The Green Child [Paperback]

Herbert Read (Author), Kenneth Rexroth (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 1935

"[B]eautifully written....a triumph of delicate and suggestive mystification."—The New York Times

First published in 1935, The Green Child is Herbert Read's only novel. But if he had written nothing else, this one inspired book would insure his fame. It is a Utopian novel, a unique blend of reality and fantasy which moves from the English countryside to the South American pampas and then to a mysterious and eternal underground of caves.

In genre The Green Child is perhaps closest to the French conte philosophique, yet the word "philosophical" suggests the abstruse, whereas this is a very moving and exciting story, alive with the poetry of living, and, at the same time, with a strange kind of other-worldly suspense. In his introduction Kenneth Rexroth speaks of the book's "unearthly, hypnotic radiance," and Graham Greene has said of it: "here Read conveys the private sense of glory, the same sense of glory that impelled Christian writers to picture the City of God." T. S. Eliot once told the publisher that he considered The Green Child to be one of the finest examples of English prose style of the century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[B]eautifully imagined and beautifully written.” (Robert Gorham Davis )

“[A] very charming philosophical tale.” (The Times [London] )

“[R]emarkable for its cool yet vivid style.” (Bob Barker, poet )

“The Green Child is the kind of book to write if you are going to leave just the one novel behind: singular, odd, completely original.” (Geoffrey Wheatcroft )

About the Author

Sir Herbert Edward Read, DSO, MC (1893–1968) was an English anarchist poet, and critic of literature and art. He was one of the earliest English writers to take notice of existentialism, and was strongly influenced by proto-existentialist thinker Max Stirner.

Poet-essayist Kenneth Rexroth (1905-1982) was a high-school dropout, disillusioned ex-Communist, pacifist, anarchist, rock-climber, critic and translator, mentor, Catholic-Buddhist spiritualist and a prominent figure of San Francisco's Beat scene. He is regarded as a central figure of the San Francisco Renaissance and is among the first American poets to explore traditional Japanese forms such as the haiku.

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: New Directions (January 17, 1935)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811201724
• ISBN-13: 978-0811201728
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #180,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars English prose written as with a painters brush. A delight!, March 21, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Green Child (Paperback)

This is one of the only, if not the only, pieces of fiction written by Sir Herbert Read (1893-1968), a British poet, critic and philosopher. He was a champion of modern art and a founder of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. Sir Herbert Read's writings are used as textbooks in Art Appreciation classes and he is considered to be one of the foremost Art Critics of the twentieth century. His prose has the sensibility of a visual artist, the lines written almost as if painted with a brush. The beauty of the book is akin to a fine painting of an English Landscape. Since I was first introduced to this book, over 30 years ago, I have bought at least 30 copies to give as gifts to friends who I knew would enjoy really fine prose for the sake of the prose itself. The story is a wonderfull philosophical tale of adventure and the discovery of another race that live beneath the English countryside metamorphosing into crystalline beings. A definite MUST READ for fans of FINE prose.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The finest Platonic novel ever written., October 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Green Child (Paperback)

I always assign my philosophy students The Green Child as an immediate follow-up to Plato's Republic. It is a beautiful novel in every respect, and a wonderful companion to Plato's Allegory of the Cave. I have been thanked by my students and friends for thirty years. Many have said that Read's The Green Child is the most beautiful piece of prose they have ever read.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, mysterious Green Child, May 20, 2004

By 

"roofaxe" (Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Green Child (Paperback)

I was drawn to read The Green Child because I had heard it was an intriguing fantasy piece. The book is unique - in structure and style - I've read nothing quite like it. The structure made the novel a bit difficult to follow at first, but once the tale begins, you cannot escape Read's crafty storytelling. And the third act is a mind-blower! I appreciated Read's ability to tell his fantasy story concisely. The story captures dream-like imagery, structure, and motifs masterfully.

I have read that the story is allegorical, but not being a political historian or philosopher, that angle was lost on me. Thank goodness Read was successful writing on multiple levels.

I have given 5 copies of this book out to friends and family who I know would enjoy the prose and the tale itself. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys unusual, unpredictable, and fantastical writing.