Scan barcode
vermidian's review
3.0
This wasn’t really the book for me if I’m being honest. I didn’t really enjoy the simple language so much and, at times, I found the actions of Hob difficult to understand in the literal sense. Being a kid’s book with simple language, this wasn’t a problem I thought I’d be facing.
That being said, the world and the rules of it were rather charming. I thought it was a nice concept, having a hob making your home safe and comfortable for you.
Still, this book just wasn’t really as endearing as I’d hoped.
That being said, the world and the rules of it were rather charming. I thought it was a nice concept, having a hob making your home safe and comfortable for you.
Still, this book just wasn’t really as endearing as I’d hoped.
midgardener's review
4.0
This was an excellent introduction to William Mayne's "Hob" world; perfectly folklorish, spooky, and charming all at once. The cast of gobins, fairies, dwarfs, and a witch who just won't go away all combine to give this tale an air of utter traditional fantasy. I read this in the days leading up to Halloween and found it entirely appropriate, but it's worth noting that the story take place sometime close to Christmas (as can be deduced from the snow in the cover art). While it certainly would have been deliciously Halloween-ish had it taken place in autumn, with swirling colored leaves and fields of harvest, the winter setting made the conflicts somehow more dreadful: during Halloween, of course you would expect creatures to come to your door, but when they arrive in winter... well, that's a more serious matter. Winter is when people huddle around their fires reading tales just like this, ones full of mischief and fantastic danger; but to the characters stuck in the story's own winter, the snow and season pose only another limitation to their freedom and safety.
As for the titular character himself, Hob is a delight. The language Mayne employed in speaking for the little fellow gave me reason for smiling, for it so utterly suited the personality of Hob in many ways. In my mind, Hob is very close to a Hobbit, in that he likes food, comfort, and making a happy home. Indeed, he also likes to smoke. There is, in this entire work, a feeling of complete Englishness, whether concerning the creatures we encounter, the hilariously passive-aggressive attitudes of the family involved, or the quaint little man himself.
There are, however, three negative things which affected my reading of this book. Two have not influenced my rating, and one has. Let's start with the one which took away a star.
[PLOT SPOILER]
There comes a part around the last third of the book where Hob is given clothes by the conniving witch, and thus completely forgets his duties to his family and wanders away free as a (very small, anthropomorphic) bird. We follow him on this new journey, sticking by him as he struggles to remember what it is he's leaving behind, and where he's going, exactly. He eventually encounters a band of dwarfs, joins their mine company for a night or so, then remembers who he is, steals some swords, and begins heading back to his house (his clothes are coming off bit by bit, and he's resisting their influence regardless). My issue with all of this is that it's a large sidestory to include in an otherwise very tight plot. It felt random and unnecessary, and I couldn't help but constantly wonder, "when is he inevitably going to get back to the main plot?" I think this whole episode could have been included successfully were we not present for it; if, instead, the reader remained with the family at their home, and Hob came back eventually with a band of angry dwarfs on his tail and the tease of a faraway adventure he had while we stayed home. That would have brought the necessary dwarf swords and kept the plot cohesive. But, as it was, it wasn't a huge detractor. I'm only putting my thoughts here for their own sake, not to be overly critical.
As for the other two things that negatively influenced my reading, well... they're odd. The first is that William Mayne was convicted of molesting juvenile girls. I learned that halfway through my reading of this book, and couldn't really shake it from my mind. The book itself is great, but I don't know that I want to read any more of his works, simply because I don't want to see any more of him as a person in my life. That's an entirely personal choice, however, and I wouldn't judge anyone who read his entire collected works.
The second is dependent on the reader's interpretations. There are two goblin children named Dew and Rag, and that, to me, is wholly referential to "du-rag", a term which had been around for a very long time. These two names could, of course, be entirely coincidental picks, but it's pretty odd that they're featured together on two goblin children. This wouldn't be the first time goblins have been used for racial suggestions: Tolkien himself referred to his orcs as "Mongoloid" in their facial features. Anyways, I thought it might very well be an instance of an old British man employing subtle racism. You may not, and that's just fine. It's not like any of us can write a letter and ask him, so we might as well read it and get on.
After these three drawbacks, however, the book was thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend reading it with candles/firelight, hot tea, a blanket, and a black cat nearby. But if there's a full moon outside your window, gaze at your own peril: you might just see a figure on a broomstick pass over its face.
As for the titular character himself, Hob is a delight. The language Mayne employed in speaking for the little fellow gave me reason for smiling, for it so utterly suited the personality of Hob in many ways. In my mind, Hob is very close to a Hobbit, in that he likes food, comfort, and making a happy home. Indeed, he also likes to smoke. There is, in this entire work, a feeling of complete Englishness, whether concerning the creatures we encounter, the hilariously passive-aggressive attitudes of the family involved, or the quaint little man himself.
There are, however, three negative things which affected my reading of this book. Two have not influenced my rating, and one has. Let's start with the one which took away a star.
[PLOT SPOILER]
There comes a part around the last third of the book where Hob is given clothes by the conniving witch, and thus completely forgets his duties to his family and wanders away free as a (very small, anthropomorphic) bird. We follow him on this new journey, sticking by him as he struggles to remember what it is he's leaving behind, and where he's going, exactly. He eventually encounters a band of dwarfs, joins their mine company for a night or so, then remembers who he is, steals some swords, and begins heading back to his house (his clothes are coming off bit by bit, and he's resisting their influence regardless). My issue with all of this is that it's a large sidestory to include in an otherwise very tight plot. It felt random and unnecessary, and I couldn't help but constantly wonder, "when is he inevitably going to get back to the main plot?" I think this whole episode could have been included successfully were we not present for it; if, instead, the reader remained with the family at their home, and Hob came back eventually with a band of angry dwarfs on his tail and the tease of a faraway adventure he had while we stayed home. That would have brought the necessary dwarf swords and kept the plot cohesive. But, as it was, it wasn't a huge detractor. I'm only putting my thoughts here for their own sake, not to be overly critical.
As for the other two things that negatively influenced my reading, well... they're odd. The first is that William Mayne was convicted of molesting juvenile girls. I learned that halfway through my reading of this book, and couldn't really shake it from my mind. The book itself is great, but I don't know that I want to read any more of his works, simply because I don't want to see any more of him as a person in my life. That's an entirely personal choice, however, and I wouldn't judge anyone who read his entire collected works.
The second is dependent on the reader's interpretations. There are two goblin children named Dew and Rag, and that, to me, is wholly referential to "du-rag", a term which had been around for a very long time. These two names could, of course, be entirely coincidental picks, but it's pretty odd that they're featured together on two goblin children. This wouldn't be the first time goblins have been used for racial suggestions: Tolkien himself referred to his orcs as "Mongoloid" in their facial features. Anyways, I thought it might very well be an instance of an old British man employing subtle racism. You may not, and that's just fine. It's not like any of us can write a letter and ask him, so we might as well read it and get on.
After these three drawbacks, however, the book was thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend reading it with candles/firelight, hot tea, a blanket, and a black cat nearby. But if there's a full moon outside your window, gaze at your own peril: you might just see a figure on a broomstick pass over its face.
lucinda_lesbrarian's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
More...