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World's End #1
The House at World's End
The Fielding children have to go and stay with their Uncle Rudolph and Aunt Valentina as their father is sailing round the world and their mother has been hurt in an accident. The children and their relatives clash endlessly, and at last Uncle Rudolph allows them to live in a tumbledown old inn he owns: World’s End.
147 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
About the author
Monica Dickens
87 books120 followersFrom the publisher: MONICA DICKENS, born in 1915, was brought up in London and was the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens. Her mother's German origins and her Catholicism gave her the detached eye of an outsider; at St Paul's Girls' School she was under occupied and rebellious. After drama school she was a debutante before working as a cook. One Pair of Hands (1939), her first book, described life in the kitchens of Kensington. It was the first of a group of semi autobiographies of which Mariana (1940), technically a novel, was one. 'My aim is to entertain rather than instruct,' she wrote. 'I want readers to recognise life in my books.' In 1951 Monica Dickens married a US naval officer, Roy Stratton, moved to America and adopted two daughters. An extremely popular writer, she involved herself in, and wrote about, good causes such as the Samaritans. After her husband died she lived in a cottage in rural Berkshire, dying there in 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 6, 2022
4.5 stars
Four children have an eccentric father who has gone off to sail around the world. When disaster strikes
The characters in this book are wonderful, they all have there own personalities and each bring something to the story. It was good to see a dyslexic character portrayed in a positive way. We loved the animal characters, this story focuses on the animals the children rescue and help. We loved the rescue of John and the adventures of Penny Come Quick. There was some very funny parts to this story and it made a wonderful read aloud.
Recommended for those who love animal stories, rescue stories, horses, making a home and outdoor play. This was definitely a feel good book, wonderful escapism and is the first in a series of 4!
Four children have an eccentric father who has gone off to sail around the world. When disaster strikes
The characters in this book are wonderful, they all have there own personalities and each bring something to the story. It was good to see a dyslexic character portrayed in a positive way. We loved the animal characters, this story focuses on the animals the children rescue and help. We loved the rescue of John and the adventures of Penny Come Quick. There was some very funny parts to this story and it made a wonderful read aloud.
Recommended for those who love animal stories, rescue stories, horses, making a home and outdoor play. This was definitely a feel good book, wonderful escapism and is the first in a series of 4!
April 12, 2015
Imagine the Boxcar Children with living but absent parents, and no rich grandfather in the offing. Instead of the unknown rich grandad, they have the all-too-well known Uncle Rupert and his unpleasant wife Valentina, who are the sort of people who do their duty. Trouble with that is, it leaves no room for kindness.
A house fire leaves Mum in the hospital and the children homeless, while Dad is far away sailing round the world in a boat he built himself. Why, is never discussed. After one too many run-ins with the rich relations, they are allowed to spend the summer in a rundown ex-inn left to Uncle Rubarb as payment for a delinquent debt. Soon, the house is filled with stray animals and happiness, in spite of little to eat and less to wear.
Highly unbelievable, of course, but an enjoyable read. It feels more like the 1940s than the publication date of 1970, even in a small English village, but suspend disbelief and just enjoy the tale of four children making their own way in a small world.
A house fire leaves Mum in the hospital and the children homeless, while Dad is far away sailing round the world in a boat he built himself. Why, is never discussed. After one too many run-ins with the rich relations, they are allowed to spend the summer in a rundown ex-inn left to Uncle Rubarb as payment for a delinquent debt. Soon, the house is filled with stray animals and happiness, in spite of little to eat and less to wear.
Highly unbelievable, of course, but an enjoyable read. It feels more like the 1940s than the publication date of 1970, even in a small English village, but suspend disbelief and just enjoy the tale of four children making their own way in a small world.
September 7, 2016
The Living End
Take four kids who are on their own because Dad's sailing the world and Mom's in hospital. They're with Uncle Rudolph because their house burned down. (That's why Mom's in hospital.) Uncle Rudolph has gotten stuck with a ramshackle former inn at Wood's End, (so far out that it's called World's End), and he thinks it's a capital idea to let the four kids live there, alone, and out of his hair. That's the set-up, and it's a wonderful way to start a jolly holiday family adventure. If you have a reader who occasionally exhibits a taste for old-fashioned English countryside animal-loving-siblings rural adventures, this is the book for him/her.
The more jaded among you might suspect that this book will fall to the precious side of the ledger, but that was not my sense. This book was written in 1970, not at the turn of the past century, and while it follows the conventions of the form it is a bit sharper, edgier and zippier than those older examples.
The four children have distinct personalities. Sometimes they can be a bit dreamy and, well, childish. But for the most part they have an engaging can-do cooperative spirit that adds life and vitality to the enterprise. They have a generally vinegary view of adults, (Uncle Rudolph and Aunt Viv are not regarded kindly), but there is no mean or snarky streak in the narrative.
The animal zoo aspect of the story is handled well and is fun instead of overdone. The oldest girl's love of horses is exaggerated on purpose, and allows for some friction with the other kids. The overall feeling, though, is one of nurturing concern, and when that is combined with the children's mutual regard the positive and upbeat feel of the book is evident.
An added bonus is that the author occasionally adds a wry or fairly cutting observation to the narrative that, again, adds a bit of tartness that balances the tale.
So, this turned out to be a welcome surprise. It is a calm, imaginative and, in its own way, adventurous tale of spirited kids, with no agenda and no subtext beyond the pleasures of the tale as told. A very nice find.
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
Take four kids who are on their own because Dad's sailing the world and Mom's in hospital. They're with Uncle Rudolph because their house burned down. (That's why Mom's in hospital.) Uncle Rudolph has gotten stuck with a ramshackle former inn at Wood's End, (so far out that it's called World's End), and he thinks it's a capital idea to let the four kids live there, alone, and out of his hair. That's the set-up, and it's a wonderful way to start a jolly holiday family adventure. If you have a reader who occasionally exhibits a taste for old-fashioned English countryside animal-loving-siblings rural adventures, this is the book for him/her.
The more jaded among you might suspect that this book will fall to the precious side of the ledger, but that was not my sense. This book was written in 1970, not at the turn of the past century, and while it follows the conventions of the form it is a bit sharper, edgier and zippier than those older examples.
The four children have distinct personalities. Sometimes they can be a bit dreamy and, well, childish. But for the most part they have an engaging can-do cooperative spirit that adds life and vitality to the enterprise. They have a generally vinegary view of adults, (Uncle Rudolph and Aunt Viv are not regarded kindly), but there is no mean or snarky streak in the narrative.
The animal zoo aspect of the story is handled well and is fun instead of overdone. The oldest girl's love of horses is exaggerated on purpose, and allows for some friction with the other kids. The overall feeling, though, is one of nurturing concern, and when that is combined with the children's mutual regard the positive and upbeat feel of the book is evident.
An added bonus is that the author occasionally adds a wry or fairly cutting observation to the narrative that, again, adds a bit of tartness that balances the tale.
So, this turned out to be a welcome surprise. It is a calm, imaginative and, in its own way, adventurous tale of spirited kids, with no agenda and no subtext beyond the pleasures of the tale as told. A very nice find.
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
August 31, 2013
This book was written by the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens, and it shows. I must have read this when I was younger, because I had s feeling of deja vu reading it. It reminds me of the Boxcar Children series as well.
April 9, 2013
Netgalley review copy
A story with lots of charm. A perfect story for those who like Blyton/horses/anything where children are fending for themselves happily.
More could have been made of Michael's quite severe dyslexia, the reader probably won't understand fully why he writes and reads as he does and the teachers' reactions to it.
Even today I think there's still a place for sweet stories like this.
A story with lots of charm. A perfect story for those who like Blyton/horses/anything where children are fending for themselves happily.
More could have been made of Michael's quite severe dyslexia, the reader probably won't understand fully why he writes and reads as he does and the teachers' reactions to it.
Even today I think there's still a place for sweet stories like this.
December 30, 2012
I've been loaned the 'World's End' books by a friend and this is the first in the series. I really enjoyed it and am now working my way through the rest of the books. I love Monica Dickens' writing and don't know this series passed me by as a child. Improbable situation but funny, quirky writing and great characters.
July 2, 2015
A perfectly workable children's story of nature, animals and self-sufficiency. I'd have loved this as a child, though it very much falls under the category of re-read for nostalgia purposes than something that has lasting appeal, I think.
August 11, 2016
The Living End
Take four kids who are on their own because Dad's sailing the world and Mom's in hospital. They're with Uncle Rudolph because their house burned down. (That's why Mom's in hospital.) Uncle Rudolph has gotten stuck with a ramshackle former inn at Wood's End, (so far out that it's called World's End), and he thinks it's a capital idea to let the four kids live there, alone, and out of his hair. That's the set-up, and it's a wonderful way to start a jolly holiday family adventure. If you have a reader who occasionally exhibits a taste for old-fashioned English countryside animal-loving-siblings rural adventures, this is the book for him/her.
The more jaded among you might suspect that this book will fall to the precious side of the ledger, but that was not my sense. This book was written in 1970, not at the turn of the past century, and while it follows the conventions of the form it is a bit sharper, edgier and zippier than those older examples.
The four children have distinct personalities. Sometimes they can be a bit dreamy and, well, childish. But for the most part they have an engaging can-do cooperative spirit that adds life and vitality to the enterprise. They have a generally vinegary view of adults, (Uncle Rudolph and Aunt Viv are not regarded kindly), but there is no mean or snarky streak in the narrative.
The animal zoo aspect of the story is handled well and is fun instead of overdone. The oldest girl's love of horses is exaggerated on purpose, and allows for some friction with the other kids. The overall feeling, though, is one of nurturing concern, and when that is combined with the children's mutual regard the positive and upbeat feel of the book is evident.
An added bonus is that the author occasionally adds a wry or fairly cutting observation to the narrative that, again, adds a bit of tartness that balances the tale.
So, this turned out to be a welcome surprise. It is a calm, imaginative and, in its own way, adventurous tale of spirited kids, with no agenda and no subtext beyond the pleasures of the tale as told. A very nice find.
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
Take four kids who are on their own because Dad's sailing the world and Mom's in hospital. They're with Uncle Rudolph because their house burned down. (That's why Mom's in hospital.) Uncle Rudolph has gotten stuck with a ramshackle former inn at Wood's End, (so far out that it's called World's End), and he thinks it's a capital idea to let the four kids live there, alone, and out of his hair. That's the set-up, and it's a wonderful way to start a jolly holiday family adventure. If you have a reader who occasionally exhibits a taste for old-fashioned English countryside animal-loving-siblings rural adventures, this is the book for him/her.
The more jaded among you might suspect that this book will fall to the precious side of the ledger, but that was not my sense. This book was written in 1970, not at the turn of the past century, and while it follows the conventions of the form it is a bit sharper, edgier and zippier than those older examples.
The four children have distinct personalities. Sometimes they can be a bit dreamy and, well, childish. But for the most part they have an engaging can-do cooperative spirit that adds life and vitality to the enterprise. They have a generally vinegary view of adults, (Uncle Rudolph and Aunt Viv are not regarded kindly), but there is no mean or snarky streak in the narrative.
The animal zoo aspect of the story is handled well and is fun instead of overdone. The oldest girl's love of horses is exaggerated on purpose, and allows for some friction with the other kids. The overall feeling, though, is one of nurturing concern, and when that is combined with the children's mutual regard the positive and upbeat feel of the book is evident.
