The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

[Kell]

Although it's not quite January just yet, I thought I'd start up the thread for the January Reading Circle choice, which is The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell:

 

Derfel, once a captain in Arthur's warband, recalls the days of Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and Bishop Sansum. But, above all, it tells the story of Arthur, the only man who can hold Uther's throne for its infant heir, and unite Britain's squabbling kingdoms against the enemy.

 

Be sure to let us all know what you think of it as you go along...

[Kell]

Well, true to form, I waited till midnight and started 2007 by madly delving into this book! Have just finished part one and am in two minds about it. The unusual names aren't giving me a problem, as they're all Celtic ones, so I know roughly how to pronounce them, but the place names are bugging me a bit, as they're all the old names for them and I nver have a clue from one minute to the next where people are! I am, however, enjoying the subverting of the well-known Arthur legends, with Mordred being Arthur's half-nephew rather than his son, and Arthur being a warlord who is brought in to protect Mordred from warring factions in a fractured Britain that is already broken in two halves over religion (Christianity & the old, Pagan ways). The writing style is good, though - the dialogue is mostly in quite simple language, reflecting the status and/or intelligence of those speaking at any given time, as well as being slightly "Olde Worlde" in places, which sets it firmly in its own time.

[madcow]

I have to admit to having a bit of trouble with the place names, I don't know about anyone else but they sound Welsh to me which kept disorienting me (I know it doesn't take much), but on the whole the second half of the book is far more interesting.

[Sugar]

Well, true to form, I waited till midnight and started 2007 by madly delving into this book!

You must have been having withdrawal symptoms from your day off reading, Kell!

[madcow]

Finished The Winter King today. I originally started it back in October but admit to struggling a bit with it, so I put it down and read a couple of other books then decided to pick it up again. I'm glad I did. This is one of those books that I would not have looked at before joining this forum. Once I got stuck into reading it again I've enjoyed being transported back to another period in time and way of life. I'm going to add the other 2 books in this trilogy to my 'To read as soon as' list. Perhaps later on in the year I might try some of the Sharpe books Bernard Cornwell has written.

Apologies but I'm not good at reviews, I'll never make a writer

[Kell]

My thoughts as I'm progressing...

 

PART TWO

 

2/1/07 - I've finished part 2 now and things seem to be hotting up a bit. We've now encountered a well-known Arthurian figure who has also been given a more "earthy" character (I prefer it when characters are made more "real" like this, instead of them being too-good-to-be-true heroes) in Guinevere. I'm also enjoying the way the story is being told to Igraine, after the fact, by Derfl, as it all helps to draw me in as if the story is being told directly to me, as well as explaining a little how old stories would have been changed and romanticised in the retelling as the storytellers wished things had been more magical and mystical in places.

 

 

PART THREE

 

4/1/07 - Part 3 is finished and things are really beginning to hot up now - Lancelot and Galahad have both been introduced, adding a good bit of action and confrontation to the mix. And Merlin, well, let's just say his appearance was unexpected...

 

[madcow]

I'm definately going to read the other two in the trilogy now, it's been well worth the effort to read.

[Kell]

I already have the third one (by some fluke, I actually got the 3rd one 1st, which then prompted me to get the 1st one in the series so I could actually read them in order). Despite nominating The Winter King, I kind of had my doubts as to how much I would enjoy it, as I've been disappointed by badly-written versions of the Arthurian legends before, but this one has a good twist in the telling, with the story being turned topsy-turvy - a bit like subverting a fairytale (which I love!). If I continue to enjoy this one as much as I am now, i'm going to have to get hold of the 2nd one, so I can get to the 3rd!

[Kell]

PART FOUR

 

I am really enjoying the developing friendship between Galahad and Derfel, and also the distancecd, yet respectful friendship between Merlin and Arthur. I find Merlin an especially interesting character in that he seems to have the attitude that everything that's supposed to happen will happen, whether or not he interferes, which is a different angle from the Merlin that is usually presented in Arthurian legends (i.e. the one who purposely bends fate, using his own magical abilities, in order to ensure the right person is in the right place at the right time to suit his own purpose.

