A review by tklassy
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

3.0

This was an endearing read, but one that, for me, was nothing more than endearing. The children, the side characters, and the narrator were all well considered and gave an almost whimsical sensation to the book, but I was lost when trying to properly connect and feel emotionally invested. It was very reminiscent of [b:Little Women|1934|Little Women (Little Women, #1)|Louisa May Alcott|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388269517s/1934.jpg|3244642] but luckily had less of the sexist undertones. Yes, I am aware of when these books were written, but I felt almost 'dirtied' by such statements as; 'girls are so much softer and weaker than we are; they have to be, you know'. With both [b:The Railway Children|164531|The Railway Children|E. Nesbit|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328865877s/164531.jpg|2880113] and [b:Little Women|1934|Little Women (Little Women, #1)|Louisa May Alcott|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388269517s/1934.jpg|3244642] I think it's the childhood sentimentality that I am missing; neither of these books were read to me as a child, and this is where they fall short. While reading this I was not transported back to my childhood bedroom but to a time where it was acceptable to indoctrinate children with the stereotypes of boys being 'brave warriors' and girls being 'gentle and kind' and the opposite not being accepted. I know this is a children's book, and that much of this would go beyond their understanding, however, I struggle to get past this and to fully enjoy the adventures of the children. I wish I had read this as a child, then maybe I would like it more, see the adventure, the beauty in the countryside setting, and feel the pain of the children when their father disappears. But I struggle to move on from the misogyny that is so innocently presented. I would have loved to have viewed this endearing story through the innocent eyes of a child and to fully appreciate it for what it is.