Almost all of the authors collected here drank deeply of French influence, and wrote under the colossal shadow of Baudelaire, Verlaine, and Mallarme. Those expecting something equal to those masters will be disappointed.

Some of them came close. E.g. Theodore Wratislaw:

I love you for the grief that lurks within
Your languid spirit, and because you wear
Corruption with a vague and childish air
And with your beauty know the depths of sin; . . .

not bad verse, until some spoilsport points out that all Wratislaw has done here is to make a sonnet out of Pater's observations on the Mona Lisa. And then again, some of these authors fall flat on their face, like Richard LeGallienne, who makes 'Beauty Accurst' say:

The sleepy kine move round me in desire
And press their oozy lips upon my hair,
Toads kiss my feet and creatures of the mire,
The snails will leave their shells to watch me there

lines that surely belong in the -Stuffed Owl Anthology-.

But of course, none of this is the fault of the learned editor who collected all of this neglected Yellow Book material, and who has expanded the helpful introduction and bibliography from the first edition. There is much worth reading here: Aubrey Beardsley's hilarious dedication of his erotic novella -Under the Hill- to a fictitious cardinal of the Roman church; the poems of Ernest Dowson and Arthur Symons; and of course, the -Ballad of Reading Gaol- and -Salomé-.

Inexpensive collection of Beardsley's black & white illustrations, mostly taken from other Beardsley books in the Dover catalogue. Some erotic penwork, but Aubrey's "obscene" art is quite tame by today's standards. Some of it even adorned the covers of magazines in his own time. Of course, the big value of this collection is that it's copyright free. You can use these illustrations in your crafts & collages or scan them for your websites. So, if you like that old decadent Nineties style (I mean 1890, not 1990), this book is one window you can peek through.

this is a novel which is a good example of how not to write one. it is about a dandy tanhauser who visits the goddess venus and and his exploits in her realm.

The story focuses on one Tannhauser's sexual frolics in the abode of the goddess Venus.The erotica is mostly implied or subtle which makes this book all the more fascinating,instead of repulsive as some works of erotica are.All in all,a must buy for collectors of erotica and a vintage literary gem.

This erotic fiction is a very fine piece of work.For the collector of erotica this book is a must buy.The story focuses on one Tannhauser's sexual frolics in the abode of the goddess Venus.The erotica is mostly implied or subtle, which makes the book all the more fascinating instead of disgusting as some works of erotica are.All in all,a vintage literary gem.

This copy of the brought down story, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table is by Roger Lancelyn Green. This book is the book that you must get for the holidays. This book has everything that a reader could ask for. The times were mischievous. Evil was waiting brake out through the cracks of the darkest parts. Morgana Le Fe, a woman educated in wizardry, who used her powers in the good. When the squire, Arthur went looking for a sword for his brother, Sir Kay, he came across a sword stuck in stone. Unaware of its power, Arthur pulled it out. Then England knew who their king was.Following the advice of Merlin, his wise counselor, Arthur created a round table for his knights. The knights went on quests, fighting evil and seeking the Holy Grail, Only the purist could see the Grail. This book is about many knights ' adventures. come up often or you'll see the chronicles of Merlin. The reason you may not see this book being reviewed because almost every American has read King Arthur. Some people do not like the mystical aspects in this book or the old English. There are battles with dragons and wizardry but that's the type of book it is. I recommend this book to families in America for it is not just a book your kids will enjoy but is also for the whole family. King Arthur is historical and adventurous. The battles are realistic and the writing is "encouraging" for it keeps, you the reader yearning to read on.

I have read so many King Arthur books and can't keep track of which ones I read. But this one I remember being quite enjoyable. It includes numerous King Arthur tales some you may know others may be new to you. My personal favorite being "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". All I have to say is this is an enjoyable and adventurous read weather you have ever read about King Arthur before or not. After reading this your bound to be captivated and find yourself searching for more King Arthur tales! I recommend not only this book ,but the many other ones that are out there also. After reading this one check out "The Squire's Tale" by:Gerald Morris - It's a fun book about a boy,Terence, and the famous Sir Gawain(in which you are or will become familiar with if you read "King Arthur and His Knight's of the Round Table".

Who hasn't heard of King Arthur and the knights of his Round Table? In this book you meet them all - including the magician Merlin, and the brave knights Sir Launcelot, Sir Gareth, Sir Tristam, Sir Bors, Sir Kay, and Sir Galahad. All the old favorites are included - Arthur drawing the sword out of the stone, Arthur receiving the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, and Arthur's marriage to Guinevere. But this is just the beginning of excitement - followed by numerous quests and adventures of the knights, including the Quest for the Holy Grail. This book is chock-full of entertaining adventures involving knights in shining armour, damsels in distress, fierce jousting and sword fights to the death, battles against hoards of enemies and giants, tournaments and miracles.

