The Fall of Arthur presents and discusses J.R.R. Tolkien's unfinished and unpublished manuscript recalling the legendary king's last days. He writes in the ancient northern alliterative verse style. Example:
Arthur eastward in arms purposedhis war to wage on the wild marches,over seas sailing to Saxon lands,from the Roman realm ruin defending.
The events of this work roughly correspond to the end of classic Medieval accounts. It starts after Lancelot's & Guinevere's betrayal: Arthur is convinced to leave England for battle (in this case, against Saxons on the continent), Mordred revolts in his absence, and Arthur returns for the final battle, but it ends before any conclusion to that conflict.
Tolkien's son, Christopher, presents the last edition of the poem and proceeds to discuss:
- the poem compared to Arthurian tradition (focusing on Geoffrey of Monmouth's account, as well as the late Medieval alliterative and stanzaic Morte Arthure versions). He mentions Malory, too, who (apparently) based his version on the alliterative.
- the unwritten poem (further scraps found in drafts) and the comparisons to it and The Silmarillion.
- the evolution of the poem (presenting variations found in drafts).
Combining Tolkien and King Arthur . . . what could be better? I enjoyed this work. I was previously unaware of alliterative verse, and though it seemed choppy to me (I prefer stanzaic rhyme), I enjoyed the poem itself. The Arthurian tradition discussion was interesting, as was the comparison to concepts in Middle Earth. I now recognize how some concepts in The Lord of the Rings reflect Arthurian literature. I could have done without the evolution of the poem section . . . especially as it was abandoned, that didn't interest me much. Like Tolkien's other unfinished works, I was both intrigued and annoyed that he would come so far and then move on. But this is a worthwhile read overall.
Rating: B+
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