If you have a particular bent for the ridiculous, then the battle between King Pellinore and Sir Grummore Grummursum is hilarious. White is clearly poking fun at traditional notions of knighthood. The only reason for the joust is because this is appropriate for their social station. Each man is so heavily padded that he cannot hurt the other—or even see well enough to avoid running into a tree. The fact that both knights address each other in the most formal medieval English also encourages us to laugh at them.
H White mocking the formal address that is traditionally found in Arthurian tales. I can see why the book has attained its status, but to me it is too quirky, and of its time, class and culture to be very appealing. It is perhaps the most self-indulgent book I have ever read, and peppered with anachronisms.
Perhaps they are an hilariously inappropriate delight to scholars of medieval history, but for a general reader, they seem merely puzzling, and for a child, surely misleading.
Thus The Sword in the Stone , regretfully, must remain at my default of 3 stars. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love and lose your moneys to a monster, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then—to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the poor mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.
View all 4 comments. Sometimes, I choose the next book I am going to read based on the sound of the narrator's voice. That was the case with this book. It was the middle of the night and I couldn't relax enough to go to sleep, so, I listened to excerpts from my queue of audiobooks.
I was looking for a narrator that had a pleasant voice that I could relax to, as the story unwound. Neville Jason does a wonderful job of narrating all the characters and is lovely to listen to. As for the story itself, I wanted something Sometimes, I choose the next book I am going to read based on the sound of the narrator's voice. As for the story itself, I wanted something interesting, but not too exciting, after all, my eventual goal was to get some sleep.
This was perfect! I have always loved the legends surrounding King Arthur and the knights of the roundtable and have devoured various interpretations.
This story built slowly, but steadily. I would say that I would have rated the first half at 3-stars. However, as I continued to listen the next day as I walked the dog I became engrossed and invested and found I couldn't put it down. I am looking forward to reading the next books in the 5-volume set. View 1 comment. Nov 29, Darkiknowwell rated it it was ok Shelves: , ya. My love of the television show Merlin, could not get me through this book. I finally finished it, and all I really have to say is that I shall not be starting "The Once and Future King" any time soon.
When I picked up this book up at a library book sale I had such high expectations for the story, which quickly evaporated within the first four chapters.
The book was not exactly poorly written and I've read worse , but the tone of voice conflicts with the overall narration, which prevents the rea My love of the television show Merlin, could not get me through this book.
The book was not exactly poorly written and I've read worse , but the tone of voice conflicts with the overall narration, which prevents the reader from being fully invested in the characters and overarching story. Being part of the Arthurian legend, the fantasy and magic one would expect to find contained within its pages just was not there; as the story seemed to be grappling with too little plot and an author who could not make up his mind about who their audience is.
Most of the adventures that Wart went on were both boring and tedious and whilst clever the additions of modern topics such as Eton College, or Nazism seemed asynchronous to the main plot. However it should be noted that as Merlin lives time in reverse order perhaps it does make some sense to have references to a more modern age. Perhaps T. White improved the story when he included "The Sword in the Stone" as the first part of "The Once and Future King", but having looked at the latter book very little of the story seems to have been edited or changed.
While one can commend T. White for trying the story never came off the page as it should have done. When this book was purchased I was hoping to step into a world of wonder, steeped in the lore of King Arthur, instead the reader is immersed in a book that appears cobbled together and no adventure for Wart has any connection to the chapters that came before it.
The Disney movie is only about the first twenty pages of this book This book is sweet, intelligent, funny, and endearing. Can you believe I had never read this? As I began it seemed so clearly for children that I was a little put off. Then it occurred to me that I was reading one of the grandparents of modern magical fantasy and very funny in parts, too!
It comes complete with it's own made up language and a cast of utterly barmy characters. Rowling certainly read it - it's all over HP and some items are taken straight from this book and embellished to fine art. Not to mention it being 'written' in Northern En Can you believe I had never read this? Not to mention it being 'written' in Northern English Wart rhymes with cart not tort.
The two 25 stone knights' jousting was peerless - I collapsed completely at the vision of them getting up a head of steam and then sailing straight past each other, unable to stop before hitting respective trees! Anyone viewing it through the lens of the Disney film is at a disadvantage; it oversimplifies a book that becomes ever less simple as you read on. Jun 19, Michael Gardner rated it it was amazing. It has been far too long. Onto book two This one was a lovely book that took me right into my childhood.
