Galahad and the Grail {review}

Many of you are familiar with our son, a throwback to medieval times who struggles to find his place in today's modern, fast-paced world.  As a lover of all things medieval history, a metallurgical engineer, costume designer, and potential-Jeopardy-winner (fingers crossed so we can pay off that tuition!!), he gravitated toward Arthurian legends from a young age.

True story - as a two year old, his favorite stories were Don Quixote and Ivanhoe.  And here we are...twenty-odd years later, still passionate about the same subject.  It's like he was born for this.  Anyone out there have a similar kid?

Recently, he had the opportunity to check out Malcolm Guite's "Galahad and the Grail," an Arthurian legend written in verse form.

In this first volume of Merlin's Isle, join the prophesied youth, Sir Galahad, and the other knights of the quest as they set out from Camelot to achieve the Holy Grail. The accomplishment of their goal will not only heal the wounded Fisher-King, but will bring about the long hoped-for healing of the land itself.

Here at the height of his poetic power, Malcolm Guite delivers a tale of adventure in ballad form that plumbs the depths of the human soul, carries readers through the Wasteland, and sets them upon the numinous shores of Faerie in all its mystery and meaning.
Guite follows in the epic footsteps of Spenser, Milton, Dante, and Tennyson, yet this is not poetry destined solely for the halls of academia--it's a story to be enjoyed by young and old alike, a story to be read aloud among friends and family, a story to be cherished for generations to come.

Merlin's Isle: An Arthuriad is an epic ballad cycle in four volumes:

• Galahad and the Grail (Spring 2026)
• The Coming of Arthur (Fall 2026)
• Days of the Round Table (Fall 2027)
• The Passing of Arthur (Spring 2028)

When the book first arrived, he immediately fell in love with the sturdy, cloth-bound hardcover with its attached ribbon bookmark.  It is well-constructed and contains much symbolism both within the pages and in the binding.  As you can see above, it has a dichromatic ink scheme, with red and black illuminated letters at the start of each chapter.  It also has beautiful, old, woodcut-style prints.  (Though his only 'con' about the book was that the picture in the front is full color, whereas he would have preferred it to be dichromatically printed as well in keeping consistency throughout the book.  Honestly...if that's the worst he can say about this book, then you know it's pretty amazing!)

Written in poetic verse form, this is not the original poem, but it is done in the same style.  From the history major: there are many reported 'original' versions, and we don't know if we have the 'original' version.  No one really knows what that is anymore, but many are rather consistent (excepting the French creation of Lancelot as an addition) - Lancelot is in this version.  The end of the book contains appendices with sources discussing some of the earliest references and the history behind the legends of King Arthur.

For high schoolers and adults who love the romance of the middle ages, check out Galahad and the Grail!

You might also be interested in.................

• Sparks Forge & Armory
• Baking for Good with King Arthur