Thirteen-year-old Arthur de Caldicot lives on a manor, desperately waiting for the moment he can become a knight. One day his father's friend Merlin gives him a shining black stone - a seeing stone - that shows him visions of his namesake, King Arthur. The legendary dragons, battles, and swordplay that young Arthur witnesses seem a world away from his own life. And yet there is something definitely joining the Arthurs together. It will be Arthur de Caldicot's destiny to discover how his path is intertwined with a king's . . . for the past is not the only thing the seeing stone can see.
"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
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
grabs the readers attention:
This book left me speechless. It was a truly fantastic story. It gave me a great adventurous feeling. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes stories set in medieval times.
The Seeing Stone is Great:
This book takes place in the years 1199 and 1200. Arthur de Caldicott is a young boy living with his sister Sian, Brothe Serle. and parents. He really wants to be a squire and his father won't tell him whether he will or not. Little does he know what exciting adventures lie adhead. This book is a series and the other books are named below. I highly recommend this book to people who like adventure and history.
Reincarnated into the wrong age?:
I think the book fails in getting people interested enough to buy the next
in the series. We aren't told if the main character is Norman or Saxon,
but he appears to be Norman. In this historical era there was still three
major cultural types not well blended in the region where the book takes place: Welsh/ Celtic, Saxon and Norman.
We get no idea of what language they are speaking except his aunt tells him to learn French
( at that period the Normans mostly did speak French).... more info
The Seeing Stone:
This book has an imaginative twist to the well-known, brow-beaten Arthur story. The typical Arthur-whiz might turn away in disgust from the novel, but that is not a result of poor writing. The story is magnificent, and while the imagination might turn some heads, chldren eagerly lap up the story of young Arther. This book is well researched, in its remarkable descriptions, and phenomenal attention to detail - without boring. The book works well for young teenagers; it isn't the usual junk book, but instead... more info