The story is very well crafted and I loved how Wart learns from animals and plants and people like Robin Wood nono, of course he isn't Robin Hood. His little adventures were interesting and funny and I loved how the narrator sang the songs. Sep 13, Mmars rated it liked it. If you decide to read this, look for an unabridged edition with the author's illustrations. I read the Time-Life edition. There should be lots of words and terms you've never encountered before. Unless, of course, you are an expert on Norman England, falconry, hunting boars, long-ago dog breeds, tilting, jousting and medieval butchery.
I want to label this a quirky fantasy. It's certainly can't be taken seriously. The audience seems to be juvenile, but the language, specifically the terminology, If you decide to read this, look for an unabridged edition with the author's illustrations. The audience seems to be juvenile, but the language, specifically the terminology, is challenging.
But then, young fantasy fans expect unknown names, kingdoms, objects, etc. And the humor had me laughing out loud. Disney fans know how Wart became Arthur, and that Merlin wears a robe of stars, and all that other Sword in the Stone stuff, and may think it all child's play, but this is not a dumbed down book. It's well-written and delightful, an overlooked classic that ought to be discovered by the many fans of Harry P. Looking for a diversion, I happened upon this and read it on a whim.
What fun! Everything in it spoke to me. Wart's lack of self worth, Merlyn's oddball lessons and habits, all the animals from the stupid falcon to the questing beast, and most of all the way White can be counted on to lose the thread of seriousness halfway through a sentence and throw in some pure sparkling nonsense.
I started reading the next book in the series, and it seems to be written by a completely different guy. Not in a bad way- just jarring after all that fun. Does that change? Or is it serious town from The Witch in the Woods onwards? Feb 02, Tony rated it really liked it. However, I came to rather enjoy it to be honest, enough to pick up book 2. It rather cleverly mixes the ancient and the modern, assisted by the wonderful backwards-traveller Merlin.
Shelves: fantasy , classics , series. His adventures include but are not limited to rescuing people with Robin Hood and Maid Marian, questing for the Beast with King Pellinore and turning into a wide array of animals. Through these adventures he learns the skills necessary to become a great ruler and these enable him to pull the sword from the stone.
Appeal : quirky, familiar and vivid characters, relaxed pace, coming of age story, third person omniscient, cinematic, detailed, rural, bittersweet, humorous, poetic, nostalgic with unusual and conversational language.
Related Authors and Works Fiction : J. Dissertation reread time! I acquired a distaste for T. White sometime during my MA, and I'm not sure exactly why: rereading The Sword in the Stone, I still rather loved it, with its gentle humour and the character of the narratorial voice and its understanding of each character.
I note that in my first review I noticed the way it treats Kay, which is a good sign for this dissertation It's written in a conversational way, but it's also beautiful. There are descriptions of the natural world th Dissertation reread time! There are descriptions of the natural world that are almost breathtaking, and Wart can at once be a silly little boy and a very noble one. And Kay can at once be a proud big kid, prone to bullying, and a scared boy who really just wants to hold his own.
And Merlyn can be a mysterious wizard and a kindly old man. I'm looking forward to rereading the rest of it now -- although I think the warm sympathy for Kay is less of a thing in the other books, and they're probably not going to be so useful. Apr 23, Scott Sheaffer rated it really liked it Shelves: fantasy. This is a great book for anyone into medieval, Arthurian legend. I enjoy stories about chivalry and white knights in search of damsels in distress but just can't get thru the lengthy and boring Sir Thomas Mallory text, "La Muerte De Arthur".
In other words it's the entire story with more fun and imagination. I'm glad this is only part of a series. I'm off to start book two. S Lewis creating the world of Narnia—other epic, fantasy novels, which gave birth to the new movement of magical realism—a movement in which magical elements are part of an otherwise realistic environment.
The Once and Future King is such an Arthurian fantasy novel. There were a lot of comical scenes. He is a really a parody of the chivalrous knight. This was a good read. Shelves: animal-fiction , sweet-youth , childrens-fiction , childrens-fantasy , arthurian-legend , hive-insect-stories. A young boy named Wart, being fostered in the home of Sir Ector, finds himself being tutored by the wizard Merlyn in this classic treatment of the youth of King Arthur. Transformed into various different creatures during the course of his education - a fish, a hawk, an ant, a goose and a badger - Wart learns about the nature of power and of warfare, and is taught to question the issues of fairness and justice.
