Every Tuesday is a new review at Things Worth Reading. This week’s is of a classic book with a modern reading, both in the public domain.
Bright And True
The Railway Children is a classic work of children’s fiction originally published in 1906. It has been reprinted many times since its original publication, as well as being adapted to television and film. My encounter with the book began with the audiobook version released by Librivox, read by Karen Savage.
The book follows the riches-to-rags adventures of three English children, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis. At the beginning of the book, the children’s father is taken away, accused and convicted of a crime he did not commit. The children and their reclusive mother move to a house in the country, where the children face a series of difficulties involving the people and places of the local railway station. The children overcome each problem with honesty, integrity, compassion, generosity, and bravery.
The story is rather straightforward and simple, with each problem presented and solved without undue surprises or dark turns. On the whole, the book is a refreshing look at earlier times, when people wrote in longhand by candlelight and blacksmith was a viable occupation.
The Librivox project has released an audiobook of the story, read by Karen Savage, a native of England and a veteran of the theater. I found Savage’s reading to be first-rate and pitch-perfect, a shining example of the best that Librivox produces, and on par with the best of paid and professional audiobook readings.
In reviewing The Railway Children, I could not escape the feeling that I had discovered Daniel Handler’s secret inspiration for his great work, A Series of Unfortunate Events. The two works share a number of parallel elements: The primary characters in each are three siblings, two girls and a boy, who have lost their father because of a shadowy organization. Nesbit’s book begins with a chapter called The beginning of things and ends thirteen chapters later with a chapter called The End, not too dissimilar from the way Handler’s Series begins with The Bad Beginning and ends with book thirteen called The End. The story of The Railway Children is presumably being written by the children’s mother; Handler’s Series is ostensibly written by Lemony Snicket, a relative of the children. I’m confident that a more careful analysis would turn up other similarities as well. This comparison, however, is not meant to sleight Handler’s work. Even if this book served to germinate Handler’s, he has taken his Series to a much larger scope, with a much darker world, more colorful characters, and more nefarious deeds. There is a certain delight, however, in finding what seems to be a secret source.
In the final analysis, The Railway Children is a solid work. Now, with the excellent reading by Karen Savage, it has gained a second life. As an audiobook, it can be enjoyed on a road trip with the kids, or while commuting. Don’t miss it.
The Railway Children is in the public domain, available free from Project Gutenberg. The audiobook, available free at Librivox.org, is also in the public domain.
