The railway children
By: E. Nesbit
Although written by the same author of "The Five Children and It" this book has a very different story line, though still keeping the family theme and the lovely sibling relationships.
The story starts out with a happy, well to do family in Edwardian England. Their father is a successful businessman working for the British government and their mother writes children's stories and plays with her children. Roberta is the eldest (mothers, of course, never have favourites- but if they did Roberta would have been her mother's.), Peter (he wants to be an engineer when he grows up) and Phyllis (who means well).
Peter's small, toy steam engine breaks one day to Peter's deep disappointment. When father comes home the family gathers around as he sets out to fix the engine. The doorbell rings and they are interrupted by two businessmen who request father's presence in the library. As time passes on the children get drowsy, the voices in the library get louder- and mother is called into the library as well. When the meeting is finally over the children find that daddy has been called away on business and that they will be moving to the country for a short time, where they will live near a railway children. The children are delighted with the prospect of living near a railway, but they soon find other changes that aren't so nice.
Father never writes, they are no longer allowed to have jam and butter on their toast, and mother spends her days in a bedroom writing stories instead of playing with them.
These problems bother them, but who can resist having fun while living near a railway station? They spend their summer days along the railroad where they practice, among other things, coal mining and train counting.
Roberta's golden play time is shattered when she reads an old newspaper article about her father. Desperately she asks a friend to help her to... well, I can't tell you that, can I? :)
This is one of my favourite stories, it has great re-readability. The humour and life is there all throughout the book, even in the saddest moments.
This is another wonderful read aloud book!
Sounds like a book for my family! I'd like to buy it.Movies Based on the Book.
There have been two television prodcutions based on this book, I have only seen the most recent one.
Actors: Jenny Agutter, Michael Kitchen, Richard Attenborough, Jemima Rooper
Company: Carlton & Masterpiece Theatre
Director: Catherine Morshead
Year: 2000
Acting: Excellent! Each of the characters fits into their role perfectly.
Filming:
Beautiful countryside, and a great railway station.
Screenplay:
The screenplay condenses several parts of the book, and gives a slight overdose on the romance side, but the flavour of the book is kept. As I watched this film just about every scene was just like the way it was when I first imagined it.
Things you might not like about this movie:
There is nothing offensive in this film, nothing. No language, everybody has their clothes on, no violence.
Rating: No rating given. I'd give it a G.
This is a wonderful movie based on a wonderful book. Everything is done with perfect balance. We are not left with totally perfect children, nor are we left with siblings who argue all the time. The taste and flavour of E. Nesbit's novel are very faithfully kept.