 

[Kell]

PART FIVE

 

8/1/07 - Everything was happening and then it all suddenly stopped! I was expecting another dozen or so pages, but what I thought was the rest of the novel turned out to be the opening chapters of the sequel, so it felt slightly abrupt, as I wasn't prepared for it. It also stopped just at quite an exciting part, which I suppose is good in a way, as it makes me want to get hold of the next one quickly, but it also left me staring at the page, inwardly shouting "Oh, come on! You can't finish now!"

 

I'm very surprised that Morgan hasn't played a larger role in the story - he part seems to have been usurped by Nimwe, who strikes me as rather unpleasant, in stark contrast to Derfel, who has seemed to be a very likeable, reasonable character throughout. Arthur seems slightly misguided; Guinevere is selfish; Lancelot is a preening coward; Merlin is as changeable as the British weather; and Galahad remains the only representative of the traditional chivalrous knight. All in all, this has been a very interesting exploration into part of the Arthurian legends and I'll be interested to see where it goes from here on in.

 

 

PS replied to PP via PM.

[Owen]

I read the series a long time ago and loved them then, I tink I'll dig them out and have a read again.

[linda321]

Although I love Bernard Cornwell's superb writing style, his descriptions are wonderful, so wonderful in fact, that I am struggling a bit with the violent bits!!! I have stopped reading it because of this - is it so violent all the way through? (I am only up to page 94!)

[Kell]

Yes, there's some violence throughout, Linda, but I think it's balanced quite well with the rest of the story. Of course it's all down to personal taste - I didn't think it all that violent, but then I've enjoyed some really gruesomely graphic books in the past, so by comparison, this one is rather mild, but if I hadn't, perhaps I'd view that differently.

[Renniemist]

I have now finished The Winter King. I enjoyed this book although I think that it was quite slow to start with. The place names are difficult for a modern reader

[Maureen]

I am enjoying this, although I know zilch about history. The people's and place names are making me go much slower than I would have liked though - I keep referring back to the "key" and looking at the map to piece it together.

[Kell]

With it being such a long book, Mau, you'll probably find that later on the names & places feel a littlemore familiar and you won't have to refer back quite so often. I hope you enjoy it all!

[Maureen]

is it so violent all the way through? (I am only up to page 94!)

 

 

I think life in those days was quite violent and hard.

[Maureen]

Am still reading this. I Am going to start part 3 in fact.

[Maureen]

I finished this yesterday. It is such a different type of book from that that I usually read! However I must say that I enjoyed most of it, although the place names and language style made the going quite tough! I also thought it drags a bit in places. I think there is a sequel???

[Kell]

Yes, I know of two sequels, although there may be more - I'm not sure. Hang on, i'll just go & check...

 

... Nope, there are just the three of them in that series:

1. The Winter King

2. Enemy of God

3. Excalibur

[Smokeman66]

I first read these books about 7 years ago, and totally loved them, have re-read them all several times, the characters are believable and easy to relate to, as for the violence, i think it's told exactly as it is, it's not glorified or anything,but it was a turbulent time.

 

for anyone who is interested Bernard Cornwell has written the first three books in a series about Alfred the Great, and his struggle to repel the invading vikings, it's similar to the Arthurian theme, with another character (Uthred) telling Alfred's story, this one though (probably beacause it's to do with Vikings) is much more violent that the Arthurian trilogy.

 

also i think it's worth a mention of Mr Cornwell's historical notes (he has one of those in every book) I really enjoy his little snippets of information about past times, he really does do his research well!

[kitty_kitty]

I bought the trilogy off ebay a couple of years ago after being recommended them by a friend as i read and really enjoyed stonhenge by him. I am glad i read these books i really enjoyed them but i am even more pleased that i had all 3 books as i read them all straight away.

 

I have just bought the third in the saxon series:

1. The last kingdom

2. The pale horseman

3. The lords of the north

 

So i can read them all in one go but they a bargain i got the first book free with the second book in tesco for 3.73 and when it came out in paperback and the the third i got on special offer in waterstones for 3.99.