The Bright Sword
Reddit take
Not enough linked mention summaries yet; the source excerpts below are the evidence.
Pros
- Best: The Bright Sword, by Lev Grossman Holy hell, what a book. I'm now converted to King Arthur stuff, whereas before I was indifferent.
- I always appreciate a new take on Arthurian myths, especially one that has as much to say as The Bright Sword. ... It's a well-used archetype ... but it's very effective when used well, and Collum a very likeable and earnest audience sur...
- Recently, The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman. It’s an amazing Arthurian book.
- I loved this book. I found every character's backstory captivating and sincere. The magic and myth in it were never overused, and therefor felt truly miraculous within the context of the story and its setting. The balance of sticking to...
- I really loved the different take on Guinevere in this
Cons
- I feel like I’m the only person on reddit who didn’t enjoy this one at all and had to dnf it 😖
- Something I don't loooove about a lot of the recent Arthurian works is that unlike some of the earlier works listed here, recent works are re-interpretations of classic characters, rather than adding new characters to the legend. The Bri...
- My only qualm with the characters is that, despite the great characterization all around, I felt that some were not given as much attention as others, namely Constantine, Scipio, and Palomides. It also wasn’t my favorite characterization...
Sentiment
8 positive (73%) · 2 mixed (18%) · 1 negative (9%)
Trust + time weighted score: +56% · raw score 64%
What redditors said (10 of 11)
Best: The Bright Sword, by Lev Grossman Holy hell, what a book. I'm now converted to King Arthur stuff, whereas before I was indifferent.
I feel like I’m the only person on reddit who didn’t enjoy this one at all and had to dnf it 😖
I always appreciate a new take on Arthurian myths, especially one that has as much to say as The Bright Sword. ... It's a well-used archetype ... but it's very effective when used well, and Collum a very likeable and earnest audience surrogate to take in, learn, and grow with the rich and turbulently changing world that Grossman crafts.
Something I don't loooove about a lot of the recent Arthurian works is that unlike some of the earlier works listed here, recent works are re-interpretations of classic characters, rather than adding new characters to the legend. The Bright Sword did add a new character through its POV character, but largely focused on re-interpretations of existing characters.
Recently, The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman. It’s an amazing Arthurian book.
I loved this book. I found every character's backstory captivating and sincere. The magic and myth in it were never overused, and therefor felt truly miraculous within the context of the story and its setting. The balance of sticking to the classical cannon of the many legends (as I know them) vs. major deviations was excellent.
I really loved the different take on Guinevere in this
My only qualm with the characters is that, despite the great characterization all around, I felt that some were not given as much attention as others, namely Constantine, Scipio, and Palomides. It also wasn’t my favorite characterization of Lancelot, and I didn’t always understand his motivations, but it was certainly a fresh take and I could see what Grossman was going for.
You can tell Grossman knows his stuff when it comes to the canon, and he manages to provide a fresh, modern take on it. ... Our main character, Collum, begins as an audience surrogate, new to the world of Camelot and eager to prove himself as a knight. But he grows into a well-balanced character with a more nuanced worldview, and this is a compelling journey to see him on.
The Bright Sword - Lev Grossman
Compare
The Bright Sword vs The Lord of the RingsThe Bright Sword vs PiranesiThe Bright Sword vs Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell
Related
- Dungeon Crawler Carl · related · 434 mentions
- Project Hail Mary · related · 325 mentions
- Between Two Fires · related · 239 mentions
- The Wheel of Time · related · 222 mentions
- Piranesi · related · 210 mentions
- House of Leaves · related · 204 mentions