Status
Available
Call number
Call number
FIC HOR
Collection
Description
Ten-year-old Rupert, from a very large, very poor family, accidently becomes part of an eccentric rich family's life beginning at Christmas, and soon sees that wealth is not everything.
Genres
Publication
Puffin Canada (2018), 304 pages
Original publication date
2018
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
I didn't finish the book - I read into Rupert's third adventure, at Coney Island, and decided this was unreadable. Checked the end and it didn't change my mind. She seems to be trying to write another Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - the same pell-mell style of writing, and the same sort of
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weird events happening around the (hungry) boy - but fails on several levels. Rupert is far less interesting, as a person, than Charlie - there doesn't seem to be much to him, aside from hunger and cold and occasional idiotic outbursts ("Fire!"). And there's far less reason for the weird events, and for the (very rich) family to keep roping Rupert into their weird adventures. At least Wonka was supposed to be an odd inventor - why should sugar and salt make people float? Or even like the salad? Never mind the cardboard box time machine, though it was who they met at Coney Island that finally blew my suspension of disbelief. And to top it off - the characters range from highly unpleasant (completely self-centered all the way up to just plain nasty) all the way to...bland. Rupert and his sister are boring cardboard cutouts; everyone else is some flavor of nasty. Just does not work for me, at all. Show Less
LibraryThing member LongDogMom
I requested and won this book from LIbraryThing Early Reviewers and received it for free in return for an honest review.
First off, let me say that it was a very fast read. Polly Horvath is a good writer, and pages turned quickly. I found the families interesting, and the main character endearing
Even his parents disgusted me. Going back in time to see their back story did nothing to change my impression of either of them. They both seemed incredibly selfish and uncaring about the hardships their children were enduring. The father was horribly lazy and couldn't even be bothered to sit and talk to Rupert without suddenly growing bored and telling him to go away. I felt like all the kindness and thoughfulness resided only in Rupert and his caring about his siblings, his little sister in particular. He certainly seemed to care far more than either of his parents, or any of the other adults who had so much more in their lives than most. Rupert is a bright and inquisitive child who so desperately wants to have a true friend, and while he does forge some relationships with many of the adults in the strange Rivers family, they never feel genuine, but rather all about the adult and some goal they have. They make promises they don't keep over and over, and Rupert, as always make the best of the rare opportunities he has to see the world and be dazzled by the wonders he sees. The parable at the end rings hollow. I feel like the author was trying to make a sweet, uplifting story out of a horrible, ugly, situation in which a child is being horribly abused ... sleeping under a bed with no heat in the house and rarely enough to eat, improper clothing and extreme neglect, and praising him for still being able to see the beauty in the world. I just felt so sad for Rupert who deserved so much better. There was nothing sweet or cute about living in extreme poverty with parents who care more about themselves than providing for their kids. I kept turning the pages and waiting for things to turn around and the adults to learn something about how horrible they were... how self absorbed they were... but they don't. They just go on their merry way, thinking only of themselves. Money doesn't bring happiness, that's true, but neither does neglect, poverty and being hungry all the time, and being shamed for it. If meant to be an inspiration for children growing up in horrible homes, I feel like it fell short in giving them any real hope of any better from the adults around them or the world in general.
Readers who enjoy the books in A Series of Unfortunate Events might enjoy this book as it has a similar feel. I'm not a fan of that series either. Having grown up in a dysfunctional and abusive home, I tend not to find selfish and abusive adults particularly amusing, as others might.
