Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
The Boydell Press (1994), Edition: New Ed, 224 pages
Description
Talking paintings and animals help Kay in his attempt to outwit the witches and locate his great-grandfather's buried treasure.
User reviews
LibraryThing member LeslitGS
Long ago, Kay's grandfather was given a treasure to keep safe, but it was lost in a mutiny aboard his vessel. Decades later, Kay finds himself in the middle of dark dealings with witches, traitors and scoundrels. Now, he has to find and follow his own clues down rivers, under seas, in caves and
This is a book that celebrates something of the randomness of fantastic adventures. It starts out seeming as though it could be a straightforward adventure for young Kay, finding secret hiding places, secret maps and secrets in general. But then things get a little confusing as we discover that there are witches and talking cats involved. Then other talking animals become involved, foxes, otters, owls and bats. All of them have a contribution to Kay's quest, taking him places, giving him otter suits or bat wings so that he can fly and travel with them unimpeded by the limitations of humanity. There are mermaids and a nameless woman on a horse that appears at night time and takes Kay to visit an old woman who also has some stake in the tale unfolding. Each night, when he goes to bed and wakes up to an inexplicable light, there is no telling what mini adventure he will experience. It is all over the map.
Now, this is not a detraction from the text or story--it's an observation. It is well known that nonsensical adventures often earn a special place in our hearts [see: Lewis Caroll, you know?], but this particular adventure has a strong central goal that guides it even through the side adventures, thus allowing a firmer grasp on the happenings. What may hinder the story for a modern audience is how deeply it is rooted in older, only some of which, I believe are footnoted. It is also densely compiled, no chapter breaks no real pause for lighter dialogue throughout the text. It is not uncommon, in fact, for the dialogue to be necessitated exposition. If you are planning to read this aloud, I would recommend a thorough read-through first, making note of places to pause between sessions.
But all in all, it is a lot of fun and the story is a worth-while read. Just take your time.
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forests, locate the treasure and return it to the rightful owners before any of the ill-intentioned. This is a book that celebrates something of the randomness of fantastic adventures. It starts out seeming as though it could be a straightforward adventure for young Kay, finding secret hiding places, secret maps and secrets in general. But then things get a little confusing as we discover that there are witches and talking cats involved. Then other talking animals become involved, foxes, otters, owls and bats. All of them have a contribution to Kay's quest, taking him places, giving him otter suits or bat wings so that he can fly and travel with them unimpeded by the limitations of humanity. There are mermaids and a nameless woman on a horse that appears at night time and takes Kay to visit an old woman who also has some stake in the tale unfolding. Each night, when he goes to bed and wakes up to an inexplicable light, there is no telling what mini adventure he will experience. It is all over the map.
Now, this is not a detraction from the text or story--it's an observation. It is well known that nonsensical adventures often earn a special place in our hearts [see: Lewis Caroll, you know?], but this particular adventure has a strong central goal that guides it even through the side adventures, thus allowing a firmer grasp on the happenings. What may hinder the story for a modern audience is how deeply it is rooted in older, only some of which, I believe are footnoted. It is also densely compiled, no chapter breaks no real pause for lighter dialogue throughout the text. It is not uncommon, in fact, for the dialogue to be necessitated exposition. If you are planning to read this aloud, I would recommend a thorough read-through first, making note of places to pause between sessions.
But all in all, it is a lot of fun and the story is a worth-while read. Just take your time.
Show Less
LibraryThing member PollyMoore3
I had no idea that Quentin Blake had illustrated my beloved Midnight Folk. Quite a different interpretation from Rowland Hilder's, long ago, but I love QB and it's good to see his take on it. Another edition to add to the collection, and I'll keep a look out for his Box of Delights too.
LibraryThing member eilonwy_anne
I'm being a little silly in characterizing this book as interstitial or magical realism, but it does seem to fit it best. Like Alice in Wonderland, it depicts fluid physical laws. Unlike Alice, it draws no really meaningful lines between the world where the rules apply and that where they do not.
Kay is a young boy living in his familial country house, but overseen by unrelated and seemingly uncaring adults. He begins to find out the world is stranger than he had thought when he begins to dig into the mystery surrounding his great-grandfather, a sea captain who lost or stole a great treasure. The other characters include cats Blackmalkin and Graymalkin, otters, foxes, witches....
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The magical happenings that befall Kay Harker partake both of the logic of the dream world and the concerns of the waking one.Kay is a young boy living in his familial country house, but overseen by unrelated and seemingly uncaring adults. He begins to find out the world is stranger than he had thought when he begins to dig into the mystery surrounding his great-grandfather, a sea captain who lost or stole a great treasure. The other characters include cats Blackmalkin and Graymalkin, otters, foxes, witches....
