Arthur, I almost believe and other thoughts

Throughout this class I have been surprised, disappointed, and excited by and about many different Arthur's. I have had many feelings that were positive and negative, but I am so glad that we read all the many versions of Arthur that we did. I think without having read those I would not firmly be able to say that my Arthur would definitely be Will Wagner from Avalon High. Though he is young and has a lot still to learn he showed the promise and the goodness that I believe Arthur should have. Avalon High was my first ever literary exposure to King Arthur as far as I can remember. That may be slightly why I am so attached to this version. By being a leader in his school as student body president and a leader on the field as captain and quarterback on the football team, Will shows he could be a leader as a king and as a string warrior. He is gentle and kind when the jocks are picking on that kid Ted. He forgives Jen and Lance and too me that was very important because my King Arthur would not hold a grudge but he would forgive them and even wish them well because that what is right for his conscience. I love that Ellie and Will get together I think it's Meg Cabot's way of making it very clear that there is no way Mordred/Marco won because usually with Gwen leaving him, Arthur's Camelot crumbles, but by giving him love with Ellie Meg Cabot is showing he will continue on with his life and his rule.

This class has made me really want to find more about King Arthur, I want to know so much mire about everyone and see the beauty of the story brought to life in so many different ways by many different Arthur's. After reading about Arthur in high school and running for mayor, I would really like Meg Cabot's theory of reincarnated Arthur to come to play in many stories, I think he could be so many historical figures and countless stories could be told where he and Mordred were once again making history through war and various other mediums. I have decided to watch is many of the King Arthur movies I never watched before and I hope to continue to be captured by this story.

Throughout our entire class we have talked about whether or not King Arthur is real. I have two very conflicting opinions on this subject. Part of me says yes the people existed and that's all but there is another huge part of myself that wants to believe that everything happened. I want to believe that Lancelot and Guienevere fell in love and betrayed Arthur, I want to believe in Merlin as a powerful magician, and Modred and Morgan as two who sought to bring Arthur's end. I want to have the magic and mystery and battle be real and historical. I will not say that I am a 100% believer in King Arthur but I will say I believe there was a man named Arthur who had soldiers that fought by his side and a wife who may or may not have been faithful to him. Even if I cannot 100% say that the magic and mystery is true I will say that I have faith in the legend and I wish it could all  be real. King Arthur will always have a special place with me as part of my childhood and now as part of my growing into an adult.

This has been a great course and I thank everyone who made it that way :)

This is 5 of 5

I love a man in uniform, but I love Chipotle more

            Arthur is lucky he didn’t have to deal with technology. The score for this week so far is Week: 27594, Me:0. This post was supposed to go out Sunday night, but my laptop crashed, and I’m the person that types these in Word before posting. Consequently, I couldn’t get to this file. It all went downhill after I watched the episodes for Arthur goes to Hollywood on the sketchiest website of my life... I’m not saying that was the reason it crashed, but I’m just saying. Anyway, on to what’s really important in the world of Arthur (sorry for the tangent).

Clearly everyone has that cliché couple in high school, but for me it was really weird because the popular guy in my school was named Will, had dark hair, and eyes the color of perfectly chlorinated pools. His girlfriend wasn’t named Jennifer, but she was cheating on him. I’m proud to say I was not Elle in this situation because I wasn’t all hot and bothered when the guy talked to me. I fan girl over more important things like some delicious Chipotle for dinner. However, I didn’t live in Annapolis, but I did go to a school in southern Maryland where many “navy brats” attended since there is a big naval base there.  Depending on the time of day, there would be various members of the armed forces either driving next to you or standing in line to order their lunch from Chick-fil-a. I’m not sure where I was going with this, but basically the characters of Avalon High were forms of my friends back home.

Aside from these connections, I found this book really annoying mostly because stereotypical high school girls are annoying to me, but also because Marco gets on my nerves about as much as teenage girls do. The only good characteristic of this book was that it was lacking in incest sex scenes, so it was more lighthearted. The wtf moments didn’t occur because of something testing the strength of your stomach, instead they were due to the questioning of a character’s thought process, or lack thereof. I did enjoy the mindless break this reading gave me, though. I was starting to lose myself in the intense readings, especially poems. Avalon High is far from one of my favorite readings this semester, but I am thankful for it being implemented last in the semester because God knows we all needed an easier read this far into the semester. Thank you Dr. MB.

