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thumbelinablues's review against another edition
4.0
I hadn't read any Kipling in a loooong time, but I got turned onto Peter Bellamy's text settings of his poems, and I remembered that he also wrote books. Puck of Pook's Hill reminded me a little of Watership Down, successful with the kind of pastoral charm that usually gives me a toothache, but it was also very dated. The conceit is that a brother and sister encounter Puck one Midsummer Day, and he brings them people from history to tell them the stories of their little corner of England. I like all his narrating characters, and how the stories intertwine in the end, but what Dan and Una really learn is that only war is worth remembering and only men make history: the sword gave the treasure, and the treasure gave the law. Not surprising coming from Kipling, but it did get between me and the book. I mean, literally, Sir Richard's story stops when he marries Lady Aelueva and picks up again when she's dead. And then there's the Jews and the Picts... Clearly my not-so-inner feminist academic came out to play, but it is also a pretty delightful book if you're into knights, centurions, and fairy lore, which I am!
jenmcgee's review against another edition
4.0
Rudyard Kipling's take on English history for kids, this is a set of stories about historical figures, retold as good yarns. :) A lot of deep devotion to the roots of England, but mostly doesn't come off as overly chauvinistic. In fact, Kipling's treatment of a Jewish character late in the book surprised me--very, very sympathetic for the times he was writing in.
ed_moore's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
“Have patience. Link by link is chainmail made. I will tell all in its place”
Kipling’s ‘Puck of Pook’s Hill’ follows the children Dan and Una as they learn from a ‘hill-person’, a sort of fairy called Puck, about the early history of England looking at its Roman, Norman and Saxon years up to the signing of the Magna Carta. It was strange in format, as each of the ten ‘stories’ the children were told by a historical figure who just materialises to life from nowhere is opened and closed with a song, and a point is made at the end of each of using magical leaves to make the children forget, yet reminding them of the past interactions at the start of each new one. It was just a very pointless cycle that made very little sense.
Usually I don’t adore children literature due to its more simple writing style, me no longer being the target audience, however I am knocking Kipling’s tales down for the opposite reason. I struggle to understand how this is aimed at children as it was really difficult to follow and required a lot of complex historical contexts. It was just written in a very confusing manner, assuming a lot and difficult to enjoy. I fail to understand how this was a beloved children’s tale. In addition, I can’t ignore the subtle embedded racist remarks and religious prejudices which would’ve been indoctrinated into young readers when interacting with this text.
kim_reads87's review against another edition
3.0
I liked Kiplings writing, he’s very descriptive and sets the scene well. Kipling brings the past to life as his characters told the tales of a bygone age. But I didn’t really see the point in telling the children the tales if they are made to forget it when they left Puck. It’s another classic that’s just an ok read to me.
aliteralfield's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
A historical novel masquerading as a children’s fantasy. I would have loved more from the children’s perspective and more about Puck as they became an afterthought from 30 pages in.
readingrobin's review against another edition
Kind of a historical novel masquerading as a fantasy. I would have loved more from the other folk side, but Puck and the rest became an afterthought once the first 50 pages were through. Probably once a great way for kids to learn a bit of history back in the day, but not really what I'm looking for.
Great voice/writing for Kipling, but I'm ready to move on.
Great voice/writing for Kipling, but I'm ready to move on.
eleanorryd's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
13delathauwere's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0