Parsival, or, a knight's tale

Richard Monaco's Parsival is, it seems, rather forgotten these days when it comes to Arthurian fiction, which is strange, since it is a very well written, dreamlike story.

This is partly based on the epic Arthurian romance Parzival, by Wolfram Von Eschenbach, a German knight and poet who himself based it on an unfinished tale by Chretien de Troyes. The story of Parsival is that of the Holy Fool, the innocent who seeks, and finds, the Grail Castle.

Monaco is a good writer and this tale features some familiar names (Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, Gawain) in a slightly unfamiliar setting. England (or Albion) is never mentioned, so the story unfolds in an unnamed land as we follow the entirely innocent, unworldly (otherworldly?) Parsival as he leaves his home and experiences the world for the first time. His progress from innocent to Knight to weary melancholy is handled in a series of dreamlike sequences, full of horror and blood. There is war here, unremitting, gruesome war. The bodies are literally piled high.

Monaco, as a counterpoint to his protagonist, also follows three “peasants”, Broaditch, Waleis and Alienor, as they move through a landscape of horror and death trying to find Parsival. The narrative leaps forward twenty years at one point to find Broaditch telling the tale to his children.

It's a classic good versus evil story, with the dark wizard Clinschor seeking the Grail and Merlin trying to guide Parsival with cryptic, rather unhelpful, hints. Chivalry is nowhere to be found here.

What the Grail actually is is never defined and it is only at the end that Parsival comes to realise what he's been seeking. And also the point that Broaditch, after a question from his son regarding Parsival's fate, sets out to find him, thus setting the scene for a sequel.

A strange, unsettling book well worth your time.