From Amazon.co.uk
Young Arthur de Caldicott is anxious to grow up, spread his wings and become a knight. But for now he must content himself with the life he has in the bosom off his family and friends. One day one of these friends, the old and mysterious Merlin, gives Arthur a special stone, and from that moment his life becomes entwined with that of King Arthur himself...
Arthur:The Seeing Stone is an extraordinary novel, contemporary in feel but with its roots deep in the past. One hundred short chapters give snapshots of both the mythical world of King Arthur and the day-to-day existence of a young boy growing up in 1199, and as the two begin to touch on each other's lives the story develops into a multi-layered novel with a depth and intensity that maintains a page-turning, easy-to-read--yet at the same time challenging--quality that is somehow unique.
Arthur: The Seeing Stone is an absolute must-read, written with a rich and earthy gusto that, combined with Kevin Crossley-Holland's authorative attention to the details of the Middle Ages, quite simply takes the breath away. (Age 9 and over) --Susan Harrison
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
From Publishers Weekly
In this first volume of a planned Arthur Trilogy, British author Crossley-Holland inventively reworks the legend of the Round Table through he diary of a 13-year-old boy named Arthur, living in an English manor in the 12th century. One day, his friend Merlin gives Arthur a magical stone that shows him visions of the once and future king, whose story parallels narrator Arthur's so closely that at first the stone seems to depict the hero's destiny. More accurately, though, "Arthur-in-the-stone is not me. We look and talk like each other. But he can do magic, and I cannot Sir Ector and Kay are not exactly the same as my father and Serle, either." The boy recording the events is not King Arthur, but rather someone infused with the king's spirit, living a largely parallel life. Told in 100 very short chapters, the plot builds slowly, laying the groundwork of chivalric codes and court etiquette, and the character list in the opening pages is essential to keeping track of various personalities and their hierarchical relationships. Some readers may wish for more jousting and less of the domestic squabbles and local politics, but many will revel in Crossley-Holland's portrait of the period and the humorous observations conveyed through the diary entries. A clever, ethical and passionate hero plus several intriguing loose ends will have readers itching for the sequel. Ages 13-up.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
de Kevin Crossley-Holland
de Kevin Crossley-Holland
de Sherman Alexie
de Suzanne Collins
de Nancy Werlin
