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isaacblevins's Reviews (460)
I just finished reading this novella to my first grade classes to celebrate Roald Dahl month. The story is quick and simple, but the unforgettable Dahl wit is still present. The kids grew wide eyed and the. Laughed at the crocodile's hunger for children. They loved predicting his next "clever trick" and shouting out who they thought would foil each plan.
I attempted this novel years ago after reading the author's fantastic Ghost Story. It didn't grab me then. Looking for something Halloween-appropriate, I picked it up once again. I must say, this book requires some investing - Straub litters the chapters with references to fairytales that really should be known before one begins the book. The tales are only mentioned by name, not fully rehashed...and they aren't always the most familiar fairy tales. When was the last time you read Goose Girl from the Brother's Grimm? Do you know all the details of Anderson's The Little Mermaid (not Disney's version)?
Aside from that, the novel seems a strange dream - which may have been the intent. The last half of the book is especially strange and filled with heavy imagery and hallucinatory descriptions. I often felt like I didn't really have a handle on what was happening at all times. If you like your fantasy/horror to come with its own dreamscape, then this is a keeper - otherwise, look elsewhere.
Aside from that, the novel seems a strange dream - which may have been the intent. The last half of the book is especially strange and filled with heavy imagery and hallucinatory descriptions. I often felt like I didn't really have a handle on what was happening at all times. If you like your fantasy/horror to come with its own dreamscape, then this is a keeper - otherwise, look elsewhere.
