Arthur

T.H. White’s fantasy classic, “The Once and Future King”, has been one of the world’s best-loved books for many generations. I’ve known about it since I was a little girl and have always wanted to read it. I’ve had my own copy of the book for a couple of years now, but I’ve only just started on it. I’ve always loved the Arthurian legends. But when I finished reading Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur”, I had to take my distance from the stories for a while. That book was just too sad for me. Reading about all these vainglorious knights and their exploits made King Arthur all the more heroic because through it all, he was the only one who maintained his innocence, his honor and dignity… even to his death. Cried my eyes out when he died, it’s just too tragic. Why do the good ones always have to be the first to go?

What affected me most was the injustice of it all. Arthur only wanted what any good leader wanted for his people. He made a lot of mistakes, yes, but he did everything out of a sincere desire to benefit his people. Nothing but good intentions all the way. Then everyone went and betrayed him. His wife, his knights, everyone. Arrgh!

However, this book seems a little different. It’s a bit humorous, poignant, and I can already tell that in the end it will be all the more tragic. But the thing about these Arthurian legends is, there’s always the element of HOPE. Magic is still there, and one day, one day, one day… as long as we keep hoping… magic just might happen.

(posted elsewhere 21 Aug 2005)