Reviews - Mr. Parnassus' Heim für magisch Begabte

81.3k reviews for:

Mr. Parnassus' Heim für magisch Begabte

TJ Klune

4.45 AVERAGE

hodgeonlucy's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

With everything going on in the world, this book felt like such an important and welcome reprise. I wish it was mandatory reading for everyone who are putting their stupid flags up around Britain, or supporting ICE raids in America, or celebrating the mass genocides across the rest of the world. There is a very simple but clear message of this book: don’t be afraid just because you don’t know and don’t lash out because of this fear.

The monster analogy was a fantastic way to explore prejudice as it applies to racism, ableism, xenophobia amongst other things. Not only did it have a strong and well executed message, the plot was good and the characters so endearing. Chauncey was my favourite but all of them were good and I felt their development flowed really well.

Sure there were some editing changes that I would make (including completely removing the incessant diet and body image talk - yuck!!), but I still loved this book and hope that more people can read it and start being nicer.

Content Warnings

phantomeyer's review against another edition

2.5

hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is a children’s book. The language, the constant in-your-face moral lessons, even the naivety of the narrator (who is 40 years old). If I had been expecting a children’s book, perhaps I would have enjoyed this more. But then again, if it were a children’s book, I wouldn’t have read it at all.

Also of note: the author apparently took “inspiration” from the Sixties Scoop. In this context, the steps the narrative took to over-simplify discrimination and attitudes towards otherness are deeply concerning. Especially if you’re trying to pass this off as adult fiction.

Despite this, I can’t completely hate it because the gay boys and their kids still manage to be rather cute, even while nauseatingly corny. So. Points for that.