Reviews for The Growth and Influence of Classical Greek Poetry

The average rating for The Growth and Influence of Classical Greek Poetry based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-03-02 00:00:00 Louis Prevost This short arthurian non fiction book left me a bit perplexed. I- I am not sure what to think about it. I liked the small chapters which were quite interesting and well written down, I was quite curious about the "exercise" part. As an atheist scientist I couldn't see much the point of it but they were truly fun, at least some of them. I can't give it full stars because it was really short and the quantity of informations is not very big or innovative. I think that the only chapters I truly found interesting and where I could read new informations were the one about the women and the one about the Holy Grail. Also I wasn't particularly fond of deductions introduced as "it must have certainly be" without actually a motivation. They were not explained so I only have the word of the author to trust for this "most certainly" origin of the character or tradition. I'd maybe recommend this book to people that are more interested in a generic knowledge about arthuriana and these specific themes (Round Table, Arthur, Merlin, women as goddesses, Grail, Lancelot and Tristan, Avalon, Celtic underworld).

Review # 2 was written on 2013-08-22 00:00:00 Andrea Anscombe This is a very readable overview of the Arthur of history and of legend by a well-written and world renowned scholar of Arthurian legend. He begins with the historical Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere, and Lancelot and then adds the early pagan legends that developed around them, and then explores the means by which these early legends were later Christianized. He explores not just the people but also the legends around Camelot, the Grail, and Avalon. He looks at some of the potential spiritual significance of the legends for both the early pagan faith and for the Christian who embraces the romance of Arthur and the knights of the Round Table.