A compelling argument about the origins of King Arthur wrapped in a brilliant novel.Set against a rich historical landscape evoked by the secret places and half-forgotten legends of the British countryside, Finding Camlann is both a “fascinating mystery that will engage readers attracted by history, myth and language” (Washington Independent Review of Books) and a “beautifully written, … Books) and a “beautifully written, intelligent, and ingenious” (Gillian Bradshaw) novel of how stories shape our notions of the past—and of ourselves.
Archaeologist Donald Gladstone is sure that there never was a “real” King Arthur—that is, until a surprising find at Stonehenge seems to offer hard evidence of Arthur’s existence. Teaming up with Julia Llewellyn, a gifted linguist working at the Oxford English Dictionary, Donald sets off on a literary and mythological quest that will change both of their lives. Gloriously many-layered, Finding Camlann is a deeply satisfying love story, a gripping detective story, and a narrative journey of myriad pleasures.
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I’m long a fan of Great Britain’s legend, lore and fiction i.e., Arturian Legend (T.H.White + Sir Thomas Mallory), LOR (Tolkien) and R.L. Stevenson’s pirate adventures. This takes things up a notch to what feels like a Travelogue, an Academic study, an Archaeological Adventure mixed with romance and the romance of it all. I must admit: I …
This was an interesting read especially if interested in Arthur or medieval history. It wasn’t exactly what I thought though. About a couple of modern people researching Arthur but it actually has a lot to do with medieval Welsh history way after Arthur and also tied in recent nationalist history as well.
I love vocabulary but this was really a challenge. My nook had the look up dictionary so extremely helpful.
No great literature here
Very deep information on the origin of King Arthur. I was intrigued from the start.
Thoroughly enjoyed it…until the last 5 pages where it fizzled.
So dragged out that I could not finish it.
Interesting but it ended with no real conclusion
I suspect this is a first novel for this author – and it’s a good start. I look forward to the inevitable growth that will come with further efforts.
I’m a big fan of the King Arthur saga and read everything that I can find, both fiction and non-fiction on the subject. I bought this book just because of it’s title. I didn’t get what I was expecting. What I did get was a sweet romance wrapped around an interweaving of the King Arthur tale, Welsh history, and the rugged and beautiful mountains …
I really enjoyed the plot of this book, very complicated and difficult to unravel. I wasn’t expecting things to happen the way they did near the end, but I wasn’t surprised, either. When I thought about it more, it made sense. It did contain a lot of “egg-headish” dialogue. Obviously, the characters are very smart people, but it got uninteresting …
Modern engagement in Arthurian legend with atmosphere and romance.
Just could not get into this one, so didn’t finish it.
Did not finish. Too much jargon. Too many details that slowed the,story.
Super history of Wales!!
Lush and steeped in Welsh /Celtic lore. highly recommended for those who have a working knowledge of Arthurian history and appreciate a plausible historical reinterpretation.
Too many difficult to read Welsh words.
Not my favorite pasing.
I had to force myself to stay with this book. Too much archeological terminology and discussion of old authors at the beginning of the book. it just takes to long to get to the actual story.
Good, but I expected a lot more original information on the history and the legends. Lots of re-treading.