The Sword In The Stone

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What to expect

Kay and his foster-brother (known as the Wart) are living in the glorious castle of Sir Ector amid the wild and beautiful Forest Sauvage. But they are given a tutor – the magician Merlyn. And so begins one of the most inventive and charming retellings of the Arthurian legend, the first part of The Once and Future King. Through a series of adventures that involve being turned into animals, an encounter with a very hungry witch and a meeting with the real Robin Hood, Merlyn instructs his young charges in the ways of the world, and broader wisdom too. One of them will need it – the King has died leaving no heir, and a rightful one must be found by pulling a sword from an anvil resting on a stone…

Critics Review

u201cIt is what I am foru201d. Merlinu2019s timelessly reassuring reply to the boy Arthur is one of many great moments in T.u00a0H. Whiteu2019s magical tribute to Thomas Malory, The Sword in the Stone.nIrresistible too is the booku2019s opening line: u201cOn Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays it was Court Hand and Summulae Logicalesu201d. With Merlin as his genial muddled mentor, u201cthe Wartu201d learns chivalric ways and develops understanding of his own and other peopleu2019s characters by taking such shapes as those of falcon, fish and snake. Every page of this tale u201cof the merry old days of Gramaryeu201d is jeweled with wit and medieval lore and, being reined back by listening, brings a richer appreciation of a book that has been deeply loved by generations of readers since it was published in 1938, and which was written as much for adults as for children.nNeville Jason is in general an avuncular narrator well matched to Whiteu2019s prose. This is education the way it ought to be.
Christina Hardyment, The Times, 7 February 2008
Neville Jasonu2019s approach, he says, is to be u2018humble to the materialu2019 he is working with and to let the u2018powers of absorption work.u2019 It is apt that in this classic retelling of the King Arthur legend, the wizard Merlin often teaches the boy Arthur (aka Wart) by changing him into other creaturesu00a0&nash; a fish, a birdu00a0u2013to learn by absorption, by being, with empathy being the least of the lessons taught. It is a perfect fit of sensibilities. Jason, who was awarded the Diction Prize by Sir John Gielgud at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, delivers fully developed characters with such warmth and spark that listeners are instantly transported to Sir Ectoru2019s castle. Originally written in 1938, this audiobook is perfect for any J.u00a0K. Rowling fan, as its humor, intellect and playfulness feels as contemporary as a Harry Potter novel. In fact, Rowling has described Whiteu2019s Wart as u2018Harryu2019s spiritual ancestor.u2019 Combined with the brilliant performance by Jason, what more could a fantasy fan want?
Publisheru2019s Weekly, March 2008

User Reviews

Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
5.0
5.0
gerardp 29/07/2024

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