A Walk Out of the World

by Ruth Nichols, Trina Schart Hyman (Illustrator)

A brother and sister walk through a wood into another world whose inhabitants are convinced that the girl is a descendant of a revered but nearly extinct line of kings.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade

192 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1969

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trying to stay one book recommendation ahead of my daughter's voracious reading habit, I somehow clicked my way to Ruth Nichols. This short novel borrows heavily from LOTR and the Pevensie's magic wardrobe, but I kept reminding myself that it was written for a child somewhere between 10 and 13, not for a 44 year-old man who has seen all these tropes. The pacing was slow at times; a lot of plot devices went unexplained - and the denouement was almost inscrutable - by the end I realized this wasn't a book I could recommend to my daughter. Or anyone else, really. A one or two star offering, at best.

When I finished the book I went to Wikipedia to learn more about the author, and if the Wiki entry is to be believed, Nichols' story is very interesting. This was her first novel and published when she was eighteen. When I learned that piece of info, I went back and skimmed some of the sections and found it impressive someone of such a young age could write this well. I've read much worse things by adults that are venerated for their craft. Here's a sentence that shows wisdom far beyond 18 years:

When we try to understand [the story of our ancestors}, we are like someone a thousand years from now who will listen to the fairy tale and try, from that, to understand [our story].

In context, given the age of the author and that this was her first book, my opinion of its relative literary worth increased.

Nichols went on to pen a handful of other books of children lit and historical fiction. But her body of work exists now in that BURIED heap. If the Wikipedia stub of Nichols is to be trusted, the last few sentences are pretty depressing: Other than the few novels she produced as an adult and despite her educational achievements, Nichols never managed to establish a career in any form of gainful employment. After divorcing in 1998, health problems, including epilepsy, forced Nichols to live in a chronic care facility in Toronto.

When writing, is it necessary for an author to achieve success? Or is it simply the act of creating itself that should be the focus? I can't help but think of these questions - constantly - after reading Bartleby & Co.. Whether she wanted it or not, Nichols' works exist now in the world of the No.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of a handful of books from my childhood that I have kept through countless moves and purges of "stuff." It is no longer in print, I believe. I read it in the 1970s and I read it again last night. This is a really inspired, unique story written by an 18-year-old woman. If you are a fan of Lord of the Rings and similar fiction, you will recognize the basic plot elements. But there is something special about this story. It has an innocent sweetness and timelessness to it, with a gritty edge of reality. If you can find a copy, read it, because it can be hard to find, and this is no cookie cutter book written for mass consumption.

[Callie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those very obscure books that no one has ever heard of, and is totally underappreciated. A very cool fantasy.

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord of the Rings for a younger audience

Well, it is and it isn't. But there are so many scenes and situations and names in common with (or very similar to) the great J.R.R. Tolkien's epic, that it's impossible not to call them out. For starters, we have the seemingly immortal and beautiful and clad in white Galadriel but here she's named Lady Iorwen and gazes into a white flame (not water) that she can condense into a shining-as-brightly-as-a-star handheld crystal; we've got Angwen, Lady Iorwen's (great great)^n grandaughter who marries Helm at the White City at the end of the story in a green gown; we've got an impasse over snowy mountains and instead a desperate 3 day flight in the darkness through under-mountain tunnels in which kobolds, evil kin of dwarves, hunt; there are dwarves, the leader of the underground city is called Burin (here at least you get to see the pseudo Khazad-dum in all the glory of 'Durin's Day'); there was a dragon at some point (Dragon's Cave, the Grey Cleft); there's a council called of Dwarves and the Water People and the men in exile (descended from the true lineage of kings of old) planning on overthrowing a usurper king who has taken over the White City that overlooks the sea (it's just Gondor - it even has three layers of gates and rises above the plains and takes in peasants and farmers ahead of a siege). There is a small group of diverse delegates accompanying a weak, naive, predestined and foreign small person (in this case, one of the children, not a Hobbit) sent on an impossible journey, following a "One does not simply walk into..." speech. And the once fine, now maddened false-king sits in a tall, tall tower (but within the city) with a great ruby eye of a window; there are sentient forests that contain army-eating trees, and the trees dislike men. Oh, and the spies of Saruman, sorry, Hagerrak, are birds and some unfriendly creatures. There will be more, but I think you get the idea!

So here I discover something interesting: while this in 2022 seems hopelessly derivative to a Tolkien-society member, this probably didn't seem so at the time it was written: the wave of Tolkien-fever had crested by the 70s, and the surge of fantasy novels that flowed into the genre were caught up in this current of new normal. Of course, there are as many differences as there are similarities, but standing above the tideline of that historic flood, I just see the Tolkien-inspired flotsam.

It's rather like The Weirdstone of Brisingamen in that regard: certainly worth a read, worthy in its own right, but definitely owing a debt to Tolkien's influence. (I think the Weirdstone has more that is original going for it, and it also incorporates Arthurian legend as well).

