Clay's Quilt (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

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Somewhat disappointing...

Truth and honesty???

Outstanding - Clay and Alma are great character in fiction

Long live House!

A Welcome New Voice in Southern Fiction

Clay's Quilt (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Silas House
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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A Parchment of Leaves (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

The Coal Tattoo: A Novel

Salt: A Novel

River of Earth

The Dollmaker

ASIN: 0345450698
Release Date: 2002-02-26

Book Description

“A YOUNG WRITER OF IMMENSE GIFTS . . . One of the best books I have ever read about contemporary life in the mountains of southern Appalachia. . . . I could see and feel Free Creek, and the mountain above it.”
–LEE SMITH

After his mother is killed, four-year-old Clay Sizemore finds himself alone in a small Appalachian mining town. At first, unsure of Free Creek, he slowly learns to lean on its residents as family. There’s Aunt Easter, who is always filled with a sense of foreboding, bound to her faith above all; quiltmaking Uncle Paul; untamable Evangeline; and Alma, the fiddler whose song wends it way into Clay’s heart. Together, they help Clay fashion a quilt of a life from what treasured pieces surround him. . . .

“A long love poem to the hills of Kentucky. It flows with Appalachian music, religion, and that certain knowledge that your people will always hold you close. . . . Like the finely stitched quilts that Clay’s Uncle Paul labors over, the author sews a flawless seam of folks who love their home and each other.”
–Southern Living

“Unpretentious and clear-eyed . . . A tale whose joys are as legitimate as its sorrows.”
–The Roanoke Times

Customer Reviews:

Somewhat disappointing..........2006-10-27

I read both A PARCHMENT OF LEAVES and COAL TATTOO prior to reading this one, and while I liked CLAY'S QUILT, I felt it was lacking some of the beauty and charm of the other two books.

I found it a bit difficult to like some of the characters (Cake and Evangeline were a bit to cliché for me) and I felt there could have been more written about Dreama and Darry's situation. I also found some of the story predictable - I could see the bar brawl and the confrontation between Clay and Denzel coming down the road a mile away.

I was also a little confused on what I was supposed to surmise about the relationship between Clay and Cake. A couple of times while I was reading this book, I though for sure I was going to start reading some scene from BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.

Also, having read A PARCHMENT OF LEAVES and COAL TATTOO prior to this one, I became very aware of some inconsistencies in the three stories. For example, in COAL TATTOO, Easter and Anneth refer to both of their grandmothers by their first names, Selena and Vine. In this book, there are references made about "Granny" - I don't recall the two grandmothers ever being referred to as Granny in COAL TATTOO. Also, the character of Marguerite seemed to just pop up out of nowhere. She did not exist in COAL TATTOO.

I thought that the last 50 pages of this book were well worth reading the entire story, but if you have not done so, please read the other two books in this trilogy.

Truth and honesty???.......2006-10-02

This book (and other's by Silas House) celebrates too many negative aspects of life in Kentucky's Eastern Appalachian Mountains. First, Clay is an undereducated coal miner who drinks and does pot and spends his free time in bars. Second, the other characters are equally undereducated, one a teenage mother, and almost all are in abusive relationships. Third, Clay falls in love with another man's wife and the two fight it out in a drunken brawl at a local bar (which is apparently the only entertainment around).

Moreover, the overall theme of House's work is that of "celebrating one's heritage". While this may be a good thing for many people, Clay's family never encourages him to better himself. He doesn't go to college, and while Clay does briefly leave home, he later returns and builds a house right in Aunt Easter's yard. Having come from a large family in Eastern Kentucky, I know that this is one of the problems in the area, no one wants their children to leave, and thus people rarely reach their full potential.

Clay's Aunt Easter doesn't leave her own home very much either (Easter behaves similarly in the Coal Tattoo), and she condemns Clay's mother for trying to "live a little". Clay's mother equally fails at leaving home and comes back to Eastern Kentucky in The Coal Tattoo. It would be one thing to celebrate the families and communities if they were strong, but they are not. The Eastern Kentucky region is fraught with issues of poverty, under or no education, unemployment, drop outs, drug abuse, and a large amount of people on government assistance (Clay's cousin in the novel is on WIC). While other areas of America have the same issues as Eastern Kentucky, I wish that some writers would have enough courage to honestly write about them. And I wish House's novels had explored these issues more instead of adopting the attitude of acceptance and celebration. While Eastern Kentucky is an area rich with its own language and culture, people who are endearing and pioneering, and people who are agrarians at heart, the area does have many problems that cannot continue to be brushed under the rug. Many Eastern Kentuckians do not have proper educational opportunities (or do not take advantage of those offered), are slow to accept change, and most do not want their children to leave the area.

