The beloved Victorian children's tale now available in its original unabridged edition
Instantly popular upon its initial publicatio... read full description
Instantly popular upon its initial publicatio... read full description
reviews
Feb 09, 2012
Almeta
rated it: 
I have no idea what edition I read as a child, but I do know that I harbor huge nostalgia about the book's weird adventures and pen and ink illustrations. Every time I see the title at a used book sale, I reflect on my childhood.
Now as an adult, having read Goodreads reviews, I wonder what I would think of it. The implied tone of bigotry and morialist snake oil, makes me pause about my rating.
For now it gets my best. When I re-read it, I will likely be angry and ashamed
Now as an adult, having read Goodreads reviews, I wonder what I would think of it. The implied tone of bigotry and morialist snake oil, makes me pause about my rating.
For now it gets my best. When I re-read it, I will likely be angry and ashamed
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Feb 09, 2012
Debra
rated it: 
I know this book is pretty controversial, but I enjoyed it in spite of that. As accepted during that time in history, there is definitely some prejudice against other races and nationalities, especially the Irish. The Englishman rules and all others are inferior. But, I just took this as British pride... of course, and Englishman would think his nationality is the best, back in the day. Also, if you aren't Christian, then you are a heathen. No news here, either. However, I was amazed at Ki
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Mar 26, 2008
Mike
rated it: 
Wow, that was bad! In college I went through a Charles Kingsley phase (Westward Ho, Hypatia, Alton Locke). I remember reading this and thinking it was good. Probably the most wrong opinion I have ever held. The tone is so smarmy, you just want to slap the author (who is rabidly anti-irish). Here is probably the best quote of the book-which gives you a taste--
"Now you may fancy that Tom was quite good, when he had everything that he could want or wish: but you would be very much More...
"Now you may fancy that Tom was quite good, when he had everything that he could want or wish: but you would be very much More...
Jan 16, 2011
Bob
rated it:
Humphrey Carpenter's "Secret Gardens: A Study of the Golden Age of Children's Literature" sounds like something I ought to have read. The period it describes runs from the mid-19th century to the early 20th, placing The Water-Babies right near its start and certainly an influence on everything from "Alice In Wonderland", a few years later, to "Peter Pan". It is also one of those children's books which contains "much that is unintelligible to children", as
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Jun 22, 2010
Raj
rated it: 
This is a book that I tried to read many times as a child but could never get through the first chapter. Seeing it on the shelf while visiting my parents I was determined to give it another shot. Although I got through it, to be honest it really wasn't worth it.
Tom is a young chimney sweep who, through a series of improbable events, becomes a water-baby and goes thorough all sorts of adventures, all of which have morals to teach, before becoming a creature of the land again, as a gro More...
Tom is a young chimney sweep who, through a series of improbable events, becomes a water-baby and goes thorough all sorts of adventures, all of which have morals to teach, before becoming a creature of the land again, as a gro More...
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Jan 23, 2012
Dmdutcher
rated it:
Wow, this is horrible.
Tom, a chimney-sweep under the drunk, foul-tempered Mr. Grimes, one day goes with him to do a job at the local lord's manor. He by mistake enters the room of a young girl, who is startled by his soot-covered appearance, and raises a fuss. Everyone chases him, and he flees only to die ("changed by a fairy") and be transformed into a water-baby. He then has to become a real man again.
It's just a mess of a book. Apparently, daughters of rich p More...
Tom, a chimney-sweep under the drunk, foul-tempered Mr. Grimes, one day goes with him to do a job at the local lord's manor. He by mistake enters the room of a young girl, who is startled by his soot-covered appearance, and raises a fuss. Everyone chases him, and he flees only to die ("changed by a fairy") and be transformed into a water-baby. He then has to become a real man again.
It's just a mess of a book. Apparently, daughters of rich p More...
Jun 14, 2009
Alanna
rated it:
Had this book been more than 150 pages (in my copy), I would not have finished it. But since it was so short, I saw it through to the end.
