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sarahanne8382's review against another edition
3.0
Grahame's reminiscences of childhood are framed in term of the Ancient Greek pantheon of gods. While it may be a book about childhood, it's written too much from the perspective of adults smugly remembering the carefree days of childhood to actually be a book for children.The stories of childhood adventures and elaborate imaginings are charming, but there's not a strong narrative to engage the reader's attention from chapter to chapter. Of course, I'm generally one for a novel rather than a novel-length collection of stories, so it may just be my personal preference.
manadabomb's review against another edition
3.0
This was a LibriVox recording.
That phrase is now drilled into my head. But that's ok, because The Golden Age was one of the better read stories I've heard on LibriVox. This book is also available at Project Gutenberg.
The Golden Age was published in 1895 and is a novel that is divided up into short stories. The stories as a whole tell about the childhood of 3 boys and 2 girls. The children refer to the adults as Olympians and believe that the adults no longer know how to have fun. The chapters are each short stories detailing adventures the children take and/or imagine taking.
This was an excellent book that didn't "feel" like it was written so long ago.
(links to the book in both formats available here: http://icedteadiaries.blogspot.com/2008/04/golden-age-kenneth-grahame.html)
That phrase is now drilled into my head. But that's ok, because The Golden Age was one of the better read stories I've heard on LibriVox. This book is also available at Project Gutenberg.
The Golden Age was published in 1895 and is a novel that is divided up into short stories. The stories as a whole tell about the childhood of 3 boys and 2 girls. The children refer to the adults as Olympians and believe that the adults no longer know how to have fun. The chapters are each short stories detailing adventures the children take and/or imagine taking.
This was an excellent book that didn't "feel" like it was written so long ago.
(links to the book in both formats available here: http://icedteadiaries.blogspot.com/2008/04/golden-age-kenneth-grahame.html)
silverthorn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kkamin3's review against another edition
2.0
Was this really the same author of The Wind in the Willows? After three chapters in, I just couldn't read anymore. As another reviewer said,"Overly written." It was tedious. A Kenneth Graham book you can skip over.
toad_maiden's review against another edition
2.0
This is not as good as I remember [b:Dream Days|349432|Dream Days|Kenneth Grahame|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1173976983s/349432.jpg|339701] being, but it has been a few years. I am always enthralled by Grahame's writing and his vocabulary is so rich, even when he's writing for children. He is also extremely witty at times in the way that only a stuffy, turn-of-the-century English gentleman can be. Some of his insights about childhood here are precious--the idea of adults as "the Olympians," and his characterization of child logic and priorities. That said, a lot of these stories were pretty boring, and the older I get, the more his Imperialist thinking bothers me. I would only recommend this book to other Grahame fans, and not really to anybody else.
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
3.0
This is not really a book for children, but for adults reminiscing about their childhood. The language is complex and flowery. The humor dry and a little bit sarcastic. The plot sweet and innocent. I love how the author takes the small doings and events of young childhood and gives them all the end-of-the-world importance that we feel when we are young.
jordantaylor's review against another edition
3.0
"The Golden Age" is narrated by an unnamed boy, possibly meant to be the author himself, as he goes through the "golden years" of his childhood.
With his friends - the dramatic Harold, the shy Charlotte, and Edward, the oldest - he enjoys all the lighthearted, whimsical fun of being young.
The descriptions of the children's games, their outlook on life, their make believe stories, and their favorite fairytales are charming to read about.
I was quite surprised at the writing in this book - it is beautifully done. Written in magical, silvery prose, it was a joy to read.
For example, this passage on music:
"...some notes have all the sea in them, and some cathedral bells; others a woodland joyance and a smell of greenery; in some fauns dance to the merry reed, and even the grace centaurs peep out from their caves. Some bring moonlight, and some the deep crimson of a rose's heart; some are blue, some red, while others will tell of an army with silken standards..."
Also interesting was the classical leaning that this book had. The children are well versed in Latin and Greek, and seem to be quite familiar with Greek mythology and lore.
They call the adults in their lives "Olympians," and are constantly playing games that involve Homer, the Argonauts, or other such figures.
They also have their own customs and culture, entirely separate from the adult's world. There are rules - both official ones and unspoken ones - such as the law that no one may feed someone else's rabbit. There are alliances that are broken and then patched back up repeatedly, fads and fashions that waver in and out of style, and special trysts made.
The children's comparison of themselves to the adults is most strongly voiced in the prologue, where the Narrator expresses that adults do things they don't really want to (for example, going to church or to work) even though there is no one there to make them do it. The children only do so because the Olympians make them. They all say that once they are grown up, they won't do anything of the sort.
The childish naivete, which still possesses a sort of simplistic logic, is what governs this story.
Though I liked it, I couldn't actually call this book a great read. Nothing much happens - it seems that Grahame's aim was to transport the reader, or perhaps simply transport himself, back to childhood, and that is all. If there had been more of a storyline, such as exists in "Peter Pan," this book could have been perfect.
With his friends - the dramatic Harold, the shy Charlotte, and Edward, the oldest - he enjoys all the lighthearted, whimsical fun of being young.
The descriptions of the children's games, their outlook on life, their make believe stories, and their favorite fairytales are charming to read about.
I was quite surprised at the writing in this book - it is beautifully done. Written in magical, silvery prose, it was a joy to read.
For example, this passage on music:
"...some notes have all the sea in them, and some cathedral bells; others a woodland joyance and a smell of greenery; in some fauns dance to the merry reed, and even the grace centaurs peep out from their caves. Some bring moonlight, and some the deep crimson of a rose's heart; some are blue, some red, while others will tell of an army with silken standards..."
Also interesting was the classical leaning that this book had. The children are well versed in Latin and Greek, and seem to be quite familiar with Greek mythology and lore.
They call the adults in their lives "Olympians," and are constantly playing games that involve Homer, the Argonauts, or other such figures.
They also have their own customs and culture, entirely separate from the adult's world. There are rules - both official ones and unspoken ones - such as the law that no one may feed someone else's rabbit. There are alliances that are broken and then patched back up repeatedly, fads and fashions that waver in and out of style, and special trysts made.
The children's comparison of themselves to the adults is most strongly voiced in the prologue, where the Narrator expresses that adults do things they don't really want to (for example, going to church or to work) even though there is no one there to make them do it. The children only do so because the Olympians make them. They all say that once they are grown up, they won't do anything of the sort.
The childish naivete, which still possesses a sort of simplistic logic, is what governs this story.
Though I liked it, I couldn't actually call this book a great read. Nothing much happens - it seems that Grahame's aim was to transport the reader, or perhaps simply transport himself, back to childhood, and that is all. If there had been more of a storyline, such as exists in "Peter Pan," this book could have been perfect.
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