Of course there are other major issues in all three of House's novels that he addresses very well. In particular the issues of big coal companies taking over the land, taking advantage of the undereducated, and reeking havoc on the land and the environment. The coal companies and timber companies are in direct conflict with the agrarianism that many of the older generation of Eastern Kentuckians have held onto. In addition, House adequately explores the dangers of the coal mining and timber mining industry in his novels. However, I was left wanting more truth and honesty from House's work, but I suppose the literary world will have to wait for such a writer.

Outstanding - Clay and Alma are great character in fiction.......2006-07-23

Silas House's trilogy on the lives of people in Kentucky coal country is one of the best-written series of novels I have seen in many a year. The writing is not only superb in structure but gripping and evocative without seeming forced, as so many modern novelists seem to be. His characters are not always likeable but are always interesting: they are real characters, as opposed to "types," and that makes all the difference in the world between a light read and something deeper.

"Clay's Quilt," the third and last book in the series, focuses around the maturity and life of Anneth Sizemore's son, who is only four years old when his mother is murdered by the stepfather he never knew and doesn't remember. Haunted by her image and wanting resolution, he spends the bulk of his young adulthood searching for pieces of her to put together like the crazy quilts his granduncle Paul makes. Raised equally by his kindly aunt Easter and his wilder but equally kindly uncle Gabe, Clay matures into a deeply sensitive young man, inheriting that side of his mother without even realizing it.

One of the best aspects of this book is the character of Alma, the estranged fiddler daughter of a powerful Baptist preacher who leaves her abusive, cocaine-snorting husband to live a life of relative freedom with her even wilder sister Evangeline, a singer in a honky-tonk. Alma's deep connection to music is as mysterious and unexplained as Clay's connection to his family and the area in which he was raised, and lives. Descriptions abound in the book of the way Alma's deep, intense focus on creating and/or performing music remove her completely from the physical plane and put her in the realm of pure spirit. Though Anneth and Easter both responded to the folk, pop and country music they heard in "Coal Tattoo" in an intense way, Alma's connection as both composer and performer kept me spellbound. This is as close as music comes to theism, and Silas House explains it in a way that is both logical and completely understandable, at least for her.

Highly recommended.

Long live House!.......2006-05-21

I had the privelege of reading this book years ago, and immediately sat down to write its creator; little did I know that he would write me back (spending the time to scratch out his thoughts on a post card no less) and express how truly down to Earth that he was.
I have read all three of his books, and was lucky enough to meet him in person when he came to Birmingham. Even though, "A Parchment of Leaves" remains to be my favorite, I still love anything he writes. I can't tell enough people about this writer who not only celebrates life, but through his novels, urges others to do the same. While Clay's Quilt is tacitly connected to the 'trilogy' about Anneth and Easter, Clay's mother and aunt, it can still be read on its own.
I never have been to Kentucky, but when one reads a Silas House novel, you will not be able to say you haven't experienced the spirit of Appalachia anymore. Stunning, lyrical, and absolutely heartbreaking. I can't recommend it enough.
Although this review is a nod toward the author more than his work, I assure you once you read one of his books you will be an instant fan, as I was.

A Welcome New Voice in Southern Fiction.......2006-03-26

There's a great new voice in Southern fiction, and it belongs to Kentucky novelist Silas House. Two years ago, I had the privilege of reading "The Coal Tattoo," his third novel, and was haunted by its depiction of how land, religion and family simultaneously freed and circumscribed an unforgettable Appalachian family. So when someone in my book club suggested we read "Clay's Quilt," House's first novel (which addresses a later generation in the same mountain family), it was my top choice.

The novel has everything: passion, family, faith, violence, and did I mention passion? One recurrent theme is the idea that there exists only a razor-thin separation between life-making zeal -- for God, for music, for family -- and life-destroying violence. The same characters are capable of both extremes, even Clay, the gentle young miner at the heart of the story. House uses a quilt as a metaphor for Clay piecing together his family hstory (and yes, this has been done before; quilt-as-metaphor is certainly familiar literary territory, but I can't think of anyone who's done it better than House). When his own unspeakable act of violence causes him to remember the details of his mother's tragic death, Clay stands at the brink of the abyss, pulled from self-loathing and depression only by the grip of his family's love.

