Reviews

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

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tablereader234's review

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5.0

One of the best books I've ever read. Changed my life. Everyone should read this.

mooncandy's review

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Medievalist and modernist, meta and classic, this novel moved me most for its empathy for the tragic characters it seeks to show. Everything's been said I think about this book, but I first learned about it when my pastor, back in the day, quoted the novel in a sermon. But White was a secular man, only "afraid of the human race". Now, that makes perfect sense as he depicts a fantastical realm before Reformation, individualism, and Charles Taylor's immanent frame, a world organized under a cosmos in a modernist book. The humor [especially Merlin's anachronisms] makes me laugh, the nuanced portrayal of these flawed men and women make me relate. I find the work meaningful.

While White expressed a deep interest and knowledge of Irish culture, he engages in ugly stereotypes and blames... I've read a little about the context behind his bigotry, and it's useful to know as we look back.

Overall, a great story of innocence and experience and the sadness in both.

marita379's review

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4.0

many things to consider here, th white you absolute weirdo

orangejulias's review

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adventurous challenging funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

phoenix2's review

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2.0

At first I was excited by the idea of an original tale of king Arthur. But as i reached the end of the first book,I knew that it was too good to be true. THe plot was good aas a whole, but the writting was boring and really set back the whole book.