4 of 5

What did I just read?

    Yeah… so Avalon High. I’m not even really sure where to begin with this one. The premise is completely different than any other Arthur story we’ve read. A modern day high school setting is definitely a unique twist on an old story. I can understand how this book could give an ok introduction to the Arthurian legend, but the story itself is so ridiculous that it could only be for children. The ending alone is enough to raise a few eyebrows. Sword vs. Gun? Better surrender. I’m not sure when swords starting beating guns out again, even Excalibur.

    I also cannot stand the whining of teenage girls. So listening to Ellie ramble on about Lance was almost unbearable. We get it, you like him. Let’s move the plot along since we’ve gotten through half of the book and achieved essentially nothing. I guess like what kids in high school also do.

    I should try and pick a few good things out of this story, though. I did like how they linked characters together. Ellie’s parents are historians and can see the story of Arthur unfolding in modern times through their daughter, which was pretty interesting. Will being a football quarterback captain and class president are decent comparisons to what would equate to being “King” in a high school today would mean. The parents of Will and Marco stir up similar feelings as in the real story. If I liked anything out of this book, it was the character web. My one complaint was the relationship between Lance and Jennifer. Yes it had to happen, but no one in high school would ever be that cool over having his girlfriend cheat on him with his best friend. No, high school is full of drama. Will did already like Ellie, but shit would still hit the fan between Will and Lance. I’ve never seen someone be so cool and genuinely happy about that.

    So yeah, overall I did not enjoy this read. This is probably because I’m not a middle school girl, but oh well. Different, yes. Entertaining, not so much. Still, it is pretty interesting to see the story of Arthur change so drastically from how it was told 1500 years ago. That speaks some volume as to the power this story has commanded over time.

Avalon High never should had been a movie

     I had wanted to wait till the class had finished discussing the entire book before I did my typical rants to prevent any spoilers.  I believe that Meg Cabot was cleaver in her attempt to interest the younger reader – hormonal teenage girls.
     Coming from a high school that closely resembles the activities of Avalon High, including the crazy guy who wants to kill someone, I find the book disturbing.  I don't agree with some things that she assimilates with stereotypes.  One in particular that if you have piercings, tattoos, it automatically makes someone a drug addict.  All though, I find it would be financially beneficial for the government to legalize weed, I am not a drug addict.  I also fit into that "jock" stereotype in high school and I was a bit confused by the football game scene.  Was Lance substituted in for the play Will was leveled?  Or was he so lost in Jenny’s eyes he walked off the field before the play even started, but then how did no one notice he was missing, especially will.  Either or, speaking from experience, if that would ever to happen, and if Lance was still on the team the next practice, he would be put through the work out of his life.  I don't think that she fully understood the game of football to accurately describe a play in which Lance is not on the field.
     While reading this book I tried to read this as if I was still in grade school and even in my younger mind, I still would have thought Elaine running in the storm of the century was odd.  There had to have been at least one person that was driving by or even looking out their window as she ran by and though "hmmmm high school girl, running in the rain, with no rain coat, except the only one trying to conceal something.  That is a little odd".  My biggest fear is thunder storms, so my skin was crawling with the idea someone is so idiotic to be running two miles in a storm with a lighting conductor.  I was hoping she would be struck and that's how the book ended to be honest.
     As I said in class, Marco should had shot will and Elaine seconds after showing he had a gun.  This type of a bad guy to spill the entire plan to the potential victims, then turn it around and the victims defeat the bad guy is very cliché.  Even in my high school mind, I wanted Marco to be done with it.  I just did not like the transition between Marco pulling out the gun, Elaine throwing the sword, and then Marco giving up.
      In my last blog I talked about the potential sword vs. gun scenario.  So as it is quite obvious I am a bit agitated that a sword was brought to a gun fight, and actually won.  I would have to admit though that through all the reasons for me to be upset, Meg Cabot did what I believe she wanted to do.  She wanted to talk about the Arthur story in a way that people today can relate to.  
     I did enjoy the partially factual stuff in the back of the book, but I do not know how many kids would actually turn the pages to actually read this part of the book.  I thought maybe she should have put this in the beginning of the book, but kids skip that part too.  At first I didn't pick up on The Lady of Shallot in the beginning of each chapter, but once Dr. MB pointed it out it still didn't make a difference.  I had read them, and then proceeded to read the chapter and completely forgetting what part of the poem she thought was related to the text.  It might have behooved her to write parts of the poem and a chapter title, not just part of the poem. 
    

