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ramblr37's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sarah_emtage's review against another edition
4.0
I hadn't really read any long form narrative poetry like this before and it takes some getting used to but I loved it!
ehays84's review against another edition
5.0
This was a perfect follow up to reading the history of Alfred. Chesterton makes no claim to be doing history with his epic poem, but instead uses the story of Alfred as a backdrop to draw a picture of pre-Norman England as a mosaic of Celtic, Roman, and Anglo-Saxon life and culture. The Danes are not mocked or ridiculed either.
I had not read any lengthy poetry by Chesterton yet, and it was well-worth it. Chesterton is just so prolific.
I had not read any lengthy poetry by Chesterton yet, and it was well-worth it. Chesterton is just so prolific.
caliesha's review against another edition
5.0
Lift not my head from bloody ground,
Bear not my body home,
For all the earth is Roman earth
And I shall die in Rome.
Bear not my body home,
For all the earth is Roman earth
And I shall die in Rome.
wwatts1734's review against another edition
4.0
The Ballad of the White Horse was an epic poem written by GK Chesterton about the famous King Alfred the Great, the King of Wessex who eventually united the six kingdoms of England against the invasion of the Danes around 850 AD. The ballad is written in poetic form and is easy to read because of its lyric quality. In it, Chesterton praises the medieval virtues of chivalry, the loyalty of the people to the king and the loyalty of the king to his God. Chesterton draws contrasts between these medieval virtues and the modern ideals of indifference, tolerance and laissez-faire. My only criticism of this work is that the structure of the poem makes the story tedious at times, but that is the risk of using a highly structured poetic form to tell a story. Overall, I would recommend the Ballad to anyone with an interest in medieval society.
soupply's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
scipio_africanus's review against another edition
5.0
Epic poem about Alfred the Greats struggle against the Danes. Highly recommend it in audiobook format as epoc poems should be listened to aloud.
frances_chan's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely masterful poetry and simply delightful turns of phrase. This is a wonderful little book of grand adventure and historical romance, at times reminiscent of C.S. Lewis's Narnia or Tolkien's Middle Earth. Despite the at-times faulty theology and literary license with historical fact, Chesterton is a master storyteller.