Le Morte d'Arthur
**Le Morte d'Arthur** (originally spelled **Le Morte Darthur**, ungrammatical Middle French for "The Death of Arthur") is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table—along with their respective folklore. In order to tell a "complete" story of Arthur from his conception to his death, Malory compiled, rearranged, interpreted and modified material from various French and English sources. Today, this is one of the best-known works of Arthurian literature. Many authors since the 19th-century revival of the legend have used Malory as their principal source. (Source: [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Morte_d%27Arthur))
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Le Morte d'Arthur
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Malory's 15th-century compilation tells the rise and fall of King Arthur: the sword in the stone, the founding of the Round Table, the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere, the grail quest, and the last battle.
Yes. Le Morte d'Arthur was completed in 1469 and first printed in 1485. It is in the public domain in all jurisdictions. Free editions are available legally through Project Gutenberg, though modern annotated editions remain copyrighted.
Yes. The original Middle English is difficult for modern readers; modernized editions (such as the Penguin Classics edition by Janet Cowen) are widely recommended. Most readers approach Le Morte d'Arthur with a guide or annotations.
Le Morte d'Arthur was written by Thomas Malory, published in 1557 by Ginn.
Le Morte d'Arthur is 501 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Le Morte d'Arthur takes most readers 8 to 11 hours to finish.
Le Morte d'Arthur is a standalone novel by Thomas Malory, not part of a series.
Le Morte d'Arthur is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.