"A Knight Life at Avalon High" By King Gary

Last week was very stressful and trying to get to the blog was the least of my worries (my bad).  I wanted to first share my thoughts on “Knight Life” before I head into thoughts on Avalon High. With “Knight Life”, I did enjoy the take on Arthur coming to terms with the modern times and seeing the familiar characters from previous readings.  I wasn’t into the political aspect of the story even though it did give the story a new twist on the Arthurian legend.  I did like the topics the reporters gave Arthur, including abortions and gun control.  I felt, like we discussed in class, that Arthur was honest with regards to his answers to those topics, even though the reporters thought his opinion as controversial.  I liked this outspoken Arthur, because he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, even if it wasn’t appropriate.  I really enjoyed the fight scene between Arthur and the waiter.  It brought back that sense of the heroic Arthur who fought the waiter/demon.  After reading these excerpts and discussing the author, Peter David, I did some further research and found out that he was actually in charge of running Marvel’s Incredible Hulk.  More relatively, David did a sequel to “Knight Life” and made “One Knight Only” which depicts Arthur Penn as President.  I would think this would be another interesting read to future classes…perhaps.

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/7450000/7451572.jpg 

On a side note, I was watching a movie this weekend that had a scene relevant to King Arthur.  If anyone has heard of the movie, The World’s End, there was once scene where the main character, Gary (also refers himself as King Gary…actual name is Gary King) gets mad because one of his friends won’t drink beer.  He makes fun of him by asking if King Arthur asked for water after he fought in countless battles. I wish I could find a clip of this scene.  It is harder to explain because it’s funnier when the whole scene is played through.   Check it out if you want, it’s a great film either way.

http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the-worlds-end-bathroom-fight-slice.jpg
 

                As for Avalon High…I feel like this was the most interesting read from this class.  Don’t get me wrong, I did like the epic Grail Quest and the tale of Arthur’s youth, but this interpretation was actually a guilty pleasure.  I enjoyed all the drama and seeing the characters as high school students (and Merlin as a teacher) I would definitely keep this as a future read for other classes.  Even though some parts were a bit cheesy or over dramatic, it’s a teen drama, which means the audience is going to be people of that demographic who thrive off that stuff.  The story overall was very different than what I expected.  It was like King Arthurian times met any typical high school movie. However, I would have very much read this book than watching the movie on Disney.  After hearing all the reviews, I’m glad I missed out on such a terrible film adaptation. Enjoy the photo.

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/5639407616/h39A6630F/

 

-JH

 

Avalon High

           Reading Meg Cabot's Avalon High sent me into a complete and utterly déja vu moment. This moment in particular sent me right back to middle school, where I must admit I spent so much time in the school library that all the librarians came to know me on a first name basis. As poisonous as this was to my reputation, I found that I just didn't care. It was probably this moment that I should have realized that I was destined to be an English major. This was one of the first books I had read about any Arthurian legend, so you can imagine how confused I was until I did a little bit of research.

            What I liked best about this book in middle school was the ending. Not because it meant that the book was finally over, but because it fueled my want for a 'Happily Ever After'.  Ever since I was little, and I am sure that I am not alone in this, I have been a hopeless romantic looking for the elusive 'One'. Cabot fulfilled all of my romantic hope that Elle and Will would end up together, no matter what the evil Marco did. To bad it never came with a disclaimer reading: "WARNING: This does not actually happen in real life".  Anyway, what I honestly liked best about the book after I read again for class was that portions of Tennyson's poem were put on the beginning of each chapter (that way, at least, there is an inkling of intelligence in the 'book').  

            One thing that really rubbed me the wrong way about the book was how much Elle stereotyped people. For example: When Elle assumes things about people based on how they look. Just because a person has tattoos doesn't mean that they do drugs. I myself am a prime example of this. I do have a tattoo, and I somehow manage to not do drugs. It can be done.

