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A review by rayofhope
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
A brilliant and entertaining "modernization" of the Arthurian Myths.
I put modernization in quotation marks because it's obviously been quite some time since White wrote this, but it's obvious he was writing it with his concurrent audience in mind, comparing customs and attitudes of Arthur's people to things that would be relevant and popular during White's life. I quite enjoyed the journey from Arthur's childhood to his death, and the part of Arthurian England White chose to focus on to bring his vision of these stories to life.
His writing style is captivating, with well timed comedy and wonderful dramatic suspense. The details he chooses to include are powerful and purposeful and I enjoyed his occasional direct references to Mallory. (occasionally he recommends the reader go read Mallory's version of the tales themself if they want details White has chosen to gloss over).
I will admit that some of White's bias was upsetting to me, particularly the way he spoke about and portrayed the "Gaelic" people. I would not necessarily recommend this book to fans of Sir Gawain, I think there are other versions that do him more justice. I also don't believe I agree with White on his conclusions about society and humanity, however he does invite many interesting questions on the nature of people, and how best to bring about a good society. Might and Right. Certainly a complex issue that Arthur was trying to solve.
Overall, I am very pleased to have finally read this. I hope to delve deeper into Arthurian myths in the future to expand my understanding of these complex legends. s
I put modernization in quotation marks because it's obviously been quite some time since White wrote this, but it's obvious he was writing it with his concurrent audience in mind, comparing customs and attitudes of Arthur's people to things that would be relevant and popular during White's life. I quite enjoyed the journey from Arthur's childhood to his death, and the part of Arthurian England White chose to focus on to bring his vision of these stories to life.
His writing style is captivating, with well timed comedy and wonderful dramatic suspense. The details he chooses to include are powerful and purposeful and I enjoyed his occasional direct references to Mallory. (occasionally he recommends the reader go read Mallory's version of the tales themself if they want details White has chosen to gloss over).
I will admit that some of White's bias was upsetting to me, particularly the way he spoke about and portrayed the "Gaelic" people. I would not necessarily recommend this book to fans of Sir Gawain, I think there are other versions that do him more justice. I also don't believe I agree with White on his conclusions about society and humanity, however he does invite many interesting questions on the nature of people, and how best to bring about a good society. Might and Right. Certainly a complex issue that Arthur was trying to solve.
Overall, I am very pleased to have finally read this. I hope to delve deeper into Arthurian myths in the future to expand my understanding of these complex legends. s
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Incest and War