First off, let me say that it was a very fast read. Polly Horvath is a good writer, and pages turned quickly. I found the families interesting, and the main character endearing
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and heartbreaking as well, which leads me to the problem I had with the book... all the characters that Rupert interacts with, while quirky and somewhat charming, are also very selfish and thoughtless, even when they claim they are trying to remedy an earlier injustice regarding the rules of a game he played at Christmas that resulted in him losing all the prizes he had won. I kept waiting for them to redeem themselves and notice Rupert, but instead they just seemed so self-absorbed and downright rude, using him more for their own benefit when it suited them, rather than actually trying to do anything to help him. Their charming qualities began to pale in the face of their selfishness and lack of concern over this young boy who clearly needed real help. How many of them noticed that despite the extreme cold he had no coat or boots, or that his clothing was in tatters, yet they did not even offer him a loan of clothing. It seemed to be all about what they wanted, or what was convenient for them and they rarely seemed to give Rupert a second thought once he had served his purpose. Even his parents disgusted me. Going back in time to see their back story did nothing to change my impression of either of them. They both seemed incredibly selfish and uncaring about the hardships their children were enduring. The father was horribly lazy and couldn't even be bothered to sit and talk to Rupert without suddenly growing bored and telling him to go away. I felt like all the kindness and thoughfulness resided only in Rupert and his caring about his siblings, his little sister in particular. He certainly seemed to care far more than either of his parents, or any of the other adults who had so much more in their lives than most. Rupert is a bright and inquisitive child who so desperately wants to have a true friend, and while he does forge some relationships with many of the adults in the strange Rivers family, they never feel genuine, but rather all about the adult and some goal they have. They make promises they don't keep over and over, and Rupert, as always make the best of the rare opportunities he has to see the world and be dazzled by the wonders he sees. The parable at the end rings hollow. I feel like the author was trying to make a sweet, uplifting story out of a horrible, ugly, situation in which a child is being horribly abused ... sleeping under a bed with no heat in the house and rarely enough to eat, improper clothing and extreme neglect, and praising him for still being able to see the beauty in the world. I just felt so sad for Rupert who deserved so much better. There was nothing sweet or cute about living in extreme poverty with parents who care more about themselves than providing for their kids. I kept turning the pages and waiting for things to turn around and the adults to learn something about how horrible they were... how self absorbed they were... but they don't. They just go on their merry way, thinking only of themselves. Money doesn't bring happiness, that's true, but neither does neglect, poverty and being hungry all the time, and being shamed for it. If meant to be an inspiration for children growing up in horrible homes, I feel like it fell short in giving them any real hope of any better from the adults around them or the world in general.
Readers who enjoy the books in A Series of Unfortunate Events might enjoy this book as it has a similar feel. I'm not a fan of that series either. Having grown up in a dysfunctional and abusive home, I tend not to find selfish and abusive adults particularly amusing, as others might.
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LibraryThing member SJGirl
Sometimes I struggle with stories told in a somewhat episodic fashion and that was the case here as well, a strong start though my interest waned with each subsequent adventure.
Ten year old Rupert comes from a large inattentive family with little money to spare for food or warm clothing. Cold and
I very much enjoyed the first section of this book, it nicely sets up a loving relationship between Rupert and his quiet little sister, and on Christmas day, the high stakes for Rupert to win those prizes, what the boots and books and even a simple deck of cards mean to him, had me eagerly turning the pages to see how it would work out and what would be the reception he would or would not receive upon his homecoming. I loved how many emotions were at play, the frustration of dealing with ever-changing rules and eccentricities, the tenderness and heartbreak, anxiety and exhilaration.
After Christmas, some members of this wealthy family continue to seek out Rupert, taking him along on whimsical escapades that involve magic and time travel, and though there is humor and imagination in those adventures, unfortunately, I mostly felt an emotional disconnect.
Maybe it’s because I’m an adult reader that for the most part I just wasn’t able to go with the flow of things, maybe if I were a kid I would have been more inclined to simply be along for the ride, maybe I wouldn’t have thought how odd it was that Rupert went off with these adults he barely knows, or that most of the adults in the book didn’t seem to care that this boy is starving and neglected. My concerns rarely meshed with the cavalier narrative, so maybe I was just too old for this, or too prone to overthinking, I don’t know, though I do question whether children reading Very Rich would feel any more engaged than I did with adults towing Rupert along into their mid-life crisis’ while they ignored his early-life crisis.
There is a cleverness in the tone of this book that’s enjoyable, however, to me, the last three quarters desperately needed more of the balance between cleverness and heart that it achieved during the Christmas scenes.
I received this book through a giveaway.
