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zoeyy's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
erikars's review against another edition
2.0
This was a good story that I probably would have enjoyed as a child but which feels a bit shallow and a bit coherent on a first read as an adult.
readcover2cover's review against another edition
3.0
I like the writing style and at first I was pretty interested. However, after a while it didn't hold my interest. It was a sweet story, but I ended up not finishing it. I read about 50% and skipping to the end, so maybe I shouldn't rate it, but that's about how I felt about it. Again, I liked the author's voice, but the story didn't hold my attention after a while. However, I'd try E. Nesbit again!
hofmerin's review against another edition
4.0
I would have loved this novel when I was eight or nine. The intricate imagining, magic, and duping of adults makes for a child's ultimate fantasy world.
katiereads_24's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
fernenanda's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of my most favourite books when I was a kid if not the most favourite (it might tie with [b:Tom's Midnight Garden|543086|Tom's Midnight Garden|Philippa Pearce|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348198004s/543086.jpg|530403] but I love this one just a little bit more). I read it until the binding fell apart.
melissahoward's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed it but it didn't particularly interest my girls. Perhaps they are a bit young (5 and 3).
We listened to the Recorded Books cd but I am too lazy to find it if it doesn't pop up quickly.
We listened to the Recorded Books cd but I am too lazy to find it if it doesn't pop up quickly.
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.
imyerhero's review against another edition
3.0
Nesbit is one of the most amazing children’s authors I’ve ever come across. It’s hard for people today to appreciate her for what she is, considering the deluge of children’s works available today. It’s sad that very rarely do you even hear of people knowing who she is. But Nesbit truly was the first to begin writing modern stories for children that weren’t simply a few sentences long – but were complex, imaginative, and sometimes scary. She wrote like an adult speaking to children, in a way that I can say best reminds me of C.S. Lewis in the Chronicles of Narnia. And I don’t think it’s literary blasphemy to state that Nesbit came before Lewis, so I should say Lewis reminds me of Nesbit. At any rate, this is a glowing example of Nesbit’s creative force and her voice is one which I hope will continue to entertain children for a very long time.