Book review: The Light Beyond the Forest by Rosemary Sutcliff

The thirteenth book I read in 2017 was The Light Beyond the Forest, the middle volume of Rosemary Sutcliff's Arthurian trilogy.  This installment deals with the quest for the Holy Grail, which is undoubtedly the weirdest part of the Arthurian legend. 

In many ways, the Arthur cycle reminds me of episodic television dramas: each season has to "top" the previous one.  Whoever is behind the Grail stories obviously knew of Arthur but wanted to go one better, so the Grail cycle opens with the introduction of a new hero, Galahad, and a new (and better and weirder) sword in a stone, which only he can extract.  The rest of the knights of the Round Table go out on the quest, only to have it demonstrated to each of them respectively that they are not worthy of the quest. 

Galahad, however, encounters, yes, yet another sword which, like Excalibur, comes with an accessory of equal worth, as well as a sinless maiden, Percival's sister.  The emphasis on absolute moral purity is overwhelming in this cycle; the best salvation is clearly to be earned, while lesser men must depend on the grace of God.  Obviously, all the sinless people have to die, as being Too Good for This World, while the lesser folk carry back the tale of what was done.