2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss The Once and Future King by T.H. White.

Pages: 639 pages

Length: 1 month (March)

Participants: SarahKat, Lorraine, Allison

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

I will probably start this one today or tomorrow and read it slowly throughout the month. It's little bit of a tome.

I should also start this week. I agree it is quite a tome...

It's really hard not to picture the Disney version of Sword and the Stone for this so far. A lot of the scenes are very accurate! The owl was always my favorite in the movie.

I'm enjoying it so far. I think my son would like it too if we were reading it together. It's pretty accessible for being such an old book. Some of the language makes me slow down a little so I'm not reading as fast as I would a modern book. The longer I sit and read it starts flowing better though. I can also see where Tolkien got a few names for Lord of the Rings!

I'm hoping to get to this one this month, even though I didn't sign up for it. We'll see. It's sitting on my nightstand. . . . I've wanted to read this one ever since I read H is for Hawk and got McDonald's portrait of White's life.

I am at about 50% of Book 1(The Sword in the Stone) and find it hard to get into this story. The language is not easy but when you take your time, it works, so its something else. I will at least finish book 1 and start book 2 and see from there...

I will try and start it this weekend.

I finished The Sword in the Stone last night. I enjoyed it. Like I said above the dated language makes it harder to focus on, but I still followed the story.

I liked how (view spoiler)[Wart used all of the knowledge gained from his time as different animals to pull the sword out. And that Kay actually told the truth that it was Wart that did it.

I wonder if the next book will be a little more serious. After the Disney movie, my knowledge of King Arthur is based almost solely on Monty Python's Holy Grail, so I don't know what to expect. (hide spoiler)]

SarahKat wrote: "I finished The Sword in the Stone last night. I enjoyed it. Like I said above the dated language makes it harder to focus on, but I still followed the


😂

Queen of Air and Darkness (Book 2), Chapter 8: (view spoiler)[The unicorn part made me sad. There is more profound stuff in this one compared to the first book. I think I'm more used to the language now but the story is split between Arthur and... the Galls? Gaels? Someone. So that confuses the matter too. (hide spoiler)]

SarahKat wrote: "Queen of Air and Darkness (Book 2), Chapter 8: [spoilers removed]"

I think the Gaels are the Scottish.

I've finished book 2. I liked it more than book 1. The ending is very good and help better understand the links with the Arturian legend and what White wants to do. I should start Book 3 tomorrow or Wednesday.

Lorraine wrote: "I've finished book 2. I liked it more than book 1. The ending is very good and help better understand the links with the Arturian legend and what White wants to do. I should start Book 3 tomorrow o..."

I finished Book 2 as well and thought the same thing about the ending! I took a picture of that family tree so I can refer back to it.

I forgot to mention this quote I liked from Book 2: "the business of the philosopher was to make ideas available, and not to impose them on people."

I just finished Chapter 8 in The Ill-Made Knight (Book 3): (view spoiler)[I think this is the best so far. Following Lancelot around while he is questing is much more fun and easy to follow than the political back-and-forth in the previous book. He is likeable and chivalrous. It describes him as ugly but I always thought he was supposed to be handsome. Even with his face though it seems the women in the land are tripping over themselves to be his wife or mistress. (hide spoiler)]

Just finished Chapter 20 of Book 3. Not sure why (view spoiler)[ the author chose to make Lancelot ugly but I think he was loved by everybody because he was a good man and a real Knight in shining armor!
But he was also innocent and pure, like a ‘maiden’, and lacked the knowledge that helps you make the right decision, like not sleeping with your best friend wife… (hide spoiler)]
I do not remember Lancelot (view spoiler)[ leaving Arthur castle being crazy and running everywhere. Another interesting choice which helps Arthur not to confront his friend and wife…I am curious of what will happen to Galahad. If I remember well, Galahad will be the purest of the Knights (hide spoiler)]

I just finished Chapter 25 (Book 3): (view spoiler)[ I did not know that part of Lancelot's history either.

It's interesting he went to live with Elaine even though he won't marry her. Usually "chivalry" or "honor" would dictate that he should marry her. It seems he is more honor-bound to himself rather than the letter of the law. He won't marry her because he doesn't love her and he refuses to sign a contract basically lying about that.

