How can I introduce King Arthur to my roommate?

The Mists of Avalon is a good other-perspective of King Arthur, but maybe more enjoyable after getting the basics?
What about starting with a movie of the musical Camelot?

Sadly, I fear that he would get hung up on the fact that it’s a 3 hour long musical, and refuse to watch it, solely for that reason.

How about the Sword in the Stone? That’s where I first learned about King Arthur :) On a more serious note, following what sjg suggested—maybe a film exposing him to the characters is good place to start.

I second THE SWORD IN THE STONE; the first (and most enchanting and lighthearted) of the four novels that make up White’s THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING. I knew the mythology when I read them in my late twenties, but really loved those books. (And King Pellinore and his spoor chasing is very funny.)

MORTE and IDYLLS pretty heavy going for a jumping-off point. Twain’s CO. YANKEE more fun, I think, after your roomie gets the basic story line. And Perchik, you are right about the movie CAMELOT; it is really bloated; the Broadway stage production was much better.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

And then Wikipedia!

@jdb, you’re on the right track for an intro.

After that, I would suggest John Steinbeck’s The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights. We did a whole unit on King Arthur in 10th grade English and this was by far my favorite.

Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave and its sequels are also a very good introduction.

If he likes old musicals, there’s also the 1967 movie Camelot starring Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, and Franco Nero.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail was amazingly funny. But I think people would enjoy it more if they understood what was being spoofed in the first place.

My favorite King Arthur book is The Once and Future King. Or you could show him the many movies there were about King Arthur, they are all really good. Like King Arthur, First Knight, Braveheart, or…. The Sword in The Stone. I would start with King Arthur or First Knight.