最偉大的奇幻經典
沒讀過亞瑟王,別說你是奇幻讀者!
他拔出石中劍,以騎士精神打造卡美洛王朝;
他是永垂不朽的傳說──亞瑟王。
他不是一位浪漫的英雄,而是一個盡其所能把事情做到最好的凡人;他不是騎士精神的領袖,而是個不斷思考的孩子,試圖忠於他那位古怪魔法導師;他不是英格蘭王亞瑟,而是個孤獨的人,在命運的齒牙之間,付出大半輩子的時間戴著王冠。
身兼學者和作家的懷特,爬梳無數詩歌、散文及史料,改編十五世紀起即為經典的《亞瑟之死》,以前所未見的博學觀點,完整還原亞瑟王及圓桌武士的故事細節;亦人亦神的英格蘭之王,在研究者的犀利和小說家的細膩中,褪下傳奇的軀殼,找回最平凡的肉身。
暱稱為「小瓦」的亞瑟,遇上不合時宜的巫師梅林,無意間拔出石中劍,成為一介被卡美洛王朝壓得喘不過氣的凡人。他見證騎士精神的誕生與破滅、信仰的建立和背棄、國家的認同與游離、人性的至情與背叛,試圖力挽狂瀾,卻終究失敗,為後世交織出一齣不朽、壯麗的史詩悲劇。
★本書中譯本《永恆之王:亞瑟王傳奇》由繆思出版。
A deluxe hardcover edition of the world's greatest fantasy classic--part of Penguin Galaxy, a collectible series of six sci-fi/fantasy classics, featuring a series introduction by Neil Gaiman
Winner of the AIGA + Design Observer 50 Books - 50 Covers competition
T. H. White's masterful retelling of the saga of King Arthur is a fantasy classic as legendary as the sword Excalibur and city of Camelot that are found within its pages. This magical epic takes Arthur from the glorious lyrical phase of his youth, through the disillusioning early years of his reign, to maturity when his vision of the Round Table develops into the search for the Holy Grail, and finally to his weary old age. With memorable characters like Merlin and Owl and Guinevere, beasts who talk and men who fly, wizardry and war, The Once and Future King has become the fantasy masterpiece against which all others are judged, a poignant story of adventure, romance, and magic that has enchanted readers for generations.
Penguin Galaxy
Six of our greatest masterworks of science fiction and fantasy, in dazzling collector-worthy hardcover editions, and featuring a series introduction by #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman, Penguin Galaxy represents a constellation of achievement in visionary fiction, lighting the way toward our knowledge of the universe, and of ourselves. From historical legends to mythic futures, monuments of world-building to mind-bending dystopias, these touchstones of human invention and storytelling ingenuity have transported millions of readers to distant realms, and will continue for generations to chart the frontiers of the imagination.
The Once and Future King by T. H. White
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Dune by Frank Herbert
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Neuromancer by William Gibson
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.