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The Melendy Family #2
The Four-Story Mistake
Four reasons to cheer!Meet the Melendys! Mona, the eldest, is thirteen. She has decided to become an actress and can recite poetry at the drop of a hat. Rush is twelve and a bit mischievous. Miranda is ten and a half. She loves dancing and painting pictures. Oliver is the youngest. At six, he is a calm and thoughful person. They all live with their father, who is a writer, and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, who takes on the many roles of nurse, cook, substitute mother, grandmother, and aunt.Elizabeth Enright?s Melendy Quartet, which captures the lively adventures of a family as they move from the city to the country, are being publishedin new editions. Each of the books features a foreward and signature black-and-white interior illustrations by the author. Popular artist Tricia Tusa provides irresistible new cover art that will appeal to today?s readers.Card catalog descriptionThe Melendy family moves to a house in the country where a secret room, a cupola, a stable, and a brook provide Mona, Rush, Randy, and Oliver with adventures far different from the city life to which they are accustomed.About the AuthorElizabeth Enright (1909-1968) was born in Oak Park, Illinois, but spent most of her life in or near New York City. Originally envisioning a career solely in illustration, she studied art in Paris, France, and at the Parson's School of Design in New York City. After creating her first book in 1937, she developed a taste -- and quickly demonstrated a talent -- for writing.Throughout her life, Elizabeth Enright wrote and illustrated numerous books, winning many awards in the process. Among those awards were the 1939 John Newbery Medalfor Thimble Summer and a 1958 Newbery Honor for Gone-Away Lake. The first of the Melendy Quartet, The Saturdays, was published in 1941. Translated into numerous languages throughout the world, her stories have been known and loved by many for generations.
177 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1942
82 people are currently reading
1931 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Enright
42 books279 followersElizabeth Wright Enright Gillham was an American writer of children's books, an illustrator, writer of short stories for adults, literary critic and teacher of creative writing. Perhaps best known as the Newbery Medal-winning author of Thimble Summer (1938) and the Newbery runner-up Gone-Away Lake (1957), she also wrote the popular Melendy quartet (1941 to 1951). A Newbery Medal laureate and a multiple winner of the O. Henry Award, her short stories and articles for adults appeared in many popular magazines and have been reprinted in anthologies and textbooks.
In 2012 Gone-Away Lake was ranked number 42 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with primarily U.S. audience. The first two Melendy books also made the Top 100, The Saturdays and The Four-Story Mistake.
In 2012 Gone-Away Lake was ranked number 42 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with primarily U.S. audience. The first two Melendy books also made the Top 100, The Saturdays and The Four-Story Mistake.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
January 30, 2018
Following on from the first book, the Melendy family move from the city to the countryside to live in a house called The Four-Story Mistake. Some of the family were sad to leave New York but soon they all discover the space and the freedom and a whole new load of adventures.
We loved following the children explore their new surroundings, it was lovely to make the discoveries as they did as we hadn't read any reviews with spoilers so everything they found was new to us too. We really enjoy Elizabeth Enright's descriptions of nature and how she describes moments, feelings or things not easily put into words
'High in the pale-green sky the evening star was hanging, solitary and pure. Mona called again, and her voice had the faraway, remembered sound of voices heard at dusk.' also...
'It was still raw and cold, but every now and then there would be a day, or an hour, or a moment, when the sun came out, and there was something different in the air: a sort of glimpsed fragrance like when the kitchen door is opened for a second when your birthday cake is being baked. It was a smell of promise. '
We both dream of being able to ice skate more than once a year when we visit a temporary ice rink so when we both agreed we want to live there and when they my daughter sighed and said 'they have the perfect life'
Sadly our copy had Elizabeth Enright's beautiful illustrations removed.
We loved following the children explore their new surroundings, it was lovely to make the discoveries as they did as we hadn't read any reviews with spoilers so everything they found was new to us too. We really enjoy Elizabeth Enright's descriptions of nature and how she describes moments, feelings or things not easily put into words
'High in the pale-green sky the evening star was hanging, solitary and pure. Mona called again, and her voice had the faraway, remembered sound of voices heard at dusk.' also...
'It was still raw and cold, but every now and then there would be a day, or an hour, or a moment, when the sun came out, and there was something different in the air: a sort of glimpsed fragrance like when the kitchen door is opened for a second when your birthday cake is being baked. It was a smell of promise. '
We both dream of being able to ice skate more than once a year when we visit a temporary ice rink so when we both agreed we want to live there and when they my daughter sighed and said 'they have the perfect life'
Sadly our copy had Elizabeth Enright's beautiful illustrations removed.
July 2, 2011
07/11
This time through, I was struck anew by the brilliance of Enright's writing. She's subtle, she's hilarious, she's... well, brilliant. I suspect she's a large part of the reason I'm such a harsh Goodreads rater.
This book is one of my favorites. Each of the characters is so distinct, so singular, so real (even the dogs, for heaven's sake) that the inclusion of "Mona said" and "Rush said" is practically superfluous.
