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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Growing up with Harriet the Spy the film, I related to and connected to the film more deeply than the novel.
This book recently came up in conversation between me and my sister, and I have to say, of all the books I've ever hated, this one had the most positive impact on my life. With Harriet, I got a glimpse into the kind of hateful, awful person I could be if I gave into my worst impulses, and it helped shape my conscience right before I began to consistently keep a journal.
I sometimes wrote unkind things about other people, but when I did, I focused on venting about their observable behavior. Unlike Harriet, I did not snoop on people, cruelly speculate about anyone's thoughts or home life, or write rude things just for the sake of being nasty. Even when I gave way to complete vitriol, I was still focused on publicly observable facts, and I wasn't motivated by sheer mean-spirited nastiness.
I remember finding this book deeply uncomfortable and disturbing. Although it was realistic in many ways, I thought that it was unnecessarily dark, and no one was truly likeable. I made it to the end out of my sense of curiosity and tension, and shuddered and felt terrible over Harriet's experiences as people discovered her notebook. What followed was an honest look into what could have been my future, and even though Harriet didn't learn any real lessons from her behavior, I did. I got a harsh, unforgiving look at the dark path that I could go down if I indulged all of my worst inclinations, and the memory of this book has made me a better, more circumspect person in all of my writing.
I sometimes wrote unkind things about other people, but when I did, I focused on venting about their observable behavior. Unlike Harriet, I did not snoop on people, cruelly speculate about anyone's thoughts or home life, or write rude things just for the sake of being nasty. Even when I gave way to complete vitriol, I was still focused on publicly observable facts, and I wasn't motivated by sheer mean-spirited nastiness.
I remember finding this book deeply uncomfortable and disturbing. Although it was realistic in many ways, I thought that it was unnecessarily dark, and no one was truly likeable. I made it to the end out of my sense of curiosity and tension, and shuddered and felt terrible over Harriet's experiences as people discovered her notebook. What followed was an honest look into what could have been my future, and even though Harriet didn't learn any real lessons from her behavior, I did. I got a harsh, unforgiving look at the dark path that I could go down if I indulged all of my worst inclinations, and the memory of this book has made me a better, more circumspect person in all of my writing.
Congratulations, Harriet; I hate you. Or, to quote myself while I was listening to your hateful antics, "Eff you, Harriet." I mean, really? How often do you find yourself hating a book character, especially a popular children's book character? I feel like I'm having a childish response to her, but, wow. What a horrible, rotten, mean kid.
Harriet loves to spy on people and write about them. And I was very much in favor of a female protagonist child writer that writes about the quirky things she sees like the man with the 26 cats who eats kidneys off of 26 plates while he eats yogurt in another room. But then it turned out that Harriet was also writing about all of her friends--and not just the good things. She was writing horrible things about her friends. And when they find out that she's been thinking and writing all these horrible things about them, she writes even worse things about them and then starts to do bad things to them in revenge for their revenge. To reward her for this horrible behavior, her mainly-absent parents let her skip school, and her teachers give her a coveted writing position. Yes, it's good to have her funnel her abilities into a positive outlet, but she just goes from writing bad things about kids to writing bad things about adults.
I'm glad I listened to this with my child so that we could talk about what Harriet was doing wrong. And I was glad that there were negative consequences for her negative actions even if they weren't lasting. However, I don't think Harriet really did learn her lesson. How she ever makes friends again is beyond me. Ugh. I know this is a popular book that's withstood the test of time, but I can't get past my utter disdain for and visceral reaction to Harriet in order to actually like this book.
Harriet loves to spy on people and write about them. And I was very much in favor of a female protagonist child writer that writes about the quirky things she sees like the man with the 26 cats who eats kidneys off of 26 plates while he eats yogurt in another room. But then it turned out that Harriet was also writing about all of her friends--and not just the good things. She was writing horrible things about her friends. And when they find out that she's been thinking and writing all these horrible things about them, she writes even worse things about them and then starts to do bad things to them in revenge for their revenge. To reward her for this horrible behavior, her mainly-absent parents let her skip school, and her teachers give her a coveted writing position. Yes, it's good to have her funnel her abilities into a positive outlet, but she just goes from writing bad things about kids to writing bad things about adults.
I'm glad I listened to this with my child so that we could talk about what Harriet was doing wrong. And I was glad that there were negative consequences for her negative actions even if they weren't lasting. However, I don't think Harriet really did learn her lesson. How she ever makes friends again is beyond me. Ugh. I know this is a popular book that's withstood the test of time, but I can't get past my utter disdain for and visceral reaction to Harriet in order to actually like this book.
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Loved this when I was a kid. Reading it back as an adult I was giggling. It is kind of a humorous book in a way, the rest the without would describe the characters from an 11 year old tomgirl pov. Very lighthearted. Ended kind of abruptly?
This book thoroughly surprised me, I must say. It was completely adorable and capable of maintaining my interest. The topics that the main character deals with are on the serious side, but they are addressed in a tasteful way that I believe is appropriate for the target audience. It’s a very enjoyable read, especially for those in middle school.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overview:
Harriet wants to be a writer. To practice, Harriet writes down everything about everyone. To be a writer, Harriet became a spy. Carrying around spy tools and writing supplies on a belt while going on spy routes around the neighborhood. Always carrying a notebook, with thoughts on everyone. Harriet is a spy, but is also learning what it is to be a spy. A spy is not supposed to get caught. For Harriet, it was worse than getting caught, as the notebook was misplaced and was picked up by a classmate who then started to read the content to everyone. The content containing many details that the classmates did not want to hear about themselves. This created discord and friction even among Harriet’s friends, which brings with it an understanding of the value of friendship.
This is a book about negotiation skills, and emotional turmoil. Teaching not only how to be a spy, but also how to treat others. Teaching how to belong to a community.
Caveats?
This book does not make light of emotional turmoil. Which makes the book very difficult emotionally. But bringing with it an understanding on how to manage emotions.
"Then Harriet did what she always did when she was supposed to be asleep. She got out her flashlight, put the book she was currently reading under the covers, and read happily until Ole Golly came in and took the flashlight away as she did every night." See how the narrator deftly uses Harriet's point of view to let us see more than Harriet sees? I love it.