I've finally finished all 800+ pages of Marion Zimmer Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon", and here is my book report.

TMoA is a retelling of the Athurian Legend from the point of view of the women involved, particularly the villainess of the piece, Morgaine of the Fairies (Morgan le Fay). I wanted to read it to introduce myself properly to the fantasy genre, (which I have never cared for) and I was told this was a very high quality example of the latter. I am also a pushover for all things Excalibur, so I couldn't resist yet another look at this great old story.

This is definitely a quality book, Bradley is a terrific writer, her characters are varied and complex, and interact marvelously, on every level, particularly the psychological. TMoA has enough literary merit to make it worth anyone's time, even a curmudgeonly old humbug pagan like myself. Once you get past the stilted dialogue and multilayered conventions of medieval melodrama, like a western with swords, (why are we so nostalgic for this dismal period of history?), what remains is still a terrific read. And it has everything a casual reader could hope for; war, sex, lust, court intrigue, treachery, politics and death. I heartily recommend it.

Having said that, I still can't get past the fantasy aspect. Magic and mysticism plays a major role in this novel, it is primarily about religion and spirituality, and that is simply a problem for me. TMoA is similar in many ways to Herbert's "Dune" series, (although he is certainly an inferior writer to Bradley) and it too dwells on prophecy and religion, legend, mass movements and messiahs. Dune is one of my favorite alternate universes, although it often lapses into a pomposity which distracts from the action. Herbert's science is patently ridiculous, but my willing suspension of disbelief will carry me past that. The mystical in TMoA is just too thick a mist for me to navigate.