The storyline is lovely. There's just enough, never too much. It's not the least bit dated, though it is quite firmly rooted in WWII. I'm still trying to decide what I feel dates a book, as I've had some disagreements regarding this with other Goodreads people (Wendy, I'm looking at you).
I do so love the Melendys.
01/10
I love this one more than The Saturdays. I love the wartime flavor, the feeling of what it was like to be a kid during WWII, how it permeated everything in ways I'd never thought of. I love the move to the country, and the barefoot joy that comes along with that. I love the wild night with the fever and the storm. I love the way Enright allows her lyrical style to run rampant. I love Clarinda and the caddis houses and the dam. And the illustrations, of course, oh how I love the illustrations.
This time through, I was struck anew by the brilliance of Enright's writing. She's subtle, she's hilarious, she's... well, brilliant. I suspect she's a large part of the reason I'm such a harsh Goodreads rater.
This book is one of my favorites. Each of the characters is so distinct, so singular, so real (even the dogs, for heaven's sake) that the inclusion of "Mona said" and "Rush said" is practically superfluous.
The storyline is lovely. There's just enough, never too much. It's not the least bit dated, though it is quite firmly rooted in WWII. I'm still trying to decide what I feel dates a book, as I've had some disagreements regarding this with other Goodreads people (Wendy, I'm looking at you).
I do so love the Melendys.
01/10
I love this one more than The Saturdays. I love the wartime flavor, the feeling of what it was like to be a kid during WWII, how it permeated everything in ways I'd never thought of. I love the move to the country, and the barefoot joy that comes along with that. I love the wild night with the fever and the storm. I love the way Enright allows her lyrical style to run rampant. I love Clarinda and the caddis houses and the dam. And the illustrations, of course, oh how I love the illustrations.
April 9, 2019
The Melendy Family series has always been one of the most beloved, influential, and significant books of my childhood and my life. I first read it at a very young age, and read it over and over and over again in the following years. It's remained a top favorite ever since. Reading these books again feels like coming home, and I feel like I know the characters as well as I know my own family. I remember almost every single chapter and scene so vividly. Somehow, it's been years and years since I last read this series - possibly even most of a decade. Way too long, regardless. And I'm so glad I decided to read them again! I'm enjoying every moment.
Given the above, it's impossible to sum up in a review what this book means to me, or even what it's about. All I can do is ramble a little about both, but this is only a fraction of what I could say. It's too much a part of my heart to properly express it all in words.
But I will say that it's a book about the fierce and enduring love of a family for each other. About the experience of growing up and changing and passing through stages of life. About a boisterous family of unique and lively people, who enjoy each moment of life to the full, who revel in the glories and beauties of nature and the world, who delight in interesting experiences, who are smart and creative, who are always learning and growing and seeking knowledge and skills - and who can never seem to escape adventure, even in the daily happenings of a normal life.
In the Melendys' first book, The Saturdays, the four Melendy siblings come up with a plan to take turns going on adventures every Saturday, and the book follows their weekly adventures growing up in New York City in the 1940s. Between unexpected joys and unexpected disasters, they encounter more adventure than even they could have planned! In the sequel, The Four-Story Mistake, the Melendys reluctantly move to a large, interesting house in the countryside, and end up adoring their new home and all it brings - and of course, they encounter even more adventures in their new life. The joyful and bittersweet times of growing up and going on to new things are continued in the sequels, Then There Were Five and Spiderweb for Two.
I enjoy each chapter and episode of the Melendy family's everyday adventures. They're humorous, entertaining, and exciting, and always full of heart as well as humor. The Melendys' deep love for and loyalty to each other, and their joyful pleasure in life and each other, is so wonderful to read about, and is evident on every page. I love family and sibling stories so much, and this is one of the best and most special I have read. The Melendy family holds an exalted place in my heart. It's a book that glows with bittersweet nostalgia of childhood past and current - all the more so for someone like me, who read it so many times as a child. But I think it would feel nostalgic and golden for anyone, child or adult - anyone will read it and feel the wonderful qualities of a childhood full of laughter, adventure, nature, and love.
The Melendy family always reminded me of my own family. Like ours, there were four siblings - a slightly bossy oldest sister, then a boy and a girl very close in age - though in my family, was the second sister, and my slightly-younger brother was the third child, instead of the other way around. Our personalities are even similar to the characters, in some ways. And in both families, following the three oldest siblings, very close in age, is a youngest brother a few years behind - so much alike. The difference is that a little while after I read this book so many times as a child, my family had a fifth child, a much-younger sister. I still think four children is a perfect number, as I always have, but now I think that five is equally perfect!
Each character in the series is vivid, lifelike, amusing, and real, and I connect with and love each one. I love each of the four Melendy siblings, and each of their family and friends. I've always identified so strongly with Randy, the third-oldest sister - her personallity, especially, but also her role in the family. She's an idealistic, joyful, sweet-hearted, artistic, accident-prone, imaginative dreamer, who loves everyone, and who doesn't seem as smart as the older siblings she admires. All of that is true for me as well - and like me, she's a young girl who doesn't like change, and wishes she could hold onto the past and keep everyone from growing up, as time marches on and things slip through her fingers.. As a child, and still as an adult, I see so much of myself in her. More than most other characters in existence. The book treats her with love and understanding, and it was comforting for me to read about her as a child.
