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The Sword in the Stone

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Title: The Sword in the Stone
by T. H. White
ISBN: 0-440-98445-9
Publisher: Laure Leaf
Pub. Date: 15 September, 1978
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Volumes: 1
List Price(USD): $5.99
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Average Customer Rating: 3.87 (31 reviews)

Customer Reviews

Rating: 5
Summary: The Sword in the Stone
Comment: The Sword in the Stone is a fantastic book to read for several reasons.The first reason is the title, which sounds like an exciting adventure story. As soon as I looked at the cover with a magician and a young boy on it, I knew it wouild be something I would be interested in. The short summary on the inside of the cover told me enough about the story to know that I would read this from end to end. The other thind the summary told me was that the book was about King Arthur, who I've always wanted to read about. I picked out the book and immediately decided that this was something I would read.
The main character is young Arthur. He is a young boy who is typical of young people in his time. He is brave, thoughful of others, and very respectful to his elders. When his tutor, the Magician Merlyn, begins his education, Arthur's curiosity and talent for learning become apparent. Even so, Arthur and his brother, Kay, run and play as normal kids would. Not too much is made of the fact that Arthur is adopted.It would be fair to say that Arthur is shown to be somebody who will grow into greatness but will be perfectly normal getting there.
I really like this book because it is a fast-moving story with a great deal of adventure and magic. Arthur's adventures put him into all kinds of circumstances and problems. In fact, each adventure is a unique hapenning. The way the author weaves adventure and magic into his tales makes the book hard to put down. I especially liked the time when Merlyn turned Arthur into a bird. When Arthur was locked in a box and almost cooked by a witch, I enjoyed how Arthur used a goat as a messenger. This kind of descriptive writing made me feel like I was inside the book. I wouild have to say that this book is an exciting, magical adventure story, which I enjoy greatly.

Rating: 5
Summary: A magical tale
Comment: In The Sword in the Stone by Terence Hanbury White, fantasy and adventure are woven together to create a picturesque and suspenseful story set in Medieval England. The Sword in the Stone recreates the life of young King Arthur as he is taught how to be a gentleman by Merlyn, the powerful but absent-minded magician who lives life backwards. Young Arthur, who is commonly know as the "Wart," finds himself entwined in many adventures, such as being magically transformed into a fish, a hawk, and a badger. He also meets the likes of Robin Wood, Maid Marian, and Little John on a dangerous adventure he goes on with Kay, his brother. All of the adventures he experiences in the book are part of his training. Merlyn wants him to view life from all different perspectives so that he will be prepared to become the king of England.

While Arthur's older brother Kay is preparing for knighthood, it is discovered that King Uther Pendragon, the ruler of England, has died. There is word that there is a sword stuck in a stone which bears an inscription saying that whoever pulls out the sword is the "rightwise king born of all England." Arthur stumbles upon this, not knowing it is the sword, and manages to pull it out, using everything Merlyn taught him.

Merlyn is the key to The Sword in the Stone. If you removed his character from the book, you wouldn't have a story anymore; just a vague picture of a boy named Arthur. Merlyn personifies both humor and wisdom. The fact that he lives life backwards instead of forwards- knowing what will happen next as opposed to knowing about the past- makes him all the more important in this novel. He already knows in advance what the future holds for Arthur, and his training of the boy is really to prepare him for ruling England.

Although The Sword in the Stone centers around a young boy's coming-of-age and story elements normally considered juvenile, this novel would be more appreciated by a mature audience, due to the wordiness. Those interested in Arthurian legend will love this book's twists on tradition. The novel starts at a crawl and then suddenly picks up pace, hurling one adventure after another at the reader. This sudden change is difficult to adjust to at first, but slowly you see that it is all part of T.H. White's genius. Arthur's life progressed in this same way, beginning slowly and then picking up speed, as he became tangled in Merlyn's world of magic and whimsy.

I found The Sword in the Stone to be quite an engaging book once I got past all the fancy vocabulary and focused on the story. I admire how T.H. White took a historical legend and incorporated so many humorous fables. He was obviously a well-educated man who had a deep passion for Arthurian legend. The novel held some personal meaning for me, since I can relate to Arthur's never-ending need for knowledge, intellect and maturity.

Give T.H. White's The Sword in the Stone a try. If you cannot swallow a mixture of imagination, satire and realism all in once shot, you might not want to attempt it. If you do happen to enjoy it, though, I promise you will want to read it repeatedly over time.

Rating: 1
Summary: The Sword in The Stone
Comment: There are parts in the book that start to bore you at times. T.H. White puts anachronisms to make it more interesting. The book was not very thrilling. The book can seem like it is never ending. But I'd say that this book is plain boring. It does have some adventure. I did not like it. I DONT RECCOMEND IT!

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