The Book of Guinevere

by Andrea Hopkins

Book Overview

Hardcover book This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0517142694
• ISBN13: 9780517142691
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Gramercy Books
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

The Book of Guinevere by ANDREA HOPKINS

Most book sellers list this item incorrectly; the correct author is ANDREA HOPKINS. My copy (ISBN 0-517-14269-4) gives the publisher as CRESCENT BOOKS, a division of Random House. Hopkin's "The Book of Guinevere: Legendary Queen of Camelot" details the evolution of the figure of Guinevere through literary texts from the Middle Ages and Tennyson's Idylls of the King. The book is profusely illustrated by reproductions from medieval manuscript illuminations and nineteenth- and twentieth-century paintings and book illustrations. The book appears to have good through a number of reprintings; I think this is the first edition. Other editions include the following: The Book of Guinevere: Legendary queen of Camelot; The Book of Guinevere; and The Book of Guinevere

A Medieval Celtic Beauty that can't be surpassed:

The book of Guinevere is a great book for the Arthurian fan in everyone. The paintings that are encapsulated between its glossy pages are stellar, especially the front cover, which the painting "the Queen Guinevere Maying" by John Collier is, printed on, and on page 79 the painting of Tristan and Iseult is beautifully rendered in watercolor by Arthur Rackham. Also, on pages 12 and 13 is Edward Burne-Jones' outstanding painting called "Arthur sleeping his magic sleep in the Isle of Avalon". My suggestion is simply this; The Book of Guinevere is worth its weight in gold because of the amazing artwork alone. Better yet, what makes this short & sweet book the pinnacle of perfections is how (the author) Andrea Hopkins successfully amalgamates her narrative with those of the poets, historians and folklorists whose love, and enthusiasm for the legends of Arthur are demonstrated illustriously with each and every sentence; from famous historians such as Geoffrey of Monmouth to Malory Le Morte d'Arthur, Hopkins manages to flesh out a complex character that is usually ignored and placed in the background of the legends. Anyhow, Andrea Hopkins does the unthinkable and places Guinevere into the foreground, making her the center of attention, and it's about time too, simply because I always found her to be more interesting then the other characters. The stories of old never explored why Guinevere and Lancelot committed adultery. It would have been interesting to know what these two characters were thinking when they committed this act. What were their motivations? Was there something lacking in their lives? Did Guinevere still love Arthur when she committed this salacious deed? Just consider this, she became a Nun; maybe she didn't love him enough? Who knows, but that is what's so magnificent about this material. You can use your imagination and come up with as many scenarios as you wish. Of course, Hopkins comes up with her own interpretations that you'll find interesting and dazzling. Sorry for digressing. Nevertheless, Hopkins chronicles the many different interpretations, facets and contradictions in Guinevere's life, which consist of being a noble queen, a victim, a lover, a warrior, a jealous vindictive harpy, to becoming a nun, and even her death. What remains consistent throughout the different variations is Guinevere's liaison with Sir Lancelot. If you want to tip the rift medieval then this is what you ought to read.

More than Coffee Table Guinevere

This book is a true defense of Queen Guinevere. Despite being one of the most important figures in Arthurian literature, she has always been dismissed as a mere spoiled adulteress and pushed to the wayside in the unfolding tragedy, overshadowed by King Arthur, Merlin, Sir Lancelot and the other Knights of the Round Table, the treacherous Mordred, and the magical Morgan le Fay. Andrea Hopkins has created an anthology showing Guinevere's complexity of character. With excerpts from the most authoritative medieval sources as well as Tennyson's Victorian epic, accompanied by a plethora of manuscript illuminations and Pre-Raphaelite paintings, a completely different picture of Guinevere emerges. Her legendary love affair is not downplayed; however, the other previously ignored aspects of her life brought to light in this volume reveal a richly textured woman who is a far cry from the one dimensional paper doll usually placed by King Arthur's side and in Sir Lancelot's bed. THE BOOK OF GUINEVERE is divided into eight main parts each focused on a different facet of her life. These are Guinevere the Young Queen and Bride, Guinevere the Victim of Abduction, Guinevere the Courtly and Gracious Queen, Guinevere the Lover, Guinevere Falsely Accused, Guinevere the Jealous Harpy, Guinevere Noble in Adversity, and, of course, the Fall of Guinevere. There is a very good introduction, and an index, a short glossary, and a bibliography for further reading are included. This book is well bound -- sewn instead of glued -- and lavishly illustrated. It is a delightful light read on a heavy subject, and I recommend it to anyone interested in Arthurian lore particularly its female characters. The only reason I gave it four rather than five stars is because this book is not as meaty as the author's other works, and I feel there is more she could have said.

Well Done, though Short

This book is more of an essay in book form, it is pretty short. But a very well supported peice, it is a good introduction into research on the Queen of Camelot. Lots of exerpts of source material and fantastic art as illustrations (manuscripts, paintings, etc) I really liked it.