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noodles01's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
This is quite a different Green Knowe from that of the first two books--different people, and mostly about the country around it, rather than the house. There is a pretty scary episode which involves at least the site of the house, but not the house itself. Otherwise, it's quirky and odd and fun in a quite different way from the first two books.
foggy_rosamund's review against another edition
3.0
Two middle-aged women are renting Green Knowe, and they invite Ida, a great-niece, and two children, Oskar and Hsu, from The Society for Promotion of Summer Holidays for Displaced Children. Oskar, Ida, and Hsu (called Ping), find a canoe, and begin a holiday of exploring the river outside Green Knowe. Written in the 1950s, this is a strange follow-on from the previous Green Knowe stories, as the disappearance of Tolly and Mrs Oldknow is not explained, and the sense of Green Knowe as a place is completely different. The previous descriptions of Green Knowe captured a strange and historic house, full of ghosts and beauty, whereas the Green Knowe here is a simply a place the children eat their meals before they begin their adventures along the river. The river is a very magical place, where children can change size, giants dwell, and horses grow wings. Boston's descriptions of the magical within the real, and of the beauty of the summer river, hold this book together, and create something very readable, strange and entertaining. However, part of what made the previous books work for me was the strong sense of Tolly's character, and the rootedness of place, both of which are lost here. I never really got a sense of Ida, Ping or Oskar, and that was a large part of why this book felt rather flat to me.
mat_tobin's review against another edition
2.0
The archaeologist, Doctor Biggin and her friend, Miss Bun rent out Green Knowe over the Summer and decide to invite two 'displaced' refugees to accompany Doctor Biggin's niece, Ida. The Doctor is here to investigate the presence and history of giants on our isles and her Miss Bun to provide company and food.
With no Tolly and Mrs. Oldknow present, the adventures lie with Ida, Oskar and Hsu (or Ping as he is named). Together, they canoe through the river and canals around Green Knowe, discovering flying horses, moon worshiping Bronze Age people and a 'displaced' giant.
There was no continuity here for me in this installment; I felt we missed the presence of Mrs. Oldknow to ground us in the place. Yet, with her missing, we also miss out on Green Knowe itself and, instead, are left to explore its surroundings. To me, this at least made sense. Mrs. Oldknow is the custodian and the channel through which we see the house's history, with her absent, the children must travel outside its boundaries.
I also struggled with accepting the naming of Ping. I understand that, much like Jacob in 'Chimneys', Boston is trying to create a space for racially and culturally diverse characters and, in 1959, she possibly did a valiant job of it but naming a character 'Ping' because no one could understand of pronounce this name (Hsu) would, in our times, be considered offensive and tactless. I also had a problem with the giant, whose father was humiliated and tricked into performing at a circus, who finds joy and security by doing the very same thing...
With no Tolly and Mrs. Oldknow present, the adventures lie with Ida, Oskar and Hsu (or Ping as he is named). Together, they canoe through the river and canals around Green Knowe, discovering flying horses, moon worshiping Bronze Age people and a 'displaced' giant.
There was no continuity here for me in this installment; I felt we missed the presence of Mrs. Oldknow to ground us in the place. Yet, with her missing, we also miss out on Green Knowe itself and, instead, are left to explore its surroundings. To me, this at least made sense. Mrs. Oldknow is the custodian and the channel through which we see the house's history, with her absent, the children must travel outside its boundaries.
I also struggled with accepting the naming of Ping. I understand that, much like Jacob in 'Chimneys', Boston is trying to create a space for racially and culturally diverse characters and, in 1959, she possibly did a valiant job of it but naming a character 'Ping' because no one could understand of pronounce this name (Hsu) would, in our times, be considered offensive and tactless. I also had a problem with the giant, whose father was humiliated and tricked into performing at a circus, who finds joy and security by doing the very same thing...
rray_'s review against another edition
3.0
Maybe controversial but I feel this is by far the most boring of the series yet, in a series that IMHO is a bit overrated to begin with.
polly_lilith's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jennyanydots's review
3.0
Originally read in December 2013, re-read July 2015 as part of re-read of whole series. Enjoyable and fast, but not one of the strongest.
mat_tobin's review
2.0
The archaeologist, Doctor Biggin and her friend, Miss Bun rent out Green Knowe over the Summer and decide to invite two 'displaced' refugees to accompany Doctor Biggin's niece, Ida. The Doctor is here to investigate the presence and history of giants on our isles and her Miss Bun to provide company and food.
With no Tolly and Mrs. Oldknow present, the adventures lie with Ida, Oskar and Hsu (or Ping as he is named). Together, they canoe through the river and canals around Green Knowe, discovering flying horses, moon worshiping Bronze Age people and a 'displaced' giant.
There was no continuity here for me in this installment; I felt we missed the presence of Mrs. Oldknow to ground us in the place. Yet, with her missing, we also miss out on Green Knowe itself and, instead, are left to explore its surroundings. To me, this at least made sense. Mrs. Oldknow is the custodian and the channel through which we see the house's history, with her absent, the children must travel outside its boundaries.
I also struggled with accepting the naming of Ping. I understand that, much like Jacob in 'Chimneys', Boston is trying to create a space for racially and culturally diverse characters and, in 1959, she possibly did a valiant job of it but naming a character 'Ping' because no one could understand of pronounce this name (Hsu) would, in our times, be considered offensive and tactless. I also had a problem with the giant, whose father was humiliated and tricked into performing at a circus, who finds joy and security by doing the very same thing...
With no Tolly and Mrs. Oldknow present, the adventures lie with Ida, Oskar and Hsu (or Ping as he is named). Together, they canoe through the river and canals around Green Knowe, discovering flying horses, moon worshiping Bronze Age people and a 'displaced' giant.
There was no continuity here for me in this installment; I felt we missed the presence of Mrs. Oldknow to ground us in the place. Yet, with her missing, we also miss out on Green Knowe itself and, instead, are left to explore its surroundings. To me, this at least made sense. Mrs. Oldknow is the custodian and the channel through which we see the house's history, with her absent, the children must travel outside its boundaries.
I also struggled with accepting the naming of Ping. I understand that, much like Jacob in 'Chimneys', Boston is trying to create a space for racially and culturally diverse characters and, in 1959, she possibly did a valiant job of it but naming a character 'Ping' because no one could understand of pronounce this name (Hsu) would, in our times, be considered offensive and tactless. I also had a problem with the giant, whose father was humiliated and tricked into performing at a circus, who finds joy and security by doing the very same thing...