THE SWORD IN THE STONE

The Sword in the Stone was first published in 1938 and later incorporated into White's four-part Arthurian opus, THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING. (This recording includes the original text and some additional scenes that were deleted from the more familiar 1950s edition.) The story follows Arthur's childhood up to the momentous day when he pulls the sword from the stone and discovers his true identity. Jason's narration reveals that he understands White's sense of humor. He plays up the comedy particularly well in the dialogue: he is remarkably adept at giving individual voices to each character, from the naïve Arthur to the world-weary Merlyn and the buffoonish King Pellinore, and switching convincingly between regional accents. D.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2008]