F/SF

I read parts of [book:The Once and Future King|43545] in high school as an assignment. I was delighted with the first book about young Wart and his lessons, but bored out of my skull with the rest of it. This novel is the final book in that series, written in 1941-1942 but only published posthumously.

Mine is a vintage 1977 hardcover, and I don't remember where or when I picked it up, but it's been sitting on my shelf for years, and I finally pulled it down and gave it a go.

This is a beautifully written story in places, where the tired old king experiences the world anew, where he rediscovers his love for the land and his duty to his people. The rest is a lot of nonsensical gabbling about politics.

The illustrations by Trevor Stubley are enchanting, and probably the reason why I picked this book up from whatever second-hand store or junk shop I found it, and also the reason why I'll probably keep it despite having no intention to ever read it again. ( )

A very confusing final volume to the series, in that it swerves into a wildly different direction. There's something of a bittersweetness and sense of nostalgia that permeates this last council as the Wart reunites with his animal friends---and I very much liked that---but the content of their discussion, which I suppose comes from White taking the opportunity to expound upon his philosophical ideas about humankind and war, is downright unsatisfying as the conclusion to this long and storied tale. ( )

I agree with so many others who have said this is the worst of the series, but I did love seeing the characters’ stories wrapped up. I also got to read the ant & swan sections so many mentioned from The Sword in the Stone. My version didn’t have it in that section. Apparently it was originally in this book, but was shoved into the first book in later editions. Heavy-handed on the messaging, but I’m still glad I read it. ( )

I am not sure if I love or hate this book. It shouldn't exist - T H White wrote it as the fifth book of The Once And Future King, but then decided to scrap it, which means big chunks of it were shoved forcefully into The Sword In the Stone and the Candle in the Wind. Was it a good decision? I think so, it is a bit _too_ navel gazing and lecturing, War Is Bad, Communism Is Bad, Individuality is Good. But then why do I keep it on my bookshelf? There is something sad and sweet about these final scenes, Arthur about to die retreating to the world of Arthur in his childhood, rediscovering his animal friends. The bitterness he feels of having been a slave to what others needed him to do all his life, his final joy under the stars with England spread out at his feet and the hedgehog singing sweetly to him. The extra glimpses of Arthur make the heavy handed and moralising tone of this one still worthwhile. ( )