Reviews

Though I thought Nesbit's realistic depiction of children was dead on (the fighting, bickering, making up, playing, imagining, etc.) I sometimes found myself wondering, just how many adventures are these kids going to have? Maybe it's the "adult" in me, lol.

robynbarrow's review against another edition

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1.0

I love the Railway Children, but this book has a quite anti-Semitic chapter that led me to stop reading. Has not aged well.

ashleylm's review against another edition

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4.0

I thought it was charming, but slight ... but charming enough to smush it into a 4 star category over 3 star. Loved the touch of how the author claimed they would keep a secret who was narrating the story--I can imagine kids reading it and being a bit stymied, but at 51 I was fairly certain I'd figured it out :-)

(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)

lisalark's review against another edition

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5.0

I simply adore E. Nesbit (and her works and in the common domain and therefore free, besides). She's a storyteller in the great tradition of British children's authors, like C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling and everyone I'm forgetting at present.

Also, after I read her, I start writing like I'M British.

This is the first in the Bastables series and is utterly hilarious and wonderful. Sigh. Nesbit. I especially loved the depictions and descriptions of adults and the poor poncy neighbor boy, Alfred (I think that's his name).

There's no magic in this series, like the Railway Children, and unlike Five Children and It, etc. Well besides the magic of fabulous writing.

tronella's review against another edition

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3.0

I remember enjoying this a lot as a kid, and it's still pretty good now. Actually, in some ways it's even better because, aside from all the adventures the characters have, I'm now able to better understand all the things that are secretly going on in the background of the book with their father's financial problems and so on. Everything turns out unbelievably well in the end, but the fact that the children do get told off when they do something idiotic (e.g. getting their dog to attack a lord so they can rescue him from it, or the whole sherry thing) made it a little less saccharine.

Much like the last book I finished (The Jolliest School of All), this one is a bit racist in places, although more in a "children are ignorant" way than anything actually malicious.

Still, it has cheered me up to read a book in which not all of the characters are terrible people... I feel like it's been a while.

fridapalmars's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

thewinnielife's review against another edition

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It's a DNF right now, stopped on the newspaper chapter. It's a library book and it's been overdue because I couldn't finish it and I don't know when I'll get around to it again. The story is delightful though!

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