And I enjoy each of the relationships between the characters. But I think I most enjoy the relationship and friendship between the middle brother and sister, Rush and Randy. I love how they're devoted and loyal to each other, and have so much fun together, going on excursions and joking around. And they support each other, and he protects her and comforts her when she's in need of it. They have such an easy, close friendship. I always envied that, as a child. My brother was barely more than a year younger than me, even closer in age than Rush and Randy - though in my case, the sister, not the brother, is older. But I was not friends with my brother - we couldn't stand each other and didn't get along. Whenever I read about a brother and sister who were close in age and were best friends, I always wished I had that. But as a child reading this book, I didn't have it. But now I do! My brother and I grew up and matured, and once we became teenagers, we became best friends. And I'm so glad. That's one of the best things that's every happened to me, and I'm thankful - going from constant fighting and bickering and dislike and unfriendly competition, to love and support and laughter and friendship. I treasure my friendship with my brother. I haven't read the Melendy books since before I gained that friendship, but reading it again now, it makes me so happy to see so much similarity between myself, my brother, and our relationship in Rush and Randy. The idealistic, imaginative girl, and the brilliant, cynical, brother - both full of laughter and fun.
One thing I am intensely aware of now, that I took for granted and didn't pay attention to as a child, is how fabulous and skilled the writing of these books are. I had forgotten that, because I didn't notice it consciously. I had to stop often while reading to take pleasure in so many well-crafted descriptions and metaphors. The way the author describes people, and nature, and thoughts and feelings, and even a city bus, is so masterful. And her characters are so vivid and unique and full of life, with just as natural and distinctive mannerisms and ways of speaking, and ways of being, as real people. And so, so many other things - the writing is just wonderful. I was not a writer as a child, but I am now, and I'm keenly aware of how glorious the writing of this series is.
Another thing I notice even more now that I'm older is how well the author handled so many things about what it's like to grow up - and one thing that stuck out was how well the Melendy parents love and take care of their family. But in such a realistic way. I appreciate that more now that I'm an adult, and now that I'm more aware of how wonderful my own parents are, even though I also see the flaws more clearly. One thing in particular that I notice about the Melendy family and the author's handling is how the children make mistakes and learn lessons - natural or intentional - and the parents handle it so well. They let them be independent and have adventures, and are there to catch them when they fall and lovingly let them know when they're wrong. And sometimes the children disobey and do something they know their parents would disapprove of, or that they know is wrong - and they make a mistake and learn a lesson. But the author handles it so well - we understand exactly why the children did it, and exactly why it wasn't a good idea, and just like in real life, there are natural consequences. The parenting and morality were handled so well.
My little sister is now old enough to read this series, and I cannot wait to share it with her. It will be so special, and I know she'll love it as much as the rest of my siblings and I always have - it's so wonderful to share favorite books with siblings who love them too. And this is such a sibling-centered book that it's all the more special.
I'm so glad I finally reread these books. It's been too long. I almost forgot how wonderful it is, and how much it means to me. But it's all fresh again now, and I'll surely be reading it again before that many more years pass again.
Given the above, it's impossible to sum up in a review what this book means to me, or even what it's about. All I can do is ramble a little about both, but this is only a fraction of what I could say. It's too much a part of my heart to properly express it all in words.
But I will say that it's a book about the fierce and enduring love of a family for each other. About the experience of growing up and changing and passing through stages of life. About a boisterous family of unique and lively people, who enjoy each moment of life to the full, who revel in the glories and beauties of nature and the world, who delight in interesting experiences, who are smart and creative, who are always learning and growing and seeking knowledge and skills - and who can never seem to escape adventure, even in the daily happenings of a normal life.
"Things like that never happen to us. We lead a humdrum life when I think about it. It's funny how it doesn't seem humdrum."
"That's because you have 'eyes the better to see with, my dear' and 'ears the better to hear with.' Nobody who has them and uses them is likely to find life humdrum very often. Even when they have to use bifocal lenses, like me."
In the Melendys' first book, The Saturdays, the four Melendy siblings come up with a plan to take turns going on adventures every Saturday, and the book follows their weekly adventures growing up in New York City in the 1940s. Between unexpected joys and unexpected disasters, they encounter more adventure than even they could have planned! In the sequel, The Four-Story Mistake, the Melendys reluctantly move to a large, interesting house in the countryside, and end up adoring their new home and all it brings - and of course, they encounter even more adventures in their new life. The joyful and bittersweet times of growing up and going on to new things are continued in the sequels, Then There Were Five and Spiderweb for Two.
I enjoy each chapter and episode of the Melendy family's everyday adventures. They're humorous, entertaining, and exciting, and always full of heart as well as humor. The Melendys' deep love for and loyalty to each other, and their joyful pleasure in life and each other, is so wonderful to read about, and is evident on every page. I love family and sibling stories so much, and this is one of the best and most special I have read. The Melendy family holds an exalted place in my heart. It's a book that glows with bittersweet nostalgia of childhood past and current - all the more so for someone like me, who read it so many times as a child. But I think it would feel nostalgic and golden for anyone, child or adult - anyone will read it and feel the wonderful qualities of a childhood full of laughter, adventure, nature, and love.