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LibraryThing member ashleytylerjohn
A disappointment (so why 3 stars rather than 2? Bumped up for historical importance and author's literary qualities ... but for sheer pleasure it gave me, it's really a 2). Even Madeleine L'Engle, who wrote an afterword for it, damned it with faint praise (paraphrasing, but basically "it's
Too many characters, too many shifts in time and place, too many dreams, or dreams which turn out not to be dreams, and despite almost constant movement from our protagonist, no sense that any of it is really directed or intentional, the plot seemed to happen all around him, despite him. Lots of scenes of people telling other people what other people had done, were doing, or were going to do.
I thought it was interesting, but as a historical artifact, "fancy, that used to be the sort of book one would give a child and expect them to enjoy it!"
Will still try the next book (Box of Delights) which is apparently more of a classic and perhaps the author learned lessons from book one and applied them to book two. Fingers crossed!
(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).
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over-complicated and confusing but kids out to be able to figure it out nonetheless). Too many characters, too many shifts in time and place, too many dreams, or dreams which turn out not to be dreams, and despite almost constant movement from our protagonist, no sense that any of it is really directed or intentional, the plot seemed to happen all around him, despite him. Lots of scenes of people telling other people what other people had done, were doing, or were going to do.
I thought it was interesting, but as a historical artifact, "fancy, that used to be the sort of book one would give a child and expect them to enjoy it!"
Will still try the next book (Box of Delights) which is apparently more of a classic and perhaps the author learned lessons from book one and applied them to book two. Fingers crossed!
(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).
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LibraryThing member raizel
This abridged book, by a Poet Laureate of England, is about a boy's make-believe adventures: talking animals and paintings, time travel, flying, a governess who is really a witch, a long-lost treasure, mermaids, King Arthur's Court and more. He turns into various animals and talks with others, uses
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magic objects, and helps save his imaginary friends. The story is very much a boy's imaginings described realistically (as all imaginings should be described), but there is no character development or real conflict beyond the fact that seeing his governess as a witch probably means he doesn't like her. Although the book seems to take place in the present (of the 1920's) it is meant to be timeless. Show Less
LibraryThing member PollyMoore3
An abridged version (how could they), no doubt to match the abridged Box of Delights brought out for the TV tie-in, 1980s.
LibraryThing member electrascaife
It's such a pity when the story is so promising but the writing is so dreary. Such is the case here, I'm afraid.
LibraryThing member ashleytylerjohn
A disappointment (so why 3 stars rather than 2? Bumped up for historical importance and author's literary qualities ... but for sheer pleasure it gave me, it's really a 2). Even Madeleine L'Engle, who wrote an afterword for it, damned it with faint praise (paraphrasing, but basically "it's
Too many characters, too many shifts in time and place, too many dreams, or dreams which turn out not to be dreams, and despite almost constant movement from our protagonist, no sense that any of it is really directed or intentional, the plot seemed to happen all around him, despite him. Lots of scenes of people telling other people what other people had done, were doing, or were going to do.
I thought it was interesting, but as a historical artifact, "fancy, that used to be the sort of book one would give a child and expect them to enjoy it!"
Will still try the next book (Box of Delights) which is apparently more of a classic and perhaps the author learned lessons from book one and applied them to book two. Fingers crossed!
(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).
Show More
over-complicated and confusing but kids out to be able to figure it out nonetheless). Too many characters, too many shifts in time and place, too many dreams, or dreams which turn out not to be dreams, and despite almost constant movement from our protagonist, no sense that any of it is really directed or intentional, the plot seemed to happen all around him, despite him. Lots of scenes of people telling other people what other people had done, were doing, or were going to do.
I thought it was interesting, but as a historical artifact, "fancy, that used to be the sort of book one would give a child and expect them to enjoy it!"
Will still try the next book (Box of Delights) which is apparently more of a classic and perhaps the author learned lessons from book one and applied them to book two. Fingers crossed!
(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).
Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Fun story. I am really not certain whether I've ever read it before - the overall structure was completely familiar, but the incidents surprised me. I am certain I've seen a reference to Kay Harker before, in another book (by someone else) - something about "little Kay Harker, all grown up". No
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idea what book, though. Enjoyable in itself, as well as as a classic - I expect I'll reread this from time to time. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1927
1984 abridgement by Patricia Crampton
Physical description
224 p.; 6.85 inches
ISBN
0749712856 / 9780749712853