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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
I'd seen a movie version and have always heard of this book, but had never got round to it. What a charming read. The kids both loved it. It has to be considered an all time classic of children's literature.
story 3/5
characters 3/5
writing 3/5
audio/paper I listened to the audiobook.
reread? Mehh, maybe someday.
characters 3/5
writing 3/5
audio/paper I listened to the audiobook.
reread? Mehh, maybe someday.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
I love this book! Such a sweet story of a loving mother and her heroic children who are resilient against the strain of losing their father. Beautiful language too. A delight to read aloud. My children also gave this 5 stars.
Was never a fan of this book.
Was a pain to read as a child.
Was a pain to read as a child.
Quite suddenly, siblings Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis’s father vanishes and the children move with their mother, starting a new life in the country. They find exciting adventures and new friends – all starting at the country railway station.
While I had not heard of E. Nesbit prior to this year (a reference of one children’s book in an adult book leads me to another children’s book that mentions E. Nesbit – oh, what a path!), when I saw that one of Nesbit’s most popular works was titled The Railway Children, I was taken back to my childhood discovery of [b:The Boxcar Children|297249|The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, #1)|Gertrude Chandler Warner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1173489650l/297249._SX50_.jpg|945340] and the many hours I passed dreaming of living in a boxcar myself and finding all the adventures that the Alden children did. Naturally, if I was going to get a taste of this author, reading The Railway Children would be the nibble I would take.
It was indeed delightful. The majority of the tale is timeless. E. Nesbit clearly understood the minds and mischievousness of children. She captured the images and beautifully transferred them to the page. Those childhood adventures will stand the test of time: discovery and exploration are a terrific part of growing up.
What did not hold up was the distinction between boys and girls as described to Pete by the country doctor. Those images of women as frail and men as strong have gone the way of the corsets: distant memories best left in the past. I cringed my way through that scene. However, the bulk of the story will encourage youngsters to set off and explore their outside world, making this a tale that every family should be sharing during read-aloud time.
While I had not heard of E. Nesbit prior to this year (a reference of one children’s book in an adult book leads me to another children’s book that mentions E. Nesbit – oh, what a path!), when I saw that one of Nesbit’s most popular works was titled The Railway Children, I was taken back to my childhood discovery of [b:The Boxcar Children|297249|The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, #1)|Gertrude Chandler Warner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1173489650l/297249._SX50_.jpg|945340] and the many hours I passed dreaming of living in a boxcar myself and finding all the adventures that the Alden children did. Naturally, if I was going to get a taste of this author, reading The Railway Children would be the nibble I would take.
It was indeed delightful. The majority of the tale is timeless. E. Nesbit clearly understood the minds and mischievousness of children. She captured the images and beautifully transferred them to the page. Those childhood adventures will stand the test of time: discovery and exploration are a terrific part of growing up.
What did not hold up was the distinction between boys and girls as described to Pete by the country doctor. Those images of women as frail and men as strong have gone the way of the corsets: distant memories best left in the past. I cringed my way through that scene. However, the bulk of the story will encourage youngsters to set off and explore their outside world, making this a tale that every family should be sharing during read-aloud time.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I fucking adored these kids, and the stuff they'd say made me laugh aloud quite a few times. The author definitely got sibling dynamics down to a science. Also, the very specific type of bond between older daughters and their mothers felt very realistically portrayed here. And every adult turned out to be a total sweetheart with the children.
There are two moments I feel deserve a warning.
There's one scene regarding an Eastern European stranger, and one of the community members explains why distrust of foreigners "comes down to politics." In this scene, he calls Japanese people a slur. This scene is so unrelated to the rest of the book, I'm not sure why it was included tbh.
There's one scene towards the end where an older male figure tells the brother that his sisters are the weaker sex and a lot of misogynist wish-wash. It affects his treatment of his siblings for a few pages until the sisters straighten him out.
There are two moments I feel deserve a warning.
There's one scene towards the end where an older male figure tells the brother that his sisters are the weaker sex and a lot of misogynist wish-wash. It affects his treatment of his siblings for a few pages until the sisters straighten him out.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Xenophobia