Customer Reviews

At the Back of the North Wind (Christian Fiction Classics)

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I am quite ready to add At the Back of the North Wind to my collection of masterpieces that shall remain close to me, I suspect, my entire life. While a collection of favorite books by C. S. Lewis' site largest on that shelf, At the Back of the North Wind will be the second book by George MacDonald to join them. This seems quite appropriate as Lewis himself held MacDonald in such high esteem, even calling him his `master.' While more childish than Phantastes, At the Back of the North Wind manages to enchant my imagination in the same way that Narnia always has, while upon first inspection the tale may seem to be of little substance to a more mature audience I think there is subtle depth hidden within the deceptively simple child whom the story centers upon.

Diamond is the young boy of a poor coach driver and his wife living in England during the late 1800's. The story begins in the hayloft above the horse stalls where Diamond sleeps, as the wind blows, but it is not a simple wind, it is the North Wind, the romantic and enchanting idea of a grand lady who is the north wind. Diamond, the infinitely innocent and pure child is beckoned into the air and weaved into many journeys with the north wind where he learns goodness, truth and beauty. Throughout the story, other people see him as quietly wise or as one of `God's Babies.' As the story progresses Diamond becomes week and ill and while being taken to the enchanted country at the back of the North Wind he lapses into unconsciousness. Diamond returns, and with what strength he has, blesses everyone whom he meets; helping his family by driving his father's cab while he is ill, saving an orphaned friend off the streets, even quieting the drunken man's baby who lives next to him, whom even mistakes him for an angel. Finally touching the heart of the rich, but generous and altruistic man who looks after Diamond's orphaned friend and gives Diamond's father a job and lodgings in the countryside.

Yet, it is not these heroic acts, if one might call them that, resound so thoroughly, he is not doing good deeds, doing good deeds seems almost insincere when considered next to his genuine good nature. Like Narnia and Phantastes, there is a longing for something we may never fulfill here in our daily lives, a longing for something we have only hints of, Lewis defines this as Joy, for Diamond it is the longing for the country at the back of the North Wind, of which his first journey there is only a hint of the true country. As for me, I too feel this longing and it is an experience likely to be found in a quite forest and in the embrace of this extraordinary book.

George MacDonald wrote hundreds of stories throughout his lifetime (not surprising considering he had eleven kids!), most of which were fantasies that drew on a rich variety of sources: mythology, fairytales and Biblical mysticism. Credited by C.S. Lewis as the main inspiration behind The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set, MacDonald's dreamy little tales (especially this one) are a strange blend of frustrating ramblings and sublime imagery. Love it or hate it, "At the Back of the North Wind" encompasses the best and worst about MacDonald, the Victorian Era, and even children's literature itself.

Named after his father's favourite horse, Diamond is the son of a coachman, and lives above the stable in the hayloft. As the story begins, Diamond is visited by a mysterious but beautiful woman who introduces herself as the North Wind. Inviting him to join her on her night-time journeys, Diamond soon becomes intimately acquainted with the being, unraveling certain aspects of her enigmatic characteristics and even visiting the land that exists behind her back - a place that she herself is barred from.

The visit endows Diamond with an unearthly quality of goodness and innocence (MacDonald is constantly defending Diamond's angelic conduct with the fact that he's been to the back of the North Wind), allowing his mere presence to positively improve and enrich the lives of those around him, including his family, his employers, and acquaintances from both the upper and lower classes. Although most tend to think that Diamond is touched in the head, the young boy has utter faith in the North Wind and her claims that everything will eventually turn out for the best. As a Congregationalist minister, MacDonald truly believes in this theology, and ensures that whatever seems like misfortune or tragedy in the plot is eventually revealed to be unexpectedly fortuitous in one way or another.

"At the Back of the North Wind" was originally written in serialized form, with each chapter published periodically in magazines, and so the story can feel a little choppy at times. There is no clear sense of a structured plot or story-arc, instead it is quite episodic - one chapter can be about Diamond's virtuous deeds in London, another can be fully devoted to a fairytale that a character is telling, or a dream that a person has had. At times you can tell that MacDonald is just making it up as he goes along, which makes for a fresh, but sometimes frustrating read. I like to have the sense that an author has a clear sense of where they're going with their plot and characters, and often parts of MacDonald's work can appear random or meaningless.

Of course, this is almost certainly due to the time period in which it is written. MacDonald was a contemporary of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Signet Classics), the first children's book to be written for pure entertainment purposes (in fact, it was MacDonald's children who were among the first to read Carroll's manuscript and encourage him to publish it). If there are any kinks in MacDonald's storytelling, it was probably because he was one of the forerunners in writing children's fiction - there were few prototypes on which to model his own work. Understandable, but still a little annoying when slugging through several long and not-very-good poems inserted needlessly into the text (you have my permission to skip them).

There are other aspects of Victorian culture at work in the story: a fascination with the poor and the sick (both encompassed in the character of Nanny, a young sweeper), the growing trend of philanthropy at work amongst the upper-classes (as seen in the frequent visits to the children's hospital), a preference for country life than that of the city, and a sense of mysticism and spirituality throughout. And then of course there's Diamond himself. The Victorians were in love with the idea of the Child as a God-Like Being (witness any one of Wordsworth's poems) and Diamond is no exception. He is, quite simply, perfect. This means that some readers will find him endearing, enlightening and inspirational, and others will find him sanctimonious, irritating and totally unbelievable as a character. For what it's worth, I like Diamond, even when MacDonald takes his character to its inevitable end - Diamond is too good for this earth, and the Victorians loved a good death scene (see Little Nell in Charles Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop (Penguin Classics)).

