The Once and Future King by T.H.White
The Once and Future King is a collection of Arthurian novels written by English novelist Terence Hanbury “Tim” White (29 May 1906 – 17 January 1964). The novels were first published together in 1958. The first book in the series, The Sword in the Stone, which was released as a standalone book in 1938, is one of his most enduring tales.
Once & Future King
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The story of King Arthur is reimagined in TH White’s book in a fully contemporary manner, making it a genuine masterpiece in and of itself. Similar to Tolkien, White scales down an ancient, mythical landscape to our size (or perhaps he scales us up). White, though, does away with all of those Wagnerian storm clouds, making his world more luminous than Tolkien’s. White stays longer on his characters, making them more nuanced, flawed, and pitted against one another. White’s England is all streaming banners, sun-splashed meadows, and sparkling walls. The Sword in the Stone’s opening chapter, which details Arthur’s early years and his education by Merlin, maybe the best account of a child’s childhood ever written.
This is a masterpiece of extreme humour and humanity written in excruciatingly small font.
An interesting book that provides in-depth knowledge of the times of Camelot in a casual, intentionally archaic, humorous style.