The Melendy family always reminded me of my own family. Like ours, there were four siblings - a slightly bossy oldest sister, then a boy and a girl very close in age - though in my family, was the second sister, and my slightly-younger brother was the third child, instead of the other way around. Our personalities are even similar to the characters, in some ways. And in both families, following the three oldest siblings, very close in age, is a youngest brother a few years behind - so much alike. The difference is that a little while after I read this book so many times as a child, my family had a fifth child, a much-younger sister. I still think four children is a perfect number, as I always have, but now I think that five is equally perfect!
Each character in the series is vivid, lifelike, amusing, and real, and I connect with and love each one. I love each of the four Melendy siblings, and each of their family and friends. I've always identified so strongly with Randy, the third-oldest sister - her personallity, especially, but also her role in the family. She's an idealistic, joyful, sweet-hearted, artistic, accident-prone, imaginative dreamer, who loves everyone, and who doesn't seem as smart as the older siblings she admires. All of that is true for me as well - and like me, she's a young girl who doesn't like change, and wishes she could hold onto the past and keep everyone from growing up, as time marches on and things slip through her fingers.. As a child, and still as an adult, I see so much of myself in her. More than most other characters in existence. The book treats her with love and understanding, and it was comforting for me to read about her as a child.
And I enjoy each of the relationships between the characters. But I think I most enjoy the relationship and friendship between the middle brother and sister, Rush and Randy. I love how they're devoted and loyal to each other, and have so much fun together, going on excursions and joking around. And they support each other, and he protects her and comforts her when she's in need of it. They have such an easy, close friendship. I always envied that, as a child. My brother was barely more than a year younger than me, even closer in age than Rush and Randy - though in my case, the sister, not the brother, is older. But I was not friends with my brother - we couldn't stand each other and didn't get along. Whenever I read about a brother and sister who were close in age and were best friends, I always wished I had that. But as a child reading this book, I didn't have it. But now I do! My brother and I grew up and matured, and once we became teenagers, we became best friends. And I'm so glad. That's one of the best things that's every happened to me, and I'm thankful - going from constant fighting and bickering and dislike and unfriendly competition, to love and support and laughter and friendship. I treasure my friendship with my brother. I haven't read the Melendy books since before I gained that friendship, but reading it again now, it makes me so happy to see so much similarity between myself, my brother, and our relationship in Rush and Randy. The idealistic, imaginative girl, and the brilliant, cynical, brother - both full of laughter and fun.
One thing I am intensely aware of now, that I took for granted and didn't pay attention to as a child, is how fabulous and skilled the writing of these books are. I had forgotten that, because I didn't notice it consciously. I had to stop often while reading to take pleasure in so many well-crafted descriptions and metaphors. The way the author describes people, and nature, and thoughts and feelings, and even a city bus, is so masterful. And her characters are so vivid and unique and full of life, with just as natural and distinctive mannerisms and ways of speaking, and ways of being, as real people. And so, so many other things - the writing is just wonderful. I was not a writer as a child, but I am now, and I'm keenly aware of how glorious the writing of this series is.
Another thing I notice even more now that I'm older is how well the author handled so many things about what it's like to grow up - and one thing that stuck out was how well the Melendy parents love and take care of their family. But in such a realistic way. I appreciate that more now that I'm an adult, and now that I'm more aware of how wonderful my own parents are, even though I also see the flaws more clearly. One thing in particular that I notice about the Melendy family and the author's handling is how the children make mistakes and learn lessons - natural or intentional - and the parents handle it so well. They let them be independent and have adventures, and are there to catch them when they fall and lovingly let them know when they're wrong. And sometimes the children disobey and do something they know their parents would disapprove of, or that they know is wrong - and they make a mistake and learn a lesson. But the author handles it so well - we understand exactly why the children did it, and exactly why it wasn't a good idea, and just like in real life, there are natural consequences. The parenting and morality were handled so well.
My little sister is now old enough to read this series, and I cannot wait to share it with her. It will be so special, and I know she'll love it as much as the rest of my siblings and I always have - it's so wonderful to share favorite books with siblings who love them too. And this is such a sibling-centered book that it's all the more special.
I'm so glad I finally reread these books. It's been too long. I almost forgot how wonderful it is, and how much it means to me. But it's all fresh again now, and I'll surely be reading it again before that many more years pass again.
But Randy couldn't help feeling that there were many miracles in her life. Wasn't it a miracle to live in the country in spring? And to have a wonderful family that she was crazy about, and a house with a secret room and a cupola, and to be eleven and a half years old, and very good at riding a bicycle?
Anyway, that's how I feel today, thought Randy. Tomorrow maybe I'll feel some other way; cranky, or dull, or just natural. But that's how I feel today.
