Perceval: King Arthur's Knight of the Holy Grail

This book is a retelling of Chretien de Troyes', "The Story of the Grail" written in 1190. The character of Perceval made his first appearance in Chretien's romance. The story of King Arthur's greatest knight was soon advanced in a number of other romances that quickly followed. As a literary creation, Perceval is so appealing because the hero grows from a childish fool into a serious man and finally a wise and humble knight. John Perkins is a Jungian therapist who studied with Joseph Campbell. He understands the mythological value of the tale and does a very good job of retelling the story. Gennady Spirin's elaborate illustrations add visually to the book. The production values of this book are very high. My one caveat is that this is not a book for young children. Perceval's journey along the heroic path is a profound story and requires a fairly high level of maturity to understand. This is a great book for a child who can search for deeper meanings in a story.

I read this book and enjoyed it very much. It's presented in a clear, flowing style which makes it very easy to follow along with, but still has a substantial underlying message which is revealed, piece by piece, in an exciting way as the book progresses. The illustrations are beautiful, and the preface and note at the end help to put this story into a perspective and explain its message.

Perceval: King Arthur's Knight of the Holy Grail is a picturebook retelling of the legend of Perceval, written by Jungian therapist John Perkins and superbly illustrated with full-color, Renaissance-technique paintings by award-winning artist Gennady Spirin. Perceval is fairly text-heavy for a picturebook, and is therefore ideal for young readers who not only love fantastic tales but also are nearly ready to make the transition to chapter books. The legend of Perceval itself is a humbling story, at its core about how there is more to being a knight than embodying the virtues of chivalry. The virtues of faith in God and the mercy of the Savior Jesus Christ are a crucial theme in Perceval's epic story.