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jenbebookish 's review for:
Pobby and Dingan
by Ben Rice
I found out about this book in The Novel Cure-the book that claims to have a novel that will cure whatever it is that ails you. Unless it's cancer. Or diabetes, or really any other ailment or sickness that is real and not strictly an emotional or imagined affliction. So I can't even remember what this book promised to cure now that I think about it, it must've been something like "Believing in magic" or "Losing the faith" something along those lines. And technically, the book is so short I think it's actually a novella or short story and NOT a novel, so if we ARE gonna be technical this noveLLA doesn't belong in the "NOVEL Cure" since it's not actually a novel! But I will excuse that part for now.
It's basically a story about a small town family, living in a small mining town in Australia, dealing with the usual small town drama; gossip, judgmental people, people being afraid of differences and change. That sort of thing. In one particular family, a little girl has two imaginary friends and one day...they "disappear." This happens at the same time that the patriarch of the family, Rex Williamson, is accused of "ratting" on a man's property (Which is basically the equivalent of stealing) and the whole small town has turned against him. What follows is the story of a family and whole town putting aside their differences, personal judgements and beliefs and coming together to do what they can to help a little girl.
It's a pretty cute story, it's so short that it's not the sort of deal where you fall in love with the characters, but even tho it's a quick read it sure pulls at the heart strings. I was a little confused at the end... and a tad bit throughout the entire thing but I may have just been over thinking it all.
The little girl with the two imaginary friends (Pobby and Dingan) is 9 years old. In my mind, I couldn't help but think...9 years old?? Isn't that a bit old? This isn't 4, 5 even 6 years old this is NINE years. That's 4th grade for crying out loud! I couldn't help but feel like if a 9 year old girl has imaginary friends that persist beyond an afternoon's playing time then that imaginary friend is most likely be there to stay. So my cynical mind came to the conclusion that the little girl must've had some sort of neurological disorder or disease. I found myself feeling torn between whether or not I actually liked the book. I most definitely think that Ben Rice has some skill at storytelling. But I think the stark reality of a disease was really contradictory to the whole keep-the-faith-don't-lose-the-magic-miracles-can-happen-don't-judge-just-love-everybody thing that was being presented. In theory, it would be nice if we could hold on to childlike mystical beliefs, but the reality of life makes it all too impossible. BUT! Even if that is so, there is one very special thing that we all can and should tap into more often: our humanity. And I think ultimately that is what Ben Rice wanted to highlight most. To remind us that even though each and every one of us are different-some of us might come from this country, some of us from another, some of us use alcohol as a crutch, others use food, exercise, or relationships. Some of us are sad inside, some of us are afraid and insecure, some of us think we are better than others, and some of us are afraid everyone is better than we are. The one thing we all are is human. In this story it's easy for people to put aside petty problems and issues when there is an innocent little girl's life and health at stake but I think the point is to remind the reader to do the same not just for little girls, but for all people, all the time...that we should look at one another and see the thing that unites us rather than point out what separates us.
In a perfect world right? But we can at least try.
I like what Ben Rice did with his story, I like that it meant something. I think it's probably something that every reader considers anytime they read anything by any half decent author; where did these stories/characters/etc originate from? So of course this makes me wonder what inspired Rice to write such a charming account of empathy and compassion. The topic must mean something to him- I wonder if he's been judged, or perhaps done some judging himself that he regrets??
I like when you can feel the author thru the book, feel an author's feelings and person somehow even though you're reading about entirely different characters, and in this story I could feel Ben Rice. So for that I'm giving it four stars. This is the lowest far star rating I've ever given tho, I'll say that much. I don't like it nearly as much as I like all the other 4 star rated books. But for how short this was, and how simple the language and overall storyline was it was just surprisingly dense. Full of meaning and life truths! Sometimes telling a story thru a child is the best way to expose the simple truths behind complicated issues, and Pobby and Dingan did exactly that. But I was still left a little curious about all the happenings that led Ashmol to Pobby and Dingan. He stumbled across the violet crumbles that they purportedly eat, he smelt the unique smell that Kellyanne claimed one of them smelled like, and most peculiar of all: he found an opal that had supposedly been Dingan's bellybutton. No explanation of why any of these things happened was ever given so that leaves me a tiny bit unfulfilled, obviously Rice intended as much--desired a lil mystery perhaps?!?! A slightly mythical aspect to it all.
