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When their father is taken away by strangers, the lives of three children are altered forever. They move with their mother to a cottage by a railway. The railway becomes their playground, and they befriend the rail workers and passengers who eventually help to reunite them with their father.
themulhern: C. S. Lewis asserted that Nesbit was one of his influences for the Narnia books. In this book, the predicament is a very ill mother, rather than an incarcerated father.
I'm in awe of E. Nesbit as a storyteller for children. Her charm, warmth and understanding as a narrator are wonderful, and I'm sorry I never discovered her as a child. Nevertheless, she can be enjoyed by adults too, as happens with many of the best writers for children.
Although her talent is the same as in the Five Children and It series, here the stakes seem higher. Younger readers will enjoy the many adventures of the three children, but adults will also appreciate the darker social themes, as the family has to give up their privileged lifestyle and learn to live in poverty in the father's absence.
One could maybe take issue with how often the children are in a position to save others and with how convenient their "old gentleman" as a deus ex machina, but, seriously, the story is too wonderful and charming for me to care.
E. Nesbit is a master of her craft. Her insight into children's way of thinking is remarkable. ( )
When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. Each day, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis run down the field to the railway track and wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father. Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father's disappearance.
When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. Each day, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis run down the field to the railway track and wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father. Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father's disappearance.
Charming in its way, though more than a little preachy and optimistically naive. Puts me in mind of Keats's opinion that "We hate poetry that has a palpable design upon us." Could have been subtitled "People Will Help You if You're Wealthy and Then Get in Trouble." ( )
I have always loved the film, in fact it is probably my favourite family film , the book is very close in content to the film and therefore wonderful and it has the Oh My Daddy bit at the end which always gets me in the film. This is my first time reading the book- loved it. ( )
To my dear Son PAUL BLAND behind whose knowledge of railways my ignorance confidently shelters
First words
They were not the railway children to begin with.
Quotations
Everything has an end, and you get to it if you only keep on. Which is quite true, if you come to think of it, and a useful thing to remember in seasons of trouble—such as measles, arithmetic, impositions, and those times when you are in disgrace, and feel as though no one would ever love you again, and you could never—never again—love anybody.
Last words
At the end of the field, among thin gold spikes of grass and the harebells and Gipsy roses and St John's Wort, we may just take one last look, over our shoulders, at the white house where neither we nor anyone else is wanted now.
When their father is taken away by strangers, the lives of three children are altered forever. They move with their mother to a cottage by a railway. The railway becomes their playground, and they befriend the rail workers and passengers who eventually help to reunite them with their father.
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When Father goes away with two strangers one evening, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered. They and Mother have to move from their comfortable London home to go and live in a simple country cottage, where Mother writes books to make ends meet. However, they soon come to love the railway that runs near their cottage, and they make a habit of waving every day to the Old Gentleman who rides on it. They befriend the porter Perks, and through him learn railway lore and much else. They have many adventures and when they save a train from disaster, they are helped by the Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of Father's disappearance, and the family is happily reunited.
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Although her talent is the same as in the Five Children and It series, here the stakes seem higher. Younger readers will enjoy the many adventures of the three children, but adults will also appreciate the darker social themes, as the family has to give up their privileged lifestyle and learn to live in poverty in the father's absence.
One could maybe take issue with how often the children are in a position to save others and with how convenient their "old gentleman" as a deus ex machina, but, seriously, the story is too wonderful and charming for me to care.
E. Nesbit is a master of her craft. Her insight into children's way of thinking is remarkable. (