The Once and Future King

Rating:
Summary: Love it or hate it
Review: As this is my favorite book, I couldn't help but take a look at all the reviews. It seems to me people either love it (4 or 5 stars) or hate it (1 star to remarks of minus 50). This may be very confusing to prospective buyers. It's very simple, folks:
if you're looking for accurate, 'historic' information on King Arthur or the Middle Ages, if you're the type that likes to finish a book in an hour's reading, if you're only interested in fantasy/action packed novels of the 'Lord of the Rings' type (also an excellent book by the way), if you don't like vast, almost poetic descriptions of landscapes, seasons, moods, etc., or if you simply don't like complicated storylines, then steer clear of this book. There are many other novels which will give you far better value for money. For the others: it takes empathy and erudition to fully grasp the depth of this book. Empathy will make you love it when you're young and erudition when you are older and wiser. Added plus: each time you read it you'll discover something new. For the details, I refer to other reviews...

Rating:
Summary: Great Story, but could be a bit shorter
Review: I just finished reading "The Once and Future King", and I must say, it is one of the best stories that I have ever read. Not only was it interesting, captivating, and educational, but it also never seemed to end (in both a good and bad way). You would think to yourself in the middle of the novel, "Well, it must be over now". But, somehow the story would continue. The only downside I had with this story was its length -- almost 700 pages. For some people, they love that kind of reading. But for me, I want to finish a book within three weeks of starting it. It took me three months to finish this book. It was a story that was written in 700 pages but could have been written in 400 just as effectively. For example, there were many unnecessary (in my opinion) chapters that were extremely boring. But, other than these few discrepancies, I LOVED the story and would recommend it to ANYONE. I did not expect that I would like it (I am generally not into the whole King Arthur and Lancelot stories), but I ended up loving it!

Rating:
Summary: a worthy introduction to a grand story
Review: The story of King Arthur is well known by many people throughout the world. From his beginnings as a young boy with his magician friend Merlyn, to his chance success of pulling a mystical sword out of a stone, people have heard of the young Arthur. Tales of his grown-up exploits, however, are a little less known. Of course, there is the storied Camelot and Sir Lancelot, but the dark underside of this seemingly happy story was not always revealed. Perhaps since there have been so many adaptations of this story, each retelling has different details. In the Once and Future King, written by T.H. White, Sir Lancelot is not a dashing knight, and the goings-on in Camelot are not always happy. Stories of deceit, adultery, and betrayal are mixed in with tales of bravery, love, and happiness. King Arthur goes from glowing successes to disparaging depressions. In one of the later of the four books (this printing of the Once and Future King is the four novels written by Mr. White combined into one), the disfigured Lancelot, whom is likened to Quasimoto, falls in love with Guenever, Arthur's wife, and they have a rather lengthy affair that acts as a stumbling point between Arthur and them. Initially, I wasn't expecting such an action to have occurred in a story that seemed to feature nothing but happiness, but there are quite a few darkly themed storylines. However, the dark mood that some of the book possesses is also counteracted by the cheery mood of other moments. The first book, the well-known Sword In The Stone, especially is very cheerful and sets a false tone for the rest of the book to follow up on. In fact, this book starts off much like the life of a common person might - from innocence to stories of guilt. Arthur learns along the way from his experiences and the people around him. Lucky enough for us, T.H. White has written a phenomenal story so that we too can learn and experience right along with King Arthur himself.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Introduction to King Arthur
Review: What can be said about this book that has not already been said? This is the perfect book to introduce adults and young adults alike to the legend of King Arthur. As an avid reader of Arthurian Legend, I find this book to be very thorough in covering the various facets of the rise and fall of the King, without getting bogged down in details of Malory. T.H. White's writing style is easily understood, though I suspect the younger folks reading this book may miss out on some of his dry English humor.
The Sword and the Stone provides an excellent tale of the humble beginnings that led Arthur to become the great King of legend. The description of his tutelage under Merlyn gives the reader sufficient understanding of how a young man became a King with a strong desire to bring order, morality and justice to a land ravaged by fighting.

The Queen of Air and Darkness does a superb job of describing the trials of a man undertaking the huge mission of reforming England. The story introduces the reader to many of the central characters of they Mythos, as well as describing the tragic event which would eventually lead to King Arthur's fall. White does an effective job of conveying the gravity of the King's position while contrasting it with the humorous escapades of King Pellinore and company.

