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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is one of those books that I'd love to read again for the first time - no re-read can re-capture the magic of my first reading. Still, it's a delightful book that I love to escape into every few years or so. There's Moonacre and Silverydew, where every sensible person would give anything to live, especially if you could have Maria's absolutely wonderful tower bedroom. Yes, it's old fashioned, and there are a few rather outdated ideas about "female curiosity" and it's a bit feudal, but still... One of the things I love are the little zings of Goudge's dry sense of humour.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
13 year old me would have been all over this book. As is, the plot falls almost too perfectly together for me to fully enjoy it as a boring grown-up reader and the suspension of disbelief is a bit hard to maintain, but Goudge’s writing is mesmerizing and I can’t wait to read her other novels.
This was a formative fantasy novel for me, and rereading it I hoped I would still be swept along the dreamlike prose. This is definitely a problematic favourite: there is a huge emphasis on Victorian morality (girls are modest, incurious and obedient) and it paints an idyllic view of the English lord of the manor and his loyal servants. It's also quite religious, in a way that a modern children's book would not be. But despite these shortcomings, I still find it a delight. We meet Maria, her governess Miss Heliotrope, and her dog, Wiggins, in the dark of night as they travel from London to the West Country. Maria has never been to her ancestral home of Moonacre, but when she arrives there she feels instantly at home among the strange animals, genial gentlemen, and beautiful countryside. But one of her ancestors has committed a terrible wrong, and Maria must rectify this.
This book is perhaps part of why I always prefer purple prose to the pared-down, journalistic style we see so often. I love Goudge's expansive descriptions of lush fields, forests at night, moonlight, fairy-tale tower rooms, and mouth-watering food. This book feels like an ultimate indulgence: you want to live in Moonacre, experience the beauty, the food, and the affection of the adoring animals. It is brilliant escapism, and the atmospheric descriptions are absorbing every time you open the book.
This book is perhaps part of why I always prefer purple prose to the pared-down, journalistic style we see so often. I love Goudge's expansive descriptions of lush fields, forests at night, moonlight, fairy-tale tower rooms, and mouth-watering food. This book feels like an ultimate indulgence: you want to live in Moonacre, experience the beauty, the food, and the affection of the adoring animals. It is brilliant escapism, and the atmospheric descriptions are absorbing every time you open the book.
This charming historical fantasy fits neatly with the sort of book I read at about 9, and Judith looked at the cover and put in a request to read it after me. The magical animals and the works built around food and clothes - the things I notice - make this a wonderful framework for a fairytale-like story with a neat happy ending. Delicious.
Totally delightful. I remember having this read aloud when I was little and loving it. I remembered it as magical and feeling very special but that was all I could recall :P re-reading, it's still magical and delightful and I loved it. There's a really hefty religious component which I didn't remember at all, but I still highly recommend it. It's fairy-Jane-Austen-for-polite-little-girls.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
A richly developed fantasy, lavishly described, with a heavy dose of sanctimonious uprightness. Much of the morality felt myopic, but still loads of fun.
RATL24: 1940s
RATL24: 1940s
I enjoyed it but I think if I had read it as a kid I would have liked it better. Reminded me of older classics such as the secret garden, the little princess, and narnia books.