
courtly love, revealing the absurdity of those codes. THE
SQUIRE'S
QUEST is a must read for medievalists --- at least those who delight
in medieval literature enough to enjoy a modern imaginative
reworking of the classics. Even religion is not spared his
humorous look --- but that humor is not so much anti-religion but
rather the kind of insider's humor born from an ability to laugh at
one's own seriousness. Readers are encouraged not to skip over
the author's notes at the end. Although not everyone will agree
with his assessment of Chretien de Troyes' LE CHEVALIER DE LA CHARRETTE
as very bad (but may also delight in the humor of that statement in
view of his own novel), the author gives a wonderful description of
fiction vis-a-vis history that will delight all story and literature
lovers, a theme reinforced thematically within the novel itself.
Gerald Morris brings these insights into his tale as he reworks the
Arthurian tale into a novel that is both faithful to the tradition and
altogether new. For Arthurian literature fans of all ages, THE
SQUIRE'S QUEST is a a keeper!
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Books for Children (September 28, 2009)
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Series: The Squire's Tales
Previous books in the series: The Squire's Tale (1), The Squire, His
Knight and His Lady (2), The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf (3),
Parsifal's Page (4), The Ballad of Sir Dinaden (5), The Princess, The
Drone and the Dung-Cart Knight (6), The Lioness and Her Knight (7), The
Quest of the Fair Unknown (8)
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Medieval Book Reviews
Review Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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