View Full Version : Important.
One of my favorite books of all time has finally gone back into print; The Thirteen Clocks by James Thurber.
I probably won't convince those of you are are too old and bitter to buy it, but for the young at heart or those who have whippersnappers at home, I simply can't recommend it enough. It looks like the new edition has an introduction by Neil Gaiman (!) and Amazon quotes him as saying:
"It's one of the great kids' books of the last century. It may be the best thing Thurber ever wrote. It's certainly the most fun that anybody can have reading anything aloud." -Neil Gaiman
....so it MUST BE TRUE.
I am, quite literally, buying 20 copies of this before it goes out of print. I have a list of 16 people in my life that really need to have it gifted to them, and then I'm buying four "buffer" copies in case I ever make a new friend in the future.
BUY IT. READ IT. LOVE IT.
Winston*
09-25-2008, 12:13 AM
'kay. I reserved it from the library. Is it okay if I read it in my head though? I just learned to do it last summer and I'm always looking for opportunities to practice.
Kurosawa Fan
09-25-2008, 12:33 AM
I saw this in EW last week and will be picking it up for my kids this weekend. Thanks for the reminder.
Kurosawa Fan
09-27-2008, 02:18 AM
B&N didn't have it today, but I ordered and paid for it and it'll be arriving in about a week right at my front door. I'm excited.
B&N didn't have it today, but I ordered and paid for it and it'll be arriving in about a week right at my front door. I'm excited.
I ordered all my copies, and they should be in next week. Of course, I have my old vintage first-printing copy, and I was so excited that I pulled it out and reread it.
There's a long funny story of my desperate attempts to steal my mother's copy when I was first moving away to college, but the short version is that I didn't get away with it.
By the way, anyone interested is invited...
I'm going to do a live reading of this book tonight on YIM for my 'net friends. I used to do live readings all the time, but got out of the habit. It should be fun, and I'll be posting links to pictures from the book. Kids are welcome.
It will be at 9 p.m. EST (8 Central, 7 Mountain, 6 Pacific) and my YIM name is MightBeNatalie.
Kurosawa Fan
11-29-2008, 03:09 AM
My son just finished reading this tonight. He said he really liked it. He likes reading things to himself instead of having me read to him.
Anyway, I decided to read it tonight, and LOVED it. Seriously loved it, much more than I thought I would. I love how it was kind of mocking traditional fairy tales while containing more magic and inspiring moments than any other fairy tale I'm familiar with. I'm wondering how much of it went over my son's head. I'm going to talk to him about it tomorrow before I leave for work. Thanks so much for the recommendation Mara.
My son just finished reading this tonight. He said he really liked it. He likes reading things to himself instead of having me read to him.
Anyway, I decided to read it tonight, and LOVED it. Seriously loved it, much more than I thought I would. I love how it was kind of mocking traditional fairy tales while containing more magic and inspiring moments than any other fairy tale I'm familiar with. I'm wondering how much of it went over my son's head. I'm going to talk to him about it tomorrow before I leave for work. Thanks so much for the recommendation Mara.
This made my day. Thank you.
bac0n
12-01-2008, 07:24 PM
what age kids is this book for? I'm always on the hunt for great books to read with my 4-year-old.
Kurosawa Fan
12-01-2008, 07:28 PM
what age kids is this book for? I'm always on the hunt for great books to read with my 4-year-old.
Some of the subtle nuance of the storytelling would go over the head of a 4 year old, but the basic story is appropriate I think. Nothing scarier than what's in the average fairy tale.
Spinal
12-03-2008, 01:43 AM
Checked this out from the library based on your rec and have queued it up for bedtime reading after we finish the current book.
Checked this out from the library based on your rec and have queued it up for bedtime reading after we finish the current book.
Oooh. Be sure to post thoughts.
Checked this out from the library based on your rec and have queued it up for bedtime reading after we finish the current book.
...started yet?
And, barring that, what are you reading to the whippersnapper now? I have many opinions on kid books.
Kurosawa Fan
12-11-2008, 03:04 PM
...started yet?
And, barring that, what are you reading to the whippersnapper now? I have many opinions on kid books.
Feel free to share. My son and I are always looking for suggestions. He's reading something we bought on a whim a few weeks ago called The Last Invisible Boy by Evan Kuhlman. He seems to be really enjoying it, as he's flying through it. It's the longest book he's read at 240 pages.
Hmmm. Maybe after I take the GRE, I'll start a new thread: Books My Mother Read Me.
After I finish my tv thread. Which is almost done.
Kurosawa Fan
12-11-2008, 04:08 PM
That idea gets my full support.
Spinal
12-17-2008, 12:34 AM
...started yet?
And, barring that, what are you reading to the whippersnapper now? I have many opinions on kid books.
Not yet. Still have three more chapters on the current book, which is called If You're Reading This, It's Too Late, a fairly fun, self-referential adventure/mystery. Recently, really enjoyed Pullman's The Scarecrow and the Servant.
bac0n
12-18-2008, 02:49 PM
This book is waiting to be wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree. I'm looking forward to reading it with my daughter. Maybe not right away, but soon.
This book is waiting to be wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree. I'm looking forward to reading it with my daughter. Maybe not right away, but soon.
That's terrific. Please let me know what you and she think.
lovejuice
01-12-2009, 08:11 PM
it seems really worth checking out. :)
This reminds me, I got the sweetest thank-you card in the mail from my nieces-by-marriage, to whom I'd given this book for Christmas.
They'd waxed rhapasodic about the book, which is adorable because they're, like, seven and nine, and the handwriting and spelling were iffy. They'd also drawn little clocks all over the card.
Awww.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.