Cover of A Prisoner in Fairyland (The Book That 'Uncle Paul' Wrote)

A Prisoner in Fairyland (The Book That 'Uncle Paul' Wrote)

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  • 9 hours to read
  • 34 chapters
  • Reading level: 6th grade

"A Prisoner in Fairyland" by Algernon Blackwood is a novel written in the early 20th century, around 1913. The story intricately weaves the life of its protagonist, Henry Rogers, as he transitions from the world of rigid business responsibilities into one filled with the whimsical and nostalgic splendor of childhood imagination. The journey promises a blend of fantasy and self-discovery, hinting at Rogers’ longing for a more meaningful, magical existence that rekindles the innocence and joy of his youth. The opening of the novel introduces us to Herbert Montmorency Minks, the dedicated and somewhat melancholic secretary to the ambitious business tycoon Henry Rogers. Minks harbors a deep admiration for Rogers and is on the verge of a career breakthrough. The narrative sets the stage for a profound exploration of themes such as ambition and unfulfilled dreams, as Minks reflects on his own artistic aspirations and the bond he shares with his employer. As Minks revels in his newfound position, we see hints of a larger journey for both him and Rogers, one steeped in nostalgia, creativity, and the exploration of what it means to reconnect with one’s inner child and imagination. The narrative artfully contrasts the mundane aspects of their lives with the enchanting allure of dreams and poetry, suggesting that there are greater adventures awaiting both men just beyond the confines of their contemporary existence.

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  • Voyages and travels
  • Magic

Read the opening

Chapter I

Man is his own star; and the soul that can
Render an honest and a perfect man
Commands all light, all influence, all fate,
Nothing to him falls early, or too late.
Our acts our angels are, or good or ill,

Our fatal shadows that walk by us still.
BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER.

Minks—Herbert Montmorency—was now something more than secretary, even than private secretary: he was confidential-private-secretary, adviser, friend; and this, more because he was a safe receptacle for his employer's enthusiasms than because his advice or judgment had any exceptional value. So many men need an audience. Herbert Minks was a fine audience, attentive, delicately responsive, sympathetic, understanding, and above all—silent. He did not leak. Also, his applause was wise without being noisy. Another rare quality he possessed was that he was honest as the sun. To prevaricate, even by gesture, or by saying nothing, which is the commonest form of untruth, was impossible to his transparent nature. He might hedge, but he could never lie. And he was 'friend,' so far as this was possible between employer and employed, because a pleasant relationship of years' standing had established a bond of mutual respect under conditions of business intimacy which often tend to destroy it.

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Contents

Show all 34 chapters
  1. Chapter I
  2. Chapter II
  3. Chapter III
  4. Chapter IV
  5. Chapter V
  6. Chapter VI
  7. Chapter VII
  8. Chapter VIII
  9. Chapter IX
  10. Chapter X
  11. Chapter XI
  12. Chapter XII
  13. Chapter XIII
  14. Chapter XIV
  15. Chapter XV
  16. Chapter XVI
  17. Chapter XVII
  18. Chapter XVIII
  19. Chapter XIX
  20. Chapter XX
  21. Chapter XXI
  22. Chapter XXII
  23. Chapter XXII
  24. Chapter XXIV
  25. Chapter XXV
  26. Chapter XXVI
  27. Chapter XXVII
  28. Chapter XXVIII
  29. Chapter XXIX
  30. Chapter XXX
  31. Chapter XXXI
  32. Chapter XXXII
  33. Chapter XXXIII
  34. Chapter XXXIV

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About this edition

This free edition of A Prisoner in Fairyland (The Book That 'Uncle Paul' Wrote) by Algernon Blackwood comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #6021, released 2004-07-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Science-Fiction & Fantasy, Novels, British Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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