oatie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tony_t's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
T. H. White's "The Once and Future King" is a superb retelling of the story of King Arthur, Guinevere, Merlyn, Lancelot and all the other wonderful characters of Camelot and Merry Olde England. I enjoyed this collection of the first four books in the series and have the final book, The Book of Merlyn, on my "to read" pile. Highly recommended.
caidyn's review against another edition
The anachronistic parts of this book just took me out of the story too much for me to enjoy.
orionoconnell's review against another edition
2.0
If it takes me a month to finish reading a book, no matter its length, you can probably tell that I'm struggling through it. With classic novels, I tend to employ the method of accompanying my physical copy of the book with an audiobook and reading along, so my attention doesn't waver and I understand the older language better.
While the narrator was lovely, it didn't save my review of this book. I have been fascinated by medieval stories and especially King Arthur for years, and I never got around to reading the book until now.
Let me start by complaining that I found my copy to be abridged, which only became apparent while listening to the unabridged audio, so check your book- mine did not say it was abridged. It seemed interesting to me that the parts that WERE abridged in this copy had to do with topics of evolution and of the greek gods. What it didn't censor, unfortunately, were the overlying themes of incest, rape, and one very unattractive use of the 'n' word (which the audiobook DID censor). It's clear that the censoring priorties were questionable at best. There is nothing wrong with exploring heavy topics in fictional context but I didn't find it added anything to the story here.
The book itself is as most old books are, unrelatable for the most part, and dry. This is a book that I daresay really needs a modern makeover with amendments to make it more relevant and inclusive, and more about the important themes of the story, Arthur's idea for a new world and the founding of the table.
I venture to say that I'm the odd one out and despite the changes the BBC series 'Merlin' made, I do enjoy it better for its messages (though it's still not without its problems).
Basically, I'm glad to say that I've read another classic, but I'm more glad that I've finished it.
While the narrator was lovely, it didn't save my review of this book. I have been fascinated by medieval stories and especially King Arthur for years, and I never got around to reading the book until now.
Let me start by complaining that I found my copy to be abridged, which only became apparent while listening to the unabridged audio, so check your book- mine did not say it was abridged. It seemed interesting to me that the parts that WERE abridged in this copy had to do with topics of evolution and of the greek gods. What it didn't censor, unfortunately, were the overlying themes of incest, rape, and one very unattractive use of the 'n' word (which the audiobook DID censor). It's clear that the censoring priorties were questionable at best. There is nothing wrong with exploring heavy topics in fictional context but I didn't find it added anything to the story here.
The book itself is as most old books are, unrelatable for the most part, and dry. This is a book that I daresay really needs a modern makeover with amendments to make it more relevant and inclusive, and more about the important themes of the story, Arthur's idea for a new world and the founding of the table.
I venture to say that I'm the odd one out and despite the changes the BBC series 'Merlin' made, I do enjoy it better for its messages (though it's still not without its problems).
Basically, I'm glad to say that I've read another classic, but I'm more glad that I've finished it.
logancoxx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It was long… it was dense… but it was worth every second.
Loved this book. It was clever & funny; imaginative; adventurous. Everything you could possibly want in a book - it had it all.
Loved this book. It was clever & funny; imaginative; adventurous. Everything you could possibly want in a book - it had it all.
mjenae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This experience was a lot better than I expected it to be. Not in the sense that I believed it to be badly written—I just did not think it was going to be the best book for me. But it was wonderful, and I am glad I took the recommendation.
I would list my favorite moments, but the more I think of it, the more I realize that all of it was my favorite, and you cannot take one moment outside of another, cannot love one scene without enjoying those surrounding it. The story was so well-rounded, from the magical fairy-tale childhood to the lesson of the geese and the slow, gentle landing. (I am nearly crying just thinking of it.) Over and over, my mind was provoked to theology and philosophy and psychology. Over and over, I smiled and laughed and held my breath. Over and over I was drawn, and over and over nearly lost in emotion. It is, overall, a story of might and peace and the fight against ferocity—it is, at its heart, the hopeful and tender tale of the bravest king legend ever lifted.
I would list my favorite moments, but the more I think of it, the more I realize that all of it was my favorite, and you cannot take one moment outside of another, cannot love one scene without enjoying those surrounding it. The story was so well-rounded, from the magical fairy-tale childhood to the lesson of the geese and the slow, gentle landing. (I am nearly crying just thinking of it.) Over and over, my mind was provoked to theology and philosophy and psychology. Over and over, I smiled and laughed and held my breath. Over and over I was drawn, and over and over nearly lost in emotion. It is, overall, a story of might and peace and the fight against ferocity—it is, at its heart, the hopeful and tender tale of the bravest king legend ever lifted.
amandalywarren's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to DNF this book. I didn’t because it is a favorite of my husband and, obviously, a beloved classic. So I pushed through, and I regret it. I recently saw that someone on this app had a “should have DNF’d” shelf. And if I had one, this book would go there.
T. H. White tells the tales of Arthur, Morgause, Lancelot, and Mordred with thoughtfulness—making Mallory’s Le Morte d’Arthur accessible to the modern reader. But for all it’s praise and it’s reputation of being an enchanting childhood classic, I did not enjoy it. And who is reading this to their kids?? No, thank you.
I mentioned this in my review of Sword in the Stone, but I took issue with the episodic nature of the stories and, again, the omniscient narrator.
Aside from how deeply tragic everything is following Arthur taking the throne (aka 75% of the book), I just don’t love White’s writing that much. It is distracting instead of engaging. Granted, I came to a point where I began to appreciate the distraction because the storyline was killing me. I can only handle so many bad things happening in a row. It felt like being pummeled with people’s bad choices.
That being said, the final chapter was beautiful. Arthur is a beautiful and complex character, and that final peek into his heart and mind is so moving. Had it not been so beautiful, I would have been so much more disappointed with the overall experience of the book. Will I read it again though? No.
T. H. White tells the tales of Arthur, Morgause, Lancelot, and Mordred with thoughtfulness—making Mallory’s Le Morte d’Arthur accessible to the modern reader. But for all it’s praise and it’s reputation of being an enchanting childhood classic, I did not enjoy it. And who is reading this to their kids?? No, thank you.
I mentioned this in my review of Sword in the Stone, but I took issue with the episodic nature of the stories and, again, the omniscient narrator.
Aside from how deeply tragic everything is following Arthur taking the throne (aka 75% of the book), I just don’t love White’s writing that much. It is distracting instead of engaging. Granted, I came to a point where I began to appreciate the distraction because the storyline was killing me. I can only handle so many bad things happening in a row. It felt like being pummeled with people’s bad choices.
That being said, the final chapter was beautiful. Arthur is a beautiful and complex character, and that final peek into his heart and mind is so moving. Had it not been so beautiful, I would have been so much more disappointed with the overall experience of the book. Will I read it again though? No.
jmckendry's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pen_to_paper's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
adampppp's review against another edition
2.0
This book was just OK. What we had to read for school was sometimes great, sometimes droll.