Amathies's review
The Once and Future King
by T.H. White
Amathies's review
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Amathies's review
rating:
recommended for: Everyone
Fantastic story. A traditional yet unique take on Arthurian legends; follows the life of Wart (Arthur) forwards, the life of Merlin backwards, and makes the story personal.
The original legends of Arthur were scattered texts, morality tales, and in the worst cases, miscellaneous word droppings sold by unemployable hacks. What TH White does is unite them coherently, making only limited references to the more extraneous tales, and develop a cogent and powerful storyline. White showcases how Arthur excels as a king and fails as a husband. The legendary leader unites the peoples of Britain, establishes laws to combat the barbaric principle of "might is right", and brings peace to the realm. However, he is ultimately unable to stem the tide of rebellion, which is fueled by malcontents and led by the illegitimate son he was duped into fathering. In a sense, this story is really about reason and justice opposing the ugly, unruly aspects of human nature. Following the footsteps...more
The original legends of Arthur were scattered texts, morality tales, and in the worst cases, miscellaneous word droppings sold by unemployable hacks. What TH White does is unite them coherently, making only limited references to the more extraneous tales, and develop a cogent and powerful storyline. White showcases how Arthur excels as a king and fails as a husband. The legendary leader unites the peoples of Britain, establishes laws to combat the barbaric principle of "might is right", and brings peace to the realm. However, he is ultimately unable to stem the tide of rebellion, which is fueled by malcontents and led by the illegitimate son he was duped into fathering. In a sense, this story is really about reason and justice opposing the ugly, unruly aspects of human nature. Following the footsteps...more