The Ill Made Knight provides the climax and the beginning of degradation in the King's newly civilized land. This section of the story provides an especially poignant view of the turmoil in which Lancelot finds himself, along with the Arthur and Guenever. White gives a multi-faceted look at the contradictory nature of the relationships of these three characters without ever getting overly bogged in the tragedy.

The Candle in the Wind provides the reader with the somber fall of the once great King, caught in a trap that was largely of his own making. By taking his sense of morality and justice to the extreme, he found his hand forced to actions he sought to avoid. This final summary of the King in the evening of his reign gives the reader pause to contemplate human nature.
All in all, the book does a superb job of painting the life a legendary King and concept from its infancy to its death. King Arthur is portrayed as man with an extraordinary vision and a man plagued by his own naiveté. Without robbing the reader of the fantasy, White successfully takes the reader on journey through the human experience. An excellent read that should be at the top of any reading list of anyone who ever had a passing interest in the history of the legendary king.

Rating:
Summary: I'm Glad I Finally Read This!
Review: Somehow, I missed this classic when growing up, so when my daughter was assigned this book for her eighth grade honors English course, I eagerly picked it up. I was well rewarded for my efforts.

The Sword in the Stone, the most famous of the quartet and the first, was for me the least interesting, perhaps because of its lack of driving conflict. It concerns the education of Arthur, called The Wart, in often hilarious scenes as Merlyn sets out to instruct him in the way of all creatures.

The Queen of Air and Darkness is a better story than the first, though it lacks the substance of the two later books. It tells of the history and childhood of the Orkney clan (Sirs Gawaine, Gaheris, Agravaine, Gareth, and Mordred) as well as preparing for the emotional battles about to begin.

The Ill-Made Knight is simply brilliant, giving Sir Lancelot a humanity I never thought possible, not for a knight living in legend. The love triangle of Arthur, Lancelot, and Guenever (called Gwen by Arthur and Jenny by Lancelot) is given life and understanding, real force. When I finished this book, I had to stop and swallow all the angst and love before I could continue.

A Candle in the Wind begins with some of the most monotonous descriptive writing possible, with White devoting ten solid pages to Lancelot and Guenever looking out a window onto medieval England. I began to believe that White was desperate to incorporate all his research. Once the story got going, however, I couldn't put it down as the tragedy of King Arthur's life unfolded.

Although these four separately published books are often described as a modern retelling of the legend of King Arthur, readers should be aware that they were written in the late thirties and early forties, a time when readers tackled demanding reading more readily than people do today. Do not expect to breeze through the volumes; even The Sword in the Stone, long regarded as a children's classic, is written in language far too complicated and scenes much too descriptive for a casual reader. White engages in expository pages - about Arthur's philosophy, the history of the feudal system, the evolution of courts of law, etc. - that for me watered down the narrative drive. This is my reason for taking away a star from the rating.

The characters, however, are drawn with precision. I took delight in White's imagining of Sir Gawaine ("Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight", if you can remember from freshman English) and his rough-and-tumble brothers. Lancelot and Guenever are drawn with affectionate details of their strengths and failings. Mordred is a wonderfully villain, a man both mad and cunning, with a history that makes his actions seem not only believable but inevitable. Arthur, too, is given flesh, although his generosity and lack of brilliance make him less interesting than the others.

I could write on and on about this book, but Amazon.com has a word limit. Read The Once and Future King, and see for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Adaptation of Arthurian Legend
Review: This book, consisting of four parts-The Sword in the Stone, The Queen of Air and Darkness, The Ill-Made Knight, and The Candle in the Wind-is about Arthurian legend and its adaptation to T.H. White's contemporary society, prior to World War II. Encouraged by his capricious mentor and educator, Merlyn, Arthur was trained as a tool to civilize Man. White uses this to illustrate the key idea of human perfectibility. Not surprisingly, King Arthur must deal with scandal, problems of incest and adultery, and race distinctions that separate and destroy man. Many of the themes found in the book, such as the loss of innocence and the nature of evil, will keep you interested with a surprising outcome for Arthur and his kingdom. White's insight on society is seen in Arthur's education and endeavors to civilize or "perfect" mankind. He was subjected to observe the two antithetical societies of the totalitarian ant and the open-minded geese, in which King Arthur learned the causes of war and the conflict of cultures and values. Although the themes and messages will keep you somewhat interested, the length of the book may deter some to not even start the book. I strongly recommend reading this book, despite, and at times, the confusing character names and seemingly uninteresting plot development.

The Once and Future King is, overall, a good portrayal of Arthurian legend with themes and messages still valid today, however, its length will take much time to complete.

