Review The Sword in the Stone

The Sword in the Stone (The Once and Future King #1)

by T.H. White

The Sword in the Stone karya T.H. White adalah kisah klasik mengenai Legenda Raja Arthur; mengenai Merlyn dan burung hantu peliharaannya, Archimedes, Wart, juga makhluk yang berbicara dan manusia yang bisa terbang. Kisah mengenai ilmu sihir dan pertempuran.

Ini adalah buku petualangan yang lucu sekaligus menyentuh. Para pembaca tidak hanya diajak menyusuri kehidupan Arthur sebelum dia diangkat menjadi raja, tetapi juga mendalami hubungannya dengan orang-orang di sekitarnya. Kita bisa melihat proses yang dilalui Arthur untuk menjadi seorang pemimpin yang bijak, murah hati, namun juga bertekad baja.

Ditulis dengan sangat indah. Kisah klasik abadi ini akan membawa Anda lebih dekat dengan Legenda Raja Arthur dari sisi yang lebih membumi. "Wart adalah nenek moyang Harry Potter"
— J.K. Rowling (Penulis buku Harry Potter)

Media Klasik Fantasi

Scott: This is a great book for anyone into medieval, Arthurian legend. I enjoy stories about chivalry and white knights in search of damsels in distress but just can't get thru the lengthy and boring Sir Thomas Mallory text, "La Muerte De Arthur". This book is a fine combination between Alice in Wonderland and Sir Thomas’s work. In other words it's the entire story with more fun and imagination. I'm glad this is only part of a series. I'm off to start book two.

Rebecca: I remember reading this as a kid and liking it, and as I read it again, I still like it but don't love it. I'm sure as a kid I missed at least half of the allusions White makes; I'm sure I didn't realize that the book is full of anachronisms that I guess White intended to show connections between the behavior of medieval knights and modern society. I'm just not sure I really bought it this time. Gerald Morris' books are fantastic and full of humor, but his humor derives from sensible people stuck in the world of Arthurian legends--how sensible people would react to people actually behaving as they do in legends. The same goes for Patricia Wrede and Rick Riordan, both of whose books would seem to be similar to White's in that they combine legend with modern humor. White's characters, however, are not in on the joke, and the only anachronisms in the other books are characters with modern sensibilities. Well, I guess I'll just have to conclude that White's style is not for me, however much it might seem to be a perfect fit, which at least saves me from reading 'Once and Future King' (I've been putting it off because Arthurian legends always end badly)

Beth: I've been reading this book, off and on, for several days -- and during most of that time I've had a migraine headache! But the book has a rather surreal tone, anyway, so that's okay. There are beautiful bits of writing in it, but you could hardly describe it as a controlled or well-edited narrative. It's playful, tangential, wild and woolly. I would give it a 5 as something totally original (and probably seminal, too, as it has no doubt influenced all sorts of fantasy writers); but only a 4, as it did not have that can't-put-it-down quality that I want in a 5 starred book.

It's the story of King Arthur's childhood -- and his tutelage by Merlyn, the magician. It's also a creation story, of sorts. And, well, it's certainly a spirited romp through all sorts of myths and legends of "merry olde England."

I loved the irreverent tone, and the marvellous humour -- but it would be an erudite 12 year old who could grasp even the half of it. White has many of the novel's characters speaking in various dialects which would make the novel a marvellous read-aloud -- but would hugely confuse young readers, especially if they are not British! (However, if you read the dialogue aloud to yourself (hint!), a lot of it is phonetic -- and thus, will make more sense to you.)
There are some wonderful bits of absurdity in it. I think the Monty Python writers must have stolen from it! Recommended, definitely, for those who like English wit and whimsy

Caiti: This was the best thing I've read all year. I didn't want to put it down. It was fun the way Tom Sawyer was fun - like going on an adventure. But even better, thanks to Merlyn and all the lovely Old English flair, what! If that wasn't cool enough, though, there were lovely little references to "modern" things that popped up here and there, thanks to Merlyn's backwardness in time.

So many, many things to love.
King Pellinor's confuzzled relationship with the Beast Glatisant. Merlyn's... I dunno. I just love everything about Merlin. He made me laugh out loud numerous times. I love a book that makes me laugh out loud. The Wart- so eager to learn and eager to please! Sir Ector's bumbling, flustered, kindhearted ways. And to top it all off, you finish the last paragraph find yourself facing -The Beginning-
You know what? The whole time I was reading this book, I was thinking "hm. Some of this must have been in the beginning of "The Once and Future King" ... because I know I haven't read this, but it all is so familiar.

I just found out (I am so... blonde) that The Once and Future King is a collection of 4 books altogether, the Sword in the Stone being the first of those 4. So, yes, I had read it before. Well, I guess that just means I can now put this in my "reread and loved" list on goodreads.

Sheri: This one I read for tutoring and was pleasantly entertained by what a light, humorous story it was. A little different than most of the Arthurian lore I have been exposed to previously. It is the childhood story of Arthur (aka the Wart-an unfortunate nickname if there ever was one!) and his adventures leading up to pulling the sword from the stone & becoming the King of England, which was done quite by accident in this version of events. Clever & quirky.