I loved the literary symbolism in this novel, particularly the red birds, who flit in and out at key moments, and Anneth dancing in the snow in her red coat. But House uses these not merely to impress the critics but to emphasize the characters' unbreakable ties to the land where they live. The birds, the flowers, the trees (which House describes at one point as "burning" with God's presence) are extensions of the family and their love for each other. The people are inseparable from nature.

I think that Silas House ranks up there with Wendell Berry and Barbara Kingsolver as the holy trinity of Kentucky writers. I'm going to read "A Parchment of Leaves" next, which takes the Sizemore family back yet another generation.

-- A longer version of this review was posted on March 17, 2006 at The Review Revolution (janariess.typepad.com).

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Clay history through a quilt
Dorothy Heller
Manufacturer: Minuteman Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Historic Preservation | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006QNOJM

Book Description

In this windswept story set in the lusty fifteenth century, the enchanting Anne faces the challenge of raising her child in exile. Always resourceful, she flourishes as a merchant and is able to support her household. But the local businessmen aren't pleased about competing with a woman and her foes are multiplying around her, desperate to put her back in what they believe is her rightful place.

Anne has a secret that her enemies could use to destroy her. Her beloved son is the product of a passionate affair with the king, Edward IV, who knows nothing of his existence. If this information were to fall into the wrong hands, it could prove lethal for Anne and her child. She struggles to find peace in a world of duplicity and suspicion, where adversaries masquerade as allies, and someone very powerful wants her dead. Yet, despite the pressure of her enemies, what pains Anne the most is that she is unsure when or if she will see her darling Edward again.

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"In this windswept story set in the lusty fifteenth century, the enchanting Anne faces the challenge of raising her child in exile. Always resourceful, she flourishes as a merchant and is able to support her household. But the local businessmen aren't pleased about competing with a woman and her foes are multiplying around her, desperate to put her back in what they believe is her rightful place. Anne has a secret that her enemies could use to destroy her. Her beloved son is the product of a passionate affair with the king, Edward IV, who knows nothing of his existence. If this information were to fall into the wrong hands, it could prove lethal for Anne and her child. She struggles to find peace in a world of duplicity and suspicion, where adversaries masquerade as allies, and someone very powerful wants her dead. Yet, despite the pressure of her enemies, what pains Anne the most is that she is unsure when or if she will see her darling Edward again. "

Customer Reviews:

Not much better than the first book.......2007-01-09

As with the first book in the series, this was a fair book, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone that is looking for more classic, Medieval action, and I don't mean under the sheets.

The storyline continues to be a bit far fetched in consideration with the time period, and I wasn't thrilled with the allusions to mythical gods. The main character, Anne, is likable enough but again far fetched. The things that she does in the book just wouldn't have happened, especially in a merchant system that existed during that time. It bordered on a fantasy novel.

The romance was a bit too steamy for me. I would have liked a little more battle action. Also, the sex scenes are WAY TOO GRAPHIC. It would be an "R" rated book.

All in all, it was OK. Just OK.

Hooked.......2006-12-13

I loved this sequel to the Innocent. I couldnt put it down, finished it mid way on a flight. Im now looking fwd to reading number 3!!

Frustrating read...........2006-04-22

I really enjoyed first book in this series, The Innocent, and couldn't wait to read The Exhiled, particularly since the first book ended so abruptly with many questions left unanswered. This novel left me feeling equally as frustrated at the end, but unfortunatley, I no longer care about what happens in the final installment.

The author has such a talent for storytelling, plot-weaving and creating truly life-like characters. She is profoundly adept at bringing the reader into the world/setting of her novels and enabling the reader to identify with the characters and feel for them emotionally.

I actually really enjoyed the first two hundred pages or so of this second installment and couldn't put it down. However, at some point around the last hundred pages or so the plot just got too contrived and almost silly. For me, the story lost its believability at this point and never regained my interest, since it ended (just as the first book did) too abruptly and with too many questions left unanswered.

The author is clearly trying to keep the reader interested for the third installment, but its too late for this reader.

Exiled myself to finish the book!.......2006-03-30

As an avid reader of British historical fiction, I've read good and bad within this genre over the last 30 years. This book and it's predecessor are among the best that I have encountered. "The Exiled" surpases "The Innocent" as a page-turner. The author's attention to historical detail is fascinating and her characters are interesting and well thought out. Anne and Edward have the ultimate connection. If only we could all find someone like that!

I can't wait for the next installment in this series!!.......2005-12-25

The first book in this series, The Innocent, sent me straight to the store to buy the second book, The Exiled, before I had even finished the first book. I could not wait to see what happened to the main characters. I await the final installment of this wonderful historical fiction series. Yeah!

