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I'll start out by saying very first and foremost, this is one of my favorite books. But let me also add that I love it, not ignoring its flaws, but regardless of them. And it does have flaws.
I have read that the lead character Diamond is unbelieveable, especially after the main turning point of the story. That's okay. He's supposed to be. Without giving away too much plot, Diamond coming back from the back of the north wind is almost akin to Paul being called up to heaven, they were both changed, and for similar reasons. Aside from that, he is no more unbelieveable than Dickens's Oliver Twist or Paul Dombey. Paul Dombey being a much better comparision, as I must think MacDonald based Diamond upon him somewhat.
Speaking of Dickens, some critics have complained that MacDonald tricks the reader by making half of the novel a fantasy but then switches abruptly to a Dickensian type social commentary. Once the family moves to London, he seems much more concerned with the ills of that place than with the earlier fantasy. I can't argue with that. It does happen. After the main turning point, the North Wind makes very little appearance until the end. I think this is a very important part of the book, and while the fanicful moments seem to be where MacDonald excelled, the latter half of the novel is not lacking in greatness, as it maintains a fantasic aspect, though not the same one of as the very first half. That being said, it should be known that I ademently love Charles Dickens. If you don't care for his works you may want to reconsider this novel, as I think it is laced with many Dickensian elements--a "problem" not usually seen in a MacDonald novel.
Also, I have heard this book attacked because, as a children's book, it is hard for children to grasp the meaning of it. I think it's a weak attack and better men than me have put up better defenses. MacDonald himself, for one. "Your children are not likely to trouble you about the meaning. They find what they are capable of finding, and more would be too much." That being said, it is a religious story, though not out-right and not allogorical either. It can be ignored or embraced, dependant on your views.
Now that I've addressed those main attacks, I'll go back to those flaws I mentioned. Like every book I've read by MacDonald, there are lulls. They are much more sparse than in his other novels, however, and easily gotten through. They should hardly be a main concern.
His writing style is not perfect either, though it is hardly bad. It's just "less good." But the story will make you overlook some of his less than wonderful moments.
The ending of the story is another flaw, in my opinion. Not that I feel the ending should've been changed, but I would've prefered it to be better kept from the reader. That did not take away from the power of it, but I did see it coming about half-way through. But maybe I'm just expecting too much.
Despite those three complaints of mine, At the Back of the North Wind is one of the best "children's stories" ever written. It is very much akin to J. M. Barrie's Peter and Wendy: fanciful and entertaining. Going back to that Dickensian influence, it is also moralistic, though not preachy or stern. . .too often.
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This is a beautful allegory of a frail young boy's near death experience as he struggles with illness, told in a way children can understand and not fear, and of his eventual death, as he is taken home to heaven. It is bittersweet, but it really gives children (and adults) a good perspective on the Christian view of life, death, and what happens after death. Note, it is written by C.S. Lewis's favorite author, and I highly recommend it for ages 10 to adult.
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BUY IT you will love it if you have a kid that likes fiction books or you like them yourself you will love it. it does not have a boring part in it the whole thing is so magical and the writer knows his cliff hangers no wonder he inspired C.S. Lewis [who is also one of my favorite writers] and it is a three hundred and seventeen page book that you wish would never end it is probably one of the best books I have ever read and you probably will trust me i really really like this book and you just read read read and LIKE IT!!! buy it trust me.
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The book starts well, very interestingly it dwells with the life of this little fellow Diamond whose father is a poor coachman in London. He has a mysterious relation with the North Wind. And this is the best part of the book, this relationship, the travels and conversations between the lady wind and the angelic child. When the text parts from these vehicles it complicates too much, not much happens and gets lost in too much talking.
Still worth a try, the mystery is there if one hangs on to the end.
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George MacDonald wrote hundreds of stories throughout his lifetime (not surprising considering he had eleven kids!), most of which were fantasies that drew on a rich variety of sources: mythology, fairytales and Biblical mysticism. Credited by C.S. Lewis as the main inspiration behind The Chronicles of Narnia Boxed Set, MacDonald's dreamy little tales (especially this one) are a strange blend of frustrating ramblings and sublime imagery. Love it or hate it, "At the Back of the North Wind" encompasses the best and worst about MacDonald, the Victorian Era, and even children's literature itself.
Named after his father's favourite horse, Diamond is the son of a coachman, and lives above the stable in the hayloft. As the story begins, Diamond is visited by a mysterious but beautiful woman who introduces herself as the North Wind. Inviting him to join her on her night-time journeys, Diamond soon becomes intimately acquainted with the being, unraveling certain aspects of her enigmatic characteristics and even visiting the land that exists behind her back - a place that she herself is barred from.
The visit endows Diamond with an unearthly quality of goodness and innocence (MacDonald is constantly defending Diamond's angelic conduct with the fact that he's been to the back of the North Wind), allowing his mere presence to positively improve and enrich the lives of those around him, including his family, his employers, and acquaintances from both the upper and lower classes. Although most tend to think that Diamond is touched in the head, the young boy has utter faith in the North Wind and her claims that everything will eventually turn out for the best. As a Congregationalist minister, MacDonald truly believes in this theology, and ensures that whatever seems like misfortune or tragedy in the plot is eventually revealed to be unexpectedly fortuitous in one way or another.
"At the Back of the North Wind" was originally written in serialized form, with each chapter published periodically in magazines, and so the story can feel a little choppy at times. There is no clear sense of a structured plot or story-arc, instead it is quite episodic - one chapter can be about Diamond's virtuous deeds in London, another can be fully devoted to a fairytale that a character is telling, or a dream that a person has had. At times you can tell that MacDonald is just making it up as he goes along, which makes for a fresh, but sometimes frustrating read. I like to have the sense that an author has a clear sense of where they're going with their plot and characters, and often parts of MacDonald's work can appear random or meaningless.
Of course, this is almost certainly due to the time period in which it is written. MacDonald was a contemporary of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (Signet Classics), the very first children's book to be written for pure entertainment purposes (in fact, it was MacDonald's children who were among the very first to read Carroll's manuscript and encourage him to publish it). If there are any kinks in MacDonald's storytelling, it was probably because he was one of the forerunners in writing children's fiction - there were few prototypes on which to model his own work. Understandable, but still a little annoying when slugging through several long and not-very-good poems inserted needlessly into the text (you have my permission to skip them).
There are other aspects of Victorian culture at work in the story: a fascination with the poor and the sick (both encompassed in the character of Nanny, a young sweeper), the growing trend of philanthropy at work amongst the upper-classes (as seen in the frequent visits to the children's hospital), a preference for country life than that of the city, and a sense of mysticism and spirituality throughout. And then of course there's Diamond himself. The Victorians were in love with the idea of the Child as a God-Like Being (witness any one of Wordsworth's poems) and Diamond is no exception. He is, quite simply, perfect. This means that some readers will find him endearing, enlightening and inspirational, and others will find him sanctimonious, irritating and totally unbelievable as a character. For what it's worth, I like Diamond, even when MacDonald takes his character to its inevitable end - Diamond is too good for this earth, and the Victorians loved a good death scene (see Little Nell in Charles Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop (Penguin Classics)).
Although most children will be put off by the strange, dreamy pacing of the novel (better to start them off with MacDonald's most popular children's book The Princess and the Goblin (Puffin Classics - the Essential Collection)), older readers will be fascinated by MacDonald's creation of the North Wind and the theology that he delicately works into the story - a theology that only occasionally slips into preaching. There's plenty here to be intrigued by, certainly enough to make it worth the reading, but be prepared for some randomness, shaky plotlines and Victorian melodrama (though on second thought, that last one just may be a bonus feature!)