October 25, 2012
I've now read aloud the first two Melendy books to my son, who is enjoying them, which yes, as much as I myself love them, is a surprise to me. Enright's realistic (if not always entirely plausible) family stories are a little old-fashioned; they are character-driven, episodic, and full of references to musicians and actors and other high-culture types most nine-year-olds haven't heard of. My son also seems to be aware that his interest in them is a little unexpected. "I don't know why I like the Melendy books," he said to me the other day, apropos of nothing. I tentatively suggested some reasons. "Probably you like them because the author writes really well, and she describes things so you feel like you're really seeing, smelling, and hearing them. You feel like you are right there with the Melendys, and you almost are one of them." I'm not sure if that satisfied him, but he didn't disagree.
Anyway, we finished this one tonight, and he asked what the next one was called.
"Then There Were Five," I said.
"Oh, so another child joins the family?" he said.
"And the last one's Spiderweb For Two. That's my favorite"
"Oh," he said, "I guess in that one Father and Cuffy have a spider problem."
He got indignant when I cracked up.
Anyway, we finished this one tonight, and he asked what the next one was called.
"Then There Were Five," I said.
"Oh, so another child joins the family?" he said.
"And the last one's Spiderweb For Two. That's my favorite"
"Oh," he said, "I guess in that one Father and Cuffy have a spider problem."
He got indignant when I cracked up.
May 6, 2010
There is nothing spectacular about it, no complicated plot, no difficult story line, and there is no page turning, cannot wait to get to the end feeling.
But, there is a calm sense of wonderment regarding the way in which the author painted an idyllic childhood of four lovely children who were uprooted from a house in the city to a large mansion-like structure in the country.
There is a loving widowed father, a nanny who is kind and gentle, a dog, and warm food and cool drink.
There are streams, tree houses, wintry ponds for ice skating, bikes for riding, fields with gentle breezes that rustle the flowers, summer storms that necessitate the lighting of candles, crisp leaves of merry color and a hidden, mysterious room to be explored.
Reading this book is like a slow walk down a lovely fall lane, like a gentle summer rain, like a lovely, sparkling winter snow fall and like a field of spring daffodils.
Recommended for anyone who needs a break from stress that requires balm for a weary soul.
But, there is a calm sense of wonderment regarding the way in which the author painted an idyllic childhood of four lovely children who were uprooted from a house in the city to a large mansion-like structure in the country.
There is a loving widowed father, a nanny who is kind and gentle, a dog, and warm food and cool drink.
There are streams, tree houses, wintry ponds for ice skating, bikes for riding, fields with gentle breezes that rustle the flowers, summer storms that necessitate the lighting of candles, crisp leaves of merry color and a hidden, mysterious room to be explored.
Reading this book is like a slow walk down a lovely fall lane, like a gentle summer rain, like a lovely, sparkling winter snow fall and like a field of spring daffodils.
Recommended for anyone who needs a break from stress that requires balm for a weary soul.
July 14, 2017
So, so refreshingly ordinary.
And very much a city-kids-in-the-country story, which is delightful.
I must add this quote:
And very much a city-kids-in-the-country story, which is delightful.
I must add this quote:
That night the children dreamed all night about Clarinda and the secret room. Mona and Randy and Rush, that is. Oliver dreamed he was driving a Greyhound bus full of policemen across the Brooklyn Bridge.I love Elizabeth Enright.
April 17, 2024
This is SUCH a sweet series!! I absolutely love these characters. And Elizabeth Enright’s descriptions of nature are beautifully spot-on.
April 3, 2023
I had intended to finish the Melendy series last year when I read the first one, but the subsequent books slipped down the list. They were bumped back up to the top because I'm trying to decide which books to put into the Grandma Read-Aloud Pile. (It's hard to find books that all four will love that the oldest hasn't already devoured.)
I enjoyed The Saturdays, but I loved The Four-Story Mistake. I saw so much of my kids and the childhood I want for them in the Melendy kids and their adventures. I love Enright's focus on the everyday adventures of life with siblings.
I enjoyed The Saturdays, but I loved The Four-Story Mistake. I saw so much of my kids and the childhood I want for them in the Melendy kids and their adventures. I love Enright's focus on the everyday adventures of life with siblings.
August 25, 2017
One of my old favorites.
January 8, 2025
READ 2 (December 5, 2024)-
This is another book I read when I was a teenager, and loved. The Story Mistake covers a series of anecdotes that happen to the Melendy family over the course of a year. I remember reading this book fairly close to when my family moved when I was a child, so this book stuck tightly to me.
It's always such a grounding experience reading a book, and realizing that the corners that hold up the story are some of the corners that hold up your soul. Reading parts of this book felt like coming home, and it was so familiar despite my having forgotten most of what happened in this book. Looking at my last review, it looks like I read it 5 years ago, and then 5 years ago before that, so this may well be an every-5-years reread, which I would not be mad at.
At the heart of it, this is a very basic concept for a book: slice of life anecdotes of a family and the notable moments that they had over the course of the year. And yet, that's what makes this book so cozy and comfortable: it's just a regular family living a regular life, and it's messy and funny and human, and things happen that you don't expect, and things work out better than you could ever imagined, and it's all just . . . life.