Exiled Royalties: Melville and the Life We Imagine

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Exiled Royalties: Melville and the Life We Imagine
Robert Milder
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0195142322

Book Description

Exiled Royalties is a literary/biographical study of the course of Melville's career from his experience in Polynesia through his retirement from the New York Custom House and his composition of three late volumes of poetry and Billy Budd, Sailor. Conceived separately but narratively and thematically intertwined, the ten essays in the book are rooted in a belief that "Melville's work," as Charles Olson said, "must be left in his own 'life,'" which for Milder means primarily his spiritual, psychological, and vocational life. Four of the ten essays deal with Melville's life and work after his novelistic career ended with the The Confidence-Man in 1857. The range of issues addressed in the essays includes Melville's attitudes toward society, history, and politics, from broad ideas about democracy and the course of Western civilization to responses to particular events like the Astor Place Riots and the Civil War; his feeling about sexuality and, throughout the book, about religion; his relationship to past and present writers, especially to the phases of Euro-American Romanticism, post-Romanticism, and nascent Modernism; his relationship to his wife, Lizzie, to Hawthorne, and to his father, all of whom figured in the crisis that made for Pierre. The title essay, "Exiled Royalties," takes its origin from Ishmael's account of "the larger, darker, deeper part of Ahab"--Melville's mythic projection of a "larger, darker, deeper part" of himself. How to live nobly in spiritual exile--to be godlike in the perceptible absence of God--was a lifelong preoccupation for Melville, who, in lieu of positive belief, transposed the drama of his spiritual life to literature. The ways in which this impulse expressed itself through Melville's forty-five year career, interweaving itself with his personal life and the life of the nation and shaping both the matter and manner of his work, is the unifying subject of Exiled Royalties.

Writing to Cuba: Filibustering and Cuban Exiles in the United States (Envisioning Cuba)

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Writing to Cuba: Filibustering and Cuban Exiles in the United States (Envisioning Cuba)
Rodrigo Lazo
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Caribbean & Latin American | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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Selected Writings (Penguin Classics)

ASIN: 0807855944
Release Date: 2005-02-23

Book Description

In the mid-nineteenth century, some of Cuba's most influential writers settled in U.S. cities and published a variety of newspapers, pamphlets, and books. Collaborating with military movements known as filibusters, this generation of exiled writers created a body of literature demanding Cuban independence from Spain and alliance with or annexation to the United States.

Drawing from rare materials in the United States and Havana, Rodrigo Lazo offers new readings of work by writers such as Cirilo Villaverde, Juan Clemente Zenea, Pedro Santacilia, and Miguel T. Tolón. Lazo argues that to understand these writers and their publications, we must move beyond nation-based models of literary study and consider their connections to both Cuba and the United States. Anchored by the publication of Spanish- and English-language newspapers in the United States, the transnational culture of writers Lazo calls los filibusteros went hand in hand with a long-standing economic flow between the countries and was spurred on by the writers' belief in the American promise of freedom and the hemispheric ambitions of the expansionist U.S. government. Analyzing how U.S. politicians, journalists, and novelists debated the future of Cuba, Lazo argues that the war of words carried out in Cuban-U.S. print culture played a significant role in developing nineteenth-century conceptions of territory, colonialism, and citizenship.

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A Rarity: a book that truly earns the highest praise
Exiled Heart: A Meditative Autobiography
Kelly Cherry
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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20th Century | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0807116203

Customer Reviews:

A Rarity: a book that truly earns the highest praise.......1998-01-13

Ms. Cherry's *Exiled Heart* deserves any accolade one can muster: moving, extraordinary, strikingly intelligent, and--yes--heartbreaking. Ms. Cherry's meditations upon fate's intrusions into love are a balance of braininess and passion.

Book Description

I began to love my own country now that I was forbidden to enter it. -Carlos Romero Estevez For Carlos Romero Estevez, freedom from danger means a life in exile. Rescued from his home in a Latin American military dictatorship - where his writings have been banned and he is wanted by the state - the poet and journalist is brought to a new home in Vancouver. His rescuers, a group devoted to helping oppressed writers, think they've found a hero, a posterboy. Carlos thinks he's found a new life, new freedom, and new, powerful friends. But soon everyone's illusions are dispelled, and Carlos finds life in exile to be a new kind of prison. His arranged job as a writer-in-residence at the university fails to produce the expected best-selling memoir. And Carlos begins to realise that his powerful new friends are simply unable to give him the kind of life he knew before his imprisonment, when he associated with the elite writers of his nation - as well as notorious revolutionaries. In prose that is at once delicate and passionate, Ann Ireland's Exile is the work of an author in full control of her considerable talents.

