Here Lies Arthur
| Here Lies Arthur | |
|---|---|
 First edition cover |
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| Author(s) | Philip Reeve |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Children's |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Publication date | 2 April 2007 |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | 978-0439955331 |
| OCLC Number | 77540798 |
Here Lies Arthur is a young adult novel by Philip Reeve. It was first published in April 2007. The Arthur of the title is the King Arthur of legend. Although set in fifth or sixth century Britain, Here Lies Arthur is not a true historical novel according to the author[1] as it is not based on actual events — rather it is 'back-created' from the legends, giving them a 'realistic' origin.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
The novel starts with an attack by Arthur and his war-band, and the escape of Gwyna, a servant girl. She is found by Myrddin, a bard who hopes to build Arthur's reputation as a great hero so that he can unite the native British against the Saxons who have occupied the east of the country. Myrddin tells Gwyna to give Arthur Caliburn while pretending to be the Lady of the Lake. When she does that successfully, Myrddin disguises her in boy's clothes so that she can travel with the war-band as his servant.
Throughout her travels, she meets a boy who was brought up as a girl, tricks a holy man, swims in the Roman baths of Aquae Sulis, takes part in a battle, and witnesses Arthur's brutality, piousness and immorality, all the while observing her master create the fantastic stories that have made 'King Arthur' one of the most famous men in legend. After Arthur's death she creates some stories herself, conceding that the legend is more important than the mere facts.
[edit] Characters
- Gwyna/Gwyn: the narrator, a servant girl who spends much of the book disguised as a boy
- Myrddin: her master, a Celtic bard, Arthur's adviser
- Arthur, nicknamed the Bear: the leader of a Romano-British war-band
- Gwenhwyfar: a relative of Ambrosius Aurelianus, later Arthur's wife
- Valerius: defender of Aquae Sulis, Gwenhwyfar's first husband
- Cei: Arthur's half-brother and a friend to Myrddin
- Bedwyr: Gwyn's friend, later Gwenhwyfar's lover
- Medrawt: Bedwyr's older brother, a warrior
- Peredur: son of a famous warrior, raised as a girl by his widowed mother, later Gwyna's lover
- Saint Porroc: self-proclaimed holy man, leader of a group of worldly monks
- Maelwas of Dumnonia, overlord of the southern kingdoms
[edit] Reception
Here Lies Arthur won the Carnegie Medal[2] in 2008 and the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Bronze Award in 2007,[3] was shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize in 2007[4] and longlisted for the Manchester Book Award[5] in 2008.
The Carnegie judges described it as enjoyable and thought-provoking, a "page-turner of a novel', adding that "Reeve cleverly makes the story relevant to today by examining the versions of history that are handed down to us, and the ways in which myths are created."[6]
[edit] References
- ^ Author's Note, Here Lies Arthur
- ^ "Living Archive - Celebrating the Carnegie and the Greenaway Winners". CILIP. http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/livingarchive/title.php?id=123&PHPSESSID=77ee3340e32680ab6f2e7e46088aab8f. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
- ^ "Nestlé Children's Book Prize". Booktrust. http://www.booktrusted.co.uk/nestle/. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
- ^ "Booktrust Teenage Prize". Booktrust. http://www.booktrust.org.uk/Prizes-and-awards/Booktrust-Teenage-Prize. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
- ^ "Winners and runners-up from previous years". Manchester Book Award. http://www.manchesterbookaward.com/previousyears/. Retrieved 2009-01-21.[dead link]
- ^ Carnegie Judges' Comments
[edit] External links
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Just in Case |
Carnegie Medal recipient 2008 |
Succeeded by Bog Child |
