The Psammead Trilogy cover art

The Psammead Trilogy

Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet

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The Psammead Trilogy

By: E. Nesbit, Edith Nesbit
Narrated by: Cathy Dobson
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About this listen

Edith Nesbit was to children in the early 20th century what J.K. Rowling is to today's young generation. Magic, mythical creatures, time travel, charms, words of power... Nesbit's stories have it all.

This recording is the complete collection of Edith Nesbit's Psammead series, comprising three captivating stories:

Five Children and It.The story begins when a group of five children - Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane, and their baby brother, the Lamb - move from London to the countryside of Kent. While playing in a gravel pit, they discover a rather grumpy, ugly and occasionally malevolent sand-fairy known as the Psammead who is compelled to grant one wish of theirs per day. The effects of each wish last until sundown. All the wishes granted to the children go hilariously wrong. When they wish to be beautiful, nobody recognises them and they are shut out of the house. When they wish to be rich, they get a stack of gold coins but nobody will take them. When they wish for wings they find themselves stuck on a tall tower at sunset. When they wish that their baby brother was older, he turns into a grown-up and bosses them about. When Robert wishes he was bigger than the baker's boy (who has beaten him in a scrap) he becomes eleven feet tall. There are many more adventures... but you will need to listen and find out for yourselves....

The Phoenix and the Carpet. This is the second story about Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane, and their baby brother, the Lamb - who live in London. One day their mother buys a new carpet for the nursery which mysteriously contains a stone egg. When the egg falls into the fire by accident, nobody can possibly imagine what adventures will be unleashed. The egg hatches the Phoenix who reveals that the carpet is in fact a magic wishing carpet, which will take the children on a rollercoaster ride of adventures, scrapes and mishaps. They end up stuck inside a tunnel with buried treasure, on a sunny Southern shore where their cook is made Queen of the Island, having tea with the Rania in India, and even when they are at home in Camden town they mysteriously and unexpectedly become the owners of an unfeasibly large number of cats.

The Story of the Amulet. The magic Psammead is back! This time the four children are stuck in London for the Summer, when they come across the Psammead (or wish-giving sand-fairy), imprisoned in a pet shop. They manage to free him, and he tells them where they can get hold of a magic amulet which will bring them their hearts' desire. Unfortunately when the amulet is secured, it is incomplete. They and the Psammead must travel back into ancient history to see the part of the amulet which was lost. The children experience one breathtaking adventure after another in Babylon, Egypt, the lost city of Atlantis, Tyre...

©1905 Public Domain (P)2013 Red Door Audiobooks
Classics Fantasy England Adventure Magic

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All stars
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A lovely reading of stories i first heard over 50 years ago. A very good rendition.

Just like story time at school in mrs Z.H.’s class.

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loved every bit of these three stories (the first and last are the best though)

the narrator perfectly matched the tone and language of the time.

I'll never be too old for these books as the childlike imagination of the early 1900's give me the warm fizzles lol,

a very easy listen , would 100% recommend
10/10

fantastic

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This is a fine, slightly off-kilter performance of a fine, slightly off-kilter set of books. Cathy Dobson has a very warm and confiding style, with an old fashioned quality that fits the Edwardian stories. She also reads with a strange catch in her voice, a little hesitation that was at first irritating, but became very engaging. And what tremendous stories! Constantly surprising, constantly inventive, constantly forcing its audience to question, without ever being preachy - whenever there's the possibility of preaching, they remember it's been a long time since dinner, and scoot off home for mutton fritters(!?!). The Lamb, and the petting of the Lamb, is nauseating, but the story with the grown-up Lamb recontextualises even that character.

Cornerstone of Children's Literature

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it is an old book with old ways of thinking got bored very quickly with victorian values lol

dated

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I love these story's they are so fun and imaginative so really any one could listen to them.

Love this story

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I love E Nesbit's writing, and her stories. She brilliantly captures the essence of childhood in her portrayal of the characters, that innocence and naivety of the young as they navigate their world.
I am not sure what children's play consists of nowadays, but the adventures of E Nesbit's children in these three books (and her others) are not wildly dissimilar to those experienced by myself as a young girl (minus the Psymiad, magic carpet and Pheonix you understand. Alas).
Whenever I read any of her books, I am transported to the Victorian/ Edwardian era, a cozy and comforting world of nurseries, afternoon teas and the rustle of petticoats. Am I romanticising this period in history? Absolutely and unapologetically! Allowing myself to dwell in this world of literay escapism is like a balm to my soul.
If you are unfamiliar with 'The Treasure Seekers' trilogy, I highly recommend it. Those three are my favourite Ms Nesbit characters and stories (wittily narrated by one of the children). I also have 'The Red House' an adult novel, and that is wonderful, too.
Sadly, I found Ms Dobson's narration to be beyond irritating. She has the strangest inflection where each last word is drawn out to an almost melodic degree. It is so off-putting, and jars horribly with the whole feel of the stories. I unfortunately could not continue listening past the second book, and throughout the first two entertained most uncharitable thoughts towards the narator. I see that other reviewers disagree with me on this, a⁸7 7nd find Cathy Dobson to be perfectly suited to the feel of these novels. I personally could never listen to another novel read by Ms Dobson, and I would advise you to listen to the preview before purchasing the title. For a diametrically opposed reading of sheer brilliance, Simon Prebble gives an outstanding performance in the aforementioned 'The Treasure Seakers' should you care to listen.

Certainly not just for children.

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I enjoyed this trilogy. Only decided to buy this as I'd purchased Five Children on the Western Front (2014) and in a review it was deemed best to know the original story. At times the narrator stumbles over a word or two and at times you can hear her turn the pages.

Enjoyable

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For some reason Cathy Dobson, who has a decent speaking voice uses the upward inflection constantly, I was really looking forward to revisiting these books, which I so enjoyed in childhood, but the performance really spoiled this for me.

Ruined by the performance

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The story is really nice and very quickly engaging the performance was a little poor at first but you get used to it .

One of my all time favourites listened to it more than five times

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the inflection of the narrator's voice is intolerable .I adore E Nesbit but simply cannot listen to this version.

cannot bear the narration

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