I actually have the first book in this series trilogy but because the first book is still wrapped while this is unwrapped, I decided to read it first.
The Phoenix and the Carpet is a collection of loosely related stories. Holding everything together are the phoenix and the carpet, both of which are brought to the children’s house when Mother decides to buy a new carpet. Robert, Anthea, Cyril, and Jane (there’s a younger sibling nicknamed The Lamb but he’s more of a side character) discover that their new carpet is a magic carpet, able to grant 3 wishes a day, and the phoenix is a talking, magical bird.
Honestly, this book was charming! I really enjoyed the adventures that the children went on and the phoenix was proud in a rather funny way. My favourite part of the book is how the children are written – they aren’t completely good or completely bad children. They love each other and their mother but they also quarrel and act like children, so the adventures don’t always go to plan. The four felt very real and I really enjoyed seeing them interact with one another.
The only thing that made me uncomfortable was the classism that I noticed in two of the stories. One story concerns their cook, and the children really do behave in a disrespectful way to cook because they don’t see her as an equal. Another was when the children went onto the streets and the phoenix was caught by some of the children from the streets – these presumably lower-class children were written like thugs and the one-dimensional characterisation of these children as bullying thieves was unpleasant, especially since the four main characters are so well written!
Overall, I enjoyed this book! There were a few parts that made me raise an eyebrow but considering this was first published in 1904, I think it has held up really well. I’m a bit surprised that the absent parent trope appeared so early in time (in most stories, the parents aren’t around to be shocked at what the children do), but I am glad to see that the four children were written realistically.
P.s. I will get to Book 1 soon! I have it, but I don’t have that much reading time.
Nesbit is undeniably an innovator of modern children’s fantasy. To be able to come up with so many interesting concepts is a gift she used to the fullest. Though I have to say, her uncoventional life in general is also worth reading about.
Do you have any recommendations for books about her? I’d be interested in reading!
There are actually a couple of biographies about her life. The most popular one seems to be the latest. The Life and Loves of E. Nesbit: Victorian Iconoclast, Children’s Author, and Creator of The Railway Children, written by Eleanor Fitzsimons.