The Once and Future King

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Summary: The Once and Future King- a book for all ages
Review: I was assigned to read this book as a summer reading assignment, and like every other high school student, I disliked the thought of doing so. In addition, I have never been a big fan of King Arthur and his adventures, so when I finally started to read this book my expectations were not high. However, after reading just the first part, The Sword in the Stone, which describes Arthur's childhood, I was pleasantly surprised. The mysterious magician, Merlyn, taught "the Wart" (young Arthur) about human nature and the world around him by changing him into different animals. The Wart was able to experience the world from the perspectives of a fish, a falcon, and a badger, among other creatures. By becoming these creatures the Wart gains a better understanding about the animals' lives and the particular way each species organizes its "society." The remainder of the story tells of King Arthur's efforts to bring unity, peace, and justice to England by establishing the Knights of the Round Table. The plot is entertaining and filled with colorful characters such as King Pellinore, Sir Lancelot, and Sir Grummore, who go on brave and fanciful quests including the search for the Holy Grail and the hunt for the Questing Beast. The love triangle among King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and Guinevere, which ultimately helps to destroy King Arthur's dream of unity and peace, provides a dark counter point of jealousy and betrayal to the book's fairy tale quality. The story overall is easy to follow, entertaining, and full of surprises.

Besides its captivating plot, The Once and Future King reveals T.H. White's views of the world's societies. Even though this book was written from 1939 to 1958, its main points are still relevant to today's world. For example, when the Wart explores the moat as a fish, he is introduced to the monarchy form of government, which seems to work fairly well in keeping peace among the fish. The King of the Moat commands total respect from all the other fish, which allows for a successful monarchy. As an ant though, the Wart experiences a harsh totalitarian society, which festers war and greed among neighboring nests. The Wart is also exposed to the peaceful libertarian society of the geese. The geese treat one another with respect, which helps keep the peace. T.H. White suggests that a society that is based on mutual respect and sharing rather than strictness and force functions best. However, White does not overwhelm the story with his political views. Instead he subtly exposes them through a creative, entertaining plot filled with sometimes bizarre and always interesting characters.

One of the main themes of this book is the contradiction in using force to bring about justice. While King Arthur at first enjoys war, he eventually learns it is immoral. The lessons Arthur learned still apply to today's world. In the end Arthur finds justice and an ideal society impossible to achieve, just as they are today.

This book is now one of my personal favorites.

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Summary: A Righteous King
Review: "The once and Future King" by T.H. White went from a book assigned for summer reading to a story that depicted many values and morals needed in society today. The story of a squire gifted the reign of king by pulling a sword out of a stone began the legacy of a righteous ruler. King Arthur wanting to unite his kingdom built a roud table to which it contained a 150+ knights. The table had a purpose, for it was built to use "Might for Right." The knights of the table would go out and help those in need;consequently, once the knights retained right in the kingdom, the knights began "to become the germs of their own corruption" by competing among themselves. King Arthur realizing the dilemma sent his knights on many quests to keep them busy. The knights symbolically being a civilization portray how we have the power to use might for right and do, but end up competing against eachother for the most recognition. The theme of perfecting humanity was well detailed in Arthur's ideas and plans for his kingdom. King Arthur would not have been able to do that if Merlyn did not teach Arthur the value of "thinking for yourself." "The Once and Future King" is a book that would make the reader want to read;however, the ending left me without a sense of closure.

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Summary: Best Fantasy Book Ever Written
Review: Although this was my first experience with the novel form of the Arthurian legend, I thought I would be bored because I knew the storyline from the Disney movie. The Once and Future King by T.H. White is much more than that though. The book is divided into 4 sections - The Sword in the Stone, The Queen of Air and Darkness, The Ill-Made Knight, and The Candle in the Wind.

The Sword in the Stone basically goes through Wart/Arthur's childhood to the point where he becomes the king of England by pulling the sword from the stone. This section of the book was the only one with good character development. We watched the very mellow, easy-going Wart get picked on and hassled by Kay, saw his adventurous side in his ordeal with Robin 'ood, and watched as he matured with Merlin. King Pellinore's character emerged as the one in the book who would provide the laughs. His whole quest for the Questing Beast made me laugh out loud.

