16 h 47 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 16 h 47 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What happens when the desire for more threatens the bond between two brothers?
In The Prodigal Son, Hall Caine takes the old parable of a son who leaves home and squanders his gift into the far north. Between the bleak landscape of Iceland and the wider world of Denmark, he builds a family drama around two brothers whose shared beginnings do not make them the same men.
Love between the brothers comes under strain from rivalry, secrets and wrongs done in the name of want. Caine gives these struggles room to grow through dramatic scenes, coincidence and conflict. The stakes are personal and moral: what happens to a family bond when desire pulls against love, and wanting more begins to cost too much?
What you’ll discover
- Brothers pulled apart Explore how men raised in one home can grow apart under the pressure of desire.
- The harsh northern landscape Enter an Iceland whose bleak landscape and harsh beauty give the family drama its character.
- A familiar parable enlarged Discover a long family tale built around the old story of departure and squandered gifts.
- Love under strain Feel the tension as rivalry and secrets put a bond between brothers to the test.
- Emotion without restraint Meet a storyteller who embraces big feelings, dramatic conflict and clear moral stakes.
Who will love it
This is for readers who love family sagas, big emotions and wild northern landscapes, with sibling rivalry, divided loyalties, music and a retelling of a biblical parable.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Two brothers learn different lessons
- Loyalty leads to a fragile promise
- Oscar unsettles his brother’s promised happiness
- Magnus accepts blame to free Thora
- Helga gives Oscar a dangerous encouragement
- Marriage cannot settle Oscar’s divided heart
- Fear separates Thora from her child
- Silence gives generosity a painful cost
Who’s who
- Magnus StephensonThe Governor's elder son, big and slow, with a painful sense of justice. He loves Thora and cares for her happiness above his own.
- Oscar StephensonThe Governor's younger son, charming and musical. Everyone loves him, and he wants to be a great composer but lacks the strength of will.
- Thora NeilsenThe Factor's elder daughter, gentle and merry, who longs to be loved fully and to be a mother.
- Helga NeilsenThora's younger sister, brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She wants fame as a singer and the attention of everyone around her.
- The GovernorStephen Magnusson, the proud, upright ruler of Iceland, who loves his favorite son and trusts in honor and order.
- Factor NeilsenA rich, frugal merchant and the Governor's oldest friend, who wants a son-in-law to carry on his business.
- AnnaThe Governor's wife, plain and warm, who mothers every child in both houses and tries to keep her sons at peace.
- Aunt MargretThe Factor's sister, sharp-tongued and kind, who watches over Thora and says out loud what others only think.
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- Large print hardcover
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The Prodigal Son
by Hall Caine · 1904
Two brothers love one girl in Iceland, and one gives her up in silence for her happiness.
Medium level5–10 hours to read2 languages
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In short
Two brothers grow up in the same warm house in Reykjavik. One is big, dark, quiet and thought rather stupid.
The Prodigal Son at a glance
- Reading time
- About 9 h 35 min7 h 35 min fast, 11 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 137,100 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1904by Hall Caine
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Two old friends bind their families together
The story opens in the little wooden capital of Iceland. Stephen Magnusson, the Governor-General, and Oscar Neilsen, the merchant called the Factor, have been friends since boyhood. The Governor is proud and incorruptible. The Factor is industrious and frugal, almost to the point of greed. His Danish wife is bored with Iceland, and she leaves for Denmark and takes her younger daughter, Helga, with her.
The Governor's wife, Anna, is plain and practical, and she is the heart of both houses. She takes in the Factor's neglected girls and lets four children run wild in Government House. The Governor has two sons, Magnus and Oscar. The Factor has two daughters, Thora and Helga. At Christmas the children carry candles down to the coal cellar to hunt for the hidden people of the hills.
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- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1904
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 10 h 55 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Caine, Hall. The Prodigal Son. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-prodigal-son.
Caine, H. (2026). The prodigal son. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-prodigal-son (Original work published 1904)
Caine, Hall. The Prodigal Son. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-prodigal-son.
@book{caine2026prodigal,
author = {Caine, Hall},
title = {The Prodigal Son},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-prodigal-son},
note = {First published 1904}
}
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What is The Prodigal Son by Hall Caine about?
It follows two Icelandic brothers, Magnus and Oscar, and the sisters Thora and Helga. A marriage arranged by two old friends is tested by love, ambition and sacrifice, and the families are changed for years.
Who are Magnus and Oscar in the novel?
They are the sons of the Governor of Iceland. Magnus is slow, honest and loyal. Oscar is charming and musical but weak-willed. Their different natures drive the story from childhood games to adult choices.
Why is the book called The Prodigal Son?
The title echoes the biblical parable of the son who wastes his gifts and returns home. Oscar fits that role most plainly, but the book also asks who is really the prodigal and whether anyone can be fully taken back.
The author
Hall Caine
1853–1931 · British novelist and playwright
Hall Caine (1853–1931) was a British novelist and playwright. He was born in Runcorn, England, and lived in Liverpool, London and the Isle of Man. His novels include The Deemster (1887), The Manxman (1894), The Christian (1897) and The Prodigal Son (1904). He died on the Isle of Man.
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