The eNotated Idylls of the King Book Reviews

The eNotated Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson & Barbara Bedell Book Summary

Though most eBooks are simple conversions of paper books, "The eNotated Idylls of the King” is a completely new approach that takes advantage of ebook technology by providing eNotations (electronic annotations), essays, and background information conveniently accessible through links and a comprehensive table of contents. Written by Barbara G. Bedell, student of Medieval literature and retired college English teacher, this background biographical, historical, and interpretive information makes Tennyson's classic more accessible and the reading experience more satisfying.

Based on the collection of "Idylls" Alfred, Lord Tennyson published together in 1874, this volume includes more than 500 eNotations that provide definitions and historical information - especially useful because Tennyson used hundreds of archaic, compound, and invented words in his poetry. In addition, more than 130 Arthurian-related illustrations are included, many in color.

In her introductory essay, Bedell points to the major polarities Tennyson illustrates in his "Idylls:" Trust/betrayal, duty/failure, faith/disbelief, commitment/infidelity. Additional essays focus on narrative structure as theme, the spectrum of knighthood (illustrated through Galahad, Gawain, and Lancelot), and Tennyson's use of language.

Bedell has included a Tennyson biography that provides information about the poet's life and appreciation of him in Victorian England. A Bibliography offers the interested reader a path to further reading about Tennyson and his work and an extensive Chronology outlines the evolution of the Arthurian corpus from the Ninth through the Twenty-First Centuries.

As Bedell explains in her introduction, "One could reasonably argue that after Sir Thomas Malory's "Morte d'Arthur," the best-known English version of the Arthurian legends is Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Idylls of the King." Memorable in their depth of understanding of human motivations and their evocative descriptive power, certain passages from "Guinevere" and "The Passing of Arthur" stand out in my mind as clearly as if I had read them yesterday. I continue to be drawn to this brilliant work by one of England's greatest Victorian poets who, in turn, was greatly influenced by the stories of King Arthur and the Round Table all of his life."

If you are going to read "Idylls of the King" for the first time - or reread them after some years - you will best enjoy and more effectively appreciate them with this unique eNotated edition.

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