Customer Reviews

The Sword and the Stone

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr. White created a world that took some time to get used to. Having not read a children's classic in awhile, I had to get used to the vernacular all over again. Once I was able to follow it, the stories unfolded and I couldn't get enough. Mr. White truly knows how to get you to step into another world with ease. He takes all different kinds of characters and historical people to make this story work. I was truly pleased.

The Young Wart, Arthur, was shy at first. He knew what his station in life would always be due to the fact that he didn't know who his parents were. Sir Ector was kind enough to take him under his wing. Yet there were certain things Wart knew he'd never do. Or so he thought. Merlyn was a fantastic character! I loved seeing a new take on Merlyn. The other characters of King Pelinore, Sir Ector, Madam Mim and others brought the cast to a completion. The range of their personalities were fun to watch unfold.

The adventures were so much more fun than the Disney movie. I was truly impressed with how much was followed yet the things that were left out were my favorites. The beginning dragged for me but by the end, I was sad to see it end. This was a fun romp in period fiction and I am curious to see what else was written by this author. I wouldn't read this to anyone under the age of 10 only since there is some coarse language used. There were times I was surprised I didn't burst out into song with all the bits of songs that were part of the story!

This is an interesting little book. I read it as part of my children's literature course back in 1999. The book is partially Arthurian Legend, part social commentary and part farce.

I did not like the inappropriate references for the time of the story, trains, buses ... As well I didn't appreciate the mixing of Robin Hood (Wood) in the 12th Century with Arthur of the 6th Century.

Yet all in all it was a fun book - easy to read.

The book "The Sword in the Stone" is about a young boy who's friend's father owns his own manor and is a knight. this young boy, Arthur, was nicknamed the Wart by his friend Kay. Kay and the wart are somewhat good friends and live sometime during the 1300-1500's. One day the wart ventures into the woods nearby looking for his friends lost hawk and finds a friendly wizard named Merlyn. Meryln comes back to the manor and teaches the wart about magic and turns him into many different animals to talk to ohters. However, Kay isn't being taught with the wart and becomes jelous. The wart asks Merlyn to change both of them for at least one time, but he can't. So they go on their own adventure with Robin Wood rescuing several lost members of the group of forest bandits. in a castle the two boys find that the queen owning the castle is evil and captured their friends. They get caught in the castle by a giant but get saved by Merlyn. When the boys got to the manor Sir Ector, Kays father tells them that the King has died and the person to pull the sword excalibur from its anvil will be king. They journy to Central England and the two boys try to pull out the sword alone. The wart pulls out the sword when Kay isn't looking and Kay takes the credit. Sir Ector isn't convinced and has both boys try again, and the Wart pulls it out and becomes king.

My opinionon on this book is that this a good book overall, I especially like the twists it made to the more commonly known legend and the characters in the book. However, the people repeat words or speak in wierd sentences and sometimes doesn't make sense, but it is still a good book .

-Carlo Gangan

We got this book for my son's assigned summer reading from his school. The book itself is good and discussion worthy, and will make a good classroom topic, hitting upon some controversial topics. The book itself has some wear, but for the cost was a pretty good value. It had a bit of a musty smell, like it came from an old school or library. But, hey; it was used, so we weren't expecting perfection.

I'd buy from this seller again. And, my son would recommend the book to others for a good read.