The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit; narrated by Johanna Ward | 2012; originally published 1907| Blackstone Audio | Audiobook $ 11.99
Gerald, Kathleen, and Jimmy hope to find adventure when they set off to explore the woods, but they get far more than they bargained for when they discover the Enchanted Castle. At first they seem to be in a fairy tale come true, until a friend turns invisible, thanks to a magic ring that she can’t remove. Adventure follows adventure as they seek to control the magic–but the magic has a will of its own and it is all they can do to keep up.
When I was looking for classic children’s literature for my list for Classics Club, I struggled just a little bit to find books that I hadn’t already read years ago. I was quite lucky to have had a family that encouraged voracious reading plus a series of accommodating librarians while growing up. The Enchanted Castle was the rare title that was entirely new to me, so it absolutely had to go on the list!
The story follows the adventures of four children as they explore a huge country estate over the course of their summer holiday — with a bit of mischievous magic thrown in for some unexpected hijinks.
This was a very fun read; I’m glad I picked it up. I looked forward to listening to the story on my drive to and from work each day. The main characters, despite being of the very different world of early-1900’s England, act very much like you’d expect from real children, not like the idealized version of perfect little cherubs so often encountered in older books. And a few scenes were so entertaining that I laughed out loud. Besides that, it’s just overall beautifully written.
This book stands up to the test of time. It would be a good read for modern kids — or really, any grown-up like me who just can just appreciate a good little low fantasy story regardless of the age of the characters.
Links:
- The Edith Nesbit Society
- “The British Socialist Who Rewrote the World for Children” article in The New Yorker
- Edith Nesbit Archives at the University of Tulsa McFarlin Library
Publication information: Nesbit, Edith. The enchanted castle. Ashland, Oregon: Blackstone Audio, 2012. Audiobook.
Source: Public library, via Hoopla.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.