The second book is the most necessary for understanding the story. It tells of the problems of the four Orkneys - Gawaine, Agravaine, Gaheris, and Gareth. All four have severe emotional problems as a result of the neglect from their mother, which play key parts in the story. Also, the idea of the Round Table begins, and in the end of the story the table plays a vital role in the kingdom.

Book three had the most action in the story. Lancelot came to Camelot as the best knight ever, and went around purging all evil in the kingdom of Arthur. My favorite incident in this scene was when he defeated Sir Turquine and saved all the knights. This is very symbolic of how Lancelot fought for Right not just for popularity.

The fourth book concentrated mostly on Mordred's plan to destroy Arthur's kingdom. It showed the steps he took to persuade Agravaine to join him and catch Lancelot with Guenever. I will not reveal what happens in the end, but everyone should definitely read this book to find out what happens.

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Summary: A Moderate Tale of Legendary King Arthur
Review: The Once and Future King by T.H White is a fantasy epic of King Arthur that is broken into four parts: The Sword in the Stone, The Queen of Air and Darkness, The Ill-Made Knight and The Candle in the Wind. This story involves the tragedies of family, fortune and war while including many moments of magic as well as points of humor. This epic is only for certain readers. Most people like myself would receive a negative impression on the book just because of its page number. A reader must look beyond that though.

With any interest in the history of King Arthur one would enjoy this novel. I enjoyed the great description of Arthur's magical childhood depicted by White in the first section. White brings the Wart's experiences to the scene of the sword and the stone, which everyone is familiar with. In the second section Arthur brings his knights to form the Knights of the Round Table, his first excellent idea. While that happened, Arhtur was seduced into having sex with his half-sister, Morgause. This event actually leads to his downfall, as he brings upon a son, Mordred. In the third section White describes the life of Lancelot and his relationship with Arthur. During this time Arhtur introduces the Quest for the Holy Grail. The fourth book is a very emotional time for Arthur with which many tragedies occur for him. I don't want to give any hints away.

Through many of Arthur's decisions and revisions depicted by White we are able to see where he went wrong and where he went right. Thus, readers who look for themes and morals can relate their lives to that of Arthur.

Besides the highlights of the Once and Future King, I was somewhat disappointed in his details. In many instances, White used entire chapters to describe what could have been summed up in several paragraphs. In chapters such as 36, I often drifted off from my reading because it was so boring reading paragraph after paragraph with no dialogue between the characters. Besides that I was fairly satisfied with the book in its entirety.

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Summary: Classic Tale of The Struggle to Choose Right from Wrong
Review: Political allegory played a tremendous part of T.H. White's Once and Future King. While using many variations to convey his point through numerous characters, White brings about the underlying meaning in the search for justice. Wart learns many lessons throughout all of Merlyn's teachings. Possibly the most valuable lesson, and a subject that was brought up many times, was that of war. During Warts experience with the Mews and Cully, he is first exposed to an infantry that is assembled throughout the birds. Cully makes a statement drawing the reader back into more present time, about "Bolsheviks, politicians, administration, and racism." All which were possible aspects of war at one time of another. In Arthurs search for might against right, he encounters the facts of all the lower class men giving their lives in war at his order. It is not the Knights, who carry all the glory, whos lives are at risk, but instead it is the ground soildiers who are slaughtered and fight the "true battle." As Arthur is encountered with different problems, he is given the task of choosing what is right from wrong. The affair between Lancelot and Guenever is obvious to everyone in the story. However Arthur struggles with accepting the betrail of his wife, and most trusted knight. He chooses to let his son deal with the problem unveiling his one weakness. His inability to confront those closest to to him. This is shown throughout his life from the troubles with Kay, to the affair. White continually uses medieval words that are often difficult to understand throughout the book. However this vocabulary is contrasting to the present-day refrences, and similes drawing the reader back into the novel. Over all the novel was worth reading. Not because of the overlying story and tales of Arthurian legend, but the hidden meaning that can only be found in the heart of the reader.

