Product Description

In this novel, King Arthur is rediscovered - doing battle with the Nazis during the darkest period of World War II. Donald Barthelme is the author of three previous novels and several collections of short stories, notably, "Forty Stories" and "Sixty Stories".

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #209574 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 158 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Clever anachronisms and mock-Arthurian diction mark this madcap, absurdist 20th-century parable, in which Barthelme transposes King Arthur and his Round Table to 1940s England under Nazi bombardment.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
The King is Arthur himself, even though Barthelme's brief novel is set during World War II. As "real" battles rage far offstage, the Knights of the Round Table are busy "rushing and riding, foining and striking." Meanwhile, Lord Haw-Haw keeps the populace abreast of Guinevere's infidelities in his broadcasts from Berlin. Sad to say, the late Barthelme doesn't do much with Arthur. The irony is tired, the whimsy facile, the language numbing in its archaic banality: "Yonder knights hurtle together like rams to bear either other down!" Faithful readers of Barthelme may appreciate The King ; others will wonder whether it would have seen publication without his name attached.
- Grove Koger, Boise P.L., Id.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

I annoyed everyone around me with this book!
Donald Barthelme's "The King" is the loudest laugh I've ever had from a book! It is the tale of Arthur and his knights fighting World War II, though the tale is told primarily through these characters' sad and outdated dialogue. I read this book almost non-stop through breakfast at a coffee shop, a trounce through my favorite bookstore and then dinner, all the while grabbing anyone close at hand to read passages to. Nasty looks and possibly even violent reactions would not assuage me, for the humor, joy and pure inventiveness of Barthelme's writing kept me as humble and courteous as a chivalrous knight

A Cheeky, But Shallow Romp with King Arthur in WWII England
"The King" is a tongue in cheek fable of King Arthur and his Round Table being transported to 1940 England. They rabble rouse away with all bravado while their exploits become fodder for the propaganda out of Nazi Germany.

Funny at times, but all the while I was wishing for a more what if? tale of King Arthur and his Knights doing battle in WWII Europe. Would have made for an interesting story...but, it would have been written by a different writer as this is more Barthelme's style.

Witty, original and easy-to-read
I was assigned this book to read for a class on Arthurian legends as part of one of the units entitled "The Arthur We Inherited." Because the book's been out of print so long, the professor had to photocopy it for all of us. Having read it, I can say that I'm so glad it seems to be back in print!

I read it in one night. The characters are fantastic, the dialogue is literally laugh-out-loud funny. It's such an original plotline. I can honestly say it's the best reading I had to do for that course, and certainly among the best novels I've ever read!