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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
I am so angry that I bought this book! Yet again publishing companies have made modern looking covers for books that are actually outdated Puritan garbage to get people to buy them! I bought this as a horse lover thinking it was a modern book, but it was actually published in 1946 and is set in 1842, so it’s pretending to be even older than it actually is too! I literally stopped after 3 pages because it opened with three “people” sitting in a carriage and sanctimoniously banged on about their lack of “morals” and other good characteristics before even introducing them! The first character was a 12 year old girl, who is described as irrevocably spoiled solely because the second character, her governess, never gives her corporal punishment which would improve her! And the third character was described as having no morals and no concern for any other beings, only caring about food. And this third character is a DOG. I don’t care that it’s an old book or whatever, what kind of jumped-up loser, now or then, has the time or concern to criticise pet dogs for not displaying any morals?!?! I have no time for anybody like that. After this I flicked forward a bit in the book and came across a passage where the girl was thinking about how she thought she would die if the village pastor ever told her off. I’m sorry, I am so sick of this ancient judgy literature being regurgitated to us and to kids again and again just because some people think it’s a “classic”. We need to move on and accept that things don’t stay great forever, and we need modern, non guilt-tripping stories for children. People somehow expect kids to understand the old attitudes and eras and know that it’s not now, but I really struggled with that as a kid and took lots of old books literally. I now immediately check the publication date every time I look at a book in a bookshop.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent
Outdated moral attitudes towards children and pets
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Overview:
I read this book was I was in elementary school and it became one of my favorite books. This book is great for younger people and has a fairytale-esque surrounding it (Disney's version, not original Brothers Grimm).
Good:
The book is enchanting. It's set in a magical little part of England called Moonacre with a village of Silverydew. The book is based on a young woman whom comes to Moonacre and partakes on an adventure to fix the past. The manor is described intensely and has many charming and beautiful features. When I read the books as a kid, I loved Maria's room. Ms. Goudge does a good job setting the scene and the tone of the book.
I believe this book is a beneficial book for younger people to read. It introduces a large vocabulary and there are certain scene where you have to read it slowly. Virtues is one of the themes of the book and it teaches that working together, taming flaws, and kindness are needed. The book encourages people to accept their previous grievances and to either change it or accept it for it is.
Needs improvement:
I felt like it was a bit heavy handed with the symbolism and description. When we first arrive at Moonacre, everything is cast in silvery. The trees are silvery, the grass is silver, everything is silver (aka the moon). The first sign of the manor is a yellow light (aka the sun). Maria is pale with dark hair (once again, the moon) and she adopts a white rabbit. Her uncle is large and very merry. I believe he has red hair (the sun).
Everything is just a little bit *too* perfect in Moonacre. Silverydew is just a happy village with a fantastic pastor that makes everyone behave. The only bad things in this village are The Dark Men of the Forest whom control the beach. Everything about the manor is just perfect. From the overgrown garden to the shabby carpets.
Finally, I felt like this book was a bit anti-feminine. Granted, this book was published in 1946 from a person whom was 46 years old and set during the 1840's. A few of the male characters make it well known they dislike woman and "womanly" curiosity. One male character was suggested to have left out clothes for Maria and he got all pissed off that Maria dare suggest he do something so womanly. Many times Maria is told by others that she needs to work on her "womanly" characteristics because they are actually flaws.
I read this book was I was in elementary school and it became one of my favorite books. This book is great for younger people and has a fairytale-esque surrounding it (Disney's version, not original Brothers Grimm).
Good:
The book is enchanting. It's set in a magical little part of England called Moonacre with a village of Silverydew. The book is based on a young woman whom comes to Moonacre and partakes on an adventure to fix the past. The manor is described intensely and has many charming and beautiful features. When I read the books as a kid, I loved Maria's room. Ms. Goudge does a good job setting the scene and the tone of the book.
I believe this book is a beneficial book for younger people to read. It introduces a large vocabulary and there are certain scene where you have to read it slowly. Virtues is one of the themes of the book and it teaches that working together, taming flaws, and kindness are needed. The book encourages people to accept their previous grievances and to either change it or accept it for it is.
Needs improvement:
I felt like it was a bit heavy handed with the symbolism and description. When we first arrive at Moonacre, everything is cast in silvery. The trees are silvery, the grass is silver, everything is silver (aka the moon). The first sign of the manor is a yellow light (aka the sun). Maria is pale with dark hair (once again, the moon) and she adopts a white rabbit. Her uncle is large and very merry. I believe he has red hair (the sun).
Everything is just a little bit *too* perfect in Moonacre. Silverydew is just a happy village with a fantastic pastor that makes everyone behave. The only bad things in this village are The Dark Men of the Forest whom control the beach. Everything about the manor is just perfect. From the overgrown garden to the shabby carpets.
Finally, I felt like this book was a bit anti-feminine. Granted, this book was published in 1946 from a person whom was 46 years old and set during the 1840's. A few of the male characters make it well known they dislike woman and "womanly" curiosity. One male character was suggested to have left out clothes for Maria and he got all pissed off that Maria dare suggest he do something so womanly. Many times Maria is told by others that she needs to work on her "womanly" characteristics because they are actually flaws.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I absolutely adore this book. it takes me to another land, completely allowing me to revile in my childhood fantasies.
Mi aspettavo di più, devo essere sincera ma comunque è stata una lettura gradevole.
Avevo visto il film moltissimo tempo fa e avevo qualche ricordo della storia. Il film metteva l'accento sulla questione più saliente della storia, fatto che il libro quasi trascura e lo risolve alle ultime 40 pagine.
