The Magic World (Puffin Classics) [Paperback]

E. Nesbit (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Series: Puffin Classics

A thoughtless boy is taught a lesson by his cat; a girl sent upstairs in disgrace is whisked to the world of her dreams; a magic telescope brings two boys a fortune; some very sensible princes and princesses outwit wicked fairies and usurpers ... These twelve spellbinding stories open the door to the magic world of the imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

In this delightful collection of fantasies, the listener is introduced to the formal milieu of Victorian England, then whisked away to a series of fantastic worlds. Sadly, this reading fails to exploit the dramatic possibilities of these flights of fancy in the tradition of Alice. The varied moods created in each story are bland and indistinguishable. Ward's presence is conspicuous; her flat tone is barely concealed by inconsistent and unconvincing accent changes. This overly journalistic performance leaves the audience all too firmly rooted in reality, far from the magic world envisioned by the author. B.M.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140367659
• ISBN-13: 978-0140367652
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,935,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I Could Give This Book 10,000 Stars -- I Would! :), August 2, 1999

By 

G. Parks "Thoroghgoing Nostalgist" (Washington NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magic World (Puffin Classics) (Paperback)

This book is a collection of short stories, and finding it again has been a highly emotional experience for me. I had read it YEARS ago in the Library when I was but a small child, and loved every syllable of it; then the Library LOST it, and I pined for it terribly. I had even forgotten its title (I had *thought* it was "Nine Unlikely Tales" -- perhaps an alternate title?).

Then about eight years ago, as an adult of 32, I FINALLY laid hands on a copy of "The Magic World" once more. Oh my! How I adored reading those old fine magical stories again! How I wept -- WEPT! -- to read all those old stories which I had so long loved and lost and now found again! Who could ever forget such stories as "Accidental Magic", or "The Cat-Hood Of Maurice", or "Kenneth And The Carp", or "Belinda And Bellamant; Or The Bells Of Carrillon-Land"??? This last has a very catchy verse in it ("Out! Out! Into the night!/The belfry bells are ours by right!") which I have never forgotten and which I looked for -- and found -- and triumphantly BELLOWED at the very top of my lungs the instant the book was again in my hands! Ah, me!!!

These stories are all "Classic Nesbit", and even if the book is "brand new" to you and not nostalgic as it is for me, it is still well worth the getting, and at a VERY reasonable price!

One final note of historic literary interest: the story "The Aunt and Amabel" -- with its train station tucked away inside a wardrobe in a spare room -- was C. S. Lewis' inspiration for setting the land of Narnia inside a similar wardrobe in "The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe". :)

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magic and common sense!, November 13, 2000

By 

HM - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic World (Puffin Classics) (Paperback)

I have to say, I love E Nesbit's works! It's not just the magic, it's the characters and humour, and I love the way real-life situations mix in with the magic! (hmmm... mentioned 'magic' twice already...)
There are twelve stories in all... and I can't summarise them all for you... but "Septimus Septimusson" (my favourite) was amusing, about the seventh son of a seventh son who had to go seek his fortune. Unfortunately I can't think of anyway to summarise this story either (gives away the "plot line"), so in conclusion:
MAGIC + HUMOUR + REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS + HUMOUR
I'm sorry it's not a very good review, though.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Stories, October 27, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Magic World (Puffin Classics) (Paperback)

This is a great book. I bought it when I was about to go on a trip, and I couldn't read it until I got on the plane. I allowed myself to read one story. The story was "The White Cat". Now, this was a great story, with a great charector. The white cat enchanted me, especialy because my grandmother had a white china cat. It was all I could do to wait until the plane to read the rest, but I did. The rest of the book was great, too, but my favorite story was still the White Cat. Some of my other favorite stories were Belenda and Bellamont, the Princess and the Hedge Pig, and the Cathood of Maurice. These are really great stories. After awhile, I got my grandma to give me her own white cat, and I felt so glad. These stories have great effects on the readers.