List Regarding Books The 13 Clocks
| Title | : | The 13 Clocks |
| Author | : | James Thurber |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | First Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 128 pages |
| Published | : | February 1st 1992 by Yearling (first published 1950) |
| Categories | : | Fantasy. Fiction. Childrens. Classics |
James Thurber
Paperback | Pages: 128 pages Rating: 4.02 | 6383 Users | 1004 Reviews
Ilustration In Favor Of Books The 13 Clocks
How can anyone describe this book? It isn't a parable, a fairy story, or a poem, but rather a mixture of all three. It is beautiful and it is comic. It is philosophical and it is cheery. What we suppose we are trying fumblingly to say is, in a word, that it is Thurber.There are only a few reasons why everybody has always wanted to read this kind of story: if you have always wanted to love a Princess; if you always wanted to be a Prince; if you always wanted the wicked Duke to be punished; or if you always wanted to live happily ever after. Too little of this kind of thing is going on in the world today. But all of it is going on valorously in The 13 Clocks.
Declare Books As The 13 Clocks
| Original Title: | The 13 Clocks |
| ISBN: | 0440405823 (ISBN13: 9780440405825) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Regarding Books The 13 Clocks
Ratings: 4.02 From 6383 Users | 1004 ReviewsAppraise Regarding Books The 13 Clocks
Beyond the absurdity of the Shrek universe (satire, satire, product placement, nostalgic nod, satire), this one actually pays tribute to those acts of chivalry so prevalent in fairy tales and children's books. It is witty, playful, but also deep and adult. It has, as one ogre who really gets on my nerves would say, many layers, just like an onion does.This is better than "Le Petit Prince" GASP!; rather more in tune with my (if I do have any; I guess I know that I do) American proclivities, thanI enjoy whimsy and fairy tales, but The 13 Clocks falls short in its attempt to blend the two. I first learned of it in a discussion of Peter Beagle's The Last Unicorn, when it was reported as similar in style and tone. Unfortunately, I found it a distinctly inferior tale, the vending machine version of a homemade chocolate chip cookie.More on why I awarded my unfavorable 2 stars at:http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/0...andhttp://carols.booklikes.com/post/8097...
the begining gave me hope, and the end left me bitter. the 13 clocks started off well, then meandered every which way. there was no real character development. it was supposed to be philosophical, but i found it convoluted. the author imployed too many tortuous windings and improbable circumstances to get everything to work out. the end was rather obvious but still a bit vague. and the occasional rhyming annoyed me.
This was an interesting book to say the least. I'm still not sure exactly what the moral was supposed to be. Worth the read though, if only for the marvelous language and inventive characters.So, this gets four stars because I love Thurber and also because of this marvelous piece of alliteration:"The brambles and thorns grew thick and thicker in a ticking thicket of bickering crickets. Farther along and stronger, bonged the gongs of a throng of frogs, green and vivid on their lily pads. From the
Second Thurber I read in my life, and this time I loved the book way more than Walter Mitty, the first of his stories I read. This is a very weird fairy tale-esque Fantasy story, with an absurd plotline that's meant to make you laugh, and writing that's very convoluted and full of wordplay and silly rhymes. Good for a quick read when one's in the mood for a bit of unpretentious humour.
The blurb on my copy of this book described it as not a "parable, fairy tale, or poem, but rather a mix of all three." In fact, it achieves none. We are told the princess is good, but we are given no proof why. We are told the prince is good, but he seems nothing more than a spoiled rich kid. And the duke, the ultimate representation of evil in this parable, is as flat as the rest of them, a slimy fellow who limps around threatening to slay people from their zatch to their guggle. Humorous,
This is James Thurber's foray into the world of fantasy, and although it's a short story, it's a gem, for both children and adults. The language is classic Thurber, with just the right seasoning of tongue in cheek, and the illustrations are perfect for the text. Highly recommended for everyone, and particularly fun to read aloud either by yourself or to an audience!
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