Infatti, poteva essere sviluppato meglio in alcuni punti fondamentali (ad esempio la questione degli Uomini Neri a mio parere molto più importante del resto) rispetto ad altri meno fondamentali (o almeno potevano essere trattati diversamente, a mio parere).
Il tema del fantastico, anzi della verosimiglianza, è reso molto bene ma la narrazione si spezza spesso a causa delle descrizioni davvero troppo troppo presenti, puntigliose e pressanti a volte anche senza motivo.
La storia è molto semplice ma carina, ha moltissimo potenziale, potenziale il quale non è stato sfruttato al meglio, a mio parere.
Un grosso peccato.
PS: è stato il libro preferito della Rowling bambina. Ho visto qualche elemento che poi è stato trasposto nella sua opera, ma niente di esagerato. Invece ho trovato alcuni echi di "Una serie di sfortunati eventi" e questo mi ha fatto riflettere sul fatto che questo romanzo sia davvero nell'immaginario popolare anglosassone.
Avevo visto il film moltissimo tempo fa e avevo qualche ricordo della storia. Il film metteva l'accento sulla questione più saliente della storia, fatto che il libro quasi trascura e lo risolve alle ultime 40 pagine.
Infatti, poteva essere sviluppato meglio in alcuni punti fondamentali (ad esempio la questione degli Uomini Neri a mio parere molto più importante del resto) rispetto ad altri meno fondamentali (o almeno potevano essere trattati diversamente, a mio parere).
Il tema del fantastico, anzi della verosimiglianza, è reso molto bene ma la narrazione si spezza spesso a causa delle descrizioni davvero troppo troppo presenti, puntigliose e pressanti a volte anche senza motivo.
La storia è molto semplice ma carina, ha moltissimo potenziale, potenziale il quale non è stato sfruttato al meglio, a mio parere.
Un grosso peccato.
PS: è stato il libro preferito della Rowling bambina. Ho visto qualche elemento che poi è stato trasposto nella sua opera, ma niente di esagerato. Invece ho trovato alcuni echi di "Una serie di sfortunati eventi" e questo mi ha fatto riflettere sul fatto che questo romanzo sia davvero nell'immaginario popolare anglosassone.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
One of my childhood favorites.
I read this book as a kid and loved it - after her father dies, Maria Merryweather travels from her home in the city to live with her cousin Sir Benjamin in the country. Travelling with her are her beloved governess Miss Heliotrope and dog Wiggins. On arrival in Moonacre, it quickly becomes clear that all is not well, and Maria must set out to solve a very old mystery in order to restore peace to this small town.
As a child, I was entranced. Goudge's descriptions are intoxicating. She spends much of the book going into detail of the clothes that are worn, the countryside, the lavish spreads at dinner time. Far from being tedious, it brings to life a vivid picture of a slightly fantastical world.
As an adult reader, the moral lessons become much more apparent. Women should take care to avoid vanity, and must above all, not ask questions or be curious about anything. All the answers will be revealed, by a man, when he is good and ready to tell you. A woman had not stepped foot in Moonacre Manor in twenty years before Maria and Miss Heliotrope arrive, and seriously, I don't blame them.
Also - don't fight with your partner. They'll leave you over something stupid like the colour pink and you'll be stubbornly miserable until someone else fixes it for you.
Also, it does get quite religious at times - but far from being cloying or preachy (and as an agnostic, it doesn't take much for me to find religion annoying), it actually espouses all those good things about religion. Having good character, looking out for other people, doing the right thing etc.
It is a perfect children's book really, employing the most classic of children's book scenarios. In how many children's books, does the hero/ine become orphaned and travel somewhere new to discover some sort of mystery and realise they are much more important than they ever assumed? Heaps. And there's a reason - because it works!
The reason I reread this book this year, 2010, is because I was browsing at the video store and realised they'd made it into a movie. I didn't finish watching the movie, it definitely wasn't a good adaptation. So I stopped the movie, went to my bookcase and pulled out the book, read that instead. A much better choice.
As a child, I was entranced. Goudge's descriptions are intoxicating. She spends much of the book going into detail of the clothes that are worn, the countryside, the lavish spreads at dinner time. Far from being tedious, it brings to life a vivid picture of a slightly fantastical world.
As an adult reader, the moral lessons become much more apparent. Women should take care to avoid vanity, and must above all, not ask questions or be curious about anything. All the answers will be revealed, by a man, when he is good and ready to tell you. A woman had not stepped foot in Moonacre Manor in twenty years before Maria and Miss Heliotrope arrive, and seriously, I don't blame them.
Also - don't fight with your partner. They'll leave you over something stupid like the colour pink and you'll be stubbornly miserable until someone else fixes it for you.
Also, it does get quite religious at times - but far from being cloying or preachy (and as an agnostic, it doesn't take much for me to find religion annoying), it actually espouses all those good things about religion. Having good character, looking out for other people, doing the right thing etc.
It is a perfect children's book really, employing the most classic of children's book scenarios. In how many children's books, does the hero/ine become orphaned and travel somewhere new to discover some sort of mystery and realise they are much more important than they ever assumed? Heaps. And there's a reason - because it works!
The reason I reread this book this year, 2010, is because I was browsing at the video store and realised they'd made it into a movie. I didn't finish watching the movie, it definitely wasn't a good adaptation. So I stopped the movie, went to my bookcase and pulled out the book, read that instead. A much better choice.