The Once and Future King

I think that there is more potential to get wrapped up in an epic novel than one of regular size. You've been with it so long, working through the drama and conflict, anticipating the resolution, that when it finally comes, the emotions involved are magnified. I've always been a huge fan of authors and works that really create a world and fill in every detail - Charles Dickens and John Irving, and Les Miserables, are some of my favorites in this category. These works are large in scope and really left me feeling like I went on a journey with the characters. The Once and Future King is my newest addition to this list.

The Once and Future King was a fantastic read - at the same time comforting and heartbreaking, beautiful yet accessible, high-minded and whimsical. I wasn't expecting much when I started it. I read “The Sword and the Stone” (the first of the novel's four books) in high school, remembered liking it, but I didn't understand why it was lauded as much as it was. The Disney movie version (although it bears little resemblance to the book) still retained my preference. Now, I think it's a crime that we never read further. The first book is a fun read, but it's definitely not meant to stand alone.

“The Sword in the Stone” is a whimsical description of Arthur's childhood and education by Merlyn, and the second book, “The Queen of Air and Darkness” revolves around the Orkney children - Gawaine, Gareth, Gaheris, and Agravaine, and their mother Morgause. While a great read, when considered in the context of the second half of the novel, they serve as a very necessary backstory for the real drama: Arthur's noble experiment of the Round Table, his attempt to integrate Orkney into it, his best friend Sir Lancelot, his wife Queen Guenever, and the ultimate unwinding of everything he tries to build.

The novel as a whole succeeds precisely because you get the entire arc of the story - T.H. White develops every main character in the book from childhood to old age, such that the reader cannot help but feel empathy for all of them. No character is purely good, and no character is purely evil - they are all human, with each having capacity for greatness and evil. And even the most evil, depraved ones can be forgiven, or at least understood, because White explains to you how they got that way and what they are thinking.

For a story about medieval knights running around cutting each other to pieces, this book gives a lot of perspective on the world we live in today. People haven't changed that much in 1000 years. Our society is more lawful, but we still fight over the same basic things. A huge part of the genius of this book is making it so relatable to modern times - even more of a feat when you consider that it's been over 50 years since it was published.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It's not an easy read, but it's not a hard one either. The main challenge is the length, but it's so worth it. I'll probably read this book again at some point in my life. It has so much to teach about humans and human nature.