The Knight of the Cart

Like Miss Hieatt's previous books--Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1967) and The Knight of the Lion (1968)--this is a polished and composed retelling of Arthurian legend. Taking elements from Malory (Book XIX) and Chretien de Troyes (the "Lancelot" romance), the author has retained the basic story of Lancelot's humiliation and abbreviated or excised many of the complicated circumstances of the originals (e.g. Kay's initial intrusion). Lancelot, attempting to rescue his Queen from Sir Malagant, undertakes a perilous journey to the land of Gorre, traveling part of the way in a peasant cart (which has criminal associations) when his horse is wounded. The situation in Gorre is ambiguous and dangerous--the King is knightly but his son (Malagant) is not--and Lancelot must fight for his lady and submit to Malagant's treachery and imprisonment until a last-minute rescue. There are several special moments--he lifts an impossible stone, counters a temptress--and it is difficult to decide what is Miss Hieatt, what inherent in her material.