In his first graphic novel, National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson turns to Arthurian lore, with captivating art by Andrea Offermann bringing the classic legend to life.
Eager for glory and heedless of others, Sir Yvain sets out from King Arthur’s court and defeats a local lord in battle, unknowingly intertwining his future with the lives of two compelling women: Lady Laudine, the beautiful widow of the fallen lord, and her sly maid Lunette. In a stunning visual interpretation of a 12th century epic poem by Chrétien de Troyes, readers are — at first glance — transported into a classic Arthurian romance complete with errant knights, plundering giants, and fire-breathing dragons. A closer look, however, reveals a world rich with unspoken emotion. Striking, evocative art by Andrea Offermann sheds light upon the inner lives of medieval women and the consequences Yvain’s oblivious actions have upon Laudine and Lunette. Renowned author M. T. Anderson embraces a new form with a sophisticated graphic novel that challenges Yvain’s role as hero, delves into the honesty and anguish of love, and asks just how fundamentally the true self can really change.
Initial Thoughts: I'm very excited there's a mainstream, YA version of "The Knight with the Lion." Medieval stories don't always get this chance for publicity. However, I think my familiarity with the story allowed me to fill in parts that may not be immediately clear to first time readers, particularly when the creators relied on solely the art to convey swaths of the plot. I'm also a bit disgruntled with some of the changes the authors made to the story. I understand it probably streamlined things (the original story is on the longer side and sometimes a bit convoluted), but they made changes which significantly altered the themes Chretien was trying to address in the original tale, which is disappointing. Not a bad place to start, but I think readers should should probably read the original in conjunction with this.
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23 May, 2017:
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23 May, 2017:
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