It's times like these you really wish you could talk to the author and find out what their intentions and thoughts were pertaining to their characters/story! I get annoyed with open ended endings! I need closure! Kellyanne had a brain tumor that caused her to hallucinate. Pobby and Dingan couldn't be real.
Right?
;)
It's basically a story about a small town family, living in a small mining town in Australia, dealing with the usual small town drama; gossip, judgmental people, people being afraid of differences and change. That sort of thing. In one particular family, a little girl has two imaginary friends and one day...they "disappear." This happens at the same time that the patriarch of the family, Rex Williamson, is accused of "ratting" on a man's property (Which is basically the equivalent of stealing) and the whole small town has turned against him. What follows is the story of a family and whole town putting aside their differences, personal judgements and beliefs and coming together to do what they can to help a little girl.
It's a pretty cute story, it's so short that it's not the sort of deal where you fall in love with the characters, but even tho it's a quick read it sure pulls at the heart strings. I was a little confused at the end... and a tad bit throughout the entire thing but I may have just been over thinking it all.
The little girl with the two imaginary friends (Pobby and Dingan) is 9 years old. In my mind, I couldn't help but think...9 years old?? Isn't that a bit old? This isn't 4, 5 even 6 years old this is NINE years. That's 4th grade for crying out loud! I couldn't help but feel like if a 9 year old girl has imaginary friends that persist beyond an afternoon's playing time then that imaginary friend is most likely be there to stay. So my cynical mind came to the conclusion that the little girl must've had some sort of neurological disorder or disease.
Spoiler
Had she lived I may have been able to dismiss it all as some magical little story-which I think was what Ben Rice actually intended. He set it up so we are left to question the possibility of Pobby and Dingan's existence being in some way real. But the fact that even after Pobby and Dingan's "dead bodies" are supposedly found via a trail of unexplained hints Kellyanne doesn't get well, that makes me look beyond the "broken heart" and emotional anguish as potential causes for Kellyanne's decline and death. People don't die of broken hearts. She basically withered away to nothing, first losing all appetite, energy and color, then losing weight and life until she literally lost her life. Poor lil thing. All of that sounds symptomatic of cancer or else something else like that, especially when death is the final outcome. Mix that in with the fact that she was seeing things for a long duration of time...I'd say she had some tumor on her brain that was messing with her neurological functions until it eventually killed her.In a perfect world right? But we can at least try.
I like what Ben Rice did with his story, I like that it meant something. I think it's probably something that every reader considers anytime they read anything by any half decent author; where did these stories/characters/etc originate from? So of course this makes me wonder what inspired Rice to write such a charming account of empathy and compassion. The topic must mean something to him- I wonder if he's been judged, or perhaps done some judging himself that he regrets??
I like when you can feel the author thru the book, feel an author's feelings and person somehow even though you're reading about entirely different characters, and in this story I could feel Ben Rice. So for that I'm giving it four stars. This is the lowest far star rating I've ever given tho, I'll say that much. I don't like it nearly as much as I like all the other 4 star rated books. But for how short this was, and how simple the language and overall storyline was it was just surprisingly dense. Full of meaning and life truths! Sometimes telling a story thru a child is the best way to expose the simple truths behind complicated issues, and Pobby and Dingan did exactly that. But I was still left a little curious about all the happenings that led Ashmol to Pobby and Dingan. He stumbled across the violet crumbles that they purportedly eat, he smelt the unique smell that Kellyanne claimed one of them smelled like, and most peculiar of all: he found an opal that had supposedly been Dingan's bellybutton. No explanation of why any of these things happened was ever given so that leaves me a tiny bit unfulfilled, obviously Rice intended as much--desired a lil mystery perhaps?!?! A slightly mythical aspect to it all.
It's times like these you really wish you could talk to the author and find out what their intentions and thoughts were pertaining to their characters/story! I get annoyed with open ended endings! I need closure! Kellyanne had a brain tumor that caused her to hallucinate. Pobby and Dingan couldn't be real.
Right?
;)