            Though there are only a few things in common throughout the many, many texts on Arthurian legend, the single thing that I consistently abhor is the affair between Gwen and Lance. It is hard for me to describe in polite words how I truly feel about the entire thing, and had I been Arthur, I would have beheaded them both and put their heads on stakes at the gates of Camelot... I guess it's a good thing that I was never destined to have an ancient kings past intertwined with my modern day life. 

(2/5)

Avalon High

Okay...seriously, how did no one remember that there were two Elaines in Arthurian legend? There's a lot of Arthur obsessed people in this book and NO ONE remembers the Lady of the Lake. Really?


   

I mean I know the ladies can look alike (especially when there is no one specific image that either one is clarified to be) but they are pretty separate people. So why did all these brilliant hard-core Arthurian scholars (I mean the Order of the Bear, not Ellie's parents) completely disregard the Lady of the Lake? It is one beauty of a plot hole for Meg Cabot to not even try to explain away.

As for the rest of it, maybe it's because High School was a hellish experience for me, but god did I find everything so shallow. Jen is once again the most annoying person around. Can her character never catch a break? Of all the adaptations of Gwen there is one that I think I could stand to have a conversation with. This is not that Gwen. Jen in this book reminds me of all the popular cheerleader types (as she is meant to) who made my life hell for six years. I know she's meant to be disliked (maybe not detested) but something about her just makes me angry.

Lance is a moron. So many levels of dumb right there. I can't actually form sentences that describe how boring and predictable he is as a character.

Will is just every bit of perfection that could be fit into a character (particularly a representation of King Arthur). He has his faults but even they aren't really faults. He thinks too much and doesn't want to be a soldier. Wow...what downsides.

Ellie is the only bearable part of this to me. Of course she was so much more bearable in 2005 when these mystical teen romance novels weren't quite so over done. She's a typical love sick teenage girl through a lot of the book and badass through the rest. Now it's kind of overplayed but at the time (especially to twelve year old me) it was pretty chill. She's a smart, awkward, athletic, outsider, who still gets the guy (and a badass lineage). To awkward middle school girls everywhere she is a dream of a better future. What's not to love about that?

And the movie? Do I even want to start on that?                                          
 How does this:                                      Turn into this?

Just how? 

And now I'm done. Sorry this is so long. 

High school and the strange people you meet

The struggle is real.

I finally made it through reading all of Avalon High and all I have to say is that the second half was much less annoying to read than the first. Something about having less to do with a teenage girl being all mushy towards a teenage guy and more of an actual plot seemed to make it much easier to read.

Also, at this point I'd hope everyone has gotten done with the book, if not, this post may contain spoilers and should be read at your own risk.

After listening to Dr. MB about the bits of the poem at the beginning of each chapter I decided to pay closer attention to them and tried to actually tie them to what was going on in the chapter. Really the only one that I ended up caring about was for chapter 26. My mind has a habit of thinking about possibly outcomes before they happen and after reading that I was like "Great! I just read this entire book about this love struck girl for her to die and all that." I was not at all thinking that it was just going to break her out of the role she was thrust into, even though she denied it for pretty much the entire book, and be the Lady of the Lake instead. I wasn't expecting that at all, though it did make for a much more happy ending than I had predicted. Maybe I'm just a pessimist or something?

As for the whole Mr. Morton being Merlin thing, as soon as he said he was going to Tahiti I just thought about The Sword in the Stone and Merlin going to Bermuda.

That's really all I've got on that subject.

All the other characters being who they were seems pretty obvious and not need to be talked about (other than Elaine, but if you read the book you know who she is, too).

Having not gone to a traditional high school at all, and getting to skip over most of the drama that comes with it. Much of this book that I feel like I should have related to just wasn't there for me. Maybe that contributed to my struggle to get through it?

Well, the reading is done, discussion will help, and then on to more Arthur!

Post 3 of 5

TARDIS

Avalon High is my first foray into the genre of teen romance.  I have read young adult fiction, but never “YA-romance.”  Avalon High is a fun, light read—but I would not cast a modern Arthur in Annapolis, MD.  Neither would I have Arthur running for mayor in New York City.  Last Monday, Dr. MB told the class to think about a modern Arthur story we might like to see.  How would I like to see a modern Arthur? 

 I have several story lines I would like to see developed.  First, I think it might be an interesting bit of time travel for Dr. Who.  Perhaps King Arthur and his Camelot could have some alien circumstances—and Avalon and Excalibur could be anything in the Dr. Who universe.