I completely dislike the book in every way. The narrator/storyteller seemed to be a bit full of himself to be honest! I got the impression that he thought none of the characters were as wise and as knowledgeable as he. And I believe every character was called stupid or ugly at some point. Some were called both.
It was an easy read, but the sto More...
I completely dislike the book in every way. The narrator/storyteller seemed to be a bit full of himself to be honest! I got the impression that he thought none of the characters were as wise and as knowledgeable as he. And I believe every character was called stupid or ugly at some point. Some were called both.
It was an easy read, but the sto More...
Feb 03, 2009
Chris
rated it: 
The Water Babies is touted as a fairy tale for a "land baby." Supposedly, the book was written by Kingsley for his then infant son. Even considering an adult reading this aloud to a child, it's difficult to see this book being intended for a terribly young audience. The overall story is whimsical and cute and could be entertaining for a child. But the frequent interjections by the narrator exploring philosophical, scientific, and theological themes are most definitely going to be o
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Jun 15, 2011
Kate
rated it:
A Victorian children's classic, and a film I remember seeing on wet Bank holidays as a child. I managed to download this for free for my Kindle to actually read it. If only I had stayed with the memories.
The writing is very much of it's age, wordy and occasionally patronising. It has some very nightmarish passages, similar to the book of revelations, and indeed has a similar theme. The story of Tom becoming a Water-baby when he 'drowns' in a river after being mistaken for a thief is ve More...
The writing is very much of it's age, wordy and occasionally patronising. It has some very nightmarish passages, similar to the book of revelations, and indeed has a similar theme. The story of Tom becoming a Water-baby when he 'drowns' in a river after being mistaken for a thief is ve More...
Aug 03, 2011
Ruth
rated it:
Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) educated at King's College, London, and Magdalene College, Cambridge, he became curate of Eversley in Hampshire in 1842. Certainly, I read this as a wonderful story without perceiving a deeper meaning which various reviewers have mentioned. I loved this story and have read it several times. Written in 1863, Kingsley originally wrote this for his own son. The book tells the story of a young chimney-sweep, who runs away from his brutal employer. In his flight he falls
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Jan 08, 2010
Bettie
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 09, 2012
Cheryl in CC NV
rated it:
I liked this quite a bit better than I expected to. There were plenty of clever bits. Nowadays it's unlikely children will get much out of it, unless an adult reads aloud to them, and they share information about the allusions. For example, I needed to do research to find that the "wise man" who wrote the poem with the line "trailing clouds of glory" was William Wordsworth.
But here's a sample - make of this what you will:
".... And that is the story of More...
But here's a sample - make of this what you will:
".... And that is the story of More...
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Sep 08, 2011
Lori
rated it:
So, first of all, I totally have a first edition of this book, or at least the first American edition. So I don't have that weird cover on my book, and mine is hardcover. Second of all, I used to watch this movie over and over as a little kid, and actually own it now on DVD because I love fairy tales, so this story is very close to my heart, hahaha.
This was my first time reading the book, and as to be expected it was much different from the movie, but I still really enjoyed it. Ch More...
This was my first time reading the book, and as to be expected it was much different from the movie, but I still really enjoyed it. Ch More...
Dec 01, 2010
Natalie
rated it:
This is one of thoose books that as a child, i loved. I can`t quite remember why, but there was something magical about it that sparked the interest of little me.
However i re-read it a few weeks ago and it was so diffrent from what i remember. The book was packed full hiden hate towards the child labour of the time AND i mean theres just something sad about the book all together. When reading it, its hard to forget that the boy is dead throughout the story.
I feel like grabbin More...
However i re-read it a few weeks ago and it was so diffrent from what i remember. The book was packed full hiden hate towards the child labour of the time AND i mean theres just something sad about the book all together. When reading it, its hard to forget that the boy is dead throughout the story.
I feel like grabbin More...
