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Cover of The Once and Future King by T. H. WhiteThe Once and Future King
Classic · Fiction, Classics, Adventure

The Once and Future King

by T. H. White
1958 · 656 pages · Fiction
62.8Must-Read
Score Classic
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 16 hours to read · about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

T. H. White's masterful retelling of the saga of King Arthur is a fantasy classic as legendary as Excalibur and Camelot, a poignant story of adventure, romance and magic that has enchanted readers for generations.

Why it's worth reading

It's on the BBC's Big Read. It's a fantasy classic and the source for Disney's The Sword in the Stone and Broadway's Camelot.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It begins light and funny and grows darker.

By the numbers

62.8Must-Read Score
  • Readers35 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller44 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

On the lists
BBC's The Big Read

Reads as

Adventurous, Epic, Moving

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Classic booksTop 25 · 762 rankedBooks of the 1950sTop 25 · 75 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Once and Future King worth reading?

Yes. It's on the BBC's Big Read. It ranks #2,117 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.8 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Once and Future King about?

T. H. White's masterful retelling of the saga of King Arthur is a fantasy classic as legendary as Excalibur and Camelot, a poignant story of adventure, romance and magic that has enchanted readers for generations.

How long does it take to read The Once and Future King?

About 16 hours (656 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Once and Future King?

If you liked it, try The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien or A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin.