I often feel that there are many novels
written about ships and seafaring adventures, but not as many about the
railway. Maybe that’s one reason I liked The Railway Children so much! This
delightful story about three children who live close to the railway is a
must-read for all kids!
After the deep and dark book I featured
yesterday, today’s book is all sunshiny and smelling of flowers. Edith Nesbit
is the author of The Railway Children, and I became her fan ever since I read The
Wouldbegoods. The Railway Children is one of those books that makes you wish
you lived in such a world, where strangers are kind and friendly, and children
could roam around and explore free from all worries. As you can expect from
this, it’s not exactly very realistic, but when things get too real, a book
like this offers just the escape you need.
The story is about three children – a brother
and two sisters. Roberta, Peter and Phyllis live with their parents, till an
unexpected event causes them to move to a house near the railway. There are
many likeable characters they meet there, and their adventures in and around
the railway make up the best parts of the book. The railway features
predominantly, with signal flags, platforms and whistles all running in the
background. If you’re a train-lover, you’ll really enjoy all the noise!
Edith Nesbit wrote this novel as a children’s
book, which probably explains the rather simplistic nature of many of the
events in the story. I first read it as a child and loved it!! Yet, it is a little difficult to imagine today –
you wouldn’t dare let your kids wander along the railway line and visiting
strangers’ houses! But that’s also what makes the story so sweet. It’s a
complete deviation from the cynical and dangerous times we live in and gives
you a warm feeling all over. So when the world seems to be full of war, abuse
and hate, a book like this is just what you need to make you feel like things
will be alright in the end.
2 comments
I haven't heard or read this book but will check it out after reading your interesting review. Thank you for sharing. Cheers
ReplyDeleteRavanhatha-a unique musical instrument from Rajasthan
It's a sweet little book, but you should read it with a child's mind to truly appreciate it :)
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