At the very end of this chapter Gareth and Mordred come to court, so things are probably about to become complicated. I do think Galahad was the purest or most religious or something like that. (hide spoiler)]

SarahKat wrote: "I just finished Chapter 25 (Book 3): I did not know that part of Lancelot's history either.

It's interesting he went to live with Elaine even though he won't marry her. Usually "chivalry" or "ho..."

You are right, (view spoiler)[ for Galahad, it depends on the story. In some he was the purest of heart, in other it seems he is not. That's what I love about Arthur story, there are so many versions. I do feel like reading the Thomas Malory version now. I do not remember reading that one.
Yes, it looks like Lancelot wants to be true to himself more than to Elaine. I wonder what the relationship with Guenever was like when he got back to Camelot.
I wonder who will find the Grail… (hide spoiler)]

I finished Book 3: The Ill-Made Knight. (view spoiler)[I really loved this one. The first book was kind of fun, the second was mostly political. This one had a lot more "story." Lancelot's struggle with his love for Arthur, Guenever, and later, God was so real. I like that he kept getting knocked down but his priorities had changed and he praised God for the adventure. Then at the end he is "allowed" to perform a miracle again.

I started disliking Guenever. She seemed very selfish and didn't care that Lancelot didn't want to carry on with their affair, she just wanted him for herself. And while Lancelot carried a ton of guilt for betraying Arthur and being unchivalrous, it seems she really doesn't care that much.

I haven't read any other versions but now I kind of want to. (hide spoiler)]

SarahKat wrote: "I finished Book 3: The Ill-Made Knight. I really loved this one. The first book was kind of fun, the second was mostly political. This one had a lot more "story." Lancelot's struggle with his love ..."

I agree with you (view spoiler)[ that Book 3 has more ''story'' than the first 2. I felt we were more into the Arthurian legend. Lancelot character has many layers and this author have a good way of introducing them. And yes, Guenever is more interested by her love of Lancelot than God. So we have three interesting characters… (hide spoiler)]
I have read many versions of this story has I am a huge fan of this legend. I never read the Mallory version though. Not sure why.
My first time, I was in my late twenties and it was the version by François Rohan. Not sure this is available in English and I found it did not age well. The second was the version written by Stephen R. Lawhead ‘’The Pendragon Cycle’’. I really loved that series but you have to be ready for 5 books. What is nice about that one is that it tells you more about Merlin and where he came from.
One other version I read was the one by Guy Gavriel Kay ‘’The Fionavar Tapestry’’. This is not exactly Arthur story it’s kind of based on it with a modern twist. I found this one also very good. I am sure there are other versions. I would be interested to read some of it with you.

I am sorry for not copying the book cover and the links. I do not know how to do this...

Lorraine wrote: "SarahKat wrote: "I finished Book 3: The Ill-Made Knight. I really loved this one. The first book was kind of fun, the second was mostly political. This one had a lot more "story." Lancelot's strugg..."

Thank you for the breakdown on all the versions! This was one of my dad's favorite books which is why it was on my list this year. I think I actually have the French version but it would take me forever to read it as I only had 4 years of French in high school haha. I know Idylls of the King by Tennyson is also on the shelf. I'll have to look through what else I have.

The other one I have is actually Malory's. It's enormous.

SarahKat wrote: "The other one I have is actually Malory's. It's enormous."

The Mallory one I am looking into has 748 pages. Is your bigger than that?

For sure, I cannot do Tennyson. I can read in English but not poetry…

I forgot to check but Goodreads says my edition is 950 pages. It is illustrated though.

I'm through chapter 7 in Book 4 now. (view spoiler)[I'm very upset Lancelot wouldn't listen to Gareth when he came to warn him. He really should have thought about the warning Arthur gave them paired with Gareth's and stayed away. I guess he wasn't thinking with his brain. (hide spoiler)]

I also found this series
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...

I'd rather read Malory's if we do another. It will have to be at least a 2-month though.

Let’s do Mallory then. Would July and August work for you? Or a later month?

July and August works for me! I'll add it when I open July's suggestions in a few days :)

Thanks SarahKat. Looking forward reading this with you.

Finished. Here's my review. Most of it is the same thoughts I posted here on the way. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Once again, not joining in but I envy all of you who are reading this or just read this for the first time! I read it at 14 (I think it was the summer I was at my aunt's which would make me that age) and at the time loved it. I don't think it would be 5 stars for me now, but it would have been back then.