 | Title: The Ballad of Sir Dinadan Author: Gerald Morris Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Pages: 242 Synopsis: (from the publisher) Young Dinadan has no wish to joust or quest or save damsels in distress or do any of the knightly things expected of him. He’d rather be a minstrel, playing his rebec and writing ballads. But he was born to be a knight, and knights, of course, have adventures.
So
after his father forces his knighthood upon him, he wanders towards King
Arthur’s court, in the company of a misguided Welsh lad named Culloch. There
Dinadan meets Sir Kai and Bedivere, and the three find themselves accompanying
Culloch on the worst sort of quest.
Along
the way, Dinadan writes his own ballads, singing of honor, bravery, loyalty,
and courtly love—and becomes a player in the pathetic love story of Tristam and
Iseult. He meets the Moorish knight Palomides, the clever but often
exasperating Lady Brangienne, and an elven musician named Sylvanus, along with
the usual collection of recreant knights and dimwitted defenders of chivalry.
He learns that while minstrels sing of spectacular, heroic deeds, honor is
often found in simpler, quieter ways.
|
It
should be said that when I was initially reading through this series, this was
my least favorite by far. But I was determined to do this reread with an open
mind. I enjoyed it far more this time around, until I got to the end and
remembered why my overall impression was one of dislike.
I
actually don’t mind the old cover on this one, and the new cover is
surprisingly similar.
Spoilers,
etc…