In A Walk Out of the World, we have two children, Tobit (Toby) and Judith, growing up on the border of the UBC Endowment lands (heavily forested) in 1970s 'ugly' Vancouver (I suppose before Expo86, Vancouver might not have been as beautiful a city as it is today, but that still shocked me). The 'brown brick school building, antiseptic corridors, asphalted playgrounds' and their unwelcoming, soulless apartment building home can certainly be readily identifiable to any city-dweller, though.

Walking through the forest down a favourite lane, they come to a stand of golden Mallorn trees with silver trunks golden Maple trees with silvery trunks, a break from the coniferous-dense coastal forests of BC, and suddenly find themselves in a world that is somewhat reminiscent of Middle Earth. An impossible quest awaits, but due to the size of the book, it's based upon serendipitous arrivals, divine interference/encouragement, and blind faith in a gut feeling, along with Galadriel Lady Iorwen's mystical knowledge and guidance.

I don't want to spoil everything - this title can be read for free on OpenLibrary, so please give it a shot - but there were things I liked about it. The wildcats with the glass claws, and the rivers and river people. Weirdly, there are characters named Oak and Alder and 'The Winter People', all of which are in my favourite book of the year, The Oak King and the Ash Queen, though that's about where the similarities end. I just thought it a funny coincidence, and I definitely had the same image of the man Oak (he seems to look much the same).

The crux of this one is that long-term self-deception, lying to yourself, being in a state of willful denial, slowly and inexorably erodes your tether to both reality and to humanity, an assertion I agree with (supported by both psychology and theology). Contrasting this to what I know of Song of the Pearl, which I have yet to read (MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS on that one!), Ruth Nichols does really have some very core Christian theology at the heart of her stories - in that case, it's radical (but required) forgiveness. Here, it's humility or perhaps fidelity, honesty, or perhaps even more simply, goodness.

I think the author could have gone farther into developing this theme and weaving it throughout the story - it seemed to come about rather abruptly. Judith, the main protagonist, is really not more than a puppet and apart from having a faith of sorts, isn't slowly corrupted and injured as Frodo was (it's a different central message for starters); the villain's backstory is given, but somehow it still felt like the climax contained all of the pithy content in one fell swoop. And I'm not sure Judith learns anything, either, which I don't suppose is necessary, but would have rounded out the story.

3.5 and rounding up for me, because obscure female author, Vancouver setting, and fun juvenile fantasy. Also, it's clear that she loved the LotR as much as I did. Call it a hommage and enjoy it as such. ;)

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some ways, A Walk Out of the World is a very typical YA fantasy for its time period: two kids from our reality find a secret path to another world, where they have great adventures. Perhaps a bit more surprising is that it also has a heavy Hobbit influence. Though the secondary world creation is quite nice, it's also quite clearly based on fantasy as seen through the lens of Tolkien's The Hobbit. Not only does this affect the composition of the world, but also Nichols' style of writing and plotting.

The real subversive thing about the book (and what probably causes it to be rated so high) is that it almost pretends to be a boy's adventure story, but as as soon as our kids get to the fantasy world, the boy (Tobit) is shunted off to the side, and after that we just vaguely hear about him becoming a heroic warrior. Meanwhile, the true hero of the story is the girl (Judith). This reversal of what were then traditional roles is really terrific for the time.

Overall, an OK book, with a progressive message that was ahead of its time.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of has the feel of A Wrinkle in Time. Not crazy about the Hyman illustrations.

[Dalia Michaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from my grandparents house a few summers ago because i thought the title sounded interesting and i am so glad that i did. It’s just such a sweet story and so simply written. Reading it really felt like A Walk Out Of The World of all of my assignments. Even if it is intended for children i would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to channel their childhood self and go on an adventure.

[Mared Sian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasy in a minor key.

It has a lot of charm. I liked the rather ethereal heroine and the glowing descriptions of the various locations. The denouement was unexpected and somewhat disturbing. It is a pity a sequel was never written; the book certainly cries out for one. The children so obviously belong in the other land that they really should end up staying there.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book turned me into the fantasy book lover I am today. My greataunt, the librarian, sent me this book when I was 10. I must have read it at least 10 times, I loved it so much.

[Melissa McCauley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Judith and her brother Tobit live in a modern city apartment building with their parents. One day they walk into a glowing wood near their home and are transported into another world, whose night is filled with blue and purple stars, and whose woods are full of dwarves and Kobolds. Eventually they learn from the very long-lived Lady Iorwen they are the descendants of the king (Lady Iorwen's son) who went missing and was presumed dead five hundred years ago. Judith and Tobit go through many episodes of physical danger before the final confrontation with Hagerrak, a long-lived usurper who rules the kingdom rightfully belonging to the royal household of the Wanderer.
This book would be an appealing adventure if the characters were more fully developed. They are portrayed with stilted emotions only in fits and starts, and the whole construction of this unnamed land and its inhabitants seems liberally borrowed from the likes of Tolkien or C. S. Lewis, but without the depth of development. Perhaps this is due to the style in which it is written, which wavers between common third person and the overly simplistic voice of an impersonal narrator.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a kid. It had a more adult feel to it and I remember it being one of the first books I really thought about for a long time after I'd read it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is clearly a first novel, and is clearly influenced by C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, but remains a light, mostly enjoyable read. I would almost consider it a decent piece of fan-fiction mixing a little Narnia and a little Middle-Earth. Judith, the heroine, bounces back from setbacks with little difficulty and relatively little effort. The rather quick resolution of the final confrontation between the protagonist and the up-until-then completely never-seen villain isn't satisfying. As other reviewers have noted, the weaknesses of the story may lie in the fact the author was 18 when she wrote this, but at the same time it is impressive that someone so young was able to get published.

