Now and then, it is good for the soul to set aside the Songs of Experience, and read from the Songs of Innocence. The Little White Horse is one such song. It is marvelously innocent--from its pure-minded adolescent heroine to its straight-out-of-a-dream countryside-and-castle setting to its charming and surprise-less plot line.Elizabeth Goudge's children's stories have been compared to the writing of E. Nesbit. Nesbit is one of my favorite authors, and the comparison is apt, especially once you mix in a hint of Peter Beagle and a heavy helping of George MacDonald. Throw the essence of those authors together and you have a recipe for a lovely, good-humored, fantasy-frothed (yet not unsubstantial) Goudge novel, like this one.The adult reader will be as charmed with The Little White Horse as the child reader is, although the novel is clearly written with child readers in mind: in case you can't figure out each mystery, large and small, that creeps up along the way, Goudge spells everything out for you. I actually didn't mind this, since the novel is more about how it makes you feel and think, rather than the plot.Some favorite quotes:"Humanity can be roughly divided into three sorts of people--those who find comfort in literature, those who find comfort in personal adornment, and those who find comfort in food; and Miss Heliotrope, Maria, and Wiggins were typical representatives of their own sort of people.""And it seemed to Maria, her imagination running wild to a shocking extent, that beyond the walls of the church she could hear all the birds in the valley singing, and the flowers singing, and the sheep and deer and rabbits singing in the park and woods and field, and up on the slopes of the great hills. And somewhere the waves of the sea that she had not seen yet were rolling into Merryweather Bay, and crying Amen as they broke upon the shore." - (As a christian, I loved the positive and natural portrayal of the Church, Old Parson, and true-hearted worship in this book. One of the most attractive things about Christianity has always been, for me, how in many respects it is like a lived-out fairy tale.)"'I have never taken weather into consideration in my training of Maria,' Miss Heliotrope informed him. 'In my opinion, too much attention to weather makes for instability of character.'""Gentlemen, it seemed, did not like females to be curious--though it was difficult to see how one could find out what one wanted to know if one wasn't.""Maria opened her mouth to protest and then, glancing up at the strange dim picture over the hearth, shut it again. Patience. Patience. The little white horse and the tawny animal, galloping together along that forest glade, seemed in no hurry to arrive. They had perhaps been galloping for years, yet the happiness that breathed from the picture was untarnished by the least shadow of impatience. One did not hurry in the country.""It was best to see it [the sea] first of all like this, at a far distance. All the best things are seen first of all at a far distance."
This is a book that revels, without shame, in the star-dusted dreams of young girls. It is pure wish fulfilment in the most delightful and honest of ways and does not pretend to be anything else. Miss Goudge's beautiful prose is descriptive in infinite detail. Each time you enter a room or meet a character or enjoy a meal it is explained in full; down to the colour of the napkins or the pattern of the curtains. She creates a world that is both welcoming and comforting, with an edge of danger and past mistakes that form a backdrop, like a shadow, making the beauty of Moonacre seem brighter. Some may find the Christian themes of the book rather strong, or old fashioned, but they come at one less aggressively on rereading and are mostly inoffensive and gentle. I personally, never liked the Old Parson much, but as I love all the other characters I am willing to forgive him.Since I first read this book I have visited Compton Castle in Devon, which is believed to have been the inspiration for Moonacre Manor. It truly shares the spirit, if not the exact layout, being the most lovely and cosy Castle I have yet seen. If you would like to find the Well it is out in the narrow alley that runs between the kitchen and the orchard, and is to this day, filled with ferns.If you are able to, it is worth purchasing the collectors edition of this book, which has the wonderful illustrations of C. Walter Hodges including the colour plates and the maps. It makes for a doubly beautiful experience to read.There has also been made a film of the book in 2008, under the title 'The Secret of Moonacre.' Although aesthetically lovely, it was poorly written and greatly changed from the book. I do not recommend it other than to look at the pretty costumes and sets.
Do You like book The Little White Horse (2001)?
A children's book about an orphan, Maria Merryweather, sent off into a countryside valley, with her governess and her pet dog.Her guardian makes her welcome and talks about the moon Merryweathers, such as Maria, and the sun ones, such as himself.She finds a world of marvelous quirks and oddities, and also a tragic backstory, and a good deal of what is clearly magic, however lightly laid on. There are the Men from the Dark Wood, a necklace of pearls that vanished, a tawny dog, a wedding gown a woman never wore because she married someone else, books of poems and more. For a book with so much death, greed, and treachery in the back story, it's remarkably light.
—Mary Catelli
Continuing my December policy of reading books that have been on my TBR shelves forever, I picked up "The Little White Horse" by Elizabeth Goudge. This one was one of my wife's books that she brought to the marriage 25 years ago and judging by the cover would be a young adult fantasy novel that would appeal to girls. But it was on the shelves...so I had to read it sometime...Once again, I'm glad I did. My impressions were correct in that I think it would appeal to young teenage girls, mostly due to the protagonist being a 13 year old inquisitive orphan girl who moves from London to a beautiful castle in England's West Country of a century ago. But it has appeal for cantankerous middle-aged men as well if my experience is any indication. There are wonders of all kinds in this little novel, marvelously described scenery and creative characters with mysteries of all sorts. There is a history in this new place and the residents of the castle and nearby village all seem to have secrets that need sorting out in order to put right the mistakes of the past. This is, in essence, a fairy tale and a well-told tale it is. It is, in fact, a classic story first published in 1946 and has been a favorite for many young people through the years. J.K. Rowling has stated that this book was her favorite as a child, and it's easy to see why. Seldom will you see a book with so many 5-star reviews on Amazon or other review sites.If you're looking for a nice little book with a happily-ever-after feel, this is a great choice.
—Benjamin Thomas
I read this book because it has been pushed as one of J.K. Rowlings' favorite childhood books and a major influences on her work. There was also a limited release movie that looked fascinating. While the plot is interesting, there were so many annoying points that it made it hard to truly enjoy the story as much as I could have.1. The resolution was all too predictable.2. The main character is annoying. She is described as being aristocratic and that is her most important quality.3. The animals are the smartest and most entertaining characters in the whole book and yet are given little or no personality.4. The whole incident of the hill is overly simplistice and thoroughly unrealistice. I know it sounds strange but the Old Parson is a clergy in the Church of England, but claims that the family is cursed in part because their ancestor stole monestary land. However, King Henry VIII over saw the disolution of the monasteries because they weren't holy men at all since the Catholic church was false. So it just didn't make sense to me.I can see how, with a little tweaking, this would make a fantastic movie. I also will admit that some of the issues I have with the story are because of the time it was written.One more note, the little white horse is a unicorn, sort of.
—Karolinde (Kari)
