Apollo reviewed The mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
A Cumbersome and Disturbing Novel
2 stars
The Mists of Avalon is a sprawling, cumbersome fantasy. Without an investment in paganism or Christianity, I found it hard to feel much for the stakes and the constant machinations of the characters. Knowing what we do now about the incredible harm the author and her husband did to children, it's hard not to be disturbed by the justifications for incest and age gaps between so many characters with sexual involvement in the novel.
The Mists of Avalon is a sprawling, cumbersome fantasy. Without an investment in paganism or Christianity, I found it hard to feel much for the stakes and the constant machinations of the characters. Knowing what we do now about the incredible harm the author and her husband did to children, it's hard not to be disturbed by the justifications for incest and age gaps between so many characters with sexual involvement in the novel.