The Once and Future King!
And a great little bookshop closes.
In 1975, an independent bookstore called J.D. Ernst opened in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. I wasn’t there for that, but I was there fifty years later when it closed its doors for good on December 31, 2025. I’m always saddened to see a small business shutter, but the closing of a book shop leaves a particular hole in my heart. As you can see in the pictures below, D.J. Ernst was a charming store with an intriguing collection of books.
Some of my treasured children's book finds were discovered on these shelves. On its last day, I went in and purchased a handful of books, including these two by T.H. White.
The Book of Merlyn was the first to catch my eye because I'd just heard Steve Donoghue sing its praises on BookTube. I was also drawn to the evocative illustrations found throughout.
The owner, seeing my interest in Merlyn, asked me if I'd read The Once and Future King. I was ashamed to admit I had not. So he grabbed the one copy he had off the shelf and shoved it into my hands, telling me that I absolutely needed to read it first. I hemmed and hauled. I told him I knew I'd like it, but I wanted to find a better edition. Preferably in hardcover. Preferably with larger type (These old eyes ain't what they used to be!).
Unwilling to let me go with only Merlyn in hand, he overcame my resistance by declaring he would throw the The Once and Future King in for free, and, being his last day, he would also give me a deep discount on The Book of Merlyn. (Maybe you see why I am going to miss both Ernst and his shop?)
So I went home with both in hand and dutifully read them in the order he prescribed. And, boy, am I glad I did! You do not want to read these two books out of order. I don’t know what I would have made of the book of Merlyn if I had.
The Once and Future King was published in 1958 and collects the first four of T.H. White’s take on the King Arthur saga. The first book inspired a Disney cartoon you may have watched as a child, The Sword in the Stone. If you haven’t seen that, or if it’s been a while, here’s the trailer:
I can’t remember what I thought of the cartoon as a kid, but having just read the book, that trailer is more than a bit painful. Suffice it to say, liberties are taken.
The Once and Future King was nothing like I had imagined. The offbeat, innovative storytelling, humor, and philosophy continually surprised me. After finishing it, I felt an immediate urge to reread the whole thing—all 639 pages of it.
My favorite character in the book is Wart, the young boy who would eventually become King Arthur. He is simple, good-hearted, and always looks for the best in others, even when it’s challenging to do so. I admire his determination to follow his teacher’s instructions to think for himself. This pursuit, among other things, leads him to realize that might doesn’t make right. This quote from Arthur is particularly relevant today:
“You will find,” he explained, “that when the kings are bullies who believe in force, the people are bullies too.”
T.H. White intended The Book of Merlyn to be the fifth and final chapter of his series of novels. However, because his publisher feared it would provoke some controversy, it was set aside, forgotten, and not published until 13 years after his death in 1977. I enjoyed The Book of Merlyn just as much as I did The Once and Future King, but I am left wishing someone would publish a new edition that includes all five parts as White intended. That said, even as it stands, the ending of The Once and Future King is terribly poignant. The book is, as D.J. Ernst inscribed in the front of the book, “A Classic!” Thank you, sir, for the books and the trusty guidance!
Until next time, Always Be Creating (and, like Arthur, always be thinking for yourself)!
—Bill