Parzival and the Stone from Heaven: A Holy Grail Romance Retold for Our Time

Clarke does a praiseworthy job of bringing Wolfram von Eschenbach's complex 13th century epic to life for 21st century readers. He streamlines the story and renders the verse original in prose, but his prose often achieves exalted effects. The story is far from 'a wearisome alternation of battle scenes and love conquests.' It is a richly symbolic tale of the life of the soul and the achieving of real maturity, told through encounters both magical and martial. Parzival's quest for the holy grail--in this instance more of a spiritualized philosopher's stone--enchants and absorbs the reader in a world of portentous marvels. The 1st eight chapters of the book, known collectively as 'The Wounding,' is the more powerful portion of the story. The concluding eight chapters--'The Healing'--is not as convincing in its impact. The solutions achieved are perhaps too overtly Jungian. But there is still great profundity and beauty in the events that unfold and resolve. Clarke's admittedly loose adaptation of Wolfram's masterpiece makes this reader hungry to get a little closer to the original. As I don't think I'll be tackling the 13th century German any time soon, I may give the complete, literal translation by Cyril Edwards (published by Boydell & Brewer) a try next.

The legend of the holy grail is one that has captured the imagination since it first appeared hundreds of years ago. It has been told and retold--as well as parodied by the Monty Python troupe. It is not widely known that in some of the original versions of this tale the grail was a stone rather than a cup! This version succeeds at being true to the spirit of the original tale--a long mysterious quest where much is lost and much is gained. The ultimate goal according to Jungian theory is the restoration of balance--lost by a culture that overly values prowess particularly in war. Since this is a perennial problem for humanity, this legend maintains its potency. This writer has managed to vividly convey beauty of the ancient time in which this quest unfolds, as well as the passion and enchantment. An enjoyable fulfilling read!

I enjoyed the only other retellings of the Parzival legends I've read, "Parzival's Page" and Katherine Paterson's "Parzival." A brief flip-through the book made me think at first that I wouldn't enjoy it, but I did end up liking it. Clarke does a good job of sapping the stiffness from old legends and making it palatable to the modern reader.The story begins with the story of Gahmuret, who goes off on a Crusade and then returns to Britain, marrying two women along the way -- a Moorish queen and a Welsh queen. He's killed shortly after the birth of his son Parzival, and the shock of his death drives his Welsh widow mad. She secludes herself in the woods with her son, trying to keep him sheltered away from the world that might make him a warrior knight. Years pass, and Parzival accidently encounters three knights on the road. Immediately he becomes obsessed with being a knight, and despite his mother's protests, he leaves to become one. By training and assistance, he does become a knight and marries the beautiful queen Blanchefleur. But before he arrives at King Arthur's court, Parzival comes to a magical castle where he is expected to ask the king a question. His failure to do so drives him away from God and into a desperate quest for redemption.Alongside Parzival's quest, we also have the adventures of Sir Gawain, who seems to develop a crush on any mildly pretty lady he comes across. He becomes enamored of a very proud and obnoxious woman, who is entrapped in the dark magic of an evil sorcerer. This is a nice book. It isn't perfect; with the exception of Gawain and Parzival, the characters are pretty two-dimensional, especially Kei, who is obnoxious for no reason that anyone can really explain. Other characters, like the pig-faced sorceress Cundrie, seem to exist for no other reason than to tell Parzival and Gawain things. Fans of the usual Camelot love triangle will be disappointed, while people who dislike the much-rehashed love story will probably enjoy reading some Camelot-related material that hasn't been done to death.The writing style and dialogue are formal but not incomprehensible; Clarke does a good job of giving us a view inside the heads of the lead two characters. The plot itself is fairly straightforward, with some sudden twists and turns that might confuse people unfamiliar with the original legends. Readers may need to backpedal a few times.This book would probably be a good retelling for teens and adults alike; it has some dirty content that the YA and juvenile retelling doesn't have, such as Gawain almost being seduced by a girl (they're in bed and they kiss and snuggle, but nothing more), and references to the "activities" of Gahmuret and his two wives, and briefly of Parzival and Condwiramurs. In addition, there are some very gruesome scenes, such as Parzival's maddened, deteriorated cousin who totes around the head of her dead lover. A good retelling for any who enjoyed Parzival's Page, or Katherine Paterson's retelling. Or f