Parsifal's Page

by Gerald Morris

Book Overview

Piers (or Pierre, as he wants to be called) is desperate to escape the dirty, tedious labor of his father's blacksmith shop. So when a knight shows up and says he's on "the quest," Piers begs to go... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618055096
• ISBN13: 9780618055098
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 10 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 7

Customer Reviews

Excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book is very good! It has amazingly descriptive characters that you can relate to. The smuggness of peirre and the courage of Parsifal. This book brings the perfect combination of romance, fantasy, and comedy all together in one book. Kids of all ages will love and adore this book. Please read this non-stop page turner by Gerald Morris. This is definitly a book you don't want to miss.

Awesome!

So far all of Gerald Morris' books have been entertaining, easy to read and enjoyable. The characters are so realistic and likeable that you feel as though they actually exsisted. Although this particular book is not my favorite of the 5 (I liked The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf best), I would definately reccomend it to anyone who is interested in Arthurian times, fantasy or even just action-adventure books. These books are easy enough for a 10 year old to read, but interesting enough for a 50 year old. I love these books and I can't wait until Mr. Morris writes some more!

Gerald Morris still going strong!

I have read the entire series of Mr. Morris' books, and am in love with all of them! He brings Arthurian legend closer to us - in stories anyone can enjoy (and you learn a little about medieval customs, terms, etc.). The wit is top notch, the romance heart felt without becoming gushy, and the heroes extremely likable. Wonderful books. I can't wait until the next one is released!

You're missing the point

I thoroughly enjoy the wry funniness of the first three books of the series, and was initially disappointed at the statements that this was less entertaining. But I enjoyed this excellent retelling of the Parsifal legend, from the point-of-view of the red-hatted page Piers.The son of a blacksmith and a former lady-in-waiting to the French court, Piers (calling himself "Pierre") has been prepped by his mother in manners and courtliness, and sweat and grime by his hard-working father. When a strange red knight comes by and offers Piers a road out, he eagerly comes along, wearing a foppish and inefficient red hat. The red knight is quickly killed off by a strange, naive young man named Parsifal, who is hoping to become a knight.The problem is, Parsifal knows absolutely nothing about knighthood -- or manners, for that matter. He brings along the very confused and embarrassed Piers on his quest to learn manners, fighting (from a mystery woodsman who will be quite familiar to readers of this series), and chivalry (after a disastrous dinner with a noble lady). Piers also catches a glimpse of a strange girl who vanishes into a waterfall.Disaster strikes when Piers and Parsifal stay at a strange, magical castle with a wounded king and mysterious court. Due to prior scoldings from Piers, Parsifal does not ask "the question" -- and the castle vanishes, leaving only an old man berating them. Devastated, Parsifal leaves Piers to go off on his own. Piers teams up with Sir Gawain, his squire Terence, and the mysterious water-girl Ariel to find Parsifal and bring him back to the castle to ask his question...I'll be the first to say: This book is not as funny as the prior ones. There is humor, like the catastrophic dinner with the noble lady, Parsifal sending every defeated foe to a woman Sir Kay insulted, Piers's bizarre and oft-noticed hat, the attack on the castle of an overly-romantic maiden, and so forth. But there is more underlying sobriety, especially when Terence and Parsifal return briefly to their old homes, and in Parsifal's self-imposed exile after not asking "the question." But I had the feeling that Morris was trying to stretch his boundaries into more serious fiction -- that's a necessary thing for a writer to do. There were some parts of this book that made me tear up, and some that made me set it down and begin to think hard. The events leading up to the return to the castle, and what occurs inside is written with a beauty of words that Morris has not displayed in his prior books.There is pretty much no romance, as Ariel and Piers are pre-teens and most other female characters are relatively brief appearances, including Parsifal's "Queen Connie." We do have the obligatory jaunt to the Otherworld, and homages to prior books in the woodsman "Jean." Piers is a different character from Terence; if you're fearing a retread of everyone's favorite squire, don't worry. He seems more self-conscious and pretentious at first, but slowly the layers are stri

A Truly Delightful Quest

This is one of the most light-hearted and enjoyable books I have read in quite some time. I think it is the best Gerald Morris has done yet, and I have thoroughly enjoyed his three previous novels. I can sincerely recommend it to adults who enjoy a humor-studded story as well as to younger readers.