Title: The Once and Future King
Author: T. H White
Pages: 677
Finished: October 14, 2017
First Sentence: On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays it was Court Hand and Summulae Logicales, whil the rest of the week it was the Organon, Repetition and Astrology.
Summary: The story of King Arthur from his childhood to his death. It's all there - The Wart's education with Merlyn as his master. His experiences as different animals. His ascension to King of England as he pulls the sword out of the stone. His attempt to civilize England with his Round Table and the idea of Might for Right. His love triangle between him, Lancelot, and Guenever. And his ultimate downfall.
Thoughts: Wow. Last time I read this was the summer before I started high school. It kicked off a four year obsession with the Arthurian Legends, and I read so many of them.
I got so much more out of this book this time around. And it is indeed kicking off a new King Arthur love.
The Sword in the Stone was funny in a way I don't remember it being before. I chuckled more than was probably warranted, but was also charmed by Wart's lessons. I wish we had seen the geese lessons in Disney's Sword and the Stone, but I suppose it wouldn't have been quite as fun as the squirrel and Madame Mim...
The Queen of Air and Darkness set up the Orkney Clan in a way that was super dark. Darker than most of what I remember reading in other books. This is also the chapter that talks a lot about anti-war. There was a quote that I really want to chuck at our leader's head right now about sending the leaders to war rather than the citizens etc. Morgause was a rather horrific lady. I also thought it was rather interesting how all her boys really loved her. Agravaine (and I believe later Mordred) in a way that was incestuous. The image of the "tape" that she used to seduce Arthur was really memorable too. I remember reading it as a teen and not really understanding what was happening.
The Ill-Made Knight is the bread and butter of the book. Everything seems so good, and then it's all dashed to pieces. I did not remember much of this book - and I found it a little boring too. Guenever was very unlikable. Jealous to a fault, and flaunting her relationship with Lancelot in a way that Arthur would have had to really turn a blind eye to ignore. Interestingly enough, as I read the book, I was reading Lancelot as bisexual. I was starting to feel like perhaps I was reading it with modern sensibilities, but upon further research, I found out that T.H. White was a closeted homosexual and that he had toyed around with actually making Lancelot gay. Mostly though, I don't think any of our main three characters came out looking all that good in this chapter. Arthur tried, but his constant turning a blind eye was difficult.
And then came The Candle in the Wind. Oh my heart. Mordred? I despise him. I understand he was brought up by the hateful Morgause, but it seemed not only did he want to hurt Arthur as best he could, he wanted to just set the world in a tailspin. Hateful man. But then again, none of our main three came out looking all that much better. Most heartbreaking though, was Arthur remembering his lesson as a goose at the very last minute. Also, the image of the candle in the last chapter was one that remained with me since my freshman year of high school, and that made much more sense than it had before.
Geeze this is a long review. I loved this book. I loved it even more than I did 15 years ago because I understood so much more about it. T.H. White was a conscientious objector in World War II, something that came out so clearly this time around. I somehow didn't get that last time, and it's not like it's deeply hidden. I think I was just reading for the plot points of King Arthur. I'm interested in seeing how this one goes in 30 more years.
Two minor things: the author does not use the Oxford comma, and the edition has two spaces after a period. Found it mildly irritating.
Read for Back to the Classics AND Retellings Challenge.
I got so much more out of this book this time around. And it is indeed kicking off a new King Arthur love.
The Sword in the Stone was funny in a way I don't remember it being before. I chuckled more than was probably warranted, but was also charmed by Wart's lessons. I wish we had seen the geese lessons in Disney's Sword and the Stone, but I suppose it wouldn't have been quite as fun as the squirrel and Madame Mim...
The Queen of Air and Darkness set up the Orkney Clan in a way that was super dark. Darker than most of what I remember reading in other books. This is also the chapter that talks a lot about anti-war. There was a quote that I really want to chuck at our leader's head right now about sending the leaders to war rather than the citizens etc. Morgause was a rather horrific lady. I also thought it was rather interesting how all her boys really loved her. Agravaine (and I believe later Mordred) in a way that was incestuous. The image of the "tape" that she used to seduce Arthur was really memorable too. I remember reading it as a teen and not really understanding what was happening.
The Ill-Made Knight is the bread and butter of the book. Everything seems so good, and then it's all dashed to pieces. I did not remember much of this book - and I found it a little boring too. Guenever was very unlikable. Jealous to a fault, and flaunting her relationship with Lancelot in a way that Arthur would have had to really turn a blind eye to ignore. Interestingly enough, as I read the book, I was reading Lancelot as bisexual. I was starting to feel like perhaps I was reading it with modern sensibilities, but upon further research, I found out that T.H. White was a closeted homosexual and that he had toyed around with actually making Lancelot gay. Mostly though, I don't think any of our main three characters came out looking all that good in this chapter. Arthur tried, but his constant turning a blind eye was difficult.
And then came The Candle in the Wind. Oh my heart. Mordred? I despise him. I understand he was brought up by the hateful Morgause, but it seemed not only did he want to hurt Arthur as best he could, he wanted to just set the world in a tailspin. Hateful man. But then again, none of our main three came out looking all that much better. Most heartbreaking though, was Arthur remembering his lesson as a goose at the very last minute. Also, the image of the candle in the last chapter was one that remained with me since my freshman year of high school, and that made much more sense than it had before.
Geeze this is a long review. I loved this book. I loved it even more than I did 15 years ago because I understood so much more about it. T.H. White was a conscientious objector in World War II, something that came out so clearly this time around. I somehow didn't get that last time, and it's not like it's deeply hidden. I think I was just reading for the plot points of King Arthur. I'm interested in seeing how this one goes in 30 more years.
Two minor things: the author does not use the Oxford comma, and the edition has two spaces after a period. Found it mildly irritating.
Read for Back to the Classics AND Retellings Challenge.
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