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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
sweet story about a little family of mice and a group of very clever rats
I saw the movie version of "NIMH" in 1982 and then went on to read the books they were based on and loved them.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I think it was my second-grade teacher who read this to us in class, like a chapter a day, or something.
I was so into this book, I made my mom take me to the library where I checked it out so I could read ahead to find out what was coming. But I didn't want the entire thing spoiled, so I only read a chapter ahead.
In fifth grade, this was available through RIF and I remember seeing the copy on the folding table among all the many other free books. I snatched it up so fast, grabbing up from under my taller classmates, swiping like Swiper has never swiped. It was the movie edition which means it was the same story but with pictures from the Don Bluth film adaptation in middle. I adored that movie ("A sparkly!"), my family and I had seen it at the Drive-In and have been quoting it ever since.
I loved this book as it was read and as I read ahead. I loved it when I got it from the RIF table. I loved it every time I read it. It's deeper and more nuanced than the animated film, of course. Scarier, too. It's a wonderful story with some science, some mystery, and a lot of bravery.
I was so into this book, I made my mom take me to the library where I checked it out so I could read ahead to find out what was coming. But I didn't want the entire thing spoiled, so I only read a chapter ahead.
In fifth grade, this was available through RIF and I remember seeing the copy on the folding table among all the many other free books. I snatched it up so fast, grabbing up from under my taller classmates, swiping like Swiper has never swiped. It was the movie edition which means it was the same story but with pictures from the Don Bluth film adaptation in middle. I adored that movie ("A sparkly!"), my family and I had seen it at the Drive-In and have been quoting it ever since.
I loved this book as it was read and as I read ahead. I loved it when I got it from the RIF table. I loved it every time I read it. It's deeper and more nuanced than the animated film, of course. Scarier, too. It's a wonderful story with some science, some mystery, and a lot of bravery.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Can't help it...I liked the movie better, but I suspect that's because I was weened on the teat of The Secret of NIMB.
As an enthusiast of Watership Down, and anthropomorphism in general, this is a book I've wanted to read for a very long time and I'm glad I read it with my children so they could enjoy it with me. While it can be quite grim, it's not quite so grim as Watership Down, even though the Don Bluth film can be rather terrifying as only Don Bluth cartoons can manage.
Given the choice between the pragmatic rats of the book and the more fantastic and magical rats of the Don Bluth film, The Secret of NIMH, I preferred the book. While the book lacked a violent and fanatical version of Jenner--the rat who disliked "the plan" in the book, but also attempted to sabotage the moving of Mrs. Frisby's home and murder Nicodemus in the film, the book was nevertheless compelling without the drama. Personally, it appealed because the rats of the book relied upon their intellect and problem-solving skills without any hints of mysticism, which gave it a better grounding in reality. Because this problem-solving aesthetic is tethered to the core of who I am, I'm sure, I feel an affinity for intelligent rats rather than magical ones.
Ostensibly, the book is about Mrs. Frisby and her driving desire to save her children. She was never exposed to the same chemical experiments, but she nevertheless exhibits an uncharacteristic anthropomorphism, empathy, and intelligence you would not expect from a common field mouse. Her ability to solve problems on a basic level was a niggling inconsistency and it didn't seem hard to imagine that with proper instruction she would understand electricity and other wonders the rats could manipulate as well. The book is also, obviously, about the rats and their flight from the farm too, in order to escape the moral quandary of thievery (stealing food and electricity). Throughout the story one wonders where they came from, what they are doing, and how did they acquire their specific talents.
For the most part these questions are answered in a satisfying manner, but there are some threads the story leaves unresolved. In some stories this practice is frustrating and irritating, but O'Brien resolves all the Big Problems and leaves some smaller ones open for speculation. What's wonderful about this kind of unresolved question is, even though you have completed the story, it prevents you from leaving the book behind--you're still wondering what might have happened even after you put the book down.
What was NIMH? We don't know. O'Brien never explains the acronym. A laboratory of some kind using animal testing to improve intelligence. (It's speculated it stood for National Institute of Mental Health--Atlas Obscura published a fantastic article about the John Calhoun experiments that inspired O'Brien's book, some of which did take place at the Institute, as well as a laboratory prop that inspired the main character's name.)
What happened to Jenner and his followers? We aren't sure, but we can guess from farmer Fitzgibbon's conversation Mrs. Frisby overhears they did not survive after leaving the group before the enactment of the plan.
Who perished during the rats' escape? We don't know because the bodies were taken and the remaining rats escaped to their new home, but we can surmise based on the story told by one surviving rat before he too fled.
Finally, there's a fascinating implication that the story continues beyond the pages. Those are the best kinds of stories, in my opinion. We know the author will not explore them further, because the story that needed to be told has been told. The adventure is over. But it's comforting all the same knowing the story of interactions with the rats will not necessarily end with the book.
Given the choice between the pragmatic rats of the book and the more fantastic and magical rats of the Don Bluth film, The Secret of NIMH, I preferred the book. While the book lacked a violent and fanatical version of Jenner--the rat who disliked "the plan" in the book, but also attempted to sabotage the moving of Mrs. Frisby's home and murder Nicodemus in the film, the book was nevertheless compelling without the drama. Personally, it appealed because the rats of the book relied upon their intellect and problem-solving skills without any hints of mysticism, which gave it a better grounding in reality. Because this problem-solving aesthetic is tethered to the core of who I am, I'm sure, I feel an affinity for intelligent rats rather than magical ones.
Ostensibly, the book is about Mrs. Frisby and her driving desire to save her children. She was never exposed to the same chemical experiments, but she nevertheless exhibits an uncharacteristic anthropomorphism, empathy, and intelligence you would not expect from a common field mouse. Her ability to solve problems on a basic level was a niggling inconsistency and it didn't seem hard to imagine that with proper instruction she would understand electricity and other wonders the rats could manipulate as well. The book is also, obviously, about the rats and their flight from the farm too, in order to escape the moral quandary of thievery (stealing food and electricity). Throughout the story one wonders where they came from, what they are doing, and how did they acquire their specific talents.
For the most part these questions are answered in a satisfying manner, but there are some threads the story leaves unresolved. In some stories this practice is frustrating and irritating, but O'Brien resolves all the Big Problems and leaves some smaller ones open for speculation. What's wonderful about this kind of unresolved question is, even though you have completed the story, it prevents you from leaving the book behind--you're still wondering what might have happened even after you put the book down.
What was NIMH? We don't know. O'Brien never explains the acronym. A laboratory of some kind using animal testing to improve intelligence. (It's speculated it stood for National Institute of Mental Health--Atlas Obscura published a fantastic article about the John Calhoun experiments that inspired O'Brien's book, some of which did take place at the Institute, as well as a laboratory prop that inspired the main character's name.)
What happened to Jenner and his followers? We aren't sure, but we can guess from farmer Fitzgibbon's conversation Mrs. Frisby overhears they did not survive after leaving the group before the enactment of the plan.
Who perished during the rats' escape? We don't know because the bodies were taken and the remaining rats escaped to their new home, but we can surmise based on the story told by one surviving rat before he too fled.
Finally, there's a fascinating implication that the story continues beyond the pages. Those are the best kinds of stories, in my opinion. We know the author will not explore them further, because the story that needed to be told has been told. The adventure is over. But it's comforting all the same knowing the story of interactions with the rats will not necessarily end with the book.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated