The Once and Future King
Books | Fiction / Fantasy / Arthurian
4
(790)
T. H. White
T. H. White’s masterful retelling of the saga of King Arthur is a fantasy classic as legendary as Excalibur and Camelot, and a poignant story of adventure, romance, and magic that has enchanted readers for generations. Once upon a time, a young boy called “Wart” was tutored by a magician named Merlyn in preparation for a future he couldn’t possibly imagine. A future in which he would ally himself with the greatest knights, love a legendary queen and unite a country dedicated to chivalrous values. A future that would see him crowned and known for all time as Arthur, King of the Britons. During Arthur’s reign, the kingdom of Camelot was founded to cast enlightenment on the Dark Ages, while the knights of the Round Table embarked on many a noble quest. But Merlyn foresaw the treachery that awaited his liege: the forbidden love between Queen Guenever and Lancelot, the wicked plots of Arthur’s half-sister Morgause and the hatred she fostered in Mordred that would bring an end to the king’s dreams for Britain—and to the king himself.“[The Once and Future King] mingles wisdom, wonderful, laugh-out-loud humor and deep sorrow—while telling one of the great tales of the Western world.”—Guy Gavriel Kay
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Author
T. H. White
Pages
656
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2011-11-01
ISBN
1101657545 9781101657546
Ratings
Google: 5
Community ReviewsSee all
"Such a delightfully fun book."
Drunk Banthas
"This is an epic of a book that covers the entire life of Arthur. Its one part mythic fantasy and one part philosophical ponderings. The story is broken into 5 smaller books that cover the phases of Arthurs life. My favorites were #1 sword in the stone (thanks Disney) and #5 The Book of Merlyn. TH White infuses humor into his book any chance he could find while telling a story that is infused with love, death, family, treachery, miracles and knights jousting. He frequently breaks the fourth wall and writes a classic myth with the spin of his current time (Its obvious to the reader that TH White despises Fascism). I find it kind of amazing that both White and Tolkien could see the horrible things happening in the world around them and write the most epic books in the fantasy genre. Glad to finally have tackled this book, it was worth it in the end.<br/>"
Nicole Falche
"I really couldn’t tell you. This is the only book of his I ever read of his"
J
JBird
"my favorite book ever!"
Eleanor
"Fantastic as a medieval adventure and even better as a commentary. Starts as a great children's story that evolves into an effective version of the Arthur story. This should have been required reading in school."
Suge Pop
"It has great detailing, extremely immersive. It has its hilarious moments and it’s heart wrenching moments. As the books back says, it’s a masterpiece! #fantasy "
Emily Tipton
"Favorite quote. "Perhaps we all give the best of our hearts to those who hardly think about us in return.""
Heather Durkin
"200 pages in and I just could not go any further. I understand that it is supposed to be the paragon of modern fantasy and has inspired various authors for ages, but it just didn't grip me. Perhaps I'll try it again in a decade or so, but for now, I'd rather spend my time in other books."
Amanda Wampler