Ten year old Rupert comes from a large inattentive family with little money to spare for food or warm clothing. Cold and
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hungry, Rupert is frequently on the verge of collapse, and one day he does exactly that on the lawn of the richest family in town, leading to a Christmas celebration and other experiences beyond anything he’s known. I very much enjoyed the first section of this book, it nicely sets up a loving relationship between Rupert and his quiet little sister, and on Christmas day, the high stakes for Rupert to win those prizes, what the boots and books and even a simple deck of cards mean to him, had me eagerly turning the pages to see how it would work out and what would be the reception he would or would not receive upon his homecoming. I loved how many emotions were at play, the frustration of dealing with ever-changing rules and eccentricities, the tenderness and heartbreak, anxiety and exhilaration.
After Christmas, some members of this wealthy family continue to seek out Rupert, taking him along on whimsical escapades that involve magic and time travel, and though there is humor and imagination in those adventures, unfortunately, I mostly felt an emotional disconnect.
Maybe it’s because I’m an adult reader that for the most part I just wasn’t able to go with the flow of things, maybe if I were a kid I would have been more inclined to simply be along for the ride, maybe I wouldn’t have thought how odd it was that Rupert went off with these adults he barely knows, or that most of the adults in the book didn’t seem to care that this boy is starving and neglected. My concerns rarely meshed with the cavalier narrative, so maybe I was just too old for this, or too prone to overthinking, I don’t know, though I do question whether children reading Very Rich would feel any more engaged than I did with adults towing Rupert along into their mid-life crisis’ while they ignored his early-life crisis.
There is a cleverness in the tone of this book that’s enjoyable, however, to me, the last three quarters desperately needed more of the balance between cleverness and heart that it achieved during the Christmas scenes.
I received this book through a giveaway.
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LibraryThing member boredness
I really enjoyed this story. I was not expecting such a fantastical plot but it worked. It kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I did feel bad though that Rupert kept having his meals taken away. I didn't really like the ending either when everyone seemed to disappear. I would love to
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read another book that continues the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jacea
I'll start this out by admitting I was confused for majority of the book. There was A LOT happening. Yet I still enjoyed it!
The writing is super ways read, and I flew through this book in less than 24 hours. Now that might be because the target audience is younger than I am, but I've read some
There are quite a few characters introduce dbut you only really need to keep track of a few, and I love that they all maintain different personalities well enough to not confuse them even when there is so much going on. The main character, Rupert, goes on some incredible adventures with members of the Rivers family and it all starts on Christmas day. Perfect little magical book that also addresses a handful of real life concerns in such a fun way.
This book was all around just better than I anticipated!
The writing is super ways read, and I flew through this book in less than 24 hours. Now that might be because the target audience is younger than I am, but I've read some
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middle grade books that read like molasses. Way too slow to keep even my attention let alone an actual middle grade student. This one is something I would have loved as a 12 year old! There are quite a few characters introduce dbut you only really need to keep track of a few, and I love that they all maintain different personalities well enough to not confuse them even when there is so much going on. The main character, Rupert, goes on some incredible adventures with members of the Rivers family and it all starts on Christmas day. Perfect little magical book that also addresses a handful of real life concerns in such a fun way.
This book was all around just better than I anticipated!
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LibraryThing member foggidawn
Rupert Brown's family is extremely large and extremely poor (think: a cross between the Bucket family and the Herdmans). When Rupert accidentally finds himself spending Christmas Day with Turgid Rivers, one of the wealthiest kids in town, little does he know how his life will change over the next
There's a good bit of quirkiness in this story, which readers familiar with Horvath will recognize as characteristic of her writing style. It makes for a fun, episodic story, but I never felt like it all came together. It's a fairly quick read, but there's an underlying grimness below all of that quirk that is not much alleviated at the end of the book. Kids who like Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket might enjoy this, but all in all, I don't really recommend it.
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few months.There's a good bit of quirkiness in this story, which readers familiar with Horvath will recognize as characteristic of her writing style. It makes for a fun, episodic story, but I never felt like it all came together. It's a fairly quick read, but there's an underlying grimness below all of that quirk that is not much alleviated at the end of the book. Kids who like Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket might enjoy this, but all in all, I don't really recommend it.
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ISBN
0143198610 / 9780143198611