[Kristine Walberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another of the Top 5 books of my childhood. I still have my original copy and have carried it with me from home to home over the past 50+ years. I found it interesting to read the 2-Star reviews that described it as a "light, fun read," because in my early years it struck me as the opposite. I grew up as both a fantasy reader and writer, and this book not only helped to kindle my interest in the genre, it influenced the way I think about world-building and magic. As an adult, I can detect signs that the author was extremely young (just 18, I believe) but she created a story that's stuck with me for decades. Also, child-me didn't scare easily--in fact, I can only think of two fictional characters that genuinely frightened me.The villain of this book was one of them.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2017/07...

Inspired by this piece about obscure childhood favorite books, some friends and I were talking about our own obscure childhood favorites, and one enthused about this one. It's a pretty typical portal fantasy-- a brother and sister walk through the woods into another world, one full of magic and political intrigue, and they may be the key to solving various issues. Comparisons to both Narnia and the Tolkien books are apt. I would have definitely loved this as a child, but as an adult, I wished for a little bit more to the story. Great ending though. A-/B+.

[Diane Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year's reading challenge required a book that made me nostalgic. This was definitely one of the oldest books on my shelf. I think I got it new from a book club when it first came out! I loved it then, and I still do, both the stories and the illustrations. It's interesting that the author was a teen when she wrote it--I'm not sure when she last published. It's also interesting to read it now, after having read classics such as Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. It does make me wonder what the author might have read as a child. Apparently it is now an extremely difficult book to find--if you come across it, buy it and read it!

[Clayton VanLeeuwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m torn over this book. The opening chapters are magical. Each sentence is song like. It reminds me of a vivid dream, or a warm childhood memory, until, like a dream, the story continues into the nonsensical, completely forgetting about one of the main siblings (until the very end of the book) and introducing characters that do little more than occasionally talk. Maybe everything was just way over my head and I missed out on a symbolic, spiritual experience or something.

[Theresa Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of those stories that stuck with me, like ' The Outsiders' by S.E. Hinton. Two female teenage novelists. I did know that until I was much older. I have a hard cover 'A Walk Out of the World' and also picked up a hardcover edition of 'The Marrow of the World' her second book.

[marjorie lecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is enchanting - Ruth Nichols did not publish a lot of books - which is too bad. Also amazing illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman

[Sandy Carmichael · Rating 2 out of 5]

YA story about two teens going from one world into another magical realm. Par for books written like this. Fun, light reading.

[Mary List · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one the gems I found at my library, that was taken out many times. Tobit & Judith's adventures were fun to read

[Aldo Milian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found it in my grandma's library and fell in love with it when I was younger, really good Tolkienesque book written by an 18-year old author.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember checking this out of my library several times as a child. I loved the story and Trina Schart Hyman's illustrations.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tobit and Judith walk into a world that seems more real than their own.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating fantasy story beautifully woven together.

[Josie E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in my Grandma's attic craft room. I read it late into the night while the mosquitos drank my blood. I was probably 10, and it was so so magical.

[Yvensong · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author was 18 years old, when she had this short novel published, which makes this story a rather impressively written fantasy. It is obviously written for a much younger audience than I, and doesn't have the very in-depth characterizations that adult and young adult readers usually appreciate. In regards to this, I'd give this a 3 1/2 star to 4-star rating.

The reason I'm not doing so, has to do with the characterization of girls/women in the novelette. Lines like this: "...for a woman married in green would be happy, fruitful, and submissive to her husband." and "...and we both knew a woman has never ruled in this land, and such a thing would make people mistrustful and uneasy." Throughout the story, women were hidden away, did nothing but "womanly things", and were very insignificant to the story. Even the Main Character, Judith, was weak, terrified at the drop of a hat, and did nothing of significance, even though she was supposedly the "one" who'd save this kingdom. Every decision made, every step she took, everything she did, a man was behind it all.

[Cera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this would be classified as a YA fantasy now, because the characters are so young, but I have no idea how it was seen when it was first written in 1968, by an 18-yr-old author. It is ... strange, like a combination of a children's adventure novel (a la Lewis, Edward Eager, etc.) and Hope Mirrlees or Tolkien. I liked it, a lot, and am looking forward to reading more of her work. Definitely a book I'm saving for when my daughter is older!

[David Barker]

I found this at a library sale and thought it looked interesting. So far, I like it. Something about it -- the author's bio (she was only 18 when it was published), the title -- reminded me of Barbara Newhall Follet's fantasy novel "House Without Windows."

[Dixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific, creepy book.