The Blue Flower
by Henry Van Dyke
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Description
"Sometimes short stories are brought together like parcels in a basket. Sometimes they grow together like blossoms on a bush. Then, of course, they really belong to one another, because they have the same life in them. The stories in this book have been growing together for a long time. It is at least ten years since the first of them, the story of The Other Wise Man, came to me; and all the others I knew quite well by heart a good while before I could find the time, in a hard-worked life, show more to write them down and try to make them clear and true to others. It has been a slow task, because the right word has not always been easy to find, and I wanted to keep free from conventionality in the thought and close to nature in the picture. It is enough to cause a man no little shame to see how small is the fruit of so long labor. . . ." -- From Henry Van Dyke's preface to The Blue Flower show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
I only listened to four of the stories - The Source, The Mill, Spy Rock and The First Christmas Tree. The other stories were narrated by Librivox readers who did not appeal to me.
I found these stories enchanting. I wouldn’t consider them my usual choice of reading, as they were wordy and almost fairy tale like in nature (and I’m not a fan of fairy tales). But these stories were enchanting and beautifully written and I wish I could have listened to the other tales.
I found these stories enchanting. I wouldn’t consider them my usual choice of reading, as they were wordy and almost fairy tale like in nature (and I’m not a fan of fairy tales). But these stories were enchanting and beautifully written and I wish I could have listened to the other tales.
What a wonderful turn of the century novel. Short stories actually with a Christian theme. I read this around Christams and loved it.
$10. Very good condition.
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First published in 1915
87 works; 11 members
Publisher's Weekly Bestsellers Part I - 1895-1939
399 works; 8 members
Author Information
106+ Works 3,194 Members
Henry Van Dyke was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, in 1852. He served as a pastor for twenty years, became professor of English Literature at Princeton, and was appointed United States minister to the Netherlands. He died in 1933
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Distinctions
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1902
- Epigraph
- The desire of the moth for the star,
Of the night for the morrow,
The devotion to something afar
From the sphere of our sorrow.
- Shelley - Dedication
- To
the dear memory of
Bernard van Dyke
1887-1897
and the love that lives
beyond the years - First words
- The parents were abed and sleeping. The clock on the wall ticked loudly and lazily, as if it had time to spare.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)All glory be to God on high, / and on the earth be peace! / Good-will, henceforth, from heaven to men / Begin and never cease.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 139
- Popularity
- 234,589
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.57)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 30
- ASINs
- 17
