Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
While I don't really like the idea of smart vermin, this is a good children's novel about education, intelligence, and helping your neighbors.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've always loved the film adaptation of this book by Don Bluth, but I wanted to see how close the movie was to the book and see if maybe there were some extra tidbits that would help flesh the movie out for me. There are definitely stylistic and character changes for the film, but it kept a lot of the bones of the book. The pace of the book is a bit erratic, with some tense action sequences that Mrs. Frisby has to get through and other slow retellings of past events or daily life. I think I like the movie version of Mrs. Frisby a little better than the book version, but I liked her reflections on her children here. The tone of the book reads like a classic children's tale, almost like a Beatrix Potter story, but then is darkened by some sci-fi like elements. I listened on audiobook and I probably would have preferred to read it on the page myself. Justice for Justin! I hope he's okay, he was a real one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Sexism, Medical content
fast-paced
This is a beautifully composed and crafted story that is perfect for young people.
O'Brien does his audience such a service by writing about his characters in a way that neither diminishes nor glorifies the hardships they face: death, sacrifice, and imprisonment. He also uses the mice, rats, birds, and humans (and one little old shrew) to give lessons about hard work, selflessness, and friendship. But he is never preachy with these lessons, but instead, sophisticated and clever.
Barbara Caruso does a good job as narrator. My only issue is that she tends to pause--sometimes up to three full seconds--between sentences (not chapter or section breaks, just regular sentences). A couple of times early on, I actually thought my recording was frozen or stuck because her lengthy pause was weirdly out of place. But either I got used to that or Caruso stopped her pausing; regardless, I did enjoy her reading overall.
O'Brien does his audience such a service by writing about his characters in a way that neither diminishes nor glorifies the hardships they face: death, sacrifice, and imprisonment. He also uses the mice, rats, birds, and humans (and one little old shrew) to give lessons about hard work, selflessness, and friendship. But he is never preachy with these lessons, but instead, sophisticated and clever.
Barbara Caruso does a good job as narrator. My only issue is that she tends to pause--sometimes up to three full seconds--between sentences (not chapter or section breaks, just regular sentences). A couple of times early on, I actually thought my recording was frozen or stuck because her lengthy pause was weirdly out of place. But either I got used to that or Caruso stopped her pausing; regardless, I did enjoy her reading overall.
This was a fun read, and yet another book that I would have loved had I found it in my youth. How could you not love the bravery, honesty, and sheer goodness of Mrs. Frisby, Jeremy, Mr. Ages, Justin, and Nicodemus? This is a small, non-flashy story, and a good part of it is told in flashback, so the reader must have patience. That patience will be rewarded.
A quibble: I do wish that Mrs. Frisby had a first name. She's only known as "Mrs. Frisby" or Mrs. Jonathan Frisby" (this has ALWAYS bugged me!). As the protagonist of the story, she deserves to have an identity separate from her connection to her husband, no matter how important that connection is to the story.
A quibble: I do wish that Mrs. Frisby had a first name. She's only known as "Mrs. Frisby" or Mrs. Jonathan Frisby" (this has ALWAYS bugged me!). As the protagonist of the story, she deserves to have an identity separate from her connection to her husband, no matter how important that connection is to the story.
"Outside, the brook swam quietly through the woods, and up above them the warm wind blew through the newly opened leaves of the big oak tree. They went to sleep."
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes