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The Golden Age

Kenneth Grahame

472 ratings
The Golden Age | Kenneth Grahame

The Golden Age

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The Golden Age is a collection of reminiscences of childhood, written by Kenneth Grahame. Widely praised upon its first appearance - Algernon Charles Swinburne, writing in the Daily Chronicle, called it “one of the few books which are well-nigh too praiseworthy for praise” - the book has come to be regarded as a classic in its genre.
d. Edward, the most martial spirit of us all, was drearily conjugating amo (of all verbs!) between four walls; while Selina, who ever thrilled ecstatic to a red coat, was struggling with the uncouth German tongue. 'Age,' I reflected, 'carries its penalties.'

It was a grievous disappointment to us that the troop passed through the village unmolested. Every cottage, I pointed out to my companions, ought to have been loopholed, and strongly held. But no opposition was offered to the soldiers: who, indeed, conducted themselves with a recklessness and a want of precaution that seemed simply criminal.[45]

At the last cottage a transitory gleam of common sense flickered across me, and, turning on Charlotte, I sternly ordered her back. The small maiden, docile but exceedingly dolorous, dragged reluctant feet homewards, heavy at heart that she was to behold no stout fellows slain that day; but Harold and I held steadily on, expecting every instant to see the environing hedges crackle and spit forth the leaden death.

'Will they be Indians?' asked my brother (meaning the enemy) 'or Roundheads, or what?'

I reflected. Harold always required direct straightforward answers—not faltering suppositions.

'They won't be Indians,' I replied at last; 'nor yet Roundheads. There haven't been any Roundheads seen about here for a long time. They'll be Frenchmen.'

Harold's face fell. 'All right,' he said: 'Frenchmen'll do; but I did hope they'd be Indians.'

'If they were going to be Indians,' I explained, 'I—I don't think I'd go on. Because[46] when Indians take you prisoner they scalp you first, and then burn you at the stake. But Frenchmen don't do that sort of thing.'

'Are you quite sure?' asked Harold doubtfully.

'Quite,' I

Keturah 03/22/2024
I read this slowly; it's a book to be savored. Each chapter is like liquid poetry, very subtle, delightful to read any portion allowed. No context needed. It had a story and a flow, but they felt secondary. It was simply like falling in a beautiful memory.
Renée 08/26/2017
A lovely blend of the reminiscences of Kenneth Grahame's own childhood experiences, fantasy, metaphor and ancient Greek Legends. I particularly enjoyed reading the chapter 'A white-washed Uncle'.
Emily 04/21/2016
In the Spring of 1990, a friend at college and I read aloud these stories, and those from this book's sequel, Dream Days aloud to each other, usually outdoors on mild sunny days. Simply because of that, I can't help loving these half-forgotten works of Grahame's, despite recognizing that long winded

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