Unbeknownst to him, he is in training for his future as a king, and the book ends at t A young boy named Wart, being fostered in the home of Sir Ector, finds himself being tutored by the wizard Merlyn in this classic treatment of the youth of King Arthur.
Unbeknownst to him, he is in training for his future as a king, and the book ends at the tournament in London, where the future monarch will be revealed by his ability to pull the sword from its stone Originally published in in a slightly different form than its current one - I believe the episode with the ants was added later - The Sword in the Stone was eventually published, together with three sequels - The Witch in the Wood , The Ill-Made Knight and The Candle in the Wind - as the first part of The Once and Future King , T.
White's epic reimagining of the Arthurian saga. Although the larger work is not considered a children's book, The Sword in the Stone often is, and I recall reading it myself as a girl. White's work was included in the syllabus of the course on the history of children's literature that I took while getting my masters, and I was glad to encounter it again.
I found the animal transformations here quite interesting, and was quite struck by the passage in which Wart reflects on Merlyn's teaching style: "the Wart did not know what Merlyn was talking about, but he liked him to talk. He did not like the grown-ups who talked down to him, but the ones who went on talking in their usual way, leaving him to leap along in their wake, jumping at meanings, guessing, clutching at known words, and chuckling at complicated jokes as they suddenly dawned.
He had the glee of the porpoise then, pouring and leaping through strange seas. Rowling , who have both acknowledged a debt to White. Well worth the time of any reader who enjoys fantasy fiction. This is the first book in my Arthurian Legend book stack. I love Arthurian Legend so I figured this is a must-read. Wart, also known as Arthur is a young boy. He lives with his foster father, Sir Ector, and foster brother, Kay. One day, Wart gets lost in the woods and stumbles upon Merlyn and his owl, Archimedes.
Merlyn decides to come back with Wart to become his tutor. However, Me This is the first book in my Arthurian Legend book stack. However, Merlyn is not a normal tutor, he is a wizard which makes for some interesting lessons.
This is an awful way to kick off my summer reading list. It was like HP Lovecraft all over again. There are racial slurs and little sayings that insinuate that slaves were happy. It was difficult to read. There were also other political points that weighed down the story. I guess I will just have to settle with the Disney movie.
One of my favorites. I think I am going to pick up the Arthurian Romances and Legends next and maybe a couple of the nonfiction reads that talk about the historical connections of the story. I've been waiting for years to read this book aloud to my kids now aged 5 - I first read this by myself years ago and found it charming, witty and hilarious. And it is all of that with a vocabulary that is probably well above the age of most 10 year old heads.
I might have done better if I had gone on waiting to read it, but I wanted to share it with my oldest and I do not regret the choice.
Stretching your kids to read above their level is never a bad thing. Even though they didn't underst I've been waiting for years to read this book aloud to my kids now aged 5 - It is generally considered a modest success from a Disney company standpoint.
The film begins in England with the death of the king, Uther Pendragon. No heir is named, and so England is threatened to be torn apart by war. Miraculously, the mystical " Sword in the Stone " appears in London, with an inscription proclaiming that whomever pulls it out is the rightful King of England. Many try to remove the sword, but none succeed and the sword is soon forgotten, leaving England in dark ages. Some years later, Arthur a.
Wart , a year old orphan training to be a squire, accompanies his older foster brother Sir Kay on a hunting trip. Arthur accidentally prevents Kay from shooting a deer and goes to retrieve the arrow to make up for his mistake. In the woods, he falls into the cottage of Merlin , a powerful wizard.
Merlin announces he will be Arthur's tutor, packs up and the two return to Arthur's home, a castle run by Sir Ector , one of Uther's knights and Arthur's foster father.
Ector does not believe in magic and refuses to allow Merlin to tutor Arthur. Merlin creates a blizzard and disappears, which persuades Ector to let Merlin stay, albeit in a decrepit old tower with countless leaks.
Ector's friend and fellow knight, Sir Pellinore , arrives with news about the annual jousting tournament to be held on New Year's Day in London, only this time whose winner would be crowned King of England.