Rating:
Summary: Undoubtedly the most meaningful novel ever written
Review: Comprised of four smaller novels, The Once and Future King was a lengthy and confusing novel, yet it supplied the reader with an excellent interpretation of the Arthurian Legend:

The first of four sections is titled The Sword in the Stone. This name is fairly familiar, even to those who believe they are completely unaware of the Arthurian Legend, for Disney has recreated this myth to appeal to the children of our time. Even though I felt that the first part of the entire novel dragged on longer than necessary, the end of the section held somewhat of an importance for the remaining portion of the novel (Disney's movie does a better job of getting to this point of importance than White). The end of The Sword in the Stone marks the transformation of an adventurous, young boy named Wart to a love-worthy, royal man named Arthur.

Much of Part II, The Queen of Air and Darkness, revolves around Merlyn's comment that Might is Right. This comment triggers much thought within the new king's mind. This thinking leads King Arthur to change the Merlyn's statement slightly. I am in complete agreement with Arthur when he says that Might must be used for Right. It is this thought that I feel is the origin of the Round Table. While much of the rest of this part is almost of no importance, there is one event filled with trickery and deceit; Queen Morgause's plan to bewitch her half brother, Arthur, succeeds, resulting in the birth of their son, Mordred.

While I consider the third and fourth sections of the book to be equally enjoyable, the third part holds more of a holy meaning, an importance that I feel I can relate to best. Part III is titled The Ill-Made Knight, and rightfully so. Shortly after Lancelot is introduced to the Round Table and despite his love for his king, he falls in love with Queen Guenever, and visa versa. And later, after being tricked into losing his morality by having a child with a woman named Elaine, Sir Lancelot embarks on a journey with the rest of the knights, a spiritual journey; they are in search of the Holy Grail. This expedition holds a spiritual meaning for not only me, but for all people of today. The quest suggests that the focus of the majority today's people is not right. White is telling us, through the story of Arthur, that God needs to be the main importance of our lives. The Quest proves that we live to branch out to those in need of help, and live the life that God would want us to. I say this because after Lancelot returned from the Quest for the Holy Grail and after actually witnessing the Holy Grail, he temporarily breaks off his physical relationship with Guenever and assumes a more religious state.

Part IV, The Candle in the Wind, is the most exciting section of The Once and Future King. Part IV is home to the tale of Lancelot and Guenever's unjust love for each other. This section flew by for me. I didn't want to put the book down. At the end of most every chapter, despite the need of a stretch and hydration, I continued to read. Obviously, the fighting that took place when Lancelot was caught in Guenever's room was one of the most exciting parts. The planning alone to catch Lancelot was intriguing in itself. The emotions that were flying around only added to this excitement. In addition to this event, there is the final battle that brings about the end of King Arthur. However, it is not this that my attention and curiosity is attracted to. No, the most meaningful part of the entire novel was held in the very end of this section. Arthur told the young boy, Sir Tom of Warwick (Sir Thomas Malory) to keep his idea of righting the world alive. It is because of this young man that Arthur's crusade is not the end, but the beginning.

There is no doubt that this is an extremely meaningful novel, despite the fact that this meaning is not recognizable until the very end. This final meaning is that everyone needs to work to make the world Right. The book suggests that we take a holy approach. God, our ever-loving father, is here for the better of the people. If everyone was to approach the problem of evil in the God's frame of mind, then there is no doubt that we could make the world Right, without the need of Might. Ultimately, I have concluded that this is what White meant when retelling the story of Arthur. Arthur symbolizes the eternal hope and unquenchable good of humanity.

