Just finished reading a lovely copy of John Masefield’s The Box of Delights. My in-laws bought me a beautiful retro copy of this ‘delight’ for Christmas. I’d wanted to read it for ages as it is a 1930s timeless British childrens’ classic. At first I struggled with the paralell universe inhabited by Kay and his young friends but after the first three chapters I adapted quickly to his world where magic, medieval lanes and mystery are commonplace. I have to say I would challenge Philip Pullman, of His Dark Materials trilogy, to deny having been just a little bit inspired by Masefield’s curious world.
The story starts with Kay arriving home for Christmas by train. On a late December afternoon, with snow starting to fall, Kay encounters a strange Punch and Judy man who grants him custody of his ‘box of delights.’ The box enables Kay to ‘go swiftly’, ‘go small’ and to peer into strange worlds which he is able to enter by just looking into the old box. Kay quickly falls into trouble as a criminal group come after him, keen to gain the box which Kay seeks to protect.
While the dialogue is dated and the narrative at times laborious and overly explanatory, the descriptions are vivid and colourful as Masefield portrays a parallel world where as much is unfamiliar as familiar. A lovely nostalgic read which transports the reader back to a wonderful wintry world seen through the eyes of an eleven year old boy. And especially for Dad, I’ve attached a YouTube link where the original music can be listed to.