Although most children will be put off by the strange, dreamy pacing of the novel (better to start them off with MacDonald's most popular children's book The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics - the Essential Collection)), older readers will be fascinated by MacDonald's creation of the North Wind and the theology that he delicately works into the story - a theology that only occasionally slips into preaching. There's plenty here to be intrigued by, certainly enough to make it worth the reading, but be prepared for some randomness, shaky plotlines and Victorian melodrama (though on second thought, that last one just may be a bonus feature!)

BUY IT you will love it if you have a kid that likes fiction books or you like them yourself you will love it. it does not have a boring part in it the whole thing is so magical and the writer knows his cliff hangers no wonder he inspired C.S. Lewis [who is also one of my favorite writers] and it is a three hundred and seventeen page book that you wish would never end it is probably one of the best books I have ever read and you probably will trust me i really really like this book and you just read read read and LIKE IT!!! buy it trust me.

After recently re-discovering and being re-enchanted by The Princess and the Goblin, I took this out of the library. I was disappointed. While the back of the north wind is a magical place as one imagines from the title, it is also an afterworld from which the main character returns transformed into a living angel. The story-line is weak and the Victorian ideology strong, making for an interesting read for an adult or teenager, but one which I think children should skip. My daughter is 8 and in 3rd grade, and is a bookworm but I'm sure she would be quite bored by this.

i will have to agree with c.s.lewis. although i have yet to fully understand every allegory in the book, i found many many many insights into God's plan for my life and my salvation. it is not a book to simply read, it is a book to study, perhaps (as in my case) even throughout many years.

I'll start out by saying first and foremost, this is one of my favorite books. But let me also add that I love it, not ignoring its flaws, but regardless of them. And it does have flaws.
I have read that the lead character Diamond is unbelieveable, especially after the main turning point of the story. That's okay. He's supposed to be. Without giving away too much plot, Diamond coming back from the back of the north wind is almost akin to Paul being called up to heaven, they were both changed, and for similar reasons. Aside from that, he is no more unbelieveable than Dickens's Oliver Twist or Paul Dombey. Paul Dombey being a much better comparision, as I must think MacDonald based Diamond upon him somewhat.
Speaking of Dickens, some critics have complained that MacDonald tricks the reader by making half of the novel a fantasy but then switches abruptly to a Dickensian type social commentary. Once the family moves to London, he seems much more concerned with the ills of that place than with the earlier fantasy. I can't argue with that. It does happen. After the main turning point, the North Wind makes very little appearance until the end. I think this is a very important part of the book, and while the fanicful moments seem to be where MacDonald excelled, the latter half of the novel is not lacking in greatness, as it maintains a fantasic aspect, though not the same one of as the first half. That being said, it should be known that I ademently love Charles Dickens. If you don't care for his works you may want to reconsider this novel, as I think it is laced with many Dickensian elements--a "problem" not usually seen in a MacDonald novel.
Also, I have heard this book attacked because, as a children's book, it is hard for children to grasp the meaning of it. I think it's a weak attack and better men than me have put up better defenses. MacDonald himself, for one. "Your children are not likely to trouble you about the meaning. They find what they are capable of finding, and more would be too much." That being said, it is a religious story, though not out-right and not allogorical either. It can be ignored or embraced, dependant on your views.
Now that I've addressed those main attacks, I'll go back to those flaws I mentioned. Like every book I've read by MacDonald, there are lulls. They are much more sparse than in his other novels, however, and easily gotten through. They should hardly be a main concern.
His writing style is not perfect either, though it is hardly bad. It's just "less good." But the story will make you overlook some of his less than wonderful moments.
The ending of the story is another flaw, in my opinion. Not that I feel the ending should've been changed, but I would've prefered it to be better kept from the reader. That did not take away from the power of it, but I did see it coming about half-way through. But maybe I'm just expecting too much.
Despite those three complaints of mine, At the Back of the North Wind is one of the best "children's stories" ever written. It is very much akin to J. M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy: fanciful and entertaining. Going back to that Dickensian influence, it is also moralistic, though not preachy or stern. . .too often.

i bought this book because I wanted a copy of the book we read to my cousin while he was sick. he loved this and loved us reading to him

One of my personal favorites - leads to sweet dreams! Good one for reading aloud to your kids!

I found this book--correction: This book found me--shortly after my father's death. I was nine years old. What I needed then were books that would comfort as they took me to another place, a place where people lived surrounded with tenderness and loving kindness. If you are looking for books to read aloud with your children, I strongly recommend this one plus The Princess and Curdie and The Princess and the Goblin. These brilliantly written yet simple tales combine fantasy with spiritual issues... opening the door for many great discussions. I still love them today....

This is a beautful allegory of a frail young boy's near death experience as he struggles with illness, told in a way children can understand and not fear, and of his eventual death, as he is taken home to heaven. It is bittersweet, but it really gives children (and adults) a good perspective on the Christian view of life, death, and what happens after death. Note, it is written by C.S. Lewis's favorite author, and I highly recommend it for ages 10 to adult.