This is the best version of the Malory tales that I have read. One has to have a grasp of Middle English pronunciation and grammar to follow the text, but with that knowledge, the reader will find Vinaver's text to be supreme. I would recommend this volume to anyone pursuing study in Medieval or Arthurian literature, or the Medieval enthusiast looking for a good read. If I could give it six stars, I would.

This is the classic scholarly edition of Sir Thomas Malory's _Le Morte Darthur_, the classic tale of King Arthur and his knights. It is based upon the Winchester manuscript instead of Caxton's 1485 edition. It is Prof. Vinaver's contention that Malory did not translate his sources as a single work but rather treated each one as a separate tale. He therefore entitled his edition _Works_ rather than the more usual _Le Morte Darthur_. Readers should be warned that the spelling and grammer of this edition have not been modernized. Like most Middle English texts it is best to read it aloud. The unfamiliar spelling and structure can be easier for the ear to understand than the eye. After all spelling in this period (about 1469) was not standardized and scribes wrote as they spoke.

This is a marvelous work. You must teach yourself to read the 15th-century English, but once you have gotten the knack, it's not hard at all. Malory lived in a simpler time, and spoke a simpler language, than we do today. There is a vigor and energy to the prose that leaps off the page - I remember one knight threatening that he would "fetch [his enemy] out of the biggest castle that he had." This volume, which gathers Malory's work over many many years, also tells the story of a man learning how to be a writer, and also, I think, growing in his emotional understanding and inteterest in his own characters. The characters are so much more real and interesting at the end than at the beginning!

If you want the original Middle English version of Le Mort D' Arthur, this is it. It is the Winchester version. I bought this book while in England and it's the best version I have due to the original spellings. It's a challenge to read, but I enjoy it because it is more authentic. Since you don't have somebody "correcting" the text, you get to see what the original actually looks and reads like. I believe this is the only middle English version available. You won't be disappointed!

For those of us who want to read the original tales of King Arthur and the Round Table, but can't speak French, this is the place to go. The 15th century English makes for slow going at first, but provides a more authentic tale than the Caxton version. Malory grows stylistically throughout the Works, and by the Morte D'Arthur he tells as engaging a tale as any in Arthurian literature. This is a must read!

There must be hundreds of translations, retellings, and reinventions of Thomas Mallory's works available. Unfortunately, this one is not high on my list of recommendations. Only nine stories are presented here, and many essential tales, such as the "Death of Merlin" and "Tristram and Isode", are omitted completely.

Vinaver's translation is cumbersome because, although he claims to modernize spellings and standardize names, there are still many words and phrases he chooses not to translate, so the reader has to constantly refer to footnotes at the bottom of the page. If I wanted to do all this work, I would have read the original version with no modernization at all!

The only redeeming addition to this book is the preface which discusses the difference between Mallory's version of the Arthurian romance and the French Vulgate Cycle upon which he drew his material. Instead of this edition, I would refer readers to Keith Baines' modern prose edition (ISBN: 0451625676). It contains all the stories and is much easier to read.

Eugene Vinaver is the editor of the standard version of Mallory, "Works." Here he has selected a few of the author's tales, largely the stories leading up to Arthur's death. However, this remains essentially a skimming of Mallory's work, somewhat akin to a condensed version, collected I suspect for academics wishing to teach the Arthurian romances without having to delve too long or deeply into Mallory's entire narrative. As such it provides a glimpse into Mallory's version of the legend, yet remains in part fragmentary---especially the story of Pellas and Ettard---thus limiting its impact.

Also, Vinaver continues his practice from "Works" of footnoting certain words he has chosen not to translate. I found this annoying as I could perceive no apparent reason in his choice not to complete the translation, and though in most cases I was able to interpret their meaning within their context, their footnoting continued to drag my eye to the translation provided at the bottom of the page, interrupting the flow of the narrative. If a credible reason for this practice can be provided, I would love to hear it.

Those who wish to read only what the editor has chosen to highlight in Mallory's tale may be satisfied. For all others, I would direct you to Vinaver's complete edition, "Works."