27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Sword" does not disappoint, October 6, 2002
This review is from: The Sword in the Stone (Mass Market Paperback)
"Sword in the Stone" is the must-read book of Arthuriana, an imaginative fantasy romp that has inspired all our ideas about the venerable Merlin and about King Arthur's boyhood. White infuses the book with whimsy, poignancy, and a mixture of early 20th-century England and medieval times.
Sir Ector's ward Arthur (known as "Wart") has no idea what he's in for when he accompanies Ector's son Kay out on a hunt. When a bad-tempered hawk escapes and refuses to come out of a tree, Wart ends up staying behind all night in the hopes of recapturing it. But he's interrupted by an odd old man called Merlin and his talking owl Archimedes. Merlin captures the hawk -- and then comes home with Wart. Soon he is firmly established as tutor to the two boys.
But they soon discover that nobody is quite like Merlin, and the lessons he has to teach Wart are more than just math and Latin. Merlin transforms Arthur into a fish, an owl, a hawk, and sends him on bizarre journeys with Robin Wood (Wood, not Hood -- a common mistake) and his band of Merry Men, a duel with an evil witch, a gathering of trees, a fumbling King and the Questing Beast, and capture in a sinister giant's castle.
T.H. White was a wonderful author, and an even better comic author. His characters are fully fleshed and endearing (even the nasty ones), but at the same time there is a delightful lightness to them. There isn't a speck of realism in the entire book -- chronology is bent and spindled, magic and realism are twisted together, and readers won't care at all. In a sense, "Sword" seems almost to exist in a parallel universe where animals talk, Robin Hood chit-chats with the once and future king, and carnivorous humanoids roam through Britain.
"Wart" is a good hero -- quiet, unassuming, thoughtful, and occasionally puts his foot in his mouth. His foster brother Kay is also good -- Kay is hot-tempered and a little loud-mouthed, but he is a nice person at heart. Merlin is the perfect crabby gray wizard, eccentric and unashamed to use his magic in a perfectly casual manner, and constantly a little befuddled due to his ability to live backwards in time. He'll endear himself to readers from the first page onward. There are dozens of equally funny characters: The always-questing King Pellinore and his Beast, the worried Sir Ector, the walking mustard-pot, the crabby but kindly owl Archimedes, and many, many more.
White's writing goes at a slightly uneven clip: Sometimes it zips along quickly, at other times it crawls. He displays plenty of knowledge about medieval times, and seems a little too eager to reveal it to the readers. But his descriptions and dialogue are delightful, a mix of the modern and the medieval. There are some extremely frightening scenes, and some (such as the having to put down a fatally-injured dog) that will make you cry.
Readers will come out of this book feeling like they have made a number of memorable, kindly friends. It's a must-read for anyone who loves the legends of Arthur.
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A masterpiece, April 14, 2001
By A Customer
The Sword in the Stone is a truly wonderful book. It is the classic story of young King Arthur, but told in greater depth and detail, and filled with wonderful, humorous characters. The tale so many times retold suddenly becomes fresh and original, as T.H. White's stunning narrative sweeps the reader into the world of Midieval England, and makes the old story come alive in a new and delightful way. Never before has anyone been able to make the old characters of Arthur and Merlyn, Sir Ector and King Pellinore come alive in such a real and fantastic way. The story is brought to life, and is better by far then the traditional telling of the tale. White does not only tell the simple story of the sword in the stone- here he tells the story of the boy who pulled it out. He goes back and tells us about the growing up of this boy, that we might better understand why it was he that was meant for this destiny, and what it was that shaped him for this task. And throughout the entire story, the book sparkles with humour, wit and charm, which is all the better because it is told in Old English. There are too many books these days written in modern language, using slang and twentieth century dialect, so the Sword in the Stone is a delightful change of pace. And while the Old English sounds perfectly authentic, it is not overly used, and is never difficult to understand. My nine year old sister understood it perfectly, when I read it to her. All in all, this story is the best retelling of any Arthurian legend that I have ever read. I would encourage anyone who has an interest in King Arthur to read this book.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
t.h. c.s. j.r.r, j. k.- doesn't anybody in England have a first name?, March 13, 2006
This review is from: The Sword in the Stone (Mass Market Paperback)
The Once and Future King, which is built upon and uses text from the Sword in the Stone, is one of my favorite books. Much like the Hobbit is a sometimes silly preamble to the Lord of the Rings, The Sword in the Stone is the less serious story of King Arthur as a boy that sets the stage for the novel, The Once and Future King. And like the Hobbit, while it can be occassionally silly- a deadly serious and powerful story is just below the surface.
White was clearly impacted by the struggle to hold views of evolution and a God-centered world view, and was also clearly impacted by the tensions of war torn Europe. He weaves some fun stories of Robin Hood, life in a hawk mew, and light-hearted jousting in with all his explaining and metaphorizing, though. I can't imagine not liking the vivid imagery and exotic story-telling, and if you are a fan of any of the other initialed British writers you'll certainly feel at home with T.H. White. Read the Sword in the Stone- it won't take much time, but then by all means read The Once and Future King one day for the real masterpiece.
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