Synopsis
Two children, Dan and Una, acting out their version of A Midsummer Night's Dream in a Sussex meadow, miraculously conjure up Puck himself. Small, blue-eyed Puck, old as Time itself, brings back the past for them to witness. He re-creates a Roman centurion, a Norman knight, a Renaissance craftsman and the villages of time gone by and, in so doing, gives Dan and Una a clear sense of history and their own heritage.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
Puck of Pook's Hill and Rewards and Fairies are classic children's books which speak powerfully to adult readers. Una and Dan, performing a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream one Midsummer's Eve, accidentally summon Puck to a fairy ring near their Sussex home. Through Puck the children are witnesses to tales of English history, subtly called forth by Kipling's brilliant and fluid adventure writing. Kipling's historical imagination extends to a wide variety of stories, many of which blend the ghostly and the familiar, and often anticipate his later writing in their themes: a sense of loss and breakdown, but also healing. First published in magazines between 1906 and 1910, the stories were accompanied by some of Kipling's most famous poems, including 'If-' and 'The Way through the Woods'. This edition includes an introduction which dispels the myth that these stories are simply a nostalgic view of English history, discusses their relationship to other historical fiction, and relates them to Kipling's earlier and later writings.
About the Author
Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) is best remembered for children's tales such as The Jungle Book as well as his poetry and stories about British soldiers in India, which include "Gunga Din" and The Man Who Would Be King. Kipling was enormously popular at the turn of the 20th century but his reputation declined with the change in attitude toward British imperialism. In recent years Kipling's works have found new acclaim as a vibrant source of literary and cultural history.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Search results for Puck of Pooks Hill
Stock Image
Puck of Pooks Hill
Published by
Amereon Ltd, Mattituck, NY, 1940
ISBN 10: 0848801733
ISBN 13: 9780848801731
Used
Hardcover
Seller: The Book Shed, Benson, VT, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. No Jacket. No date, but limited to 80 copies, probably 1976. WorldCat located 6 copies. Lightest wear to the book, clean and unmarked; no jacket. A scholarly annotated edition. 'Puck of Pook's Hill' is a fantasy book by Rudyard Kipling, published in 1906, containing a series of short stories set in different periods of English history. It can count both as historical fantasy since some of the stories told of the past have clear magical elements, and as contemporary fantasy since it depicts a magical being active and practising his magic in the England of the early 1900s when the book was written. The stories are all narrated to two children living near Burwash, in the area of Kipling's own house Bateman's, by people magically plucked out of history by the elf Puck, or told by Puck himself. (Puck, who refers to himself as "the oldest Old Thing in England", is better known as a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.) The genres of particular stories range from authentic historical novella (A Centurion of the Thirtieth, On the Great Wall) to children's fantasy (Dymchurch Flit). Each story is bracketed by a poem which relates in some manner to the theme or subject of the story. Most items ship with free delivery confirmation, electronic tracking and jacket protectors (generally over $10.00) if applicable. Clean recycled packing material will be used when possible. Seller Inventory # 1001413