The Story Without An End

by Friedrich Wilhelm Carove

And the deeper the silence became, the more intently did the Child listen, and at last the slightest sound thrilled him from head to foot. At length, all was still as death in the wood; and the world seemed as if it never would wake again. The Child bent forward to see whether it were as dark abroad as in the cave, but he saw nothing save the pitch-dark night, who had wrapped everything in her thick veil.

Genres: Classics, Childrens

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1834

About the author

Friedrich Wilhelm Carové (June 20, 1789 – March 18, 1852) was a German philosopher and publicist.

Reviews

[monica ♪ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like children's lit, but I don't really read the classic ones.
When I read the blurb of this book, it looks so interesting, so I requested it from NetGalley.
At first it was little bit hard for me to get into the story since I'm not used to read this kind of book. But the more I read it, the more I enjoy it.
It was a short, entertaining read with illustrations in it.
If you like classic children's lit, I'm sure you'll enjoy this.

[Loribeth Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book many years ago, back in the early 1990s. I absolutely loved it. I have been looking for it ever since, and recently found one printed in 1912 that I was able to purchase. The color plates in it are beautiful, and the story is lovely and whimsical. It was written in Germany in the early 19th century, perhaps even earlier than that, because different references cite different years. So if you are expecting a story with prose similar to stories written today, you will be disappointed. The author was writing for children of that time, not of this time. It's a story of an innocent young child on his own discovering the simple beauty of the world and nature, without any worldly interference tainting his experience.
Truly a lovely, lovely book.

[Juli Rahel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone has a childhood classic, the book that you're never going to forget about, no matter how much you grow up. The Story Without an End was that kind of book for Austin's daughter, which resulted in its translation from the original German. As a German myself I'd love for more childhood classics to cross international borders so we can all share our favourites. Thanks to Dover Publications and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Story Without an End is, in simple terms, an old school fairy tale of the middle 19th century. The author of the German original, Friedrich Wilhelm Carové, very much believed in the ideal of humanity and the church and, as such, the fairy tale is full of nature imagery and the wholesomeness of the beauty of nature. It can come across as a little bit overly sweet if the original Grimms' fairytales are what you're expecting, but that is because, as a literary product, this tale is significantly younger than the original versions of any of the old fairy tales. It's written with the intense purpose to make the natural world and natural order seem perfect in and of itself. As long as you can accept the purpose behind the story it's a lovely read.

The Story Without an End is a beautiful story, rich in detail and descriptions. It would be perfect for parents with young children or fans of fairy tales. Dover Publications edition is definitely stunning and would make a great addition to any fairytale shelf.

For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk...

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Story Without an End' is German tale from the Victorian era translated here by Sarah Austin. It includes 15 of the original full color plate illustrations by Eleanor Vere Boyle, also known for her illustrations of the works of Hans Christian Andersen.

This is a classic story of a young child discovering the wonder of the natural world around them. For the most part, it is a very peaceful and idyllic tale that lulls you into dreams of warm Spring days ly‌ing beneath trees. There is some darkness that crops up, but it goes away in time for there to be nothing more than the flicker of a dark thought. I'm not sure why this story has no end, except that it does just sort of blissfully fade out.

The full color illustrations are beautiful and serve the story well. Each shows a long-haired child interacting thoughtfully with flowers and fauna in a peaceful setting. It's quite old and archaic in language, so I'm not sure it would engage children today. The story is probably a bit too sugary to find an adult audience, but I enjoyed the story and the illustrations as a peaceful way to spend a short amount of time reading.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Dover Publications and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Su · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not familiar with this classic children story before and I'm very glad I was able to read it, courtesy of Dover Publications and NetGalley. The story follows a Child, whose parentage and origins are both left vague, as he wanders through nature and discovers both the beauty hidden within and lessons each discovery brings to him. There is a general sense of innocence which makes the Child both ignorant of the world out there and curious to learn more about it. The writing was very beautiful, both nicely descriptive and very lyrical. There were also a lot of gorgeous illustrations throughout the book, both in full color and in black and white, that added to the general beauty of the book. The story was short and bears its name rather well, but upon finishing this book, I was left in no way disappointed. I would recommend this special little story to anyone, regardless of the age, who enjoys beautiful stories.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved classic fairy tales, especially ones from different countries. This story is from Germany and I had never read it before. I'm very glad I did. This is a gorgeous story of a young girl who learns about the world around from the world around her. With butterflies, flowers, and trees, the peaceful writing is fluid and relaxing, a perfect bedtime tale for those kids who have a hard time sleeping. It reminded me of a dream and gave me a very peaceful feeling throughout the story. A beautiful illustrated and written tale!

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

No doubt about it, this is one weird children’s book!

It’s sort of an early THE LITTLE PRINCE or maybe a Noveau Art piece in words, rather than paint, or something from a ‘60s bizarre drug trip - and yet its message is for the ages, and that is why this is THE STORY THAT NEVER ENDS.

What is this ‘message?’

Discover it for yourself!

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations, so this reprint is of a book given the publishing house's usual tender loving care and respect for the classics, but boy have they found a right stinker here. Sheer piffle from start to – well, wherever you give up on it. 'The Story Nobody Can Be Bothered to Finish Reading to the End', more like.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never had seen imaginary things in my mind as I see reading this book

[Seamusin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Also came here recommended by Italo Calvino... don't get it! Don't see it inspiring him.

[Bren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to like this. I started and stopped it several times. I wasn't able to connect with the story. I did finally make it to the end, but was never able to find any interest in it.