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#OAFKingAlong
quote
batsy
H is for Hawk | Helen Macdonald
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Kind of lovely when book serendipity happens. Randomly picked H is for Hawk for the #TBRtarot this month, but as I see now it will feature T.H. White quite heavily because he wrote The Goshawk. It's something I didn't consciously register when I picked this up. Super illuminating to read this though, after reading The Once and Future King for the first time with the #OAFKingalong group!

Suet624 I‘d forgotten about that! 2y
jlhammar Oh yes, I hadn‘t thought about that. Great timing! 2y
batsy @Suet624 @jlhammar The insights are really interesting. Loving this so far. 2y
69 likes3 comments
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BarbaraJean
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From the introduction:
“In the analysis of Guenever, where he had nothing personal to go on, he speculates, and does his best to overcome his aversion to women.”

Well, that explains a LOT. #OAFKingalong

31 likes1 stack add
review
AvidReader25
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Mehso-so

I agree with so many others who have said this is the worst of the series, but I did love seeing the characters‘ stories wrapped up. I also got to read the ant & swan sections so many mentioned from The Sword in the Stone. My version didn‘t have it in that section. Apparently it was originally in this book, but was shoved into the first book in later editions. Heavy-handed on the messaging, but I‘m still glad I read it. #OAFKingAlong @BarbaraJean

BarbaraJean Oh, interesting that the ant and swan sections were originally here! I haven't even started this one yet... sigh. Next week! 2y
AvidReader25 @BarbaraJean I am leaving on vacation next week and will be off-line so I wanted to make sure I finished it before I left. 😊 2y
30 likes2 comments
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BarbaraJean
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Tagging the #OAFKingAlong list, because I remember a couple of people were wanting to or planning on reading The Book of Merlyn, but I don‘t remember who. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Does anyone want to do a low key buddy read of this? Maybe one discussion at the end of May?

rubyslippersreads I‘ll try to catch up in time to join in. 2y
batsy I read this since my edition included it, but look forward to seeing the discussion! 2y
TheAromaofBooks I probably won't - I didn't even finish the last book because it was making me feel sad!! 😅 2y
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currentlyreadinginCO I'm in! I'll add it to my May reading list 🤓 2y
BarbaraJean @rubyslippersreads @batsy @thereadingreference 🎉 Yay! I'll tag all of you on a discussion post at the end of the month. @TheAromaofBooks Ha! Yeah, I suppose the Arthurian tales are not really “happily ever after“ ones! 2y
AvidReader25 I‘m in! I paused reading it after finishing the 4th book, but I‘ll pick it back up! 2y
BarbaraJean @AvidReader25 Woohoo! I‘ll tag you as well! 2y
TheAromaofBooks The Lancelot/Guinevere/Arthur love triangle is kind of my least favorite aspect of the Arthurian tales, and it ended up being White's main focus, so I wasn't really jiving with this series anyway haha 2y
37 likes8 comments
review
Lcsmcat
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Pickpick

What a lovely romp through the Arthurian legend. I liked the tongue in cheek delivery and philosophical tangents. And although you know how it‘s going to end, it still hurts. Poor Arthur at the end. And now I‘ve got Camelot on the TV because it‘s been in my head throughout. Thanks to @AvidReader25 for hosting the #oafkingalong and spurring me to take this off my TBR!

batsy So glad it was a pick for you, too! Nice review. 2y
suvata I read that book a long, long time ago (I‘m old) and I have to say that it‘s one of my top-ten favorites of all time. Your post brought up a lot of memories. I think I will re-read it. Thanks for the nudge. 😎 2y
AvidReader25 It was so fun to get to read it with you all! I ended up loving the book, though it was not what I was expecting. I think I‘ll have to rewatch the Merlin miniseries because it‘s still on my mind too! 😊 2y
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BkClubCare Thank you for participating 🌟 2y
Lcsmcat @BkClubCare Thanks for hosting! I‘m glad I joined in. 🙂 2y
Lcsmcat @suvata I‘m old enough that I _should_ have read it a long time ago. But sometimes we need to wait to appreciate a book. 🙂 2y
45 likes7 comments
review
AvidReader25
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Pickpick

