The Cuckoo Clock

Mary Louisa MolesworthProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 205K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Cuckoo Clock by Mrs. MolesworthAuthor: Molesworth, Mrs., 1839-1921,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Apr 6, 2005

Editor's review

Mrs. Molesworth's The Cuckoo Clock is a children's novel with a fairy-tale quality, built on a rather original idea: a cuckoo clock becomes a gateway to a strange world, and under its guidance the young heroine has a series of adventures. The language is gentle and the pacing unhurried; fantastical episodes are interwoven with details of everyday family life, and the whole carries the didactic touch and warmth typical of Victorian children's literature. Its strength lies in turning an ordinary household object into a character with a personality of its own, so that fantasy and discipline, mischief and growing up, hold each other in check—charming yet never formless. As a public-domain text it suits parents reading with children, and readers interested in early English children's literature may enjoy it as a historical survey; those expecting high-intensity adventure or a modern pace may find the plot slow.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Parents who want to read classic English fairy tales with their children
Readers interested in Victorian children's literature
Lower-intermediate English learners doing light extensive reading

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced adventure stories with strong conflict
Readers looking for contemporary children's-literature themes and expression
Readers put off by an old-fashioned didactic tone

Reading tips

When reading together, retell the plot after each chapter and discuss what the clock's guidance means.
English learners can read a Chinese translation first for the story, then return to the original to build up expressions.
Notice how scenes of everyday family life alternate with fantastical passages, and observe the author's pacing.
Don't feel you must finish it in one go; chapter-by-chapter reading suits the book's gentle tone.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What age of child is this book suitable for?

Given its length and language difficulty, it suits middle-grade children with some reading patience, or younger children listening as a parent reads aloud. The old-fashioned expressions and didactic tone need some adult explanation, so the age for independent reading can be raised somewhat.

Is the story built around the cuckoo clock?

Yes. The cuckoo clock is not merely a prop but a character that drives the plot, and most of the young heroine's adventures are set off by it. Fantastical passages alternate with everyday family life, and this forms the book's basic structure.

Is the original English hard to read?

It is nineteenth-century children's-literature English, with rather long sentences and some words used differently from today, though the vocabulary overall is not very difficult. Readers with intermediate English can make progress with a dictionary; beginners should start with a translation or read along with someone.

Comments

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About the author

Mary Louisa Molesworth Author · British · 1839–1921

Mrs. Molesworth (1839–1921), born Mary Louisa Molesworth, was an English writer of children's literature in the Victorian era. She was born in Rotterdam in 1839 and died in London in 1921, and was a prolific author; this site holds 57 of her works. Her representative books include The Cuckoo Clock, The Tapestry Room: A Child's Romance, Four Ghost Stories, The Carved Lions, Grandmother Dear: A Book for Boys and Girls, Christmas-Tree Land, and The Palace in the Garden. Her works are often classed as inspirational coming-of-age stories, usually centering on children and unfolding in settings where domestic life and fantasy intertwine. Her warm, delicate style combines imagination with a sense of everyday reality, and she has been called "the Jane Austen of the nursery." Public information is limited, but the sheer number of her works shows her lasting influence on child readers of her time.