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abomine's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book is a tough one to rate, let alone talk about. The parts of this book that are good are nothing short of spectacular, and the parts that are bad are bad enough, for me, to dock whole stars.
A majority of the male characters are superbly written, but T.H. White's depiction of Lancelot in particular is spot-on. Every version of Lancelot I ever read or see after this is going to be judged against this one. Also, White's decision to make The Ill-Made Knight literally ill-made (he has a facial deformity) is an interesting one that I have not seen in any Arthurian retelling before or since.
If the male characters are well-written, the female characters, unfortunately, are not. Rather than <i>showing</i> how characters like Morgause and Guinevere feel via meaningful dialogue or actions, White <i>tells</i> how they feel with long paragraphs of exposition. The male characters get some exposition dumps too, but those are balanced out with good character interactions, which the female characters don't have unless they're interacting with a male character. There is great potential for development, but often it seems more like White just threw up his hands and went "Shit, I don't know how to write women."
Also, there's the racism. While not as horrendous as it could have been for a book written by a white guy in 1940s England, it is still worth a warning. It is especially incongruous with one of the book's overarching themes about the desperate struggle for unity and peace, about how humans are more alike than they are different, and that borders are meaningless. But then White will make an offhand comment about "heathen natives" and the Gaelic "racial grudge" and make all of that 'peace and love' stuff feel inauthentic. There's also a brief appearance by Sir Palomides, a Muslim knight from what's now Saudi Arabia. While he does get some good lines and has some hilarious adventures with Pellinore and Friends, he sadly doesn't amount to much more than The Token Brown Character.
And all of this stuff is a shame, because in spite of all of it, I really enjoyed many parts of this book. I laughed out loud a couple times, and I was almost moved to tears once or twice. The Once and Future King has certainly reignited my interest in Arthurian mythology, and it's definitely a book that I won't forget.
A majority of the male characters are superbly written, but T.H. White's depiction of Lancelot in particular is spot-on. Every version of Lancelot I ever read or see after this is going to be judged against this one. Also, White's decision to make The Ill-Made Knight literally ill-made (he has a facial deformity) is an interesting one that I have not seen in any Arthurian retelling before or since.
If the male characters are well-written, the female characters, unfortunately, are not. Rather than <i>showing</i> how characters like Morgause and Guinevere feel via meaningful dialogue or actions, White <i>tells</i> how they feel with long paragraphs of exposition. The male characters get some exposition dumps too, but those are balanced out with good character interactions, which the female characters don't have unless they're interacting with a male character. There is great potential for development, but often it seems more like White just threw up his hands and went "Shit, I don't know how to write women."
Also, there's the racism. While not as horrendous as it could have been for a book written by a white guy in 1940s England, it is still worth a warning. It is especially incongruous with one of the book's overarching themes about the desperate struggle for unity and peace, about how humans are more alike than they are different, and that borders are meaningless. But then White will make an offhand comment about "heathen natives" and the Gaelic "racial grudge" and make all of that 'peace and love' stuff feel inauthentic. There's also a brief appearance by Sir Palomides, a Muslim knight from what's now Saudi Arabia. While he does get some good lines and has some hilarious adventures with Pellinore and Friends, he sadly doesn't amount to much more than The Token Brown Character.
And all of this stuff is a shame, because in spite of all of it, I really enjoyed many parts of this book. I laughed out loud a couple times, and I was almost moved to tears once or twice. The Once and Future King has certainly reignited my interest in Arthurian mythology, and it's definitely a book that I won't forget.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Murder
birdbrainbooks's review against another edition
There are definitely some iconic, magical moments in this book, particularly in here (The Sword and the Stone): the Wart meeting Merlyn in the woods and first visiting his cabin; meeting Merlyn’s talking owl Archimedes; encountering Robin Hood/Wood and his band of outlaws during one adventure.
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If you love knights, 11th Century or Norman-Saxon history, or general interest in King Arthur and the Arthurian legends, definitely give it a go. Some of the later books felt a bit like swimming through concrete, so I stopped after halfway through Book Two. Bear in mind—this book was published in 1958 and sections were written in the 30s/40s; the language can be somewhat stilted and there are a few moments that are outright offensive in light of today. The racism and misogyny is real.
.
If you love knights, 11th Century or Norman-Saxon history, or general interest in King Arthur and the Arthurian legends, definitely give it a go. Some of the later books felt a bit like swimming through concrete, so I stopped after halfway through Book Two. Bear in mind—this book was published in 1958 and sections were written in the 30s/40s; the language can be somewhat stilted and there are a few moments that are outright offensive in light of today. The racism and misogyny is real.
Content Warnings
Minor: Incest, Misogyny, and Racial slurs