Children of the Mist

by Eden Phillpotts

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: Fiction

514 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1898

About the author

See also: Harrington Hext

Eden Philpotts was an English novelist, short-story writer, and playwright with a particular interest in the county of Devon. His works include a cycle of 18 novels set in Dartmoor.

Reviews

[Perry Whitford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will Blanchard is a determined yet hot-headed young man in love with Phoebe Lyddon, the daughter of a prosperous miller in the Teign Valley area of Dartmoor. They want to get married but Miller Lyddon opposes the match.

Will's chances are further undermined by the arrival back in Devon of two brothers who have made money in South Africa, John and Martin Grimbal. The former takes an immediate interest in Phoebe, establishing an enmity with Blanchard which will run for the entire length of this engrossing rustic epic, which spans over a decade.

I simply can't say enough in praise of Eden Phillpott's ability as a novelist. The first couple of books of his that I read it became obvious to compare him to Thomas Hardy, without considering the possibility that he may have been every bit as good.

By now I've managed to read a good across-section of his vast output and am ready to concede that he deserves the same high level of appreciation as a West Country storyteller. It goes without saying that that's the highest form of praise.

Hardy had his fictional Wessex but Phillpotts used the real Devonshire for his canvas, specifically the fields and tors of 'Dartymoor.' Teign Valley is amongst the bleakest spots in the region, rich in mysterious sites from pre-history such as Cosdon Beacon, Dartmoor's second highest hill, a site littered with druidic relics of granite.

Some of these locations had barely altered over millennia by the second half of the 19th century, and it's clear from the behaviour of the characters, who all converse in that melodious Devonshire dialect that Phillpott's renders so well ("Ess fay, you'm right theer,") that the people haven't changed that much either, passion still conquers the intellect, the heart still rules the head.

The lead characters are all compelling, growing and changing with events, the support characters are no less interesting (I especially liked Billy Blee, an opinionated old duffer) and there is the valley itself, which defines them and their fortunes:

"The Moor's the Moor. Everybody knaws the way of it. Scratch its faace an' it picks your pockets an' breaks your heart."

I don't think I've ever quoted at length any of Phillpott's peerless descriptions of Dartmoor at any length before. That being the case, it's about time I put that right, so here goes:

'Above Teign’s shrunken current extended oak and ash, while her banks bore splendid concourse of the wild water-loving dwellers in that happy valley. Meadowsweet nodded creamy crests; hemlock and fool’s parsley and seeding willow-herb crowded together beneath far-scattered filigree of honeysuckles and brambles with berries, some ripe, some red; while the scarlet corals of briar and white bryony gemmed every riotous trailing thicket, dene, and dingle along the river’s brink; and in the grassy spaces between rose little chrysoprase steeples of wood sage all set in shining fern.'

Marvelous.

[Jenn]

This book was one I found for free on Amazon when I first got my kindle. Written in the late the 1800's, it is what I call a 'classic'. I had never heard of the author or the book title. Having read many books written prior to 1900, I know how difficult some can be to wade through. However, some of my favourite novels are from an older era so I decided to plunge in!

This was a surprisingly really good read!!!!! The writing style was easy, it was fairly fast paced, it twisted and turned until the very end, and its characters were very likeable.

In brief, it was the story of one man's fight to win treasure and wealth in Africa, after his father had squandered his own substantial estate in England and left his son in poverty. He is accompanied on his adventures by his trusted African servant, a beautiful english girl, and her own servant. Together they enter a remote area of central Africa to where a lost tribe exists, living in a city shrouded in mist. It is rumoured that the land abounds with precious gems.......

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd not come across Eden Philpotts before - this was a freebie on my Kindle & am well pleased to have been introduced..

Very much in the Victorian mold, but well worth reading in my opinion, with unexpected twists to the plot.....