The Story of the Other Wise Man - Henry Van Dyke - ★★★.¾

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AUTHOR: Henry Van Dyke
GENRE: Classixc, Novella
RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A classic novella about a fourth Magi, who discerns the heavenly signs correctly but gets delayed on his journey. A lovely read for classic fiction lovers. Will work even better if you know any of the gospels.


Story Synopsis:
Artaban is a young wise man, and one of the priests of the Magi. Using his knowledge of astrology, he discerns that the ancient prophecy about the birth of the redeemer is due to take place soon. He rushes to join his three fellow Magi, departing from another location, to look for the guiding star that will lead them to the newborn king. However, Artaban’s pilgrimage is beset with hurdles. Will he be able to fulfil his quest and find the saviour?
The story is written in the limited third person perspective of Artaban.


I had read a simplified adaptation of this story in one of my Christmas collections when I was a middle grader. Then I forgot all about the existence of this tale. While looking up Christmas short stories online, I found this title and my mind immediately went into nostalgia mode. In a way, this can be termed a reread, but to be fair, this was my first time reading the unabridged version.

My reading experience was pretty good, though not as satisfying as I had expected. The story is, of course, perfect for the season. It conveys what the true Christian spirit is all about, summed up in the golden rule of ‘Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you.’

This novella was originally published in 1895, and the writing reflects the era. The style is typically classic, with extended descriptions of the location. I might have enjoyed the tale more had the descriptions been less verbose. But the detailing of the setting and the atmosphere is so much that the core plot gets obscured at times.

To Christian readers who enjoy classic works, this story ought to be a beautiful experience. I feel you'll appreciate the writing better if you are a believer, as it has many biblical references and only if you know the Bible will you be able to recognise those Easter eggs. (Easter eggs in a Christmas story – Just imagine!)

Even if you aren't aware of the gospels but are fond of classic short stories, you might like this one, but you could miss out on the deeper intent of the author as your understanding would be restricted to the words without getting their allusions.

All in all, a good enough read for those looking for a deeper and meaningful Christmas story with a strong religious flavour and description-intensive writing.

As this story is in the public domain, you can read it free of cost on various sites online. I read it from the below link:

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