An added bonus is that the author occasionally adds a wry or fairly cutting observation to the narrative that, again, adds a bit of tartness that balances the tale.
So, this turned out to be a welcome surprise. It is a calm, imaginative and, in its own way, adventurous tale of spirited kids, with no agenda and no subtext beyond the pleasures of the tale as told. A very nice find.
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
January 27, 2013
A Cute Story of Adventurous Children and Animals
Monica Dickens is the great granddaughter of Charles Dickens. No wonder she is such a wonderful author.
This story is about four siblings who must fend for themselves while their father is sailing around the world and their mother is in the hospital. Tom, Carrie, Em, and Michael do not have a home - it burned to the ground! And their stuffy aunt and uncle do not wish to care for them any longer.
One day they are on an outing to The House at World's End. A run down, shabby homestead and barn. The children love it and decide to move in and live on their own.
What a cute tale. Dickens has a way with words and setting. Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Reader for the review copy of this book. Each character was rich and vivid - and the animals, delightful. I feel this would be perfect as a read-out-loud bedtime story. It reads like a classic even though the original publication date was 1970.
There are many animals in this book, so many that I lost track of who they all were. We are also presented with a few sad scenes. Sensitive readers beware. All in all, I enjoyed it very much. The children do whatever they have to to stay together and care for their beloved animal friends.
This is the first book of four. The next are:
Summer at World's End
World's End Winter
Spring Comes to World's End
If you have an animal lover in your house, pick up this book.
Monica Dickens is the great granddaughter of Charles Dickens. No wonder she is such a wonderful author.
This story is about four siblings who must fend for themselves while their father is sailing around the world and their mother is in the hospital. Tom, Carrie, Em, and Michael do not have a home - it burned to the ground! And their stuffy aunt and uncle do not wish to care for them any longer.
One day they are on an outing to The House at World's End. A run down, shabby homestead and barn. The children love it and decide to move in and live on their own.
What a cute tale. Dickens has a way with words and setting. Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Reader for the review copy of this book. Each character was rich and vivid - and the animals, delightful. I feel this would be perfect as a read-out-loud bedtime story. It reads like a classic even though the original publication date was 1970.
There are many animals in this book, so many that I lost track of who they all were. We are also presented with a few sad scenes. Sensitive readers beware. All in all, I enjoyed it very much. The children do whatever they have to to stay together and care for their beloved animal friends.
This is the first book of four. The next are:
Summer at World's End
World's End Winter
Spring Comes to World's End
If you have an animal lover in your house, pick up this book.
February 13, 2023
I read this book as a child, from the library, and always remembered it and never found a print copy to buy no matter how hard I looked. and then one day I found it as an ebook at my library. it's always dicey to reread something you loved as a child, because there is always the possibility that it won't live up to your memory. this book didn't disappoint me, in fact I enjoyed it quite a bit. I am quite sure that when I read it as a child, I didn't understand a good amount of the extremely specific British references throughout the book, and I didn't have near enough appreciation for some of the animal moments. there were several bits that made me stop and think, wow, I totally pictured this scene wrong. the kids are all well developed personalities and their inner thoughts are true and real. I'm glad I found it again and extra glad to find there were more books about the Fielding kids.
October 13, 2015
Got a hold of the ebook series a while ago. Finally finished today after forgetting it for a couple weeks. Good read if you like animal / family stories. Not as amazing as when I read it when younger but is anything really. Still a nice read.
Shelved as 'abandoned'
October 14, 2010I was pre-reading this for I my son, but I could already see it's going to be quite a few years until he's ready for it, so I'll finish later.
May 27, 2012
I remember loving this book as a child and reading it several times.
June 22, 2014
Kind of book I'd have loved as a child but read more cynically as an adult.