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Summary: An Excellent Book on Arthurian Legend
Review: I was assigned this book for a summer reading assignment, and I could not put it down once I had read a few chapters. This book starts out somewhat slow, but it eventually grows like a snowball rolling down a hill. This book by itself is very interesting, with a lot about knights, magic, and jousting, but the real message of the book is found under the layers of fancy armor. The Once and Future King is a book full of hidden meanings and messages about war, education, politics, and religion. T. H. White is an expert at developing his characters. After a while, I began to identify with Arthur, Merlyn, and Lancelot, as if they were real people. This is an excellent book that caters to many audiences. You can read it for the themes that the book discusses, or you can just pick it up if you want an interesting medieval tale. I liked this book for its ideas about Might and Right, which Arthur discusses throughout the book, and I even found some helpful advice about education and perseverance that pertained to my own life. "The best thing for being sad is to learn something . . . you could spend fifty years learning to beat your adversary in fencing" (185-186).

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Summary: The Rise and Fall of King Arthur the Man
Review: "The Once and Future King" was a good book. I enjoyed it because the characters in the book were portrayed as people specifically imperfect people. "A man who was not afflicted by ambitions of decency in his mind might simply have run away with his hero's wife, and then perhaps the tradgedy of Arthur would never have happened. An ordinary fellow did not spend half his life tourturing himself by trying to discover what was right so as to counquer his inclination towards what was wrong" (OFK 339). This passage describes Lancelot's eternal struggle over Arthur's Queen. Sir Lancelot was the greatest knight in the world, chivilrous, merciful, powerful, and unhorseable. He gave up all of this when he lost Gwenever seemingly forever, gave up his armor and position at the table, because of love. This was a very human quality, superhero's are invulnerable, but men in even the best armor can be wounded if stabbed in the right place. Another example of humananity in OFK was Elaine's love for Lancelot. She helped him recover from his mental wounds and loved him desperately. She knew Lance could only love Gwenever and would only go back to her, but any time with Lance was good time for her. Elaine could have been portrayed as just annother mistress but by making her feelings known the book became even more human. "She had renounced her positive madness and was joyful to see him living, whatever he did. They were young creatures - the same creatures whose eyes had meet with the almost forgotten click of magnets in the smoky Hall of Camelot so long ago. And, in truely yielding, she had won the battle by mistake" (502). Gwenever and Lancelot's love was not love at first sight, Gwenever was a cloud that Lancelot couldn't reach and didn't care to reach at first, but when she became human in his eyes the cloud became feasible and something he wanted. Humanity was the main theme in "The Once and Future King," no person was untouchable every man, women, and child displayed hatred and love, and by showing these qualities humanity could be seen and appreciated.

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Summary: A View of The Once and Future King.
Review: The Once and Future King is a mythical story about King Arthur that relates to the Old English history. I found this book to be a great story of adventures and many other events. The first book tells of Arthur's early childhood. It also explained all of the tasks and events that he took place in order to be a good King for all of England. The second book tells of how Arthur is still getting used to the kingdom and the problems he will face in the years to come. Merlyn will explain to him that Kings view war as a sport. This is what makes Arthur different from all of the kings. Arthur views war as something that can be avoided and only to be used if necessary. Arthur is also compelled to begin an order of knights that will use "Might for Right" as well as his kingdom will also. White is an amazing author, in this book he has spent a great ordeal of time explainig different things that will be vital to the book in the later chapters of the last book. Book three focuses mianly on Lancelot, Arthur's best knight, and Guenevere, Arthur's wife. White tells of Lancelot and Guenevere's love for one another and thier long time affair, that of which arthur is aware of. Out of his love for both of them, he is willing to keep it a secret. The last book's title, "A Candle in the Wind", fits it very well. Throughout the whole story you can see how Arthur's reign is coming to an end. Arthur's son, Mordred, who he fathered by Morgause, his own half-sister, is out to end his reign as king and get revenge on his father. Arthur must decide later on whether he should kill Mordred or not. The book ends with Arthur remebering all of the experiences and adventures he had and wondering why there had to be so much bloodshed. White has written a great classic, that will be around for a long time.

