Parents' Guide to The Squire's Tale

Arthurian tales can be rather stilted and distant, though in Morris' hands, their bedrock humanity is revealed. The world of King Arthur is an apparently limitless source of inspiration for writers, artists, playwrights, directors, singers, and poets; its combination of nobility, idealism, magic, and tragedy is unmatched in world mythology and legends. But rarely has there been a version as warmhearted and satisfying as this.

Author Gerald Morris employs some brilliant techniques. He combines courtly formal language and storytelling with wicked humor and modern anachronism to great effect, using it to illuminate character, particularly that of Gawain, who can speak in flowery phrases with the best of them, but reverts to a more earthy, modern idiom when annoyed. Morris tells the story through the eyes of a young squire with a mysterious heritage, and it's immensely satisfying to watch his growth and dogged loyalty. He also brings out the humor inherent in the stories, much as T. H. White did for an older audience. But mostly it's the focus on the growing friendship between kind knight and eager squire that gives this tale more than the usual depth and soul.