Review of 'Puck of Pook's Hill'
Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling
This is a collection of interconnected stories featuring two children, Dan and Una, who live in the Sussex countryside. Puck, “the oldest Old Thing in England,” appears to the children after they perform part of Shakespeare's “The Midsummer Night's Dream” on Midsummer Eve. Each chapter consists of the children visiting the woods where Puck introduces them to figures from different eras of English history who then tell their story at the end of which the children are enchanted, forgetting the magic they have experienced. We learn about life in early and Roman Britain, the Norman conquest and medieval England then later historical periods. The tales also include poetry and songs that expand our understanding of the times.
Intended for children, these stories are charming and easy to follow with characters and threads that tie them altogether but at the same time, of course, teaching of English history. In Kipling's style these periods are brought to vivid life and it is easy to get absorbed in the eras being described. The most memorable for me are the stories featuring two men protecting Hadrian's Wall during the Roman era as the “Great Wall” has always been of interest particularly given that it is largely still standing (stretching from the east coast to the west coast of northern England, just north of Yorkshire). The two children serve as a window into the stories with their questions opening the history up for the reader.
An entertaining and interesting read, I feel, for many though intended for children. For myself, with little understanding of English history, I found I learned quite a bit about the times being described in the short, but well written stories. The stories do occasionally get a bit long and I am not a huge fan of poetry which also features, but generally, very good indeed.
Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”
Review Date: 2026-02-22
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Date: 1906