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Fifteen years ago, when I first read T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, I was ready to offer it up as one of the greatest novels of all time. Not yet a high school student, I was compelled to read White’s masterpiece as part of my junior high English curriculum. In some ways, White’s novel affected me in the same way that Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series affected so many others. After all, both began in the late 1930s, and both welcomed readers to a magnificent world of fantasy. Tolkien is easily the more revered of the two today, but T.H. White’s classic oeuvre is still considered one of the most entertaining and accessible renditions of the King Arthur legend. Eve if I no longer hold it up as the pinnacle of literary achievement, I still recognize The Once and Future King as a truly grand tale.

Originally released as a short story in 1938, The Sword in the Stone, the first of four sections in White’s novel, speaks not of the Round Table or Sir Lancelot, but rather, of one boy’s education and upbringing. The boy would grow to become King Arthur, but, in the beginning, he is only a humble child nicknamed Wart. Resigned to be little more than a page for his playmate Kay, Wart nonetheless finds himself exposed to a whole slew of adventures. This is primarily due to the efforts of the mysterious wizard Merlyn. Forced to live his life in reverse, Merlyn’s life is a confusing jumble of what was and what is to come. He becomes Wart’s tutor and mentor, teaching him about life through lessons as well as magical excursions. Under his tutelage, Wart grows to become the ruler of all of England.

Due to the nature of the four distinct sections, the novel as a whole can come across as uneven at times. Each one has a story to tell, and the stories do weave together eventually, but the changing focus causes White to lose his way at times. We see how a young Arthur begins to learn and mature, but the middle stories shift the focus to Sir Lancelot and others. When we return to Arthur, old and conflicted, we are not sure what motivates him anymore, why he is who he is. Likewise, we are robbed of an insight into Guenever, for she merely comes onto the scene and immediately settles herself in. Only as she becomes the source of conflict between two men and, ultimately, two warring factions, do we begin to learn more about her character. These are minor quibbles, however, as White pulls us along on his enjoyable adventure.

The Once and Future King is an excellent choice for any young reader looking to better understand the Arthurian legend. Likewise, it is a nice diversion for any reader looking to escape into the world of fantasy. There is no real series to worry about, as is the case with most modern fantasy writers, and there is no complex language about magic and monsters. T.H. White brings fantasy home for the average reader, and he breathes life into spell-binding characters which still have a hold over this addicted reader. White piqued my interest about many things, including the magician Merlyn, one of my favorite literary characters. The authors who have opted to tell Merlyn’s tale are numerous, but The Once and Future King is one novel that certainly does him and the Arthurian legend justice.

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(Submitted 9/3/03.)