Exiled Angel: A Study of the Work of Gregory Corso

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Exiled Angel: A Study of the Work of Gregory Corso
Gregory Stephenson
Manufacturer: Water Row Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Decent adventure with some excellent highlights
The Adventures of Sir Kay
Solid effort, enjoyable read
Sir Kay Is A Winner!
EXILED FROM CAMELOT

Exiled from Camelot
Cherith Baldry
Manufacturer: Green Knight Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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Arthurian | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Historical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1928999166

Book Description

The court of Camelot is unsettled by the arrival of Loholt, King Arthur's illegitimate son. Driven by the need for an heir, the king embraces the stranger, though not everyone in Camelot so readily accepts the mysterious young man. Arthur's seneschal and foster brother, the redoubtable Sir Kay, is especially suspicious of Loholt's motives. And when Loholt is killed, Kay finds himself under suspicion of murder.

Stripped of his knighthood, Kay forges an unwilling alliance with the renegade Briant and his lover, the enchantress Brisane, who seek to bring down the men closest to the king. If Sir Kay cannot redirect their plot or win back the court's trust, nothing will save Camelot from the twin threats of war and evil sorcery.

"One of the half-dozen best Arthurian novels I have yet read"
-Phyllis Ann Karr, author of Idylls of the Queen and The Arthurian Companion.

Customer Reviews:

Decent adventure with some excellent highlights.......2006-04-03

A decent, well-plotted adventure. I could have done without the overly emotional, inexplicably non-martial, and excessively abused Kay, but the story was good overall. The parts with Kay and the tenants of Meliant's manor were my favorites, and seemed to belong in a much better book. The verdict: While I much prefer Phyllis Ann Karr's bluff, sarcastic Kay, I'd still recommend Exiled from Camelot as a good adventure story with some truly moving chapters.

The Adventures of Sir Kay.......2004-12-29

It's natural that this book should draw comparisons to Phyllis Ann Karr's "Idylls of the Queen". Both feature the irascible and gruff Sir Kay, King Arthur's foster brother and seneschal, as the protagonist (and in both of them, he reveres and loves Guinevere from afar, but has the common sense to never act upon his longings). This brings the grand total of Arthurian novels starring Kay to...well, two. For my money, there have been far too many books that have gone maundering on about Arthur and Lancelot and Guinevere, or about Merlin, for that matter. Let me say now: Merlin, of course, is pretty cool. Those other three? Not so much. For heaven's sake, Lancelot: you just couldn't keep your hands to yourself? That's not a tragic love story, it's a case of foolish and grotesque self-indulgence. But I digress.

At any rate, in this novel Kay takes center stage, with Gawain and his brother Gaheris in supporting roles. Through a series of events (including gutting Arthur's illegitimate and non-good son), it's not too long before our misunderstood hero finds himself--exiled from Camelot. Which is fortunate, because otherwise the book's title would make little sense. For the most part, the Knights of the Round Table are glad to see him get evicted, because he's not their martial equal and he lacks manners, and really, they've never let him play any of their reindeer games. However, in Gawain and Gaheris, Kay has some strong and noble defenders, and Kay's own innate goodness soon wins him new allies throughout the course of his travails.

Structurally, the novel has a lot of short chapters, many of them with cliffhangers (often of the sort "So, we meet again, Sir Example--but this time, the advantage is mine!"), and it cuts back and forth amongst various scenes, losing track of Kay for two or three chapters at a time. For long stretches of time, even when Kay's present, the story is seen through the eyes of Gaheris or Gawain, who get fleshed out fairly nicely. There is also an extended interlude when Kay finds refuge and purpose at the manor of Lady Alienor, and in the people of her holding he discovers greater camaraderie than perhaps he ever enjoyed at Camelot.

I did find the amount of time that Kay spent blackjacked, ill, comatose, imprisoned, or otherwise rendered insensate or helpless to be a bit annoying. (On the other hand, it was at the same time rather nice to see that Kay wasn't mowing mercilessly and triumphantly through all his enemies through the sheer power of his mighty thews. I'm not sure he has thews at all.) Also, the enduring friendship between Kay and Gawain and Gaheris was hammered upon a little too relentlessly. That point didn't have to be made explicit seven dozen times. This was a case where the old dictate "Show, don't tell" would really have come in useful. Finally, there are arguably some undercurrents of homoeroticism in not a few scenes. There's quite a lot of manly weeping, embracing, tearful and choked protestations of eternal friendship, et cetera.