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Novel
Review: T.H. White was a closeted homosexual and a conscientious objector during the Second World War. He keenly felt the pressures of modernity and yet he was drawn inexorably to the old stories of Arthur and his noble knights. The Once and Future King does much more than chronicle the boyhood of Arthur, his rise to power, and his tragic fall. It brilliantly weaves these medieval stories into a modern framework. White's concept was not unique to him--Geoffrey of Monmouth, Chretien de Troyes, and Thomas Malory used similar techniques--but no one in the twentieth century did it better. (The novel is the basis for Lerner and Loewe's Camelot. Often touching and even powerful, Camelot nevertheless trivializes its subject material.)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Themes Combined with Skillfull Writing
Review: T.H. White's The Once and Future King is a modern retelling of the legend of King Arthur. It covers Arthur's boyhood to his impending death. The entire book revolves around the tragedy of Arthur and his grand ideas, and the central concept is that of "sin coming home to roost". It is divided into four books, 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 is the story of Merlyn's tutorship of a young Arthur, nicknamed the Wart. White's use of animal experiences to teach the Wart is extremely creative. It is only in the first book that White shows us what Arthur is actually thinking and feeling. This too is interesting, since in the last three books we are reduced to guessing Arthur's feelings. White may have been overly descriptive in this book, but he is never really boring and nearly everything is relevant. This book was slow moving in places, but t was bearable because one easily realizes that, although slow, the book is always flowing toward the main point.
The Queen of Air and Darkness introduces us to the Orkney clan, of which Gawaine is the leader. Along the same lines as White's meandering style, is his use of different sets of characters that are slowly drawn together, and by the end of the story all sets are interacting with each other as one cast. White also continues the pattern he started when he showed us Arthur as a child, to show us the Orkneys' childhood. By watching the characters grow up, White is able to help us understand the behavior of the Orkneys as adults, which is crucial to the tragedy of Arthur. At the same time as we watch the development of the Orkneys, we see Arthur miles away in England, where he is finally learning to think for himself. If White had shown us the development of the Orkneys at the same time as we saw Arthur's childhood, he may have been able to spare many of his more impatient readers the boredom of watching characters evolve. The audience White wrote the book for, public-school educated English boys, was probably more able to appreciate the subtle refinements than most of the people who have posted online reviews of the book.
In The Ill-Made Knight, Lancelot is introduced to us as a friend of Arthur. I couldn't expect White to make such a drastic change in the story just to appease people like me, but all the same I was disgusted by Lancelot's disloyalty and wished the part of Lancelot and Guenevere could have been left out. At first it seemed that Lancelot had the right idea, when he tried to tell himself that his honor, duty, and loyalty wouldn't permit him to betray his friend. Though it was no fault of White's I was disgusted by this part of the legend. White's attempts to reconcile the two lovers in the eyes of people like me only infuriated me more, however. White shouldn't have tried to explain, let alone defend, the two traitors.
Although the last book, The Candle in the Wind, was where we saw the tragedy actually unfold, I thought that Gawaine's behavior was better than I had seen anywhere else in the book from any other character. It seemed that White tried to make Gawaine a character that gave the reader great grief, but I thought that Gawaine was a great friend to Arthur, perhaps not a great friend, since he drove Arthur to war with Lancelot, but definately the best friend Arthur had. Gawaine was fiercely loyal to anything he believed in, as we saw with his actions regarding his family and Arthur. White did a good job presenting characters at carefully chosen places on the spectrum. Gawaine is so loyal at times as to seem stupid. Lancelot had qualms, but actions speak louder than words and the point is that Lancelot did betray Arthur. We never heard Guenever express a single regret for betraying Arthur.
I thought the book was well written and had several excellent lessons. "Sin coming home to roost" was shown in almost every relationship in the book, most notably Arthur and Mordred and Lancelot and Guenevere. Loyalty and disloyalty were also predominant themes, and we saw the consequences of disloyalty in Arthur's downfall. Excellent themes like these distract the attention from the style and readability of the author, however, which were both also very good.

Rating:
Summary: a thought-provoking read
Review: Offering fantasy, humor, romance, and thought-provoking questions, The Once and Future King has all the necessary elements for a good read. The protagonist, Arthur, first appears as a child named "Wart" who becomes King Arthur. Arthur's mentor, Merlyn, is a magician who sprinkles fantasy throughout the story. As a child, Merlyn turns Arthur into many animals and Arthur visits various animal kingdoms, learning the pros and cons of each civilization. As for humor, King Pellinore and Sir Grummore elicit a chuckle whenever they appear. Although chivalry is traditionally thought of as a strictly serious and honorable pursuit, the questin' beast depicts chivalry in a humorous light. The relationship between Guenever, Lancelot, and Arthur is pure romantic tragedy, containing all of the elements of a romance novel. Although Guenever is having an affair with Lancelot, she still loves her husband, Arthur.

The issue of "Might" and "Right" is the central theme of the book. T.H. White forces the reader to reflect on human nature. Although man wants peace, it seems as if he thrives on war. Arthur tries hard to establish justice in Medieval England, and is willing to sacrifice his wife and best friend to achieve this end. His attempts fail because his fellow men always seem to find a way around the law. In the end, Arthur realizes that all of his ideas rely on one single principle--man is decent. If this premise is false, Arthur has lived his life in vain.

The book's major flaw is that it drags. There are many pages where nothing significant happens in the story line. Boredom aside, this book is recommended as a thought-provoking and exciting adventure story.