Years ago, I downloaded everything I could find by her as free ebooks on Amazon's kindle shop, and four books featuring the Bastable children were among them. Only this spring did I get round to reading them, and made sure to read them in order, although that is not strictly necessary:
1) The Story of the Treasure Seekers
2) The Wouldbegoods
3) New Treasure Seekers
4) Oswald Bastable and Others
The books were originally published between 1899 and 1905, all featuring the six Bastable siblings, two girls and four boys, with Oswald being the most prominent character and usually the narrator.
With their mother having died soon after the birth of the youngest child and their father having run into financial difficulties, the older children are taken out of school (to save money) and are pretty much left to their own devices most days.
They love their father and want to make things better for the family, coming up with all sorts of ideas to earn money - and of course, more often than not, they end up getting into trouble.
Towards the end of the first book, the tide really turns for the Bastable family, and in the second book we meet them living with their rich uncle at a beautiful house.
Because they often don't manage to be as good as they would like to be, during a boring holiday they start the Wouldbegoods Society, with the aim to do good deeds worthy of being written down in a book.
You can imagine that, just like their fortune seeking wasn't always crowned with success, neither are their attempts at doing good...
The third book has the siblings united again in their efforts at having fun while at the same time not getting into trouble... at least not too much.
In the fourth book, more or less random stories of more adventures of the Bastable children are put together, without there being a full storyline.
I must say that I needed a bit of time to get into the first book. Having read many of Edith Nesbit's books for children, I am quite familiar with the way she writes and has "the hero" tell stories in a child-like (but not childish) way. I am also aware that, in spite of her progressive attitude towards the way children should be treated and educated, she was still a woman of her times, and some of the views expressed by the characters in her books would be frowned upon today.
Still, they make for an entertaining read and some really funny bits. Last but not least, the stories offer a glimpse into the way of life of not-so-wealthy children in England in late Victorian times.
Mine were all ebooks, and so I have no beautiful covers to show you, but at Project Gutenberg the books can be found in their entirety, including the original illustrations such as this one:
I've not gotten into ebooks at all yet. I'm so lucky to have a well-stocked library in my city.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday, Meike. Have a good weekend!
I am still using my first kindle which was a Christmas (or birthday?) present in 2012, but it is nearing its end of life; the battery doesn‘t charge properly anymore.
DeleteFor me, ebooks will never replace physical books - they are only a very convenient addition, allowing me to travel with an entire library in my handbag and not having to limit myself to just one or two books because of weight and space in my suitcase.
Ah, these books (and other treasures) were at an aunt's house in my childhood and I enjoyed them tremendously then, and again about 10 years ago. As you say, a product of their time but still very readable. And great illustrations.
ReplyDeleteCeci
PS no chamois in any US zoo that I can find; there used to be a pair in Toronto but perhaps not now, and that's the closest. Some "sportsman" does or used to have some in Texas but I suspect that would be upsetting for me since my view of sport is probably different. So seeing one is perhaps an unrealizable ambition for me.
Nice to read that you know Edith Nesbit‘s children‘s books, too, Ceci! My two firm favourites since my own childhood are The Enchanted Castle and The Magic City, both of which I own in their German translation but with their original illustrations.
DeleteThe Bastable children were unknown to me until I read these books.
Well, you could travel to Europe and visit the Alpine region for an encounter with a chamois 😊
I love children's books. I must look these up. Guess what, I still have a book that a neighbor gave me when I was 8 years old. "It's A Mystery" by Mildred Bingham. The illustrations are from 1965 (the year I was 8) and they are funny to look at today. (Girls all in skirts and blouses with the boys all in jeans.) I was so grateful for that book that I put it into a cedar chest that we had (my parents kept important things there), I figured it would be safe there. I was right!
ReplyDeleteDo you still keep it in the cedar chest, Kay? Books we read as children can really leave a lasting impression, can‘t they. I would even go as far as saying that Astrid Lindgren‘s books and the Narnia series had a big part in shaping my childhood.
DeleteI don't think I've read those four but I've read some others by Edith Nesbit. One or two in English in childhood and a few more in English in later years on Kindle. Can't recall the titles just now and too tired to check... ;)
ReplyDeleteYour picking up Edith Nesbit's books again and reviewing them on my Kindle was what originally inspired me to download everything by her I could find (for free) at the Kindle shop, some years ago :-)
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