Want to read
August 11, 2023***********************
*One Pair Of Hands 4 stars
*One Pair of Feet TBR
*Mariana TBR
*Kate and Emma TBR
*The Winds of Heaven TBR
*The House at World's End TBR
*One Pair Of Hands 4 stars
*One Pair of Feet TBR
*Mariana TBR
*Kate and Emma TBR
*The Winds of Heaven TBR
*The House at World's End TBR
February 22, 2022
Feeling nostalgic - I recently recalled thoroughly enjoying the four 'World's End' books as a pre-teen when they first came out so decided to order the set from Amazon (2012 reprints) to read in the dark evenings.
Currently halfway through the set, doing about five chapters per night and really enjoying revisiting the world that Monica so deftly created for us to flesh out in our own imaginations.
Obviously the simple plots and scenarios now seem a lot less plausible than when first encountered with us young readers all dearly wishing to join the kids and the animals in their bohemian life at World's End. Though set in the late 60s/early 70s the country life described is socially more akin to the sort of simpler times Enid Blyton's young folk inhabited.
However, this very simplicity and the rather spare physical descriptions throughout gave the books considerable appeal to young imaginations - we are given a few points but can join the dots in our own mind's eye as we see fit.
My old visions of Carrie, Tom, Em, Michael, the enigmatic Lester and Mr Mossman all came back to me - recognisable from folk I knew from either real life or TV at the time.
Mr Mossman was fleshed out by reference to a jolly helpful neighbour, Lester was imagined as a schooldays friend of mine (now sadly passed) and Carrie is forever mixed up with Dora from the 'Follyfoot' TV series - also based on Monica Dickens work - in my mind's eye.
Probably not great literature but what a marvelous journey down memory lane!
PS - Tom would now be 67 and Carrie not far behind him!
Currently halfway through the set, doing about five chapters per night and really enjoying revisiting the world that Monica so deftly created for us to flesh out in our own imaginations.
Obviously the simple plots and scenarios now seem a lot less plausible than when first encountered with us young readers all dearly wishing to join the kids and the animals in their bohemian life at World's End. Though set in the late 60s/early 70s the country life described is socially more akin to the sort of simpler times Enid Blyton's young folk inhabited.
However, this very simplicity and the rather spare physical descriptions throughout gave the books considerable appeal to young imaginations - we are given a few points but can join the dots in our own mind's eye as we see fit.
My old visions of Carrie, Tom, Em, Michael, the enigmatic Lester and Mr Mossman all came back to me - recognisable from folk I knew from either real life or TV at the time.
Mr Mossman was fleshed out by reference to a jolly helpful neighbour, Lester was imagined as a schooldays friend of mine (now sadly passed) and Carrie is forever mixed up with Dora from the 'Follyfoot' TV series - also based on Monica Dickens work - in my mind's eye.
Probably not great literature but what a marvelous journey down memory lane!
PS - Tom would now be 67 and Carrie not far behind him!
July 15, 2019
I have read a few of Monica Dickens autobiographical works such as My Turn to Make the Tea but apart from watching the Follyfoot series on the telly during the 1970s I haven't tried any of her fiction. I realised that this book had been on my Kindle app for over 3 years and I decided that I was in the mood to catch up on a children's book that I hadn't read before.
I quickly got engrossed in the story and was intrigued to find out just how many animals the children would manage to gather together at World's End. In fact I was so engrossed that the book had ended before I realised it and I felt the end was rather abrupt. But I will certainly be looking out for the other books in this series.
I quickly got engrossed in the story and was intrigued to find out just how many animals the children would manage to gather together at World's End. In fact I was so engrossed that the book had ended before I realised it and I felt the end was rather abrupt. But I will certainly be looking out for the other books in this series.
June 24, 2018
I have no idea when I started this book. It has been in the "Currently Reading" collection on my Kindle for ages and I suddenly decided I was going to finish it before beginning anything else. I've picked the start of the year as a random date, but I know it was earlier than that, probably last year (2017) some time.
This is still a fun and enjoyable read, although adult me isn't as sanguine about the children living on their own or when the money is (or isn't) coming from as child me was when I read this many years ago.
