G972 the once and future queen; Guinevere in Arthurian Legend
Author: Nicole Evelina
Publisher: Lawson Gartner Press
Publishing Date: 2017
ISBN: 9780996763240
Summary:
Guinevere’s journey from literary sinner to feminist icon took over one thousand years…and it’s not over yet.
Literature tells us painfully little about Guinevere, mostly focusing on her sin and betrayal of Arthur and Camelot. As a result, she is often seen as a one-dimensional character. But there is more to her story. By examining popular works of more than 20 authors over the last one thousand years, The Once and Future Queen shows how Guinevere reflects attitudes toward women during the time in which her story was written, changing to suit the expectations of her audience. Beginning in Celtic times and continuing through the present day, this book synthesizes academic criticism and popular opinion into a highly readable, approachable work that fills a gap in Arthurian material available to the general public.
Nicole Evelina has spent more than 15 years studying Arthurian legend. She is also a feminist known for her fictional portrayals of strong historical and legendary women, including Guinevere. Now, she combines these two passions to examine the effect of changing times and attitudes on the character of Guinevere in a must-read book for Arthurian enthusiasts of every knowledge level.
Author Info:
(From HFVBT)
AMAZON | BARNES AND NOBLE | CHAPTERS | INDIEBOUND | KOBO
About the Author
Nicole Evelina is a multi-award-winning historical fiction, romantic comedy and non-fiction writer, whose four novels have collectively won over 20 awards, including two Book of the Year designations (Daughter of Destiny by Chanticleer Reviews and Camelot’s Queen by Author’s Circle). Her most recent book, THE ONCE AND FUTURE QUEEN, traces the evolution of the character of Guinevere in Arthurian legend from her Celtic roots to the present day, showing how the character changed along with the period’s views of women. Nicole is currently working on MISTRESS OF LEGEND (2018), the final book in her Guinevere’s Tale trilogy.
As an armchair historian, Nicole researches her books extensively, consulting with biographers, historical societies and traveling to locations when possible. For example, she traveled to England twice to research the Guinevere’s Tale trilogy, where she consulted with internationally acclaimed author and historian Geoffrey Ashe, as well as Arthurian/Glastonbury expert Jaime George, the man who helped Marion Zimmer Bradley research The Mists of Avalon.
Nicole is a member of and book reviewer for The Historical Novel Society, as well as a member of the Historical Fiction Writers of America, International Arthurian Society – North American Branch, Romantic Novelists Association, Novelists, Inc., the St. Louis Writer’s Guild, Alliance of Independent Authors, the Independent Book Publishers Association and the Midwest Publisher’s Association.
For more information, please visit Nicole Evelina’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Goodreads. Sign up for Nicole’s newsletter to receive news and updates.
Personal Opinion:
I came across King Arthur myths when in middle school I began to read Bulfinch's Mythology, in particular the Greek/Roman myths. As a naive and inexperienced teen, I honestly had trouble and difficulty reconciling the idea of infidelity in marriage or that sex could play such a huge role in people's lives. To my teenage eyes, Queen Guinevere became the villain in my eyes due to her deed with Sir Lancelot. Trying to figure out Queen Guinevere and her motivations had stayed with me for a long time, and its only when I began growing up and gaining experience in my own life did I finally stop seeing her as a villain and finally saw her as a flawed woman. Unfortunately Bulfinch's mythology wasn't covered in the book, but the fascinating evolution of how Queen Guinevere became whom she was is covered in a lot of detail, and as she is covered, the reader is taken through time from the earliest fragments of 5th century Britain to more modern times. For those who are also seeking fictional works on King Arthur and how they differ from one another should also take a look.
This is for HFVBT
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4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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