EPICS 02.1 – ToaFK – The Sword in the Stone #1-10

[Zeljka]

She is not any common earth
Water or wood or air
But Merlin's Isle of Gramarye
Where you and I will fare.

The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White, the first part of The Once and Future King, published in 1939, imaginative retelling of King Arthur's early life, chapters I to X.

[Alana]

Of the four books in this collection, this one is the one that engaged my attention. The film version (Disney) is fairly similar, and the wit is sharp and funny, if a bit dark at times. The interactions are fun and mostly light and there IS a bit of character development, even if a bit hard to see at times.

[Zeljka]

I read today the first book (at last! but not because it was boring, but rather because it is a handy tome to carry around, and I had no time to read it properly at home), and totally agree with you Alana, Disney was pretty faithful to the tone and the story of the book!

I was really amused by Latin sentences White coined for his own entertainment. He knows his Latin, but rightly thought who would care for the proper one? For an example, hear these Merlyn's words:

"Shut your eyes and keep them shut. Bonus. Bona. Bonum. Here we go. Deus sanctus, est-ne aratio Latinas? Etiam, oui, quare? Pourquoi? Quai substantivo et adjectivum concordat in generi, numuerum et casus. Here we are."

(put it in Google translate if you do not get this nonsense :)

[Alana]

Just makes me want to interject with "Bibbity, bobbity, boo!" :)