Feb 07, 2012
Loraine
rated it:
Well.What a strange story this is. I remember the battered paperback copy that my parents had when I was a child. I could never get past the first chapter. As an adult I resolved to finish it no matter what. There is a plotline to follow but it wanders off so often into bizzarre ramblings about nothing much at all and all you want to do is get back to Tom's story. This book is politically incorrect and continuously insults the irish. There is much talk of the divides between class too. Aside fro
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Apr 23, 2010
Joselito
rated it:
I read somewhere, I don't remember when, that chimney sweeps (those who go inside chimneys to clean them, usually small boys) would often die of cancer due to their over-exposure to soot and poor ventilation/dirty air inside chimneys.
The principal protagonist here is a 10-year-old boy, a chimney sweep who is being maltreated by his master. He turns into a baby who lives in water (a water-baby) because of a kind-hearted fairy. He has all sorts of adventures up to the story's happy end More...
The principal protagonist here is a 10-year-old boy, a chimney sweep who is being maltreated by his master. He turns into a baby who lives in water (a water-baby) because of a kind-hearted fairy. He has all sorts of adventures up to the story's happy end More...
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Dec 30, 2011
Jewels
rated it:
Children's books have always been something that I collected for the artwork, or if the story was particularly memorable for me from my childhood. This book was picked up because it is illustrated by Anne Grahame Johnstone. She and her sister illustrated some of my favorite books from when I was little; the gracefulness of the lines and the colors they used have always struck me as superb and something to try for in my own art. So, while the story by Kingsley is wonderful in and of itself, yo
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Oct 02, 2011
Kerri
rated it:
I remember loving this book so much as a kid that I was really excited when I found it again. After reading it, I'm not really sure why I loved it so much.
The story of the water baby is fine, and kind of cute, with some nice imagery to go along with it. But the way the author goes off on lecturing tangents every couple of pages (and the way these tangents last for longer than any of the actual storytelling) is both distracting and fairly boring. Especially when taking into account how More...
The story of the water baby is fine, and kind of cute, with some nice imagery to go along with it. But the way the author goes off on lecturing tangents every couple of pages (and the way these tangents last for longer than any of the actual storytelling) is both distracting and fairly boring. Especially when taking into account how More...
Oct 02, 2011
Tim
rated it:
Read this as a child and really liked it. Doubt if I would now but that is the whole point, and I think this is something a lot of the reviewers seem to be forgetting. This is a child's book and written for children alive in the same year as the Battle of Gettysburg, so of course his attitudes are going to be of his time. The book is satirical, particularly in its support for Darwinism and is critical of child labour. It has its good points and its bad points and is still a classic of childrens'
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Dec 12, 2011
Andreaiu
rated it:
Oh, wow. I could not finish this book, and that is a rarity for me. Of course, Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck was winking at me from my to-read shelf so that might have been a factor. I understand that this book was a product of its time-period, but that doesn't mean that it translates well to today's audience. I've read many children's classics, but this was too didactic and pedantic--made up of an uncomfortable mix of satire and transparent allegory (as well as racism and classism). I might try
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Apr 09, 2010
Isabel
rated it:
This was a favorite of my grandmothers and I looked forward to reading it with my daughter. There are a lot of Christian images and messages in this book. It is also full of beautiful descriptions of nature. There are very harsh topics of class and cruelty that are introduced, but largely filtered through the protagonist's perspective.
The scene in which Tom is shocked to discover that he is "dirty" (if we take this just on a literal level) is heartbreaking. His horror a More...
The scene in which Tom is shocked to discover that he is "dirty" (if we take this just on a literal level) is heartbreaking. His horror a More...
Jan 29, 2012
Kate
rated it:
"First published in 1863, The Water-Babies is one of the most enchanting children's classics of all time. It tells the story of how little Tom, the chimney-sweep, runs away from his bullying employer, Mr. Grimes, falls into a river and is turned into a water-baby, and of his many adventures in the river and sea."
~~front flap
Why in the world did I ever think I wanted to read this book? Generally the books on my wish list are books that someone has recommended, or that I More...
~~front flap
Why in the world did I ever think I wanted to read this book? Generally the books on my wish list are books that someone has recommended, or that I More...
Jan 18, 2012
Mark
rated it:
Downloaded from the wonderful Project Guttenberg.
