The Sword in the Stone (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays it was Court Hand and Summulae Logicales, while the rest of the week it was the Organon, Repetition and Astrology..." (more)
Key Phrases: Sir Ector, King Pellinore, Sir Grummore (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Neville Jason's approach, he says, is to be humble to the material he is working with and to let the powers of absorption work. It is apt that in this classic retelling of the King Arthur legend, the wizard Merlin often teaches the boy Arthur (aka Wart) by changing him into other creatures—a fish, a bird—to learn by absorption, by being, with empathy being the least of the lessons taught. It is a perfect fit of sensibilities. Jason, who was awarded the Diction Prize by Sir John Gielgud at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, delivers fully developed characters with such warmth and spark that listeners are instantly transported to Sir Ector's castle. Originally written in 1938, this audiobook is perfect for any J.K. Rowling fan, as its humor, intellect and playfulness feels as contemporary as a Harry Potter novel. In fact, Rowling has described White's Wart as Harry's spiritual ancestor. Combined with the brilliant performance by Jason, what more could a fantasy fan want? (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review

Here's a book which I advise someone on your staff to read. I frankly confess that with me it failed to "click" - and yet I know, there are people who will find it (or pretend to find it) "utterly charming." In nonsense vein, with a bit of whimsy - and a background of profound knowledge of the lore of England's myths and legends, of King Arthur and his knights, in the making, of Robin Hood and his merrie men, of chivalry and witchery and the fundamentals of nature in woodland and water, the author tells in reverse the story of the training of "the Wart", of his experiences in other worlds than human through the agency of his tutor, Merlyn, and of his eventual emergence as King Arthur. I loved the transformation scenes; I loved the nature passages. The balance alternately annoyed and irritated me. And the intermingling of bits of modernity, deliberately off key, seemed to add nothing but a sense of tomfoolery to the whole. It is co-choice for Logan Pearsall Smith's utterly delightful Unforgotten Years as Book-of-the-Month for January, so is apt to get a good press. (Kirkus Reviews) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf (September 15, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440984459
• ISBN-13: 978-0440984450
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #400,301 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #90 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Arthurian

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Sword" does not disappoint, October 6, 2002

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"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.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece, April 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Sword in the Stone (Hardcover)

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.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sword in the Stone, March 20, 2000

By A Customer

A boy named the Arthur, called Wart, livng during the Middle Ages, is taught by a magician about the past, present, and future, and about all creatures living on the Earth. When the opportunity arises for the Wart to become King, he must recall everything he has learned to pull the magic sword from the stone and become the new leader of England. I enjoyed this book because it had so many exciting battles and page turning adventures. Even a small bit about Robin Hood! The plot really doesn't appear until the last few chapters, where you realized that every story within the book was connected all along. It is nice to know that there are fun and interesting books to read about the Medeival times. I think that if you are looking for a book with lots of adventure, this is truely one that you should read.