This is a fine addition to Arthurian literature and an interesting exploration of one of my favorite characters of the genre. I understand that the author has also knocked out two or three short stories featuring Kay, which I believe you can find in some recent Camelot compendiums. I'd recommend looking them up. Good stuff.

Solid effort, enjoyable read.......2004-04-13

Exiled from Camelot ended up being a 3.5-4 star read for me. I couldn't help comparing it to Karr's Idylls of the Queen which remains not only my favorite modern Arthurian novel but also one of my favorite books period. Karr's characterizations and style are just much more to my liking. Through Exiled from Camelot, I mentally debated it being 2-3 stars at points but a satisfying conclusion elevated the entire experience.

I enjoyed Baldry's pacing - generally short chapters ending with mini-cliffhangers causing the enjoyable 'just one more chapter' effect. Her action writing is very good, but I wish there had been a bit more of it. For the most part, I really enjoyed the characters of Kay, Gareth, and Gawaine; I generally also enjoyed the 'lesser players' and especially Kay's interactions with them - such as the peasants of Meliant's castle and the steward of Carlisle.

On the not-so-good side, I thought the villains (Brisane, Meliant, Briant, Loholt), Arthur, and Lancelot were all inconsistently written. Some plot lines were dragged out longer than needed, and some wrapped up incredibly suddenly (Gawaine & Gareth's search for Kay leaps to mind). For me, the worst part was how the characters - particularly Kay - wore their emotions on their sleeves, ready to burst into tears at a mere look, thought, or word. I can certainly see some of this, Kay goes through several tremendous ordeals after all, but the overabundance of emotions lessened the impact at the appropriate points in the story. I also felt like Kay was demilitarized too much; no he was never a Gawaine or Lancelot, but he had some moments and I never thought of him as a coward. I guess I can chalk some of this up to personal taste and creative license.

Since Malory and other source materials aren't really designed for casual reading, I love these modern retellings. I would certainly recommend Idyll's of the Queen over Exiled in Camelot, but Exiled in Camelot is certainly a solid read for Arthurian fans and interested onlookers.

Sir Kay Is A Winner!.......2004-03-15

This is the tale of Sir Kay, otherwise known as King Arthur's seneschal and foster brother. This is not about the cardboard Kay we hear about in so many other novels. This story puts a face and a personality on the name. Kay is portrayed as a genuine human being with faults and virtues. Unfortunately, his virtue is one of his faults and he is charged with the murder of Loholt, King Arthur's illegitimate son.

He is banished from Camelot and his knighthood taken away. He tries to save Arthur from his enemies, Briant and his enchantress Brisane, who wish to have Camelot and Britain as their own. Kay is trying to redeem himself in his eyes and Arthur's.

This is a fast-moving story that will keep you riveted from page to page! You'll also have a new appreciation for Sir Kay with this fresh new insight of author Cherith Baldry.

EXILED FROM CAMELOT.......2002-07-01

Cherith Baldry's "Exiled From Camelot" is a novel of remarkable characterization and insight, a fresh new look at King Arthur's seneschal and foster brother Sir Kay and a breathtaking odyssey of personal redemption. When Loholt, King Arthur's illegitimate son, arrives at Camelot and quickly worms his way into the Court's favor, only the crude but honorable Kay remains suspicious. And when Loholt is killed, Kay finds himself stripped of title and honor and summarily exiled by his own brother on pain of death. A far-reaching plot unfolds deftly in Baldry's hands, a tale of magic, good and evil, beautiful ladies and despicable villains, highlighted by brilliant and innovative depictions of familiar heroes like Sir Gareth and Sir Gawaine (the latter should perhaps be billed as Kay's co-star in this wonderful saga) and of course Kay himself, who, as in Phyllis A. Karr's classic "The Idylls of the Queen," proves to be far more gallant and resourceful than his uncouth reputation would suggest. Masterfully written, featuring exciting battles, convincing dialogue, and plenty of mystery, "Exiled From Camelot" is a perfect companion piece to Karr's aforementioned novel, and one which should be a valuable component to the Arthurian canon for many years to come.

Exiled Waters: Moby-Dick and the Crisis of Allegory

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Exiled Waters: Moby-Dick and the Crisis of Allegory
Bainard Cowan
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0807110027

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