Todd Jensen writes...

Just read your response to my "Arthurian writers" queries, and thanks. I've read all the ones on the list myself, and have copies of their books (except for Berger's "Arthur Rex", and I've read that one via a library copy).

I liked Green myself, and remember particularly the fact that he did a good job of restoring Gawain to some of his earlier heroic role before the later medieval writers such as Malory tarnished him - in particular, how Green gave Gawain a partial success on the Grail Quest. (He does keep on the bit at the end where Gawain wants to avenge Gareth upon Lancelot, and helps bring about the disaster, but it's an integral part of the story, and in any case, Gawain really comes across as more of a "flawed but decent" person there. I see it as closer to Goliath's desire to avenge Angela and Elisa upon the Hunters in "Hunter's Moon" than to Demona's wanting revenge on humanity or Castaway's wanting revenge on gargoylity - Gawain had the wisdom to not seek revenge for Agravain's death at Lancelot's hands because Agravain brought it upon himself via his own envy of Lancelot, and has a legitimate complaint with Gareth's death - Gareth was the innocent one who was Lancelot's friend and wouldn't betray him, so Gawain was at least avenging the right person there, if you can avenge the right person at all).

I liked your comments on Stewart. Re Mordred in "The Wicked Day" - I will confess that I prefer to see Mordred as a villain myself, rather than as a maligned figure. But I did understand Stewart's decision. One thing that always bothered me about the traditional legend was Arthur putting Mordred in charge of his kingdom in his absence, in spite of the fact that Mordred's an open villain who's been doing all sorts of evil deeds (such as helping to murder Lamorak or expose Lancelot and Guinevere) for years - to me, it feels like Goliath making Thailog his second-in-command, aware all the while of Thailog's track record in "Double Jeopardy", "Sanctuary", and "The Reckoning". Stewart's version made Arthur's behavior less blatantly stupid there. (Of course, in Geoffrey of Monmouth, Mordred's record has been apparently blameless before Arthur puts him in charge of the kingdom, so again, it doesn't come across as such an unbelievable blunder there either).