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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Doing some research for a short story I’ve been working on, I came across “Tom’s Midnight Garden.” Remembering how fondly a friend of mine spoke of this book, I thought it would make for a great read. I was not disappointed.
Philippa Pearce’s, “Tom’s Midnight Garden,” originally published in 1958, is an act of tender wonderment. This meditation on Time, memory, and the essence of childhood is cleverly wrought, building a world that exists outside the parameters and rules of the everyday of Tom’s world of the 1950s. Tom, a young boy whose only desire is to spend the entire summer in his own garden, is sent to stay with his Aunt and Uncle when his brother comes down with the measles. A childless couple who live in a tenement with no garden and nothing for a boy to do is the last place Tom wants to be. All of this changes when Tom hears the strange Grandfather clock in the hall ring thirteen. His explorations will take him back in time, revealing a magical garden and a new playmate. His own questions about the nature of Time will lead him to want to control it and his own destiny. All too poignantly, he will discover, as we all do, that the passing of time is inescapable. A beautiful story of friendship and loyalty, this is truly a timeless classic.
Philippa Pearce’s, “Tom’s Midnight Garden,” originally published in 1958, is an act of tender wonderment. This meditation on Time, memory, and the essence of childhood is cleverly wrought, building a world that exists outside the parameters and rules of the everyday of Tom’s world of the 1950s. Tom, a young boy whose only desire is to spend the entire summer in his own garden, is sent to stay with his Aunt and Uncle when his brother comes down with the measles. A childless couple who live in a tenement with no garden and nothing for a boy to do is the last place Tom wants to be. All of this changes when Tom hears the strange Grandfather clock in the hall ring thirteen. His explorations will take him back in time, revealing a magical garden and a new playmate. His own questions about the nature of Time will lead him to want to control it and his own destiny. All too poignantly, he will discover, as we all do, that the passing of time is inescapable. A beautiful story of friendship and loyalty, this is truly a timeless classic.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
The memories this book brought back. So much nostalgia and emotions.
This does have such a beautiful and innocent story to it, which is so beautifully written to add on top, but it didn't hit me and captivate me the way I thought it was going to. I really enjoyed it and it did bring back so many memories for me from childhood, because even though I haven't read this book before, I loved this movie. Maybe if I hadn't and that film hadn't meant so much to me, then maybe this book would have hit me more and felt so much more special to me. I then wouldn't have been expecting certain things and it would have impacted me more.
There was such a unique and special relationship between the two main characters and the way in which this story develops the characters and their relationship with each other, was really good to see. The growth of both themselves as individuals, what the take and learn from each other. I love children's classics because you can find so much meaning in the most strangest of places and the emotions that then overtake you.
This does have such a beautiful and innocent story to it, which is so beautifully written to add on top, but it didn't hit me and captivate me the way I thought it was going to. I really enjoyed it and it did bring back so many memories for me from childhood, because even though I haven't read this book before, I loved this movie. Maybe if I hadn't and that film hadn't meant so much to me, then maybe this book would have hit me more and felt so much more special to me. I then wouldn't have been expecting certain things and it would have impacted me more.
There was such a unique and special relationship between the two main characters and the way in which this story develops the characters and their relationship with each other, was really good to see. The growth of both themselves as individuals, what the take and learn from each other. I love children's classics because you can find so much meaning in the most strangest of places and the emotions that then overtake you.
This is a way better read than you think a forty year-old children's book should be. A wonderful book about the power of friendship to read aloud to children.
"When you're my age, Tom, you live in the Past a great deal. You remember it; you dream of it."
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Interesting plot, old fashioned (dated) language and characters
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Right. When I first read this I felt so whimsy and wow. But when I gave it to my boyfriend he found it boring. I think it’s because I was a child when I read this. Idk. I liked it.