The story follows the adventures of a young orphan chimney sweep named Tom, who experiences an afterlife of sorts as a water baby after drowning in river. There are many moral lessons for Tom (and the reader) to learn before he can become human once again.
I had fond memories of reading an abridged (and beautifully illustrated) version as a child and expected to love this adventure from start to finish. Sadly I found myself disappointed and was soon counting down the pages before it was over and I could move on to Mansfield Park.
Some of my favourite books, such as Alice in Wonderland or Peter Pan, can be read to today's children with few modifications, but that certainly not the case with The Water Babies. Although it was written for a very young child it frequently dwells on unpleasant subjects (including death) which many listening children would find unpleasant and confusing.
What I liked:
Much of the book is written in the pleasing tone of a father talking directly to a much loved child. Kingsley frequently breaks off from the narrative to highlight a particular point (usually a moral lesson) to his intended listener. Towards the end of the book, when Tom undertakes a quest which takes him on a surreal journey to the other end of nowhere, the story finally starts to feel like an adventure a child might enjoy.
When gently satirising Victorian society Kingsley reveals a liberal view of the world which will resound with most modern readers.
What wasn't great:
I often found myself thinking "Now the story will really get going" but it never quite did. The basic storyline of "boy becomes a tiny water baby and learns some important lessons about life while having a series of adventures" sounds super to my ears, but is not well executed.
Rating: 4/10
Did I lose sleep because I couldn't put it down?: No - it was rather a chore to slog through
Next book: Mansfield Park - can't wait! :)
