A Prisoner in Fairyland

By Algernon Blackwood

Though recognized primarily as a writer of 'weird' horror fiction for adults, Algernon Blackwood also wrote a number of delightful tales for children and young adults. A Prisoner in Fairyland is an engaging and imaginative romp through a mystical dimension that served as the basis for the popular children's play The Starlight Express.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sheba Blake Publishing
• Release date: Mar 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781304869128

Algernon Blackwood

Algernon Blackwood (1869-1951) was an English journalist, novelist, and short story writer. Born in Shooter’s Hill, he developed an interest in Hinduism and Buddhism at a young age. After a youth spent travelling and taking odd jobs—Canadian dairy farmer, bartender, model, violin teacher—Blackwood returned to England and embarked on a career as a professional writer. Known for his connection to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Blackwood gained a reputation as a master of occult storytelling, publishing such popular horror stories as “The Willows” and “The Wendigo.” He also wrote several novels, including Jimbo: A Fantasy (1909) and The Centaur (1911). Throughout his life, Blackwood was a passionate outdoorsman, spending much of his time skiing and mountain climbing. Recognized as a pioneering writer of ghost stories, Blackwood influenced such figures as J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft, and Henry Miller.

Reviews for A Prisoner in Fairyland

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I believe inherited this from my father and I have never read it through. Dipping into it lately, it is not as grim as I somehow expected, but rather twee. It reminds me a bit of Sylvie and Bruno in that it seems to be a mix of fantasy with a rather saccharine conventional novel.

[shimmin_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I began reading this, and quite honestly I was inclined, on putting it down when I arrived at a station, not to pick it up again. It's that genre of wordy, ambience-focused novel full of sentiment and petty philosophy, reading like Hans Christian Anderson or some other moralistic fairy-tale, and generally not really going anywhere.However, I did pick it up briefly just to confirm that before striking it from my list, and found myself reading another page or ten. Then I felt like I couldn't just quickly skim it, as I'd intended, but needed to somehow do justice to it by slow careful reading of the prose, which is the meat and merit of the thing if it has any, and I ought to put it by for the next day. There's something to it at least, however prosy it might be - something that feels to me like it deserves a fair reading on its own lights, not a hasty dismissal.I did read on without much trouble, and found it a gentle, relaxing read when I was in the right mood. It's something to while away a long winter evening, with a mug of tea to hand and maybe a crackling fire. Eventually though, that long gentleness undermines it. I didn't feel any particular pull to find out what happened, because there was no real sense that anything was happening - it's more like a very long vignette than a story per se. I'm sure there's some kind of resolution, but I felt content to assume it was one of the standard Andersenian morals and leave it at that. Maybe I'll come back to it one day.

[rcrisp-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Prisoner in FairylandBy Algeron BlackwoodThis modern classic fairy tale was enchanting and delightful. A Prisoner in Fairyland, was truly written in the esteemed language and style of the finest authors in the world. The character development was insightful and revealing of their inner most thoughts, emotions, and desires. The story was original and very appealing. This fairy tale changed how I look at the world with its’ amazing tale.The story began with the character Henry Rogers, who was a retired successful businessman and had a plan to help the needy of the world. He hired a former co-worker, Minks, to become his personal secretary and to handle all of his affairs including the development of his grand scheme, as he called it.Rogers decides to take a short vacation at his cousin’s house in Switzerland. Little does he know that he will become enthralled with life in this small village, his cousin’s children, and the power of thoughts, sympathy, and dreams. His journey into this awareness helps him to understand how the world is so small and everything in the world connects by the power of unconscious thought.