epic poetry Archives - Novel Notions

Book Review: Galahad and the Grail (Merlin’s Isle, #1) by Malcolm Guite

July 15, 2026 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Galahad and the Grail by Malcolm Guite
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Exquisite. Timeless. Exceptional. This is a masterpiece of the highest caliber. And it’s to be treasured in all of its formats. Reading Galahad and the Grail, Guite’s introductory volume in his four-part Merlin’s Isle, feels like uncovering a treasure lost to antiquity, one that is somehow fresh and vibrant in the light of the 21st century sun. His presentation of the search for the Holy Grail is captivating, and it left me so excited to experience the rest of his Arthuriad as he plans to release them over the next few years. Every line, every word, every syllable was chosen with such care and intention. Though this is epic poetry, a form little read in modern society, the story being told through the verse is easy to follow. This could easily be experienced as a family read aloud. It truly feels not only timeless, but ageless in its appeal. …

Book Review: The Iliad by Homer

May 21, 2020 Celeste Comments 6 comments

The Iliad by Homer
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Hallelujah. It’s over. Well, at least The Iliad is, though the story continues in The Odyssey. I had forgotten how much the beginning of this epic sounds like a giant group of toddlers fighting over toys. These toddlers just happen to command warships and armies, and the toys happen to be women they view as war prizes. Frankly, it’s disgusting. If these idiotic “heroes” would just view women as actual people who can make their own decisions instead of pretty toys over which to wage war, every single event in this story could have been avoided. Had they just asked Helen who she wanted to be with and respected that decision, hundreds of lives would have been saved. The amount of bloodshed over the “taking” of this woman is just insanely wasteful, even if it’s fictional.
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