The medieval setting is painted in a rather idealized fashion, limited to the nobility and figures of the court, who embrace all that is beautiful, brave and noble. These virtues are sometimes portrayed rather simplistically, as unknown knights engage in mortal combat, and only after they have virtually killed each other do the introductions begin: "What is your name?" Behind this medieval mayhem is a heightened sense of chivalry more reflective of legend than fact, where knights battle to the death for the sake of a woman - even one they have only just met. But isn't that what the Arthurian legends are all about? Nobody is under the illusion that they are to be taken too seriously. Journeying to Arthur's Camelot is a form of escapism - suspend your sense of disbelief, watch the flashing swords and fearful battles, and enjoy.

That's not to say that the Arthurian tales do not reflect any reality. Arthur's world is in many respects a real medieval world. Medieval beliefs in paganism and Christianity are evident throughout. Witchcraft and enchantment is presented as alive and deadly, and conversely the true religion - in this case the beliefs of the medieval Catholic church - is evident throughout as knights commend themselves to God in prayer, thank him for his help, and even repent from their sins. The whole notion of the Holy Grail is of course a very Christian tradition - although a tradition that represents more fiction than fact. And the moral virtues of justice, truth and right for which the honorable knights fight are still noble ideals of virtue today. Arthur's kingdom is presented as a kingdom blessed by the grace of God, a beacon of light symbolizing all that is good and true and right, and a worthy model for kingdoms in today's world because it revolves around timeless virtues. Tales that promote dignity, courtesy, courage, respect for right, respect for female dignity and purity are as ennobling as they are entertaining.

How much truth there is behind the Arthurian tales will always be the subject of debate. The fact remains that there is an extensive and confusing body of legend to wade through. In this work, Green has essentially followed Malory's fifteenth century classic "Morte d'Arthur." But unlike most other writers, such as Sir James Knowles, Green has made some significant improvements:
1. Firstly, the traditional Arthurian tales are a confusing mass of legends. But Green consciously weaves all the tales together as part of a single pattern. He needs to take some liberties with legend in order to achieve this, but these alterations are minor, and the end result is a plausible reconstruction with a clear development, revolving around the establishment of Arthur's kingdom, its climax with the successful quest for the Holy Grail, and subsequent downfall.
2. Secondly, most other collections slavishly follow the body of legend inherited by Thomas Malory. Green follows Malory in the main, but has researched the legends carefully for himself, and also incorporates some Arthurian legends not found in Malory.
These innovations of Green result in a very readable and successful version of the Arthurian tales, and yet one that does not significantly sacrifice faithfulness to legend. Those looking for a more historical reflection of the Arthurian tales would do well to turn to a version of Malory, such as that by Sir James Knowles. And those looking for a more developed and extensive modern version where the author has taken liberties beyond the original legends, would enjoy the classic work by Howard Pyle. But as a faithful, plausible and enjoyable introduction to the tales, you can't go wrong with this superb effort by Green.

Most readers looking to be introduced to the Arthurian legends need look no further than this collection by Green. It's not as grand as Malory, but it's a better read. There is no end to the accomplishments of sword and sorcery, adventures and quests. To our sorrow, Arthur's kingdom ends in darkness and disgrace, but not before it has shone with a wonderful and memorable light. Along with the tales of Robin Hood, the tales of King Arthur are the most exciting tales that British history has produced. This is the stuff of legend, and it's worth a read.

As the editorial reviews state, those of orthodox stripes will likely dismiss this book out of hand, especially those uneasy with homo/sexuality. After re-reading the text, to me the author appears to have unwittingly identified the uneasy tension in Catholicism between having an otherworldly outlook and being an Incarnational faith. Most interesting were the connections between liturgical norms and sexuality, with the elaborate liturgical choreography and vesture of both Catholic and Anglican "High Church" as an expression or sublimation of sexual energies. Overall the book is interesting for its stories and implications--and if the book offends, readers must sort out if offense is caused 1) by the text with unwarranted assumptions or 2) the tension existant in Christian life about whether to best express sexuality through ascetism or an artistic appreciation of the senses.

After having read 'The Prophet', (many times), I feel this book fares poorly as a sequel. The author of 'The Prophet'--Kahlil Gibran--did in fact write his own sequel: 'The Garden of the Prophet'. Gunther Schaule appears to be making a valiant but unsuccessful effort to emulate the verbal imagery found in 'The Prophet'. [In any case, well done, Gunther! At least you got your hard work published!] By the way, did you know that Kahlil Gibran's 'The Prophet' is the best selling [non-religious] book in the USA?