My favorite part about this book by far is the writing style: it is so nostalgic and cozy, and it makes you feel like you're part of the family, learning about life along side them.
My favorite parts of this book: reading the chapter about Christmas and their preparations for it, as it is almost Christmas, Rush exploring the new property and building a tree house (which is particularly nostalgic for me because of when I read this book for the first time), and the whole recurring theme with the crocodile.
With this book being published in 1942, there are some less-than politically correct metaphors and descriptions in some parts of this book, but really, they were so few and far between that I am not super pressed about it. There are things that happen in this book that could never happen in this day and age (a 14 year old going on radio? insane), and there are some mentions of the war happening, but the writing makes the story feel so familiar and warm. It is wild to me that 13 years old seemed so incredibly old in that day, and that one could simply roll up to a perfect stranger's house to ask for help, but at the same time, these time capsules of history are what preserve humanity.
I will love this series forever, and I am so excited to read the rest of it!
READ 1 (July 29, 2019)-
i will love this book forever
the vague nostalgia
the hominess
and the writing style
there is next to no chance I will ever get tired of it
also haven't read this in like 5 years and i forgot how much i adored this series
now to read the rest of it
This is another book I read when I was a teenager, and loved. The Story Mistake covers a series of anecdotes that happen to the Melendy family over the course of a year. I remember reading this book fairly close to when my family moved when I was a child, so this book stuck tightly to me.
It's always such a grounding experience reading a book, and realizing that the corners that hold up the story are some of the corners that hold up your soul. Reading parts of this book felt like coming home, and it was so familiar despite my having forgotten most of what happened in this book. Looking at my last review, it looks like I read it 5 years ago, and then 5 years ago before that, so this may well be an every-5-years reread, which I would not be mad at.
At the heart of it, this is a very basic concept for a book: slice of life anecdotes of a family and the notable moments that they had over the course of the year. And yet, that's what makes this book so cozy and comfortable: it's just a regular family living a regular life, and it's messy and funny and human, and things happen that you don't expect, and things work out better than you could ever imagined, and it's all just . . . life.
My favorite part about this book by far is the writing style: it is so nostalgic and cozy, and it makes you feel like you're part of the family, learning about life along side them.
My favorite parts of this book: reading the chapter about Christmas and their preparations for it, as it is almost Christmas, Rush exploring the new property and building a tree house (which is particularly nostalgic for me because of when I read this book for the first time), and the whole recurring theme with the crocodile.
With this book being published in 1942, there are some less-than politically correct metaphors and descriptions in some parts of this book, but really, they were so few and far between that I am not super pressed about it. There are things that happen in this book that could never happen in this day and age (a 14 year old going on radio? insane), and there are some mentions of the war happening, but the writing makes the story feel so familiar and warm. It is wild to me that 13 years old seemed so incredibly old in that day, and that one could simply roll up to a perfect stranger's house to ask for help, but at the same time, these time capsules of history are what preserve humanity.
I will love this series forever, and I am so excited to read the rest of it!
READ 1 (July 29, 2019)-
i will love this book forever
the vague nostalgia
the hominess
and the writing style
there is next to no chance I will ever get tired of it
also haven't read this in like 5 years and i forgot how much i adored this series
now to read the rest of it
October 13, 2017
When Mona, Rush, Randy and Oliver move to the country, they don't expect to have the same adventures they enjoyed in Manhattan. Still, their lives soon change with the addition of a new and unexpected member.
March 14, 2010
Another absolutely charming and delightful Melendy book :-) I really love Elizabeth Enright's writing and how she makes everyday details so special.
July 14, 2025
A special read, because it was the first that my mother read to my children over a video call, one chapter a week on Wednesday afternoons.
And as it turns out, I enjoy Elizabeth Enright read aloud by someone else more than I enjoy reading it aloud myself. There is something about her style—maybe its poetic prolixity—that I find tedious reading but excellent listening. The chapters also tend to be quite long, and they suit a once-a-week reading appointment better than a scenario where you're trying to fit an extra readaloud in whenever possible (which is how we did Gone-Away Lake and The Saturdays last year).
I found I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series, primarily because the family moves from the city to the countryside; I couldn't quite put my finger on what I didn't love about The Saturdays, but I think the city setting had a lot to do with it.
In this book, I loved many of the episodes and the mood their telling evoked: exploring the nooks and crannies of an old house and new wooded property; swimming in and skating on a creek (or wading in it at midnight!); putting on a show to earn money for war bonds; meeting new neighbors, acquiring new responsibilities, learning a new landscape.
And the character development seemed to become richer in this second Melendey installment than in the first. The characterization doesn't change at all, but Mona, Rush, Randy, and Oliver all seem more themselves in The Four-Story Mistake—which in turn gave me renewed appreciation for The Saturdays.
And as it turns out, I enjoy Elizabeth Enright read aloud by someone else more than I enjoy reading it aloud myself. There is something about her style—maybe its poetic prolixity—that I find tedious reading but excellent listening. The chapters also tend to be quite long, and they suit a once-a-week reading appointment better than a scenario where you're trying to fit an extra readaloud in whenever possible (which is how we did Gone-Away Lake and The Saturdays last year).