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Summary: A Modern Classic
Review: The Once and Future King is a book filled with underlying meanings, ostensible purposes, and subtle humor. It is the story of King Arthur and his Round Table, which fights against Might. The book is divided into four different sections, each of which plays a vital role in developing the plot so to build up to the climax of Arthur's inevitable downfall. The four sections each have their own respective subplots to further develop each character.
The first book, The Sword In The Stone, focuses on Arthur's, then known as Wart, lessons from Merlyn as his tutor. This section is filled with humor and might be the best of the four parts. Merlyn states, "Education is experience" (46); therefore, Merlyn transforms Arthur into such things as a hawk, a fish, a bird, and an ant. Each lesson provides Arthur with experience, which plays an essential role in preparing him for his kingship, something he isn't even aware of yet. One of the most intriguing lessons is from the ants. T.H. White is comparing the ants to the Nazis. The ants live a monotonous life by doing whatever the person above them commands them to do without even thinking about it. To quote a line from Jurassic Park, "They were too busy trying to see if they could, they didn't stop and think if they should." Arthur becomes aware of how war is only existent because of one basic belief both from the ants and from the bird that befriends Arthur Lyo-lyok. He is too immature to comprehend the most important lesson he receives. "Which did you like best," he asked, "the ants of the wild geese?" (194) is the question that will play a key role in Arthur's growth. This book can be a learning experience for the reader as well as it confronts issues that some of us can be afraid to discuss. After reading this section the books isn't filled with as much humor but rather extends on the plot.
The second book, The Queen of Air and Darkness, begins as Arthur starts his reign. Arthur's way of gaining the throne is unconventional one and thus, Merlyn is worried about attacks from neighboring areas with the intent of overthrowing him. Arthur demonstrated his lack of maturity when he replied to Merlyn's worries of attacks by saying, "Let them come," replied the King. "I don't mind. I will beat them properly this time, and then we will see who is master" (221). His lack of maturity will prove to be a major characteristic on how Arthur will encounter problems during his reign. At some points Arthur displays maturity, namely when Merlyn makes him think by himself whether Might is truly Right, but there is never a definitive time when he has the true qualities which would make him a successful ruler. He was brought onto the throne too quickly and too young and because of his abnormal claim to kingship, he is forced to endure rough times as he learns and grows. The third book, The Ill-Made Knight, is aimed almost entirely around Lancelot. It talks about both his good and bad side in order to entirely explain the true person he is. Lancelot has his dark side and his good side. He relies on the fact that he is the best knight in the world to always give him strength when he feels weak. Because of this feat, he is a prominent member of Arthur's Round Table and is his closest friend. Even this can't prepare him for what is to come. The events that take place during the Crusade for the Holy Grail will change Lancelot into a whole different mentality, which will lead to a series of important conflicts. The fourth book, The Candle In The Wind, describes the tragic ending to a novel filled with happiness, despair, adventure, education, and sorrow. Each character has a downfall, but not all of them realize it and vow to improve upon it. Mordred and his colleagues tried to devise a plan to give him control of the kingdom. Lancelot realizes how horrible his mistakes were and the traumatic effect that are soon to follow. He has to deal with a horrible revelation that shocks him and makes him re-evaluate his life. Just as a candle in the wind won't stay lit, Arthur can't remain a dignified king with all that he has or has not done in regards to Might and Right on his conscience. Overall, each chapter makes connections to significant events that take place; however, some chapters, or parts of, can seem rather tedious to read and boring. This is a book that everyone should read at some point because of its issues that it discusses. I would recommend as a book to almost everyone except for children because they wouldn't understand the subtle humor of King Pellinore and the brutal comparisons made between Mordred and the ants to the S.S. and the Nazis. This back can convey a different meaning to everyone. That's the greatness of it. Anyone can read it multiple times and pick up new meanings to the same thing each time. Even after completing the book, some of the meanings of particular events remain rather vague. This is the only downfall to this book. Each of the four books keeps the reader full of anticipation as to what is to come. There is a lot of humor that can ease the process of reading this long novel, specifically in the adventures of King Pellinore in his hunt for the Questing Beast. In the end Arthur realizes all that he has done and what he has yet to do to improve upon that, hence the nickname "The Once and Future King". Even though Arthur is a part of the past and the future, will he end up being the best there was and the best there ever will be?

