The Silver Crown
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founder | Robert C. O'Brien |
| Products | Novel |
The Silver Crown marks the debut novel of author Robert C. O'Brien, published in 1968, and is a science-fiction story aimed at children.
Plot summary
Told from a third-person limited viewpoint centered on the main character Ellen Carroll, the narrative opens on Ellen's tenth birthday when she discovers an enigmatic silver crown in her bedroom. Soon after, while she is at the park, her home is engulfed in flames, and she also witnesses a homicide. Left orphaned and alone, Ellen resolves to hitchhike to Kentucky to reach her Aunt Sarah.
Throughout her travels, Ellen narrowly avoids capture by a kidnapper, endures a chase through dense woodland, and partners with an eight-year-old boy named Otto. Together, they navigate mountainous terrain while being pursued by menacing figures. In a secluded forest castle known as the black castle, Ellen uncovers the Hieronymus Machine—an ancient apparatus capable of controlling minds to compel arson and assassination for unclear motives. This device requires two crowns—a black one and a silver one—to function; only Ellen can activate the more potent silver crown. Understanding the peril it represents, she opts to destroy the machine despite its alluring power.
Revised final chapter
The original conclusion features an adult character explaining that the Machine sent the crown to Ellen and manipulated events to draw her to the castle, thus clarifying lingering plot elements. However, for the British edition, O'Brien altered this ending by removing that rationale; instead, Aunt Sarah claims she acquired the crown from "a little curio shop in Barcelona," thereby severing its direct connection to the Hieronymus Machine.
Influences
The term "Hieronymus" alludes to St. Jerome; within the fictional backstory of the novel, certain adherents developed the Hieronymus Machine "many centuries ago in a monastery in Spain." Subsequently, it was attributed to another individual named Hieronymus around 1000 AD, long after St. Jerome's era. This association lacks any historical evidence. Notably, an American inventor named Thomas Galen Hieronymus created a device called a "Hieronymus machine" in 1949—the same year cited in the novel for its discovery—although his invention detected radiation emitted by living organisms and was unrelated to mind control.
Reception
Kirkus Reviews critiqued the book's intricate portrayal of thought control as indicative of an underlying flaw, describing much of Ellen’s journey as excessively implausible with only a rough connection to reality. Conversely, Andre Norton Award recipient E. C. Myers commended The Silver Crown as an early example blending fantasy with science fiction that defied expectations and made a significant impression on its audience.