Ector proposes that Kay be knighted and compete for the title, despite Kay's obvious ineptitude in both jousting and sword fighting. Merlin begins his tutoring by transforming Arthur and himself into fish and going into the castle's moat. Arthur is chased and attacked by a pike, and is saved by Archimedes , Merlin's owl. Arthur is sent to the kitchen as punishment after he tried to tell his lesson to a disbelieving Ector. Merlin arrives and magics the dishes to wash themselves.
He then takes Arthur for another lesson, where he transforms Arthur and himself into squirrels. Merlin teaches Arthur about gravity, and about male-female relationships as two female squirrels become infatuated with them.
When they return to human form, Arthur's female squirrel cries sadly when she sees he is really a boy. When they return to the castle, Ector accuses Merlin of using black magic on the dishes after trying unsuccessfully to undo the enchanted spell on the dishes. Arthur defiantly defends Merlin, but Ector punishes Arthur by first setting him with a mountain of chores, then essentially told Arthur he cooked his goose for "popping off" and choosing another boy named Hobbs as Kay's squire.
Arthur is devastated, but Merlin convinces him to continue with his education. For his 3rd lesson, Merlin transforms Arthur into a sparrow. Arthur then accompanies Archimedes on a flying lesson. Arthur is attacked by a hawk and flies down the chimney of Madam Mim , a witch who is a rival to Merlin. Mim's magic uses trickery, as opposed to Merlin's scientific skill.
Mim turns into a cat and chases Arthur around her cottage. Merlin arrives, having been summoned by Archimedes, and begins to rebuke Mim. Mim challenges Merlin to a Wizard's Duel, a battle of wits where the players try to destroy one another by transforming into different animals. Mim sets several ground rules, including the rules that only real animals may be used no imaginary ones like pink dragons , and no disappearing.
During the battle, both wizards transform themselves into a variety of creatures, with Merlin turning onto a turtle, a rabbit, a caterpillar, a walrus, a mouse, a crab, a goat, with Mim being a crocodile, a fox, a hen, an elephant, a tiger, a snake and a rhino. Finally, Mim transforms into a purple dragon which is supposed to be against the rules though Mim notes that she never explicitly outlawed purple dragons.
Kay recognizes that it is not his sword, and after asking Arthur where he got it, realizes that it is the sword in the stone.
Kay tells his father that he Kay pulled the sword out, and is therefore king. All bow in acknowledgement and submission to their new monarch. White must have been aware that he was setting it in a sentimentalised picture of Old England as it never quite was, legends of Arthur pre-date , and there are references to Eton, the Eton Boating Song, and the British national anthem.
White said, "I am looking through at , itself, looking backward. Just thought you'd like to know. I've taught the book for several years and done much research. If you remember how Mark Twain wrote about King Arthur's Court, and then guess how Kenneth Grahame, the author of The Wind in the Willows , would have handled the story of Arthur's youth, you will come within some miles of guessing what The Sword in the Stone is like.
At the beginning it is a most interesting account of everyday life on a great medieval manor, with two boys, Kay and the Wart who turns out to be King Arthur , learning the code of being a gentleman, and busy with hawking, jousting, sword play, hunting.
Sir Ector, who is Kay's father, is "country" and "public school. The boys must be educated, so he sends for Merlin, and the story begins to move through reality and phantasy like a wood path in shadow and moonlight.
Merlin is the key to this book, and makes it an entirely convincing and realistic anachronism. Merlin is a character, and amusing, like everyone in this story, except Colonel Cully, the mad goshawk. But he is world wisdom personified; naturally, since he is living backward instead of forward, and so knows what is going to happen next, and can manage clairvoyance without difficulty.
And also magic of a most educative variety, for he has learned in the far future from which he came, that education is an understanding of life, and that life flows out from man through nature or the other way, if you please so that birds and beasts see aspects of it which are necessary for sympathy.
And life as the badger sees it, who knows about embryos, and a good deal that will be modern science. And life as the snake sees it, who remembers the prehistoric world. And I will start all over again by saying that the outline of this story, which contains digressions so much more significant than the tale itself, is the narrative of how the boy, Wart, was made worthy to become the king and leader, Arthur.
The sword as in the old legend came out of the stone for him and for no one else, because he had been taught to be the kind of Homo Sapiens as the snake called them for whom swords ought to come out of stones; because he had been truly educated.
0コメント