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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
verosnotebook's review
4.0
“And so it stood, a warm and vivid patch in his life, casting a radiance that glowed in a thousand recollections.”
Such a lovely bittersweet story. I hadn’t realised this was the author who wrote [b:Lost Horizon|23346524|Lost Horizon|James Hilton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668189709l/23346524._SY75_.jpg|1180015] and it is indeed very different. One is the quiet tale of an unassuming Latin teaching at the turn of the 19th century, the other an adventure that introduced Shangri-la. Makes me wonder what else Hilton has written...
Such a lovely bittersweet story. I hadn’t realised this was the author who wrote [b:Lost Horizon|23346524|Lost Horizon|James Hilton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668189709l/23346524._SY75_.jpg|1180015] and it is indeed very different. One is the quiet tale of an unassuming Latin teaching at the turn of the 19th century, the other an adventure that introduced Shangri-la. Makes me wonder what else Hilton has written...
dphilton's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. It went down easy - only 115 pages with quite a few dull, tiny line drawings. Written in 1935 it doesn't feel that archaic, but it doesn't feel totally relevant, either (even to me, a teacher). More of a window into a middle English prep school years ago. A better window is through the character of Dunstan Ramsey in many of Roberston Davies' books.
cocoonofbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was a sweet little book that I read in about an hour. Through a collection of memories–happy, sad, funny–we experience the breadth of one schoolmaster's career at a particular boys' school in England. From a fearful young teacher trying to learn the art of discipline, to a doddering but wise old retiree still living across the street from the school grounds, we see how his life and the life of the school are intertwined. There were some particularly powerful passages about memory, such as whether a memory loses some of its power when there is no longer anyone else around who shares it, or even knows the people involved enough to appreciate the story. As a staff member who lives on a college campus, I could particularly appreciate the feeling of one's life being caught up in the rise and fall of the school. There's nothing particularly earth-shattering about it (I don't know why the cover describes his experiences as "madcap"), but its reflections and feeling of familiarity made it an enjoyable read for me.
johnnacapitano's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up at the La Jolla library used book store-a very old copy with a 40 cents price. I’d heard the title but had no idea what it was about.
It’s a slow-ish, sweet story of a boys school Classics teacher in England during the late 1800s through the 1930s. Loads of references I didn’t get, but easy to follow the gist. How one “small” life touches so many others.
It’s a slow-ish, sweet story of a boys school Classics teacher in England during the late 1800s through the 1930s. Loads of references I didn’t get, but easy to follow the gist. How one “small” life touches so many others.
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
2.0
Pleasant enough, I suppose. I'm not an ardent fan but neither am I bewildered detractor.
chanelearl's review against another edition
This book is very unique, I have never read another book like it. It is slow and sweet and it brought tears to my eyes. I really love the last 30 pages.
The cover blurb compares this book to [b:A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1406512317l/5326._SY75_.jpg|3097440], which isn't quite accurate, but even though it isn't as timeless, it is still certainly worth the read.
The cover blurb compares this book to [b:A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1406512317l/5326._SY75_.jpg|3097440], which isn't quite accurate, but even though it isn't as timeless, it is still certainly worth the read.
anamaria23's review against another edition
4.0
Mellow, serene and redolent of the tranquility of olden times, the book tells the story of Mr. Chips, an esteemed teacher at Brookfield, an English boarding school. While neither the school nor the teacher are at the front-desk of prestige, the two admittedly complement and bring the best in each other, so Mr. Chips soon becomes an icon of the community. The novella is a slice-of-life type of writing which conveys the highlights of his life and career in a soft, nostalgic voice, a bit marred at times by somewhat more melancholic events.
enthralledbard's review against another edition
Quite a nice story, reflections on a life with an aged wisdom. My favorite was when he read off the name at chapel of an old school master who died fighting with the other side. His life ripened with such humor as to make him infallible. Effie also enjoyed listening to this book.