Briefer Notices: Books, Films, and Videos

Abstract

126ARTHURIANA viewpoint is communicated directly to the Arthurian courtiers. These courtiers, however, construe ' the silken sash'—Gawain's emblem ofshame—as a 'token' of the young knight's 'valor' and 'victory.' Such conflicting perspectives, along with the Green Knight's view of Gawain's adventure, intensify the ambiguity pervading the original poem's conclusion. Finally, a shadowy, nun-like individual (Sally Mares)—a woman garbed in black—lurks in the background ofthe film. This character, however, is never identified in the movie with Morgan Ie Fay, the magical figure who creates Gawain's adventure. Apart from these individual flaws, the Thames Television film is certainly appropriate for classroom use on both the high school and college levels. Any lacunae in the cinematic narrative or in this movie's thematic framework can be filled in through judicious classroom lectures and discussion. ROBERT J. BLANCH Northeastern University BRIEFER NOTICES: BOOKS, FILMS, AND VIDEOS marie-françoise ALAMICHEL and derek brewer, eds., The MiddleAges after theMiddle Ages. Cambridge, Eng.: D.S. Brewer, 1997. Pp. ix, 166. isbn: 0—85991—508—5. $81.00 (cloth). This volume collects eleven papers delivered at a conference on the theme of the Middle Ages after the Middle Ages held in September 1994 at the Centre d'Études Médiévales Anglaises of the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne. Three of the essays address matters Arthurian: Claire Vial's 'From Written Record to Legend: The Receyt ofthe Ladie Kateryne as Retelling of the Morte Darthur; James Noble's ' The Mists of Avalon: A Confused Assault on Patriarchy'; and Sandra Gorgievski's 'The Arthurian Legend in Cinema: Myth or History?' All three of the essays still show tell-tale signs of having been delivered as conference papers and then published without extensive revision. Ofthe three, Vial's is the most interesting; the other two cover more familiar territory. The volume contains neither illustrations nor an index, making it more expensive and less user-friendly than it needs to be. Harold R. foster, Prince Valiant: In the Days ofKing Arthur. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1997. 30 postcards, isbn: 1-55670-583-2. $10.95 (Paper). Fans of the long-running Prince Valiant comic strip will welcome this collection of thirty over-sized postcards depicting panels that originally appeared from 1944 to 1946. Because of their size, the postcards require first-class postage for mailing— conveniently, in 1996, the US Postal Service issued a series of32 cent stamps based on famous American comic strips, one ofwhich depicted Valiant. Thomas j. garbáty, ed., MedievalEnglish Literature. 1984; rpt. Prospect Heights, 111.: Waveland Press, 1997. Pp. xvi, 974. isbn: 0—88133-950-4. $49.95 (Paper; especially REVIEWS127 priced for students). Waveland Press has reprinted Thomas Garbáty's comprehensive anthology ofEnglish literature from 1100 to 1500. The anthology includes the following Arthurian texts: selections from Layamon's SrKi, the Alliterative Morte Arthure, and Geoffrey of Monmouth's History ofthe Kings ofBritain (translation); Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Marie de France's Lanval (translation); Thomas Chestre's Sir Launfal; The WeddingofSir Gawain andDame Ragnell; and a selection from Malory's Morte Darthur. Marginal glosses accompany all texts in Middle English, and explanatory footnotes thtoughout the anthology explain more difficult concepts and passages. Garbáty's anthology is an ideal text for both advanced undergraduate and graduate students. caitlìn Matthews and John Matthews, The Arthurian Book ofDays, The Greatest Legendin the WorldRetold Throughout the Year. 1990; rpt. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1997. isbn: 0-7607-0604-2. $12.95 (Cloth.) Barnes & Noble has reprinted and remaindered the Matthews volume in which each day commemorates an event in the Arthurian cycle. Clearly a volume intended for a general audience, the texts presented here—a different Arthurian tale for each day of the year—appear without citations to their sources, but with a generous selection of full-color reproductions of medieval Arthurian illustrations. john tyerman Williams, Pooh and the Ancient Mysteries. London: Methuen, 1997. isbn: 0—413-70740-7. £10.00 (cloth). In an earlier volume, John Tyerman Williams linked the story ofWinnie-the-Pooh to the world's greatest philosophies; here he does the same with the major ancient mysteries. In a chapter on 'Pooh...