The Tale of Despereaux – Kate DiCamillo, Timothy Basil Ering (illustrator) (review)

Paperback, 272 pages
Published September 9th 2008 by Candlewick Press
Source: Library

Synopsis:
Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other’s lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.

Review:

If somebody had tried to tell me a month ago that one of my favourite books read in 2012 would have a little mouse as its protagonist, I would have laughed. I am not big on anthropomorphic characters. I mean, except cats that appear as characters. Those I love but mice and other talking things? Yeah, no, not my thing at all. However, Despereaux calls to mind something warm, something soft, defenseless. Like one of those pictures of kittens that are so plentiful on tumblr. How do you resist?

 

Anyway, the story itself is so heartwarming, so unassuming and so guileless that I couldn’t help but be swept away by the heroic quest of one of the least heroic characters I have ever come across in my reading career. Knowing that it is impossible for him and attempting to rescue the princess anyway? That is courage, people. No matter how flashy and beautiful The Invention of Hugo Cabret may have been, I think The Tale of Despereaux wins simply on account of how beautiful the story is. No, no one has been comparing the two, it’s just me.

 

I urge you to read this for yourself and if you have a child in your life, read it out loud to them. Watch the wonder in their eyes as they follow the adventures of one poor mouse who is condemned at birth and who even loses his tail. Watch them react to the horrible rats, especially the irascible villain of the piece who walks around with a spoon as a hat. This is a beautiful book, a classic really, and should find a home on your shelf in all its illustrated glory. Strongly recommended.

Pippi Longstocking – Astrid Lindgren

Paperback, 160 pages
Published April 21st 2005 by Puffin
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a flair for the outrageous that seems to lead to one adventure after another!

Review:

Before I begin the review, let me say that I am very aware that I am not the intended audience and therefore my review is not really a concrete reflection of how a child would view the same book. In fact, I don’t want to review this book as much as I want to write my thoughts out about it.

I remember watching the Pippi Longstocking cartoon when I was younger and enjoying it very much so I purchased the novel when I came across it and then it lingered on my shelf for a good while before I picked it up. It’s a short read and, on the surface of it, cute and innocent. What concerns me is Pippi herself. Of course, not having parents around to annoy you on a regular basis can seem like bliss initially but surely eventually the novelty wears off and there will be some realizations realized. Pippi’s tales are amusing but she admits frankly (ironically) that she lies a lot. Are we supposed to find that charming’? Her inability to read the moon, to behave are all constructed to impart humour but maybe because I read too much into things, I found it incredibly sad. And cynical of adults who couldn’t best a 9 year old. A nine year old who does not realize the wonderful world of books and disdains learning. What perhaps concerned me more than anything else in the novel is the way Pippi keeps giving people things. Gold watches, gold coins, lavish gifts to her friends – all as though she were buying friendship and the nerd in me kept on tripping over this fact wondering what it says about Pippi that she tries to secure goodwill and friendship with material things.

I probably am overthinking things but I found Pippi Longstocking to be a sad portrayal of a girl left to navigate life alone. :\ Especially at the end when the two friends go home with their father and Pippi is left by herself in the great big house.

Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones (Review)

Mass Market Paperback, 329 pages
Published August 1st 2001 by HarperTrophy
Source: Library

Synopsis:

In which a witch bewitched the hatter’s daughter–and then some…

Sophie lived in the town of Market Chipping, which was in Ingary, a land in which anything could happen, and often did–especially when the Witch of the Waste got her dander up. Which was often.

As her younger sisters set out to seek their fortunes Sophie stayed in her father’s hat shop. Which proved most unadventurous, until the Witch of the Waste came in to buy a bonnet, but was not pleased. Which is why she turned Sophie into an old lady. Which was spiteful witchery.

Now Sophie must seek her own fortune. Which means striking a bargain with the lecherous Wizard Howl. Which means entering his ever-moving castle, taming a blue fire-demon, and meeting the Witch of the Waste head-on. Which was more than Sophie bargained for…

Review:

I watched the movie first. In fact, it was entirely accidentally that my cousin and I, in the midst of this loud, busy family reunion, came across the movie version and were completely sucked into the tale of Sophie, Howl and Calcifier. So when the movie was done and I sat back with a sigh and some sadness that another good thing had come to an end, I thought of reading the book to prolong the loveliness. Because everyone knows that books are always better, right?

In this case, the book was just as good as the movie in a couple of very different ways. The movie takes some liberties with the narratives, clipping away some characters and giving more importance to others than the book graces them with; all the changes made, however, work to present, or should I say, transfer the story from one medium to another with a seamlessness that, were you not to read the book after all, you would not find anything lacking in the movie narrative. The movie and the book both preserve the most important parts of the novel: the characterizations. Though the movie changes the kid a fair bit, the personality remains intact.

Anyway, Howl’s Moving Castle is so amazing, you guys. I don’t know why you haven’t read/watched it if you haven’t yet. Obviously I lived under a rock for most of my life (also known as Fiji) so I hadn’t even heard of it but what’s your excuse? The story, the pacing, the lovely narrative voice, these are all so wonderfully done – they celebrate the loveliness of the story, the beauty of the imagination, creativity without being buried under its own importance. I think this is one of those works that parents should hand their children when they reach a certain age and let them enrich their own imaginations with the stories of the castle, the fire demon and Sophie.

Persuasion – Jane Austen

304 pages
First published in 1818
Source: Library

Synopsis:

Twenty-seven-year old Anne Elliot is Austen’s most adult heroine. Eight years before the story proper begins, she is happily betrothed to a naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, but she precipitously breaks off the engagement when persuaded by her friend Lady Russell that such a match is unworthy. The breakup produces in Anne a deep and long-lasting regret. When later Wentworth returns from sea a rich and successful captain, he finds Anne’s family on the brink of financial ruin and his own sister a tenant in Kellynch Hall, the Elliot estate. Al the tension of the novel revolves around one question: Will Anne and Wentworth be reunited in their love?

 

 

Review

Out of all the Austen novels I have read (and I’ve read them all excepting Mansfield Park which was too painful), I believe I like this one best. It is fairly straightforward and there’s an elegance in Austen’s prose that makes the story flow much better than say in Mansfield Park. I feel a bit ridiculous talking about Austen’s writing since she’s easily one of the most revered writers out there but I, as you may know, prefer Charlotte Bronte over Austen. Anyway, Persuasion is a pastoral story about second chances and (tepid) true love. It’s rather didactic – actually, it is really didactic and Anne’s goodness is rather grating. But that’s just me being a modern reader.

The thing about all of Austen’s novels is the incessant dialogues/discussions which, I suppose, aim to further her “scathing commentary on society and its philistine ways” but honestly? It just makes me wish she’d get on with the story.

Don’t watch the movie. The latest one. It ruins the novel. Takes away certain parts that are quite important to the narrative as a whole and turns the story into a (bad) retelling. My personal opinion? Persuasion is the most palatable of all Austen’s novels so if Mr. Darcy turns you off, read Persuasion.