I found I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series, primarily because the family moves from the city to the countryside; I couldn't quite put my finger on what I didn't love about The Saturdays, but I think the city setting had a lot to do with it.
In this book, I loved many of the episodes and the mood their telling evoked: exploring the nooks and crannies of an old house and new wooded property; swimming in and skating on a creek (or wading in it at midnight!); putting on a show to earn money for war bonds; meeting new neighbors, acquiring new responsibilities, learning a new landscape.
And the character development seemed to become richer in this second Melendey installment than in the first. The characterization doesn't change at all, but Mona, Rush, Randy, and Oliver all seem more themselves in The Four-Story Mistake—which in turn gave me renewed appreciation for The Saturdays.
January 29, 2025
I have read this book more times than I can count and I still love it every time.
Who wouldn't want to live in the Four Storey Mistake? What a totally wonderful house.
Who wouldn't want to live in the Four Storey Mistake? What a totally wonderful house.
November 9, 2020
Still holds up.
September 25, 2021
The second book in the Saturday series. I'm reading through this by myself for the first time and am enjoying it greatly.
October 2, 2025
I enjoyed this much better than The Saturdays. In fact, I cried at the end. We got to know the characters much better this time. I do wonder what on earth is going on with their Dad, though – – he’s hardly ever present. There are some moments where you think maybe some oversight, even by the elder children, would have been merited. But otherwise it’s a wonderful little story, and it just got better and better.
One of the nature descriptions that I enjoyed : “When they opened the front door the large, bounding March wind came to greet them. Black, wet branches leaped against the sky, raw and leafless, and shaken drops fell on their heads.… All about and overhead the wind surged and swam; the branches creaked and scraped and shook cold water down.”
One of the nature descriptions that I enjoyed : “When they opened the front door the large, bounding March wind came to greet them. Black, wet branches leaped against the sky, raw and leafless, and shaken drops fell on their heads.… All about and overhead the wind surged and swam; the branches creaked and scraped and shook cold water down.”
March 6, 2023
I enjoyed this second book of the series, with the reality of World War II creeping into their everyday lives. People were kinder and gentler in this time period and more welcoming and willing to lend a helping hand. The Melendys in the 40s, were allowed to run and play by themselves most days and most all of the days in the Summertime, just as my generation in the 50s and 60s were. Makes me sad that today it is not the same.
January 17, 2024
There were parts of this book that felt too similar to Return to Gone Away Lake (but just not as good as that book). It almost feels like the author was going for that same setting and theme but didn’t quite nail it, so I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first in the series.
January 24, 2022
I read this to my 8-year-old and we both loved it. The Melendy family moves from NYC to an old house in the country. There’s a cupola, a brook, and a secret room in the basement. The older kids all find ways to get money to buy war bonds. Book was written in 1942.
April 24, 2024
The kids (age 10) love the Melendy family and household. They’re excited that the series isn’t yet over.
February 5, 2025
a comforting re read, although the ice skating on a forest stream bit continues to be implausible.
March 28, 2025
4.5 stars
I liked and enjoyed this even more than the first in the series.
I liked and enjoyed this even more than the first in the series.
December 2, 2023
I love books about old country houses, and although the Four-Story Mistake isn’t quite so old, it’s still a house with secrets, and I loved discovering them with the Melendys. I especially loved all the kids’ exclamations of disgust at how dumb they are as they discover the secret room because what I love most about Enright is her realistic capturing of children and their dialogue. I feel as if the Melendys could have actually existed, as if they were actually real children who grew up during the 40s.
I loved the fact that the children played outdoors all the time (no television!), that they explored and biked and swam all day, every day. Enright’s books are deliciously free of PC, angst and dark material that so many children’s and YA books tend to have nowadays. Reading these books is like a refreshing spring breeze blowing across your face, something to delight and revel in. I wish more books were written about children making their own fun, hearing stories, discovering secret treasures, making plays and shows, working to help with the war effort and with the family finances, being active participants in the world, rather than being passive participants.
I’ve always thought this was my least favorite book in the quartet, but it’s really not. I love this book a lot; it’s a nice departure from the formula of The Saturdays while still keeping that old Enright charm and humor.
Overall, Elizabeth Enright is amazing and her books are amazing. The Four-Story Mistake is about children having fun in their new house in the country, before things like television and technology kept children inside. Not only do they have fun, but they also each do their own part to help out around the house, through chores and jobs, etc. I love the Melendy family, what else can I say?
I loved the fact that the children played outdoors all the time (no television!), that they explored and biked and swam all day, every day. Enright’s books are deliciously free of PC, angst and dark material that so many children’s and YA books tend to have nowadays. Reading these books is like a refreshing spring breeze blowing across your face, something to delight and revel in. I wish more books were written about children making their own fun, hearing stories, discovering secret treasures, making plays and shows, working to help with the war effort and with the family finances, being active participants in the world, rather than being passive participants.
I’ve always thought this was my least favorite book in the quartet, but it’s really not. I love this book a lot; it’s a nice departure from the formula of The Saturdays while still keeping that old Enright charm and humor.
