Scheherazade
12-07-2007, 01:29 PM
Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
Another book from BBC's Big Read list and another book that leaves me wondering how it could make it into the list.
Goodnight Mister Tom takes places in a small village (mostly) during the Second World War. William Beech (does not like to be called Willie) arrives in the village, along with a group of evacuees, and starts living with the grumpy old man of the village, Mr Tom Oakley. Soon we discover that both William and Mr Oakley come from emotionally troubled pasts. This unlikely "family" support each other, helping one another to learn to trust and love again.
The book obviously targets the younger readers but, still, I have found the storyline too full of tragedies, somewhat predictable and simplistic. Although some of the issues dealt with in the book -such as child abuse- are more suitable for the maturer readers, the language used throughout the book is rather childish. I was also disappointed that the war experience was minimal; almost given as a convenient backdrop, rather than a main theme in the book.
Over all, it was a disappinting experience:
6/10 KitKats!
Another book from BBC's Big Read list and another book that leaves me wondering how it could make it into the list.
Goodnight Mister Tom takes places in a small village (mostly) during the Second World War. William Beech (does not like to be called Willie) arrives in the village, along with a group of evacuees, and starts living with the grumpy old man of the village, Mr Tom Oakley. Soon we discover that both William and Mr Oakley come from emotionally troubled pasts. This unlikely "family" support each other, helping one another to learn to trust and love again.
The book obviously targets the younger readers but, still, I have found the storyline too full of tragedies, somewhat predictable and simplistic. Although some of the issues dealt with in the book -such as child abuse- are more suitable for the maturer readers, the language used throughout the book is rather childish. I was also disappointed that the war experience was minimal; almost given as a convenient backdrop, rather than a main theme in the book.
Over all, it was a disappinting experience:
6/10 KitKats!