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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
I guess the first thing to note is that the version I read -- the free public domain version in the Kindle Store on Amazon -- is screwy. The spacing and punctuation is often incorrect. So avoid that version if possible.
In all, this was a cute kids' story about an enchanted ring which allows the children who find it to have wild adventures. It was entertaining and wrapped up nicely. It may have broken the mold of children's stories for the time (I don't know), but now it seems like pretty standard charming children's literature.
Words Below
Vocabulary
antimacassar. (n) A piece of cloth over the back of a chair to protect it from grease and dirt or as an ornament.
commissariat. (n) A department for the supply of food and equipment.
recondite. (adj) (of a subject of knowledge) Little known; abstruse.
Quotes
There is a curtain, this as gossamer, clear as glass, strong as iron, that hangs for ever between the world of magic and the world that seems to us to be real. And when once people have found one of the little weak spots in that curtain which are marked by magic rings, and amulets, and the like, almost anything may happen.
Perhaps one of the pleasantest things about magic happenings is the feeling which they give you of knowing what other people not only don't know but wouldn't, so to speak, believe if they did.
In all, this was a cute kids' story about an enchanted ring which allows the children who find it to have wild adventures. It was entertaining and wrapped up nicely. It may have broken the mold of children's stories for the time (I don't know), but now it seems like pretty standard charming children's literature.
Words Below
Spoiler
Vocabulary
antimacassar. (n) A piece of cloth over the back of a chair to protect it from grease and dirt or as an ornament.
commissariat. (n) A department for the supply of food and equipment.
recondite. (adj) (of a subject of knowledge) Little known; abstruse.
Quotes
There is a curtain, this as gossamer, clear as glass, strong as iron, that hangs for ever between the world of magic and the world that seems to us to be real. And when once people have found one of the little weak spots in that curtain which are marked by magic rings, and amulets, and the like, almost anything may happen.
Perhaps one of the pleasantest things about magic happenings is the feeling which they give you of knowing what other people not only don't know but wouldn't, so to speak, believe if they did.
I am not sure how we picked this book up since it doesn't appear to be on any of my reading lists but I am so glad we did! This story was so unexpected and charming and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. It seemed to start out slow and at first it seemed that it was to be just a story about some children's normal misadventures. However, with each chapter the story became more and more magical and fantastic. I loved how Ms. Nesbit would occasionally address the reader in an aside and appreciated that the girls and boys adventured together with no discernible inequality or prejudice between them. Some of the story was a little disturbing and maybe a little scary but that just added to the fun of it!
I don’t think I’ve read this since I was in elementary school, but I’ve been trying to clean out my bookshelves and just had to read this again before I got rid of kt - it is absolutely and completely bonkers (in a good way, I think?) and I can’t believe I didn’t remember any of it. This was published in 1907 I think? So content warnings for colonialism, some racial stereotypes, and that one scene where one of the kids does blackface
I think this suffered from my initially reading it as an adult. The story was well crafted and the ending was great, the middle section annoyed me though.
The kids and I have decided to call it quits on this one. All of us are finding it boring.