Just beautiful! I loved how each book is so different in tone. They work in concert to create a powerful picture of a monarch creating a new form of government. There were scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. When Guenever is scared Mordred is outside the door & when she & Lancelot see the handle start to move, the tension is perfect. I loved the depth of Arthur's sorrow as he realizes what his flaws have led to. Continued... #OAFkingalong

AvidReader25 I was surprised that the climax comes when the characters are much older. I loved that it wasn't about infatuation, but decades of deep friendship & love. Mordred's story is tragic. He's broken because of his upbringing. It's hard to blame him for the selfish monster he becomes. The book has sections that drag, but as a whole I loved it. It was funny & heartbreaking, full of clever quips & philosophical questions. I'd love to reread it one day. 2y
BarbaraJean I agree, the depth of the relationships in the “triangle” was so compelling. Same with the brothers. I really felt for all the characters, even Mordred, for the reasons you mention. I really enjoyed this readalong—thank you so much for hosting! 2y
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batsy Thank you for hosting this group read—I'm so glad I finally got to this, and found it so rich and rewarding. White is absolutely doing his own thing in telling the story of the myth by focusing on the characters, while also dipping in and out of genres and making it a work of philosophy, to boot. 2y
BookwormM Love that owl 2y
rubyslippersreads I‘m still (re)reading. Some of it I remember, some of it I don‘t, and through all of it, I‘m hearing the OBC cast album of “Camelot.” 😊 2y
Lcsmcat @batsy Loved the between-the-wars philosophy! I marked “Was it the wicked leaders who led innocent populations to slaughter, or was it wicked populations who chose leaders after their own hearts?” 2y
TheAromaofBooks Thank you for hosting this buddy read - I've been meaning to read this series for so long! 2y
AvidReader25 @BarbaraJean I think it was a testament to how much we loved the characters by the end that we felt so deeply for them when the inevitable tragedy unfolded! 2y
AvidReader25 @batsy Well said! He had his own style, and it worked so well! It made for such a fun retelling, while still exploring the philosophical side of the story. 2y
AvidReader25 @BookwormM Thanks! He holds my glasses on my bathroom counter, but I‘ve named him Archimedes after reading this. 😊 2y
AvidReader25 @Lcsmcat Such a good quote! Still so sadly relevant today. 2y
AvidReader25 @TheAromaofBooks It was on my TBR for so long! I‘m so glad we read it together. I made it such a richer reading experience to be able to hear everyone‘s thoughts. 2y
rubyslippersreads @AvidReader25 Just don‘t call him Archie! 🦉 2y
BkClubCare ❤️🗡️👏 2y
AvidReader25 @rubyslippersreads 😂 I would never! 2y
35 likes17 comments
blurb
hannah-leeloo
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Anyone read this one?

majkia I read this many years ago and loved it. I should revisit. 2y
hannah-leeloo I've wanted it for years @majkia I know my son will love it too 2y
RaeLovesToRead There is an #OAFKingalong going on now! I was gonna join, but got lost somewhere between The Realm of the Elderlings and Harschmort Manor... 2y
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hannah-leeloo Ooooh thanks for letting me know @RaeLovesToRead 2y
batsy Just finished it for the #OAFKingalong and loved it. 2y
hannah-leeloo Awesome, I look forward to it @batsy 2y
BarbaraJean I just finished reading it for the #OAFKingalong as well! It‘s fantastic. 2y
63 likes1 stack add7 comments
review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

Such a fascinating & rewarding book! The first section was delightfully playful & lighthearted, and the subsequent sections were darker and more thought-provoking (also slower going). I wanted a bit more development of Arthur in the later sections, and more development of Guinevere outside of her relationship with Lancelot, but I loved the depth of Lancelot‘s character and the reflectiveness of the ending. #ChunksterChallenge2023 #OAFKingalong

Amiable Excellent! I'm still chugging my excruciatingly slow way through this book with the tiny print. 2y
AvidReader25 Beautifully said! I did wish for a little more depth in those final sections with our main characters, but I loved the arc created by the four very different books. 2y
BarbaraJean @AvidReader25 I did, too. The second section is so different from the first that I wondered if the rest would feel uneven. But after “The Ill-Made Knight,” it was clear White knew what he was doing! I was impressed by how each section built on what had come before. 2y
49 likes3 comments