Items related to The Seeing Stone

Kevin Crossley-Holland The Seeing Stone ISBN 13: 9780439430371

The Seeing Stone - Hardcover

 
9780439430371: The Seeing Stone
View all copies of this ISBN edition:
 
 
Once and future. Twice and past. A remarkable Arthurian saga begins . . . in a fantastic mass market edition with high crossover appeal.

The year is 1199 and on the borders of England and Wales young Arthur de Caldicot waits impatiently to grow up and become a knight. One day his father's friend Merlin gives Arthur a shining black stone - a seeing stone - that shows him visions of his namesake, King Arthur. At first, there seems to be no connection between Arthurs past and present. Manor life for Arthur de Calidicot is a complex struggle of terrible secrets and haunting jealousies. Nothing like the red and white dragons, or the sword in the stone. And yet . . . there is something binding the two Arthurs together.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:
"Tumber Hill! It's my clamber-and-tumble-and-beech-and-bramble hill! Sometimes, when I'm standing on the top, I fill my lungs with air and I shout. I shout."

As The Seeing Stone opens, exuberant young Arthur has no idea what adventure lies ahead. A 13-year-old growing up in 12th-century England, Arthur soon discovers that his life parallels that of another Arthur, son of Uther centuries past, the legendary boy king "who was and will be." The second son of Sir John de Caldicot, lord of a manor near the Welsh border, Arthur narrates his everyday life in the Marchland in 100 clipped chapters of crisp, melodic prose. But his destiny entwined with that other, ancient Arthur is revealed only in snatches, after he receives (courtesy of our old friend Merlin) a piece of obsidian, a seeing stone, through which a well-woven story within a story unfolds.

But rather than the fantasy of T.H. White's The Sword in the Stone, Kevin Crossley-Holland offers a convincing and meticulously researched account of what life might have actually been like for a curious, capable, earnest young man in this peculiar time and place, with all its customs, rituals, and regimented routine and social structure. In a well-paced story that alternates between drama, comedy, and even a little mystery, Arthur tackles some surprisingly sophisticated topics, whether he's questioning the pompous priest Oliver (is the poverty on the manor truly part of God's will?), pestering his father over his plans for him (will he become a squire, as he wishes, or a monk or priest or school man?), or just contemplating his place in the scheme of things under the blue sky atop Tumber Hill. The Seeing Stone is a fun, involving read for kids, but will hold grownup attentions, too, with its flowing language, dense period detail, and all the questions that it asks--and doesn't always answer. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

From the Inside Flap:
Read by Michael Maloney
Approx. 7 hours, 30 minutes
6 cassettes

It is 1199 and young Arthur de Caldicot is waiting impatiently to grow up and become a knight. One day his father's friend Merlin gives him a shining piece of obsidian and his life becomes entwined with that of his namesake, the Arthur whose story he sees unfold in the stone.

In this many-layered novel, King Arthur is seen as a mysterious presence influencing not just one time and place but many. The 100 short chapter are like snapshots, not only of the mythic tales of King Arthur, but the earthy, uncomfortable reality of Middle Ages.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

  • PublisherArthur a Levine
  • Publication date2003
  • ISBN 10 0439430372
  • ISBN 13 9780439430371
  • BindingHardcover
  • Rating

(No Available Copies)

Search Books:



Create a Want

If you know the book but cannot find it on AbeBooks, we can automatically search for it on your behalf as new inventory is added. If it is added to AbeBooks by one of our member booksellers, we will notify you!

Create a Want

Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780752844299: The Seeing Stone (Arthur Trilogy (Paperback))

Featured Edition

ISBN 10:  0752844296 ISBN 13:  9780752844299
Publisher: Orion, 2001
Softcover

  • 9780439263276: The Seeing Stone - Arthur Trilogy, Book One

    Schola..., 2002
    Softcover

  • 9780439263269: The Seeing Stone (Arthur Trilogy)

    Arthur..., 2001
    Hardcover

  • 9781858813974: The Seeing Stone

    Schola..., 2000
    Hardcover

  • 9781858814001: The Seeing Stone: Book 1 (Arthur)

    Orion ..., 2001
    Softcover

Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace