The House of Arden

By E. Nesbit

With the Arden family castle in ruins and the family treasure lost for generations, Edred Arden is graced with the chance of a lifetime just prior to his tenth birthday. When he inherits the title of Lord he discovers that if he can find the lost family treasure before he turns ten, it will be his. With his sister Elfrida at his side, Edred sets out on a magical time-travelling quest to restore the House of Arden to its former glory. Fans of Edith Nesbit will delight in this wonderful children's story of fantastical adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Classics
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781627937771

E. Nesbit

E. Nesbit (1858–1924) began writing for young adults after a successful career in magazines. Using her own unconventional childhood as a jumping-off point, she published novels that combined reality, fantasy, and humor. Expanded from a series of articles in the Strand Magazine, Five Children and It was published as a novel in 1902 and is the first in a trilogy that includes The Phoenix and the Carpet and The Story of the Amulet. Together with her husband, Nesbit was a founding member of the socialist Fabian Society, and her home became a hub for some of the greatest authors and thinkers of the time, including George Bernard Shaw and H. G. Wells.

Reviews for The House of Arden

[leore_joanne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

That was a fun read. This is one of the Edith Nesbit books which I have NOT read as a child (actually, I think it is the only one). I bought it in England on my fifteenth summer and read it on the flight back home. The truth is, that when I took it off the shelf yesterday, in search of something which will be a bit more interesting (and magical) then the Hemingway I was reading, which was starting to bore me - I didn't really remember the plot. What dissapointed me in the book was its' similiarity to other books which she has written. The clever, magical being, who fulfills the childrens' wishes and then later rescues them out of the trouble which they manage to get themselves into, and is always grumpy and cross even though he secretly harbours those kids a lot of affection. And also the obssesive quest for treasure. But apart from that, it was a lovely book. I especially liked the fact that the girl was braver than her brother most of the time. A cute book, and charming and magical and just plain good.