Book Review: The Book of Merlyn
Sep. 9th, 2022 11:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osprey_archerT. H. White’s The Book of Merlyn stands as a monument to the skill and sagacity of editors. White intended the book as the capstone of his Once and Future King cycle, but, as Sylvia Townsend Warner explains in the introduction to the posthumously released book, because of wartime paper shortages and also, presumably, the fact that large portions of the book involve Merlin monologuing at Arthur, it was never published as such.
Thank God. As it stands, the ending of The Once and Future King is beautiful and tragic and all the more soul-crushing because White clutches at just a bit of hope that retelling the story might help. The Book of Merlyn (which might have gotten better in revision! Warner assures us, loyal to White as a good friend should be) is mostly a bunch of talking heads: Merlin and his counsel of animals discuss what is wrong with Man (just about everything) and how it might be solved, with occasional pauses when the animals note to Merlin that Arthur looks sad.
As well he might! This is all taking place on the eve of Arthur’s final battle with his recreant son Mordred, and he must be afflicted with a strong feeling of “Too little, too late.” What’s the point of telling him all this now, when he’s no longer in a position to use any of it? Surely it would have made more sense for Merlin to transform Arthur to visit an ant colony and a gaggle of wild geese before he started his reign, so he would have years to use the lessons that he learned about governance?
And, indeed, when White learned that The Book of Merlyn wouldn’t be included in The Once and Future King, he deposited those scenes in Book One. And the scenes really work much better there: they make so much more sense as lessons for young Wart who will be king, than as a final lesson the night before the battle that will end Arthur’s reign.
skygiants commented that it seems like a classic case of the themes of the story only crystalizing at the end of the writing process. Near the end you write a scene that actually needs to go close to the beginning, because you’ve finally figured out what the book is about and need to thread the themes throughout.
Thank God. As it stands, the ending of The Once and Future King is beautiful and tragic and all the more soul-crushing because White clutches at just a bit of hope that retelling the story might help. The Book of Merlyn (which might have gotten better in revision! Warner assures us, loyal to White as a good friend should be) is mostly a bunch of talking heads: Merlin and his counsel of animals discuss what is wrong with Man (just about everything) and how it might be solved, with occasional pauses when the animals note to Merlin that Arthur looks sad.
As well he might! This is all taking place on the eve of Arthur’s final battle with his recreant son Mordred, and he must be afflicted with a strong feeling of “Too little, too late.” What’s the point of telling him all this now, when he’s no longer in a position to use any of it? Surely it would have made more sense for Merlin to transform Arthur to visit an ant colony and a gaggle of wild geese before he started his reign, so he would have years to use the lessons that he learned about governance?
And, indeed, when White learned that The Book of Merlyn wouldn’t be included in The Once and Future King, he deposited those scenes in Book One. And the scenes really work much better there: they make so much more sense as lessons for young Wart who will be king, than as a final lesson the night before the battle that will end Arthur’s reign.
skygiants commented that it seems like a classic case of the themes of the story only crystalizing at the end of the writing process. Near the end you write a scene that actually needs to go close to the beginning, because you’ve finally figured out what the book is about and need to thread the themes throughout.
