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abysscourier's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
doublelisha's review against another edition
4.0
I came to leave a review and Corrine has already left the review that I would leave if I were eloquent and thoughtful.
My only other thoughts are about the portion of the book that discusses the seventh sense, which I have copied out so that I can consider again.
“You can’t teach a baby to walk by explaining the matter to her logically—she has to learn the strange poise of walking by experience. In some way like that, you cannot teach a young woman to have knowledge of the world. She has to be left to the experience of the years. And then, when she is beginning to hate her used body, she suddenly finds that she can do it. She can go on living—not by principle, not by deduction, not by knowledge of good and evil, but simply by a peculiar and shifting sense of balance which defies each of these things often. She no longer hopes to live by seeking the truth—if women ever do hope this—but continues henceforth under the guidance of a seventh sense. Balance was the sixth sense, which she won when she first learned to walk, and now she has the seventh one—knowledge of the world.”
It goes on in some detail afterwards and expands on this idea, and I am grateful. When I was learning my seventh sense, if I had read this, it wouldn’t have mattered, you can’t teach a baby to walk by explaining it logically! But now that it is past, and I am safely and automatically balancing along toward the inevitable grave, I am grateful for an explanation that sensibly explains the learning, so that I will not forget.
My only other thoughts are about the portion of the book that discusses the seventh sense, which I have copied out so that I can consider again.
“You can’t teach a baby to walk by explaining the matter to her logically—she has to learn the strange poise of walking by experience. In some way like that, you cannot teach a young woman to have knowledge of the world. She has to be left to the experience of the years. And then, when she is beginning to hate her used body, she suddenly finds that she can do it. She can go on living—not by principle, not by deduction, not by knowledge of good and evil, but simply by a peculiar and shifting sense of balance which defies each of these things often. She no longer hopes to live by seeking the truth—if women ever do hope this—but continues henceforth under the guidance of a seventh sense. Balance was the sixth sense, which she won when she first learned to walk, and now she has the seventh one—knowledge of the world.”
It goes on in some detail afterwards and expands on this idea, and I am grateful. When I was learning my seventh sense, if I had read this, it wouldn’t have mattered, you can’t teach a baby to walk by explaining it logically! But now that it is past, and I am safely and automatically balancing along toward the inevitable grave, I am grateful for an explanation that sensibly explains the learning, so that I will not forget.
loveangle's review against another edition
4.0
dense but still accessible, surprisingly witty. I didn't know that the first book was the inspiration for Disney's The Sword in the Stone, which is a pretty faithful adaptation. lots of beauty, romance, and high ideals.
chiron_00's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
joodi's review against another edition
3.0
For the purposes of this review I thought up alternate titles for the four volumes included in this book
The Sword in the Stone: this one should either be called Arthur Has Sexual Chemistry With A Goose or Sir Kay On Smack Cam
The Queen of Air and Darkness: Sweet Home Camelot seems most appropriate to describe what was a most inappropriate jump-scare
The Ill-Fated Knight: Let's simply call this one Mr.Steal Thou Maidan
The Candle in the Wind: In honor of Mordred this one would more accurately be called The Sassy Man Revolution
Patiently waiting for the fifth volume wherein the Questing Beast finds love on a medieval game show
The Sword in the Stone: this one should either be called Arthur Has Sexual Chemistry With A Goose or Sir Kay On Smack Cam
The Queen of Air and Darkness: Sweet Home Camelot seems most appropriate to describe what was a most inappropriate jump-scare
The Ill-Fated Knight: Let's simply call this one Mr.Steal Thou Maidan
The Candle in the Wind: In honor of Mordred this one would more accurately be called The Sassy Man Revolution
Patiently waiting for the fifth volume wherein the Questing Beast finds love on a medieval game show
heit0119's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mokyoyo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
maxwelldunlop's review against another edition
3.0
Great take on the King Arthur story. Worth a read.
i_said_reading_is_good's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0