Welcome to Tursan Tuesdays, where I take you on a journey through the Celtic world.
Recently, I watched The Mists of Avalon, a mini-series produced by TNT which is based on a book written by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
The Mists of Avalon tells the story of King Arthur through the eyes of the women in his life ~ His mother Igraine, his half-sister Morgaine, his aunt Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, and his wife Gwenwyfar.
It is a beautifully told Celtic tale of love and loss, life and death, faith and religion. I thought some of the acting a bit contrived, but on the whole, I really enjoyed the mini-series. I definitely recommend you check it out if you haven’t seen it already.
I’ve done something I would normally consider a sin…I watched the TV version before reading the book. This is a fairly large book, and rather intimidating for even a voracious reader such as myself 🙂
It has received many, many great reviews, and was recommended to me by a friend, so while I have not read it yet myself, I would still suggest you give it a go.
So talk to me. Have you read The Mists of Avalon? Did you see the mini-series? What did you think?
Kate Wood 
Sounds intriguing. I’m going to see if we can watch the series on Netflix. Thanks!
Hi, Kate! I’ve read the books and watched the series, and they’re both great on their own. I recommend that you read the books. They’re captivating. As a Celtic historian, you’ll love them!
Thanks Fabio!
Yes, I have read it. A few times actually. I have a huge hard cover edition of the book. I’ve also watched the mini-series a few times. For the most part I think the mini-series did a good job staying true to the book.
Do I still recommend the book over the mini-series? That would be a resounding yes! It sucks me in every time I pick it up.
Now, there is at least one other book that Zimmer Bradley wrote as a sequel (or prequel?) to Mists that I haven’t read. I actually heard it was a let down after the amazing story she created with Mists.
Additionally, I highly recommend Mary Stewart’s Arthurian series.
Thanks Raelyn – I’ll definitely check out Mary Stewart’s series 🙂
I haven’t seen the tv show but I love stories based around King Arthur. Will have to look it up.
Hi Kate, it’s been a long time since I left a comment, but I avidly read each post when it comes to my inbox. The Mists of Avalon (book) was a life-changer for me. It set me on a course that ended with becoming a Celtic archaeologist and I’ll never regret it. I watched the series, but it didn’t affect me so much.
I’d like to revisit the book now to see if it still holds up, but it no longer sits on my shelf. I’ve given it away so many times! Time to remedy that. I think you’ll love the book.
Hiya Debra! Isn’t amazing how something can seem so simple, and yet it changes us forever? I’m really looking forward to getting into this book – I just have to stop looking at it like it’s a text book! LOL Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Oh, Kate, don’t worry. Two paragraphs in and you’ll forget the size of the book. You have to read it!
I haven’t read the book either, but I loved the series. I think it’s cause I want to wear those costumes!
Read the book and seen the miniseries. Loved both, but the book has a VERY different feel that the miniseries. It is much darker, but man oh man did I love it.
I’ve read the book several times – I’d highly recommend it if you haven’t read it yet. I enjoyed the mini series, but the book is (as is often the case) so so SOOOO much better 🙂
I’ve read the book many times and saw the miniseries at least twice. I prefer the book, but they did a good job on the miniseries. The soundtrack alone is worth it.
Reading the book changed my life in many ways and is actually what got me wanting to tell Guinevere’s story, because I hated MZB’s portrayal of her!
There are several prequels, many of which were written by Diana Paxon after MZB died. I stopped with Priestess of Avalon (MZB died while it was being written) because you can tell what she wrote and what Diana wrote. I’m not a fan of Diana’s contribution.