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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
A delightfully little story about a eight year old boy, Barney. He is a curious boy, with a desire to explore, and is told not to go too close to the edge of the quarry. He does get too close though, and falls down to the bottom. He lands in a cave cut into the chalk, and there looking at him is a short hairy man, with sparkling black eyes, and wearing animal furs. The start to communicate using gestures and grunt, and barney decides to call him Stig. And so begins a series of adventures with his new friend. They raid the rubbish dump at the bottom, disturb a fox hunt, and capture an escaped animal from a circus amongst other scrapes.
Part of a challenge where you had to read a book from your childhood, this was one that I had fond memories of, and amazingly I could still remember details of the story several decades on. Timeless storytelling at its best.
Part of a challenge where you had to read a book from your childhood, this was one that I had fond memories of, and amazingly I could still remember details of the story several decades on. Timeless storytelling at its best.
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was a school staple in my childhood, although I don’t think I ever read it, which is why I wanted to remedy that deficiency. It didn’t do a great deal for me, sadly. I liked the idea, but it leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Why is a single “cave man” still surviving today? Why does no one know about him? How do we understand his ability to exist across different time zones?
It is a bit dated in many ways - the children’s party and the attitude to fox hunting stand out. And, of course, the freedom Barney has to explore and play in the local area, not to mention carrying a box of matches! The best bit is the time slip into the Stone Age period and erecting standing stones. It reminded me a little of The Dark is Rising.
I don’t think the book would have grabbed my attention much more as a child. I read voraciously and still enjoy a range of children’s books, including some that I have read for the first time as an adult. But I’m glad I’ve finally read it, as now I don’t need to wonder any more if I have missed out!
It is a bit dated in many ways - the children’s party and the attitude to fox hunting stand out. And, of course, the freedom Barney has to explore and play in the local area, not to mention carrying a box of matches! The best bit is the time slip into the Stone Age period and erecting standing stones. It reminded me a little of The Dark is Rising.
I don’t think the book would have grabbed my attention much more as a child. I read voraciously and still enjoy a range of children’s books, including some that I have read for the first time as an adult. But I’m glad I’ve finally read it, as now I don’t need to wonder any more if I have missed out!
Enjoyed re-read a book I haven't read for decades....and which I had forgot almost everything about.
It still works but certainly felt a little dated in some aspects. Still, highly recommended, especially for Kids.
It still works but certainly felt a little dated in some aspects. Still, highly recommended, especially for Kids.
Was nice to re-read this again! I think the first time I read was in primary school. Although after reading Lord of the Flies last year, I kept expecting this book to go in that direction ha.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was pretty good and seemed to hold 4yo Tiny's attention well. A few old fashioned things in there that would have gone right over her head, but it was good fun. Barney and Stig get into some good scrapes though I often wanted it to go further. It's like a series of disconnected adventures a lot of the time - there aren't often long term consequences to their actions. I found the ending pretty unsatisfying, it raises lots of questions and answers none of them. And not in the good "draw your own conclusions" kind of way.
I started reading this a few years ago, but then I stopped because I either lost the book or lost interest because I forgot the story, so I had to re-read it. It was a bit childish for me at this age. I read it more so that I could get through it and put it away. Boring, sometimes I had to force myself to read it. Not my genre!!