This year I resolved to read more classic science fiction and fantasy, hopefully making a dent in that stack of books I really should have read by now. Mostly because they should be good books, but also to be better informed about my genre and its history. I decided that this meant reading six science fiction and six fantasy books written before 1980 by authors that were completely new to me.
Since I feel weird saying I’m “reviewing” giants like H.G. Wells and T.H. White, let’s just say these will be my reactions to books that have shaped the science fiction and fantasy genres in one way or another.
Up this month is The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White, first published in 1938.
The Sword in the Stone (1993)
Written By: T.H. White
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 252 (Hardcover)
Publisher: Philomel Books
Why I Chose It: I feel like the answer to “why I read it” for all of these books is “because I’ve always wanted to”. I love the idea of King Arthur, but if I’m honest with myself I haven’t read a ton of Arthurian retellings or legends. So where better to start than at the beginning of T.H. White’s iconic series.
The Premise:
This is the extraordinary story of a boy called Wart – ignored by everyone except his tutor, Merlyn – who goes on to become King Arthur. When the wizard Merlyn comes to tutor Sir Ector’s sons, Kay and the Wart, studying suddenly becomes much more exciting. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy being turned into a fish, or a badger, or a snake? But the Wart is destined for greater things and Merlyn’s magical teachings are only the beginning of his amazing future…
Spoiler Free!
Discussion: So, funny story. I thought I had this book on my shelf, but when I went to start reading it, I realized what I have is called The Once and Future King. I thought to myself, “oh, no. That’s not what I wanted to start with”. And went on a short but furious quest to find a copy of The Sword in the Stone that I could get my hands on that day. I soon discovered that it’s kind of hard to find. But still, I managed it.
Turns out, The Once and Future King is actually a compilation of a lot of White’s shorter Arthurian novels. And yes, being better informed now, I cracked open my copy and there is The Sword in the Stone, front and center. I had it all along.
So, for the sake of clarity, I read the standalone novel, The Sword in the Stone, which is very slightly different than the first part included in The Once and Future King. Everyone clear on that? Okay.
With that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I’m not sure why, but I was expecting something a lot stuffier. You know, ponderous exposition about the stately history of Britain and one of its greatest heroes. The Sword in the Stone was nothing of the sort. You can tell White wrote it with tongue very firmly in cheek and it’s hilarious in much the same way that Terry Pratchett is. I begin to see where some of my favorite fantasy authors got their sense of humor. I found myself laughing out loud at Merlin’s caustic commentary and King Pellinore’s muddled ramblings. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the Disney version, but from what I can remember I think they were pretty true to the heart of the story and T.H. White’s tone in telling it.
I think The Sword in the Stone is the quintessential kids’ fantasy adventure. And the whole time I was reading it I could imagine listening to my mom reading it to me as a kid. I’ll definitely be keeping a copy to read to my daughter one day, alongside others like Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles and Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
Although it might need some judicious pruning ahead of time since I found it a bit long winded in places. Maybe that’s one of the things White changed in The Once and Future King, because he always seems to have the urge to explain. And while I know I learned tons from the books I read as a kid, I’m not sure we really need several paragraphs describing how they collected hay in whatever time period this was supposed to be set in.
That was my only other complaint. It was very hard to orient myself in one particular time, what with Merlin’s anachronistic interjections and the narrator constantly trying to explain how different the Wart’s life was from “modern times”. Some of it was a stylist thing, but it’s difficult to immerse yourself in a story when the narrator keeps popping in to say “of course now we have guns instead of bows” or “you can still visit the castle ruins and not fear falling off the tower because some society or other has put up railings.”
However, while it was disorienting, it did lend itself to a sort of indeterminate setting, that could have been any time or anywhere in England. And, in retrospect, I wonder if this wasn’t White’s point after all. Maybe instead of anchoring us to King Arthur’s most probable place in time, White used an amalgam of legend, natural history, and folklore to create a fantastical and amusing backstory for one of Britain’s most famous figures, making it more accessible to everyone.
Conclusion: Like I said, I look forward to reading this with my daughter in a couple years, and I definitely can’t wait to read The Once and Future King. Both to see how it differs and to see where White takes King Arthur with all his unique wit and humor.
Next month I’ll be reading Titus Groan by Mervyn Peak, first published in 1946. This is one that was supposed to have inspired Tolkien, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Featured image from Ancient Origins, here.
When I went to Germany in 1971 the only English language book I brought with me was the ONCE & FUTURE KING. I’d wanted to read it since seeing CAMELOT in ’67 but put it off for years. I read it on the plane, in the airport, in my hotel room. It’s the only English I read for nearly two weeks. (While there I picked up German copies of some of my favorite f&sf.) O&FK always takes me back–my first time flying, first time in a foreign country, strange places and strange people. It has been on my top ten list ever since.