Overall, Elizabeth Enright is amazing and her books are amazing. The Four-Story Mistake is about children having fun in their new house in the country, before things like television and technology kept children inside. Not only do they have fun, but they also each do their own part to help out around the house, through chores and jobs, etc. I love the Melendy family, what else can I say?
October 14, 2021
The Four-Story Mistake is the second book in the Melendys series by Elizabeth Enright, following The Saturdays (1941). In this book, Mona, Rush, Randy, and Oliver, along with their father and Cuffy and Willy Sloper, move from New York City to a country house known as the Four-Story Mistake. The house has some architectural anomalies that give it its name, but it's the perfect home for these four children. While World War II rages on elsewhere, the Melendy kids enjoy a year of indoor and outdoor adventures, including the uncovering of a secret about their new home.
I happened to be reading this book aloud to my kids during our visit to my mother-in-law. It was such a surprise to all of us when she recognized the story and told us this had been her favorite book as a child. After we finished the book, I could absolutely see why. Even more so than in The Saturdays, in this book these child characters come fully to life. They and my kids may be separated by decades, but their interests - in nature, in drama, in secrets, and in imagination - are as similar as can be. The fact that a war is taking place also gives the book a bittersweetness, and for the adult reader, there is a strong feeling of nostalgia and an awareness that childhood is fleeting.
This is the quintessential realistic fiction book and it was a lovely read-aloud for my older three girls ages 3, 5, and 7. I had originally not really planned to finish out the series, but this book has changed my mind completely. This was a very strong five-star read and I look forward to reading it aloud again when the twins are old enough to enjoy it.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
I happened to be reading this book aloud to my kids during our visit to my mother-in-law. It was such a surprise to all of us when she recognized the story and told us this had been her favorite book as a child. After we finished the book, I could absolutely see why. Even more so than in The Saturdays, in this book these child characters come fully to life. They and my kids may be separated by decades, but their interests - in nature, in drama, in secrets, and in imagination - are as similar as can be. The fact that a war is taking place also gives the book a bittersweetness, and for the adult reader, there is a strong feeling of nostalgia and an awareness that childhood is fleeting.
This is the quintessential realistic fiction book and it was a lovely read-aloud for my older three girls ages 3, 5, and 7. I had originally not really planned to finish out the series, but this book has changed my mind completely. This was a very strong five-star read and I look forward to reading it aloud again when the twins are old enough to enjoy it.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
July 4, 2009
Nice, but not as special as the first Melendy book. Part of it may be that I personally find adventures in the city but interesting than pleasant living in the country, but I also think the narrative tone has shifted. In The Saturdays I thought Enright really captured the perspective and feelings of the children. Here, I still liked the siblings and their relationships, but the narration felt more like an adult onlooker, and there was a little too much of that "aww, aren't the kids sweet?" tone. Also, I preferred the more discrete, start-to-finish episodic stories of the various outings in New York City over the way Enright here brought things up and then dropped them to come back to later. The lack of transitions made the shifts too abrupt. But it was still a nice book, maybe more appealing to kids who haven't lived in the country themselves.
October 8, 2021
I think I enjoyed this one even more than the first, although this one does not feel quite as focused. Part of my enjoyment lies in the setup of a family moving into a new house and discovering its delights and secrets. I never tire of that plot. The children with their distinct personalities continue to delight. Randy might be my favorite, although Rush makes me laugh out loud at times. I wish Oliver had more time focused on him. His doggedness and solemnity are endearing. The adults mainly serve as charming but rather generic props, yet they add to the coziness and warmth. And over everything is that old time childhood atmosphere that is so much more compelling now that I am an adult. I am eagerly moving on to the third book!
December 16, 2015
12/2015 Yes, this is firmly in my favorites list, one I can listen to when I'm at the end of my rope. It just never gets stale.
1/2013 Stellar narration of one of my favorite books. I'm so glad that the Enright books are so available, still. I love all the characters in this book, and I especially love Enright's ability to turn a phrase. Her firefly-spangled nights ring gloriously true. One feels just how cold the brook water is, when Rush plunges in. Highly recommended.
1/2013 Stellar narration of one of my favorite books. I'm so glad that the Enright books are so available, still. I love all the characters in this book, and I especially love Enright's ability to turn a phrase. Her firefly-spangled nights ring gloriously true. One feels just how cold the brook water is, when Rush plunges in. Highly recommended.
December 27, 2015
This story pulled me in right away. The Melendy family moved from the city to the country and the first part of the book was all about the discoveries in their new home. I loved it! I moved to a wonderful house on a farm five days before I turned 8 and Enright perfectly describes the magic of exploring the outdoors and the indoors of an old house in the country. Lovely, gentle book.
October 23, 2024
Another collection of sweet stories about the Melendy family. These aren't necessarily spectacular, but the writing is great and the characters and their adventures are wholesome and fun. The series works well for road trips with kids.
2024 re-listen: My 7yo daughter now loves the Melendys and I'm enjoying them just as much the second time around.
2024 re-listen: My 7yo daughter now loves the Melendys and I'm enjoying them just as much the second time around.
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