Another Arthur I might like to see would be more of an espionage- action/thriller novel or mini- series set in the British SIS (MI6) or MI5 agency. “Merlin” might be a data collection/artificial intelligence. Excalibur could be some high tech weapon system.  Arthur and his knights become a special task force of agents in secret intelligence or in national security—I am not thinking of kings and reincarnation.

 The UK does have an interesting radio-telescope array used for astronomical observations called e-Merlin—With the right treatment, this might be the opening of a science fiction story.  

What kind of Arthur story would you like to see?

Happy blogging! 

Avalon High... oh High School

First off, I love this book so much. I have read it multiple time before and I have been looking forward to reading it since I found out it was on our reading list for the semester. I love the way this book is written, its really funny and interacts with the reader. The character of Ellie is wonderful; she is very easy to relate to; she is a regular high school just like I was. She feels like her crush on the hottest, most popular guy in school is a waste of her time. In a way I love the way that Cabot works the cliche in a wonderful light. There's the quarterback dating the cheerleader. He has a dysfunctional home life and finds relief in hanging out with new girl. It is so typically high school or rather the high school we find in novels. I really love Will, he is my perfect Arthur. He's nice and strong and a great leader. The defends the weak and supports the strong and still finds time to be a smart guy. I have always loved the character of Lance and his romance with Jen. I feel like this book is the reason the "real" Lancelot was so heartbreaking and hard to deal with for me. If I had not been exposed to Lance I would have felt different about Lancelot. Will and Ellie make me remember the beginning of my relationship with my fiancé in high school, the way she thinks about him and talks about him makes me smile and remember how good that part of high school. Ellie and Will are exactly what every high school couple aspires to be and I can't let go of high school me when I read this book and it adds so much to the memories. 

This is 4 of 5

Avalon High. A hiatus for your brain.

Every since I was little, I have always loved curling up with a good book filled with drama and just enjoyed my night. With being an English major, it has been so hard to do this lately, however, Meg Cabot's Avalon High, was this perfect book. I am so glad this book was assigned to us, especially this week. My first reaction was, this book when finals are so close and I have so many papers to write this week!!! Oh, NO. However, as soon as I picked this book up, I could not put it down. I mean I had to of course. Bathroom breaks, class, work, but I did not want to put this book down. To be able to read this book and lose oneself in the drama. Not having to think and analyze so much of everything little thing was just the break that I needed. I just had to finish this book, which I did.

I thought this book had some hilarious moments. For example on page 12, Elaine was talking about her father's glasses and if he had lived in medieval times he would have died by falling down a well or something for not being able to see. Cabot wrote, "In fact, in medieval times, he'd probably have been dead by the age of three or four from falling down a well or whatever..." It reminded me of myself, I am blind as a bat and cannot see without my contacts or glasses. I am so glad, probably just like Ellie's dad, that I was not born in those times. I would be with him, down into that well, dead.

Also, when Ellie told Mr. Morton about Will and Jennifer, he was totally shocked. Was I the only who thought that he could be Merlin??? He knew everything that was going to happen. But I was so disappointed in him that he was going to give up. Also, was I the only one who has noticed that Merlin likes to go to the Caribbean when he gets upset??? This is not the first time we've (the reader) has seen this. He has gone to Aruba and the Bahamas so far, if I recall correctly.

I was so dead set that Ellie was the Lady of Shallot. But to be the lady of the Lake?!?!?!?! I feel as surprised as Mr. Morton and her parents. It's pretty cool. Also, I was SO angry with Jennifer and Lance. Yet, happy that Arthur (Will) was relieved and he wasn't the fool like in every other story, where EVERYONE else knew except for him. In this book, I actually do like Lance and Jen. I really feel like she genuinely cares for Will and Lance. You can't help but to fall in love with her character, unlike in the other stories.  Arthur and Elaine or in other words King Arthur and the Lady of the Lake. That's different. Yet they are two powerful people. I never thought of them together before, but in this book, it works. And of course, King Arthur, or Will, is the most loveable person in all the kingdom, or Avalon. And how can I forget Mordred, I mean Marco. He really is totally out of his mind, just crazy. I don't like him so I don't wanna say much about him, but I am glad that the darkness left him at the end and with rehabilitation, Marco can be normal.