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Summary: A Plethora of Themes
Review: The Once and Future King by T.H. White is a complex story with multiple characters that evolve over the course of the book. In over 600 pages, White explores so many different themes and plot lines that the reader must read carefully to not miss important insights. In my review of The Once and Future King I hope to convey the complexity of the literary work of art by identifying and explaining some of the themes that I found worthy of note.

One of the themes is "Choices in Life." Arthur must make many choices over the course of his life, and these decisions mold his life. One decision was to sleep with Morgause. This single poor choice leads to his downfall as king. There is a particular passage in the story that highlights the importance of that choice. In the passage, Arthur reflects, "When I was a young man I did something which was not just, and from it has sprung the misery of my life" (579). Sir Lancelot's plot line supplies another example of a bad life choice. While Arthur is out hunting, Guenevere calls for Lancelot in the middle of the night. Gareth has warned Sir Lancelot to avoid temptation, but Sir Lancelot responds to Guenevere's call anyway. This decision leads Sir Lancelot to kill several men, including Gareth, and nearly causes the death of Guenevere. These plot lines involving Arthur and Lancelot furnish concrete examples of the underlying theme "Choices in Life."

A second theme is "Conflict of Values." Arthur recognizes the tension in his society. On several occasions, Arthur must reject accepted customs of the day in order to achieve a more just society. For example, Arthur attacks the opposing knights and noble class with his own knights in one of his first battles as king. By putting nobles at risk, Arthur disregarded the old English tradition, in which the knights sportingly slaughtered the common people rather than the gentry. Yet another example of this theme is the "Round Table." The creation of the "Round Table" is Arthur's attempt to reform old notions of chivalry and principle of "Might and Right." Noble society viewed "Might" as equivalent to "Right." Arthur, though, views "Might" and "Right" as two separate ideas.

A third theme is "Loss of Innocence." When Arthur is young and innocent, he is very optimistic. He said things such as, "I should pray to God to let me encounter all the evil in the world in my own person, so that if I conquered there would be none left, and if I were defeated, I would be the one to suffer for it" (181). Young Arthur is obviously naïve to think that a single person could rid the world of evil. In contrast, at the end of Arthur's life, he is more pessimistic. He questions whether humans really have values that distinguish them from machines. He asks himself if there is a purpose to life. His views of humanity are more jaded and far different from those he held during his innocent, optimistic childhood. These more cynical views began to emerge after he slept with Morgause. This is the beginning of the end of his innocence.

A fourth theme that was apparent was the "Search for meaning." Throughout his life, Arthur tries to find a meaning for human existence. He endeavors to find the cause of injustice. To rid England of evil, he initially tries to find a constructive channel for basic human instinct; but he later discovers that more fundamentally he must destroy the root causes of evil. After a life of searching for such overall meaning, he ultimately questions if there really is one.

The last theme is "War and Peace." The basic view T.H. White offers in The Once and Future King is that war causes chaos. England is constantly warring when Arthur first becomes king, and the entire country is in chaos. Merlin states that the common people are scared to walk outside and that the nobles have become thieves. How can a country survive while the ordinary people are scared of their own lords? When Arthur ends the warring in England, the people finally enjoy peace, and no longer are fearful of their leaders.

In 800 words, I can only scratch the surface of the underlying themes in The Once and Future King. I recommend this book not as a fun novel to skim through, but rather as a multifaceted book to read slowly. Only then can the reader appreciate all thoughts, paradigms, and ideas it evokes. If you are reading to think, learn, and ponder life's most meaningful aspects, this is the perfect book for you. In fact, The Once and Future King is worth several readings. Every reading will undoubtedly yield new insights and still deeper levels of meaning.