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A review by amandalywarren
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
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.