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4.41 AVERAGE
4.41 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2.5
Thematically tight and good, universal so it holds up well. The craft is quite odd, I feel like this must be for a parent to read to a child? The structure and verbiage and all around vocabulary is beyond the intended audience, for sure. You’d have a kid pause and ask you wtf these words were had you been reading it to them.
But the dialogue is discordant with the structure as well. It’s very pastoral small upper class British child in a private school. Very proper and highly energetic, to like a degree that wouldn’t be believable.
And then, to top it off, it’s also incredibly self aware, which was the largest fault for me. When a magic boy starts talking about microscopes and microbes and what not, I’m out of the fantasy story, understandably.
It’s totally swingy as well. Like… literally talking about lynching a person for being Othered by the town. Not killed, though that’s mentioned too, by actually lynched. Published in ‘68, it shows. It really does. There’s casual misogyny while tying, ironically, to not be misogynistic and objectifying of Jane, one of the main characters. And there’s lots of casual racism around cultures the author just hasn’t got a proper handle on whatsoever. From evil “Gypsy” to “oriental” people. I have to imagine it’s a huge nostalgia read because people.
I know are progressives really like this novel. And I can see how the ending would stay with you, especially at a young age. It just really feels weird now, given context. It’s barely a pass for me.
Thematically tight and good, universal so it holds up well. The craft is quite odd, I feel like this must be for a parent to read to a child? The structure and verbiage and all around vocabulary is beyond the intended audience, for sure. You’d have a kid pause and ask you wtf these words were had you been reading it to them.
But the dialogue is discordant with the structure as well. It’s very pastoral small upper class British child in a private school. Very proper and highly energetic, to like a degree that wouldn’t be believable.
And then, to top it off, it’s also incredibly self aware, which was the largest fault for me. When a magic boy starts talking about microscopes and microbes and what not, I’m out of the fantasy story, understandably.
It’s totally swingy as well. Like… literally talking about lynching a person for being Othered by the town. Not killed, though that’s mentioned too, by actually lynched. Published in ‘68, it shows. It really does. There’s casual misogyny while tying, ironically, to not be misogynistic and objectifying of Jane, one of the main characters. And there’s lots of casual racism around cultures the author just hasn’t got a proper handle on whatsoever. From evil “Gypsy” to “oriental” people. I have to imagine it’s a huge nostalgia read because people.
I know are progressives really like this novel. And I can see how the ending would stay with you, especially at a young age. It just really feels weird now, given context. It’s barely a pass for me.
First read this when I was 11 or 12 years old. It remains a close favourite - encapsulates so many of the themes and values that were and remain significant to me in my life. My original copy was given away when I was 17, but I found another in a used book store in Toronto some 20+ years later. I will keep this one close!
i read this because it's one of M's favorite books from his childhood and he thought due to my love for harry potter i too would like it once getting past the out-dated slurs and things peppered throughout the book. it was a cute story and different than i expected. i suppose if i'd read this when i was a child i'd still love it now, but being an adult i give it 3 stars.
What a fantastic book! Talk about a book written years ago encouraging children to open up the possibilities of the magic of their minds and the world around them, saying "I can" and "I will" rather than "I won't" as so many grown-ups tell children.
Truly a magical, mind-opening tale that will leave a smile on your face, a spring in your step and an enduring love for Adam the Simple and his talking dog Mopsy.
Truly a magical, mind-opening tale that will leave a smile on your face, a spring in your step and an enduring love for Adam the Simple and his talking dog Mopsy.
I really enjoyed this book cause it had a really nice message in it that I wasn't expecting to find and it's actually really nice for children. And it made me sob at the end. Giving it 4 stars cause some of the language used is a bit dated (since it was written in the 60s).
An unusual book, but the sort of unusual that appeals to me. It's ostensibly aimed at adults, but reads like middle school fantasy to a modern reader. Gallico's gentle tone reminds me of the children's books of Beverly Nichols or Elizabeth Goudge. The protagonists are good, without a lot of depth, the bad are bad, without a lot of depth, and there's one poor sod caught in the middle who means well unless pressed otherwise, and as a result he's probably the most interesting, but he's a minor character until the denouement.
I suspect this is an allegory (I'm one of those who happily read Narnia without realising), which might explain it's aimed-at-adults focus (somebody out there thought more grown-ups would read fantasy if it were marketed as allegory) but it's not as in-your-face--certainly not, say, compared to Mr. Weston's Good Wine which picks up an allegory bat and beats you over the head with it every page.
My major complaint is a minor complaint: it drives me crazy when writers introduce rules then ignore them. Why break your own rule? It's clearly stated that magicians in this world require an assistant, forcing Adam to hire Jane. Yet Ninnian performs his act entirely assistant-free. Either write in an assistant, or don't force the rule upon your own story!
I have a huge soft-spot for semi-allegorical stories of mysterious magicians arriving in town and mixing things up (e.g. The Circus of Dr. Lao) and this is right in that wheelhouse.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
I suspect this is an allegory (I'm one of those who happily read Narnia without realising), which might explain it's aimed-at-adults focus (somebody out there thought more grown-ups would read fantasy if it were marketed as allegory) but it's not as in-your-face--certainly not, say, compared to Mr. Weston's Good Wine which picks up an allegory bat and beats you over the head with it every page.
My major complaint is a minor complaint: it drives me crazy when writers introduce rules then ignore them. Why break your own rule? It's clearly stated that magicians in this world require an assistant, forcing Adam to hire Jane. Yet Ninnian performs his act entirely assistant-free. Either write in an assistant, or don't force the rule upon your own story!
I have a huge soft-spot for semi-allegorical stories of mysterious magicians arriving in town and mixing things up (e.g. The Circus of Dr. Lao) and this is right in that wheelhouse.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).
A light and fun read. It shows a side of human nature wherein they fail to recognize the truth but rather get on with their own fictional narrative. A highly-recommended read imo. It is after-all a Fable of Innocence.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It comes across as a classically told children’s story which is why it gets 3 stars from me (otherwise it would be less). It’s easy and wholesome and would be a great family read. Just remember that it was written in the 60s.
This story deserves to be remembered now more than ever.