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The Once & Future King by T.H. White


vinay87

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I've been thinking of hunting this one down as well - I've always been a fan of the Arthurian legends, so to go back and read the originals (or as near to the originals as we have) would be great! If you track down a copy, let me know - as well as telling me if it's any good! :D

 

I love the Arthurian legends as well. Have you read TH White's The Once And Future King? The first book, The Sword In The Stone, in my opinion, is something every child should read growing up!

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@ Vinay: I've read up until halfway through The Ill-Made Night, which though brilliant upset me quite a bit emotionally, hence the temporary casting aside. I got rid of my copy as it was quite ugly anyway (it had this cover here), which turns out to have been an ill-advised move as now I want to give it another go I can't find another edition which includes The Book of Merlin :D!

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I have the Book of Merlyn as a separate book. Both are in pretty bad condition though, I got them used. I haven't ever seen the books in a first hand condition anywhere.

 

Funnily enough, I only picked up the books because a review for GRR Martin's A Song Of Ice And Fire says his writing is highly similar to TH White's. Even the storyline apparently. I haven't read past the second part of TOAFK so I am still confused to where the similarities lie.

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I love the Arthurian legends as well. Have you read TH White's The Once And Future King? The first book, The Sword In The Stone, in my opinion, is something every child should read growing up!

I've not, actually. Surprisingly, I've read very few books based on the Arthurian legends. I read THe Winter King by Bernard Cornwell and another one which was a story of Morgan le Fay in Avalon where the kinghts of the round tables were known as the Merlins and Lancelot was called Lanslod - the title and author both escape me. Actually, if anyone can tell me the title I'd be glad to know it. I think it had "Queen" in the title. I think I'll post about it in the "Can anyone find" section...

 

ETA: It was The Queen's Captive by Haydn Middleton - 2nd in the Mordred Cycle

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I would highly recommend TOAFK Kell, as it's both the 'modern' Arthur which most closely follows Malory's own storyline and one of the few books that Disney actually remained fairly faithful to (The Sword in the Stone). It's also really, really well-written and emotionally engaging.

 

I really need to pick up The Ill-Made Knight again because even though it made me very sad I want to see it through to the end - TIMK is about Guinevere and Lancelot; it says a lot for T.H. White's skill that I felt for them when my opinion of them until then had been that they were two little cheating so-and-so's.

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You have me sold, anyway. I've always wanted to read books based on Arthurian legend and have never done so because I don't know where to start.

 

yay!

 

That's the best place to begin. Try to find a copy of The Once And Future King by TH White that contains all five books.

 

1. The Sword in the Stone (1938)

2. The Queen of Air and Darkness (1939) (published separately in somewhat different form as The Witch in the Wood)

3. The Ill-Made Knight (1940)

4. The Candle in the Wind (First published in the composite edition, 1958)

5. The Book Of Merlin (written 1941, published 1971) (Posthumous)

 

I wonder if there's an illustrated copy somewhere. It'd be a pretty magical copy with illustrations. My copy of The Book Of Merlin has illustrations. Merlin looks so perfect in them. It's quite clear to see how Merlin became the definitive old wizard with his eccentricities. After all, he is what Gandalf, Saruman and Dumbledore try to be. And White's portrayal, I'm not sure Tolkien ever read White's book (Wasn't LOTR published in the same year as the first book?), is just that.

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You have all made me want to go back to the Arthurian ledgends camp..there was such a glut in the 80's as every fantasy writer I came across either wrote about Arthur or based their books on the ledgends that I got fed up, maybe now nearly 25 years later I should start again..John Steinbeck did a very good King Arthur book can't remember what its called

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That's the best place to begin. Try to find a copy of The Once And Future King by TH White that contains all five books.

 

 

Really not an issue. I can't find the books individually, but there's loads of omnibus editions of all five. None that are REALLY pretty though.

 

This is the nicest one I can find:

 

4114CMNNVYL._SS500_.jpg

 

It's not bad, not by a long shot, but still.

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You realise, of course, that my Wish List is now more than twice as long as it was - largely because of this thread and others like it?

 

I can see my birthday and Xmas lists this year consisting entirely of books. Of course, that's not entirely unusual!

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Well, you won't find individual books.

I have the first four books bound in one under the title TOAFK, which is how is almost always is.

The fifth book, I have in a separate version which is illustrated and the cover depicts Merlin and Arthur (in his later days). Beautiful covers all.

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I bought an omnibus edition recently and I agree that they don't have particularly attractive covers. :roll:

 

I was pleasantly surprised to read in Vinay's post that The Sword in the Stone is a part of it. I hadn't even realised! :)

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Well, you won't find individual books.

I have the first four books bound in one under the title TOAFK, which is how is almost always is.

The fifth book, I have in a separate version which is illustrated and the cover depicts Merlin and Arthur (in his later days). Beautiful covers all.

 

Ohhh okay. I'd rather get a version with all five. And yes, you must show us your covers! :roll:

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I've found nice-but-plain hardback versions of the two books that you can get hold of at a price, but none of the ones listed seem to be in excellent condition:

 

TOaFK

TBoM

 

Ideally I'd love a really beautifully-bound hardback copy, either of both books together in one volume; or of all 5 seperate books; or of the 2 seperate books. I think it's high time there was a new edition released, complete with gorgeously ornate covers (numerous choices here - we could have regular dust-jacketed, non-dustjacket, cloth-covered or leather-bound - any would be acceptable, really) and beautiful illustrations inside. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Perhaps if we found out who currently has the publishing rights we could lobby them to release such an edition...

 

Cripes! I've never even read it and now I've convinced myself that I have to have a lovely copy of the books for myself to read at my leisure!

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lol I'll have the pics up by tomorrow.

 

 

I've found nice-but-plain hardback versions of the two books that you can get hold of at a price, but none of the ones listed seem to be in excellent condition:

 

TOaFK

TBoM

 

Ideally I'd love a really beautifully-bound hardback copy, either of both books together in one volume; or of all 5 seperate books; or of the 2 seperate books. I think it's high time there was a new edition released, complete with gorgeously ornate covers (numerous choices here - we could have regular dust-jacketed, non-dustjacket, cloth-covered or leather-bound - any would be acceptable, really) and beautiful illustrations inside. Wouldn't that be wonderful? Perhaps if we found out who currently has the publishing rights we could lobby them to release such an edition...

 

Cripes! I've never even read it and now I've convinced myself that I have to have a lovely copy of the books for myself to read at my leisure!

 

I wonder if that TOAFK has all five books or not...

 

lol Yes, I'd kill for a good illustrated version with atleast a jacket of my copy of tBoM.

 

And yes, the book does have that effect! You should read the sword in the stone to Xander when he's old enough to understand... he'll love it!

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