Arthur Rex: A Legendary Novel (1978)

by Thomas Berger

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461	6	57,384	(3.67)	7
The Arthurian legend as it has never been told before . . . The myth of King Arthur has been told countless ways since the sixth century, always combining action, adventure, romance, and tragedy. In Arthur Rex, Thomas Berger updates the legend in irreverent fashion, forever changing King Arthur and his Round Table. In Berger's medieval England, the damsel in distress is never what she appears to be. Merlin is a wizard of a completely different stripe. Classic heroes and villains are vividly reimagined, breathing fresh life into a familiar story. Powerful, emotional, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, Arthur Rex is an unforgettable tribute to one of the most celebrated tales of all time. This ebook features an all-new introduction by Thomas Berger, as well as an illustrated biography of the author including rare images and never-before-seen documents from his personal collection.… (more)

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1970s (199)

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Masterpiece. (

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Stubb | Aug 28, 2018 |

I read this immediately after reading The Mists of Avalon, and it was in all respects an opposite version, from a predominantly masculine and Christian perspective. There were many humorous moments. Sir Kay seemed better described than in the Malory version, but otherwise Berger's version was quite consistent with Malory. One aspect that became tiresome was the characters' continual and specific focus on avoiding homosexuality. In general this book seems to be an attempt to retell Malory in a more understandable way for a more modern audience. It was good enough without being particularly memorable and never approaches the character development of The Mists of Avalon or The Once and Future King. (

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karmiel | Jul 29, 2015 |

I`m not a fan of this book. The glory that was `Little Big Man`doesn`t seem to shine again for Berger, and I`m sorry, but this bitter and jokey book was a great disappointment. (

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DinadansFriend | Jan 19, 2014 |

Books previously read:

A nicely farcical treatment of Arthurian legend, including one of the best lines in contemporary English-language literature: "Godsfuck, I do not like this dying!" (

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OshoOsho | Mar 30, 2013 |

An interesting retelling of some of the Arthur legends, but it doesn't add anything new. (

)

Jthierer | May 2, 2011 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Thomas Berger	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
DiMassi, MaryJane	Designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Huens, Jean-Leon	Cover artist	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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Heyne Allgemeine Reihe (6710)

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Now Uther Pendragon, King of all Britain, conceived an inordinate passion for the fair Ygraine, duchess of Cornwall, and having otherwise no access to her, he proceeded to wage war upon her husband, Gorlois the duke.

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Arthur Rex

▾Book descriptions

The Arthurian legend as it has never been told before . . . The myth of King Arthur has been told countless ways since the sixth century, always combining action, adventure, romance, and tragedy. In Arthur Rex, Thomas Berger updates the legend in irreverent fashion, forever changing King Arthur and his Round Table. In Berger's medieval England, the damsel in distress is never what she appears to be. Merlin is a wizard of a completely different stripe. Classic heroes and villains are vividly reimagined, breathing fresh life into a familiar story. Powerful, emotional, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, Arthur Rex is an unforgettable tribute to one of the most celebrated tales of all time. This ebook features an all-new introduction by Thomas Berger, as well as an illustrated biography of the author including rare images and never-before-seen documents from his personal collection.

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With these tales, the author pays homage to the lives of King Arthur, the Round Table knights and their ladies, while introducing inspired new twists to the stories of old. Thomas Berger has previously written "Little Big Man", "Killing Time" and "Changing the Past".

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