Once On A Time by A. A. Milne

Reviewed by Sarah
avaliable here
Start Date: July 21
Finish Date: July 22
Star Rating: nine stars ********* Because its hilarious and clever and ridiculous and awesome
"Movie" Rating: G

"Oh, Hyacinth," said the King, "come and tell me about these swords. Which is my magic one?"

Hyacinth looked at him blankly.

"Oh, Father," she said. "I don't know at all. Does it matter very much?"

"My dear child, of course it matters. Supposing I am fighting the King of Barodia and I have my magic sword, then I'm bound to win. Supposing I haven't, then I'm not bound to."

"Supposing you both had magic swords," said Belvane. It was the sort of thing she would say.

The King looked up slowly at her and began to revolve the idea in his mind.

"Well, really," he said, "I hadn't thought of that. Upon my word, I——" He turned to his daughter. "Hyacinth, what would happen if we both had magic swords?"

"I suppose you'd go on fighting for ever," said Hyacinth.

"Or until the magic wore out of one of them," said Belvane innocently.




Yes, that is A. A. Milne as in Winnie the Pooh. How could this book not be awesome?

Quite simply: It couldn't.

The attraction of this book isn't that its a page turner, or some epic plot. This book is good because it is charming, clever, ridiculous, and, in short, rather hilarious. And I had the immense luck to score four of the best chapters to read for librivox.

Life is good.

The Image of Enchanted Prince Udo in my head is completely hilarious. Of course. And... the whiskers. And... well, yes. Fun book :D

I also really loved the illustrations. Very classic fairy-tale type things... I want to draw like that.