This is still a fun and enjoyable read, although adult me isn't as sanguine about the children living on their own or when the money is (or isn't) coming from as child me was when I read this many years ago.
September 27, 2017
This first part of the book was great. I loved the kids' independence, the old inn, and their industriousness. I didn't care as much for the second half. The animals became a bit much. The Dad was such a loser--he has no sense of responsibility and has no problem letting his 16 year old support the family while he does whatever he wants. So incredibly selfish.
July 12, 2022
most unbelievable family ever, just adopting animals left and right with no worries. I would love this life!
January 10, 2021
Beautiful book from my childhood
October 16, 2023
One of our favourite things to talk about during our Village Book Club meetings, is children's books. These bring such nostalgia and in some instances can 'rubber-band' you back to a certain time in your life when you read with a torch under a duvet. When does a book become a classic? We also have this debate quite a lot as well.
In the case of The House at World's End, the person who introduced us to this novel, adored it as a child. They saved up for a horse, putting hard-earned pennies in a sock just like Carrie. And just like Carrie was able to buy a horse. This book was influential to say the least on their young lives.
For the others, who did not read the book as children, it was OK. Not amazing for me, but I do think my 8 year old self would have loved it.
4 children are forced to live with their Uncle and his awful wife when their Mum is injured in a house fire which has destroyed their home. The father is sailing all over the world. On seeing the house at World's End, they ask their Uncle, who is fed up of the children by now, if they can live there. He agrees, the eldest child gets a job and what follows are a series of adventures where animals are rescued, or come to live at the house and the children look after them.
My adult self was wondering where the Social Workers were, but as I say my childhood self would have loved this. And sometimes it is a challenge, remembering to read through a child's eyes, rather than the jaded adults we have become.
The book has definitely aged not as well as some, but I know that for people who read it as children will hold a special place for them. It is also the first in the series of World's End comprised of a total of 4 books in the series. And fact fans, Monica Dickens is Charles Dickens' great-granddaughter.
In the case of The House at World's End, the person who introduced us to this novel, adored it as a child. They saved up for a horse, putting hard-earned pennies in a sock just like Carrie. And just like Carrie was able to buy a horse. This book was influential to say the least on their young lives.
For the others, who did not read the book as children, it was OK. Not amazing for me, but I do think my 8 year old self would have loved it.
4 children are forced to live with their Uncle and his awful wife when their Mum is injured in a house fire which has destroyed their home. The father is sailing all over the world. On seeing the house at World's End, they ask their Uncle, who is fed up of the children by now, if they can live there. He agrees, the eldest child gets a job and what follows are a series of adventures where animals are rescued, or come to live at the house and the children look after them.
My adult self was wondering where the Social Workers were, but as I say my childhood self would have loved this. And sometimes it is a challenge, remembering to read through a child's eyes, rather than the jaded adults we have become.
The book has definitely aged not as well as some, but I know that for people who read it as children will hold a special place for them. It is also the first in the series of World's End comprised of a total of 4 books in the series. And fact fans, Monica Dickens is Charles Dickens' great-granddaughter.
October 26, 2023
Unos niños viven en una posada abandonada rodeados de animales. Aunque puede parecer algo idílico de pequeño, tipo Pipi Calzaslargas, se habla del trasfondo que es bastante terrible (padre les abandona porque quiere navegar, madre se parte la columna en un incendio en el que pierden la casa, familia a la que no le importa lo que les pase, y, en general, poca comida y bastante insalubridad. Y al final, la situación no cambia, porque qué más da, si los niños son felices porque tienen animales, aunque estén desnutridos, roben y no sepan leer...
November 26, 2022
Qué ternura de libro. Mi resumen seria “cada día tiene su afán conjugado con el amor por los animales. Maravilloso.
January 21, 2021
It was okay, but not a great book. Don’t care to read anything else by this author.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews