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theladydoor's review against another edition
3.0
For me, E. Nesbit was always one of those authors I kept hearing about, but had never read. Other authors like Edward Eager cited her as inspirations for their works, and any fantasy-esque story involving groups of children would inevitably be compared to her stories. So many people I know grew up reading her books, but I somehow missed the boat entirely.
Having finally completed The Enchanted Castle, I can see where the inspiration and comparisons have come from. The main characters are a related group of children, varied in age and personality, who stumble upon magic and have their lives turned topsy turvy. The children in question are siblings who have been left pretty much to their own devices at a boarding school and meet a local girl who insists (at first) that she is a magical princess. Through sheer will, the children discover (or create) a magic ring which grants wishes, though only for certain amounts of time, and is never truly reliable in the way good magic always is. Over the next few days, they bring about mischief and mayhem, but also true love.
Reading this book at a later age than I should have definitely changed the way I saw it. Instead of being transported by the characters and fantasy aspects, I found myself critiquing their actions and noticing the various (but time period appropriate) sexist and racist actions. For example, one of the children dresses in blackface in order to put on a show to earn money. I did, however, love Nesbit's characterization of Magic as something wonderful but tricky and impossible to control or understand fully.
I read this novel in DailyLit's format of several installments a day. It was nice to have the story so neatly broken up, and to know exactly how many days were left. Unfortunately, I would sometimes get to the end of an installment and be left hanging until the next day to find out what happened, something that would not happen with a traditional copy.
Having finally completed The Enchanted Castle, I can see where the inspiration and comparisons have come from. The main characters are a related group of children, varied in age and personality, who stumble upon magic and have their lives turned topsy turvy. The children in question are siblings who have been left pretty much to their own devices at a boarding school and meet a local girl who insists (at first) that she is a magical princess. Through sheer will, the children discover (or create) a magic ring which grants wishes, though only for certain amounts of time, and is never truly reliable in the way good magic always is. Over the next few days, they bring about mischief and mayhem, but also true love.
Reading this book at a later age than I should have definitely changed the way I saw it. Instead of being transported by the characters and fantasy aspects, I found myself critiquing their actions and noticing the various (but time period appropriate) sexist and racist actions. For example, one of the children dresses in blackface in order to put on a show to earn money. I did, however, love Nesbit's characterization of Magic as something wonderful but tricky and impossible to control or understand fully.
I read this novel in DailyLit's format of several installments a day. It was nice to have the story so neatly broken up, and to know exactly how many days were left. Unfortunately, I would sometimes get to the end of an installment and be left hanging until the next day to find out what happened, something that would not happen with a traditional copy.
poeseph29's review against another edition
5.0
This is a Great Book. I love it. The wording is a little Shakespeareian at first but once you get onto it it's wonderful. And the ending is so Magical. This is one of those books everyone should read at least once.
thedoctorsaysrun's review against another edition
3.0
Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2018 Task #11: A children’s classic published before 1980
kailey_luminouslibro's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Three siblings are spending their school holidays stuck at school, so they go exploring around the countryside, hoping to find some adventure. They stumble into a beautiful garden estate where they go through a maze, finding what appears to be a young princess in an enchanted sleep. When they awaken her, it proves to be only Mabel, the housekeeper's daughter. But Mabel assures them that magic enchantment is real, and the children explore the gardens with a magic ring that transforms their holidays into a wild adventure.
I love Edith Nesbit's books! Her stories are always so imaginative. The writing sweeps you away into a fairyland, but the characters still have to deal with ordinary things like getting scolded if they ruin their best clothes while playing outside.
All Nesbit's stories have grand wishes and mysterious magic side by side with bacon and eggs for breakfast. It's a perfect blend of fairy tale and ordinariness. It makes you look around at the world feeling as though a genie or a magic ring could be around any corner.
I love Edith Nesbit's books! Her stories are always so imaginative. The writing sweeps you away into a fairyland, but the characters still have to deal with ordinary things like getting scolded if they ruin their best clothes while playing outside.
All Nesbit's stories have grand wishes and mysterious magic side by side with bacon and eggs for breakfast. It's a perfect blend of fairy tale and ordinariness. It makes you look around at the world feeling as though a genie or a magic ring could be around any corner.
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