Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Egmont Books Ltd (2003), Edition: New edition, 320 pages
Description
Kay finds himself involved in a fantastic adventure when he becomes guardian of the mysterious Box of Delights.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MaowangVater
On the train back home for Christmas holidays, Kay Harker encounters some curious characters. There are the two young men, one chubby faced and one foxy faced and both apparently up to no good, and then there is the strange old man at the station with his dog and a large backpack. He tells Kay, as
Surreally magical and inventive Kay’s romp through time and space to save the Christmas service at Tatchester Cathedral and rescue all the Cathedral clergy and staff from a horrible fate is as full of delights as the magical box that gives the book its title. Poet Masefield nimbly combines folklore, history, and 1930s gangsters in possession of flying motorcars in a tone that accurately captures a child’s sense of adventurous play.
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Kay helps him on with his pack, “I do date from pagan times and age makes joints for creak.” Later he tells Kay to spread the word that “The Wolves are Running,” and asks his aid to stop their Bite. Soon Kay is dashing rapidly back trough time and rapidly across great distances as he and his friends attempt to foil the plots of the evil Wizard Abner Brown and his accomplice in crime Sylvia Daisy Pouncer and their criminal gang.Surreally magical and inventive Kay’s romp through time and space to save the Christmas service at Tatchester Cathedral and rescue all the Cathedral clergy and staff from a horrible fate is as full of delights as the magical box that gives the book its title. Poet Masefield nimbly combines folklore, history, and 1930s gangsters in possession of flying motorcars in a tone that accurately captures a child’s sense of adventurous play.
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LibraryThing member Coffeehag
This Christmas adventure begins on a railway journey as Kay Harker rides home from school, and meets two apparent clergymen, who pick his pockets. The descriptions of the town, and the snow are tantalizing images of the season as the Tachester Cathedral gets ready for its 1,000th anniversary. It is
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uncertain if they will have the opportunity to celebrate it, however, as all the clergymen are kidnapped, and only Kay Harker knows where to find them. An exciting story! I loved it! Show Less
LibraryThing member debnance
Yet another book I discovered from BookCrossing.I consider myself a knowledgeable reader, especially a knowledgeable reader of children’s stories. This book was completely unknown to me, as I would suspect, it is unknown to most here in America.It is the kind of book I thrived on as a child.
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It’s fantasy and adventure, with danger and purpose and mystery. Best of all are the characters. The children are not content to sit quietly by the fire reading. Oh no, they are out in the world, being chased by wolves, being given magic boxes, being captured by gangs, and otherwise living big lives. I’d love to see what modern children think of this book. Hope we get some input from other readers of this bookring. Show Less
LibraryThing member chilirlw
I've been missing the snow since I moved down South, where we are "enjoying" record highs (77 degrees today!), so I'm reading The Box of Delights, the wintriest book I know, and a particularly good choice for Christmas reading. Definitely get the unabridged version.
LibraryThing member aardvaarkcreative
Maybe, just maybe, the best written children's book ever. It has adventure, menace, mystery, unforgettable characters, time travel and is a classic good vs evil story and it was written by a poet. It seems to be out of print currently, but if you can get a copy do so and insist that your
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grandchildren read it. Oh, and it is a Christmas story so beware, the wolves are running. Show Less
LibraryThing member harveybiggins
Ripping yarn of the adventures of Kay Harker, and the mysterious punch and judy man Cole Hawkins. This is good - albeit it meanders a little in parts (Tv series wisely curtails some aspects of this)- and on balance not as good as the Midnight People.
LibraryThing member Inky_Fingers
One of the great unknown classics of children's literature. I have a great deal of respect for Susan Cooper, but even she has acknowledged that her book The Dark is Rising owes a great deal to The Box of Delights.
LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
Kay Harker is coming home to the family estate, Seekings, in the country for the Christmas holidays. The weather is harsh with heavy snow and he is told to be careful as the Wolves are Running.
There is to be a big celebration at the church, come Christmas Eve, but a few days before the children
The Punch and Judy man (also known as Cole Hollings) comes and performs and also brings 'some other delights.' Some of the delights are gifts and some are magic, as he seems to be a bit of a wizard. Just before he leaves, he gives Kay a small box with a knob on it. The box has magical abilities to transport a person to other locations, past and present and also change the person's size. Kay is told to protect the box and not let it fall into the hands of a particular person who is chasing Cole Hawlings.
The adults all seem to be called away and the children are left on their own to enjoy this action-adventure. There is magic, talking animals, scary below ground scenes and chases. Various clergy are captured in an effort to halt the Christmas Eve celebrations and it seems that it is up to the children to solve who is doing the scrobbling (kidnapping) and rescue the scrobbled from the ones who have them.
The description on the back sounded intriguing, so I bought it. Once I started reading it took some getting used to. I knew it was from England, but some of the words were strange. I finally looked at the copyright and saw it was 1935. That helped explain why the style was so different. Different era, different style. At that point I started to enjoy the book.
There is to be a big celebration at the church, come Christmas Eve, but a few days before the children
Show More
want to put on a little celebration at Seekings and invite the Punch and Judy man to perform. They had seen his act in the town nearby.The Punch and Judy man (also known as Cole Hollings) comes and performs and also brings 'some other delights.' Some of the delights are gifts and some are magic, as he seems to be a bit of a wizard. Just before he leaves, he gives Kay a small box with a knob on it. The box has magical abilities to transport a person to other locations, past and present and also change the person's size. Kay is told to protect the box and not let it fall into the hands of a particular person who is chasing Cole Hawlings.
The adults all seem to be called away and the children are left on their own to enjoy this action-adventure. There is magic, talking animals, scary below ground scenes and chases. Various clergy are captured in an effort to halt the Christmas Eve celebrations and it seems that it is up to the children to solve who is doing the scrobbling (kidnapping) and rescue the scrobbled from the ones who have them.
The description on the back sounded intriguing, so I bought it. Once I started reading it took some getting used to. I knew it was from England, but some of the words were strange. I finally looked at the copyright and saw it was 1935. That helped explain why the style was so different. Different era, different style. At that point I started to enjoy the book.
Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1935
Physical description
320 p.; 5.08 inches
ISBN
1405210117 / 9781405210119
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 823.912 |