I was surprised at how racist, boring and stupid this book is. Those Victorian & Edwardian children must have had a lot of stamina to plod through this. The first 30 pages is entertaining. I suppose it has sympathy for abused children (very leading edge on the spread of solidarity: not). But basically, repulsive.
I picked up on it because I’d read somewhere that the book was interesting about evolution. It isn’t. It’s dumb.
I was surprised at how racist, boring and stupid this book is. Those Victorian & Edwardian children must have had a lot of stamina to plod through this. The first 30 pages is entertaining. I suppose it has sympathy for abused children (very leading edge on the spread of solidarity: not). But basically, repulsive.
I picked up on it because I’d read somewhere that the book was interesting about evolution. It isn’t. It’s dumb.
May 14, 2009
Hallie
rated it:
I know - not very fashionable, but I had a small picture book version (I won it for attendance at Sunday School, no less!) as a child, and loved the pictures - I can still remember most of them in an almost visceral way. Then when I read the unabridged version for course work, I was blown away by its sheer weirdness, of a type I'd never expected. And hey, it was highly influential in getting the practice of using of children as chimney sweeps stopped, which is pretty good!
Aug 08, 2011
I found this book a real slog. Its basically a moral tale telling children to be good and treat others as you expect to be treated but in a really labourious manner. There is so much potential in this book bt it just doesnt utilise those opportunities to add something truly exciting. Everything flows along a bit too quickly to be really gripping or exlained fully enough.
Overall I was disappointed and felt this book lacked alot.
Overall I was disappointed and felt this book lacked alot.
Feb 24, 2011
Frightful_elk
rated it:
Kingsley passes moral judgement on all the evils of his day, by means of Tom a chimney sweep who is transformed into a water baby.
If you are interested in the Victorian period this offers plenty of insights about what was going on at the period and what people thought about it. As a story it is O.K but due to the casual racism towards the 'poor paddy's' and 'Negroes' it's not one to read to the kids.
A curiosity.
If you are interested in the Victorian period this offers plenty of insights about what was going on at the period and what people thought about it. As a story it is O.K but due to the casual racism towards the 'poor paddy's' and 'Negroes' it's not one to read to the kids.
A curiosity.
Dec 31, 2011
Rick
rated it:
Not sure why I finished this. It may have been popular back when it was first published, but I see it as a mess of a book ... Confusing and just plain unfocused. If it has a point, it was lost on me. It wasn't inventive or imaginative or coherent. Things just happen, with no rhyme or reason ... The movie from the--what? 70s or 80s was interesting, but the source material sucks!
Jan 06, 2011
Rima
rated it:
One of my friends said that the most brilliant kind of literature is children literature. I guess I have to agree with that. And Charles Kinglyes' The Water Babies is one of the best among children literature. The plot is fast, complex, and absurd, yet understandable. Moreover, most parts of the story touch my heart. And the way the narrator explains the story is very smooth and intriguing.
This is not simply a story of a poor little boy. This is a story of all the poor little childr More...
This is not simply a story of a poor little boy. This is a story of all the poor little childr More...
Aug 18, 2009
Steven
rated it:
This was some what outside my usual read. But as it was on my list to be read I went in with an open mind. turns out it was a charming fairy tale of the life an after life of a chimney sweep. There was perhaps a bit too much religious and racial emphasis, But it was written long ago and was quite progressive for it's time I'm sure.
Anyway it was fairly good and a nice break from some of the heavier reading i have been doing recently.
Anyway it was fairly good and a nice break from some of the heavier reading i have been doing recently.
Nov 05, 2011
Kristina
rated it:
A delightful Victorian fairy tale about de-evolution and learning strength, morality and character. Sometimes the narrator is a bit heavy-handed, but overall, it is an enjoyable romp through the waters with Tom as he learns the right way to play, treat others, and the consequences of being bad.
Rather fun, and filled with tons of Victorian pop culture and budding ideologies.
Rather fun, and filled with tons of Victorian pop culture and budding ideologies.
