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Shadow Forest #1
Призрачната гора
Самюъл Блинк е главният герой в тази история, но все още не го знае.
В настоящия момент той е на задната седалка на семейния автомобил заедно със сестра си Марта. Дори не подозира за гигантския дънер, който ще се стовари от небето върху тях едва след минути и ще преобърне живота им завинаги. Също така не очаква, че двамата ще са принудени да се преместят в Норвегия и да ядат от миризливото кафяво сирене на леля си Ида. Още по-малко пък има подозрения как Марта ще изчезне в дебрите на Призрачната гора - дом на еднооки тролове, злонамерени духчета Наистина, една магьосница, крадяща сенки, и на злия Променител.
Самюъл Блинк не знае нищо. Така че - недейте да му казвате. Възможно е това да развали историята...
Мат Хейг е автор от световна величина, който пише и за деца, и за възрастни. "Призрачната гора" е дебютът му за млади читатели - малко зловеща, но много забавна и вълнуваща приказка, вдъхновена от северната митология. Книгата веднага е оценена високо и му носи най-значимите награди и номинации на Острова, включително място в краткия списък на медала "Карнеги", награда "Блу Питър", гласувана от деца, златен медал на "Нестле" за детска книга...
"Възхитителна и магична... Изключителна!" Дъ Таймс
В настоящия момент той е на задната седалка на семейния автомобил заедно със сестра си Марта. Дори не подозира за гигантския дънер, който ще се стовари от небето върху тях едва след минути и ще преобърне живота им завинаги. Също така не очаква, че двамата ще са принудени да се преместят в Норвегия и да ядат от миризливото кафяво сирене на леля си Ида. Още по-малко пък има подозрения как Марта ще изчезне в дебрите на Призрачната гора - дом на еднооки тролове, злонамерени духчета Наистина, една магьосница, крадяща сенки, и на злия Променител.
Самюъл Блинк не знае нищо. Така че - недейте да му казвате. Възможно е това да развали историята...
Мат Хейг е автор от световна величина, който пише и за деца, и за възрастни. "Призрачната гора" е дебютът му за млади читатели - малко зловеща, но много забавна и вълнуваща приказка, вдъхновена от северната митология. Книгата веднага е оценена високо и му носи най-значимите награди и номинации на Острова, включително място в краткия списък на медала "Карнеги", награда "Блу Питър", гласувана от деца, златен медал на "Нестле" за детска книга...
"Възхитителна и магична... Изключителна!" Дъ Таймс
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
63 people are currently reading
2,010 people want to read
About the author
Matt Haig
128books45.1kfollowersMatt Haig is the author of novels such as The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Radleys, and the forthcoming The Life Impossible. He has also written books for children, such as A Boy Called Christmas, and the memoir Reasons to Stay Alive.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
July 27, 2012
My first audiobook for this year. I still prefer reading physical books but I trusted the taste of my friend LS who liked this so much. She is our supplier of audiobooks in our book club. I also decided to listen to this audiobook this week because my favorite morning radio program has become boring because the two lady DJs seem to have permanently left the station. I think their reason was they could no longer stand the nastiness and arrogance of their fellow but boss DJ.
I liked this fairy tale children's book, Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest partly because of its good-triumph-over-evil theme but more especially for the talented narrator. He could change his voice from a boy, a girl, a mother, a witch, an old aunt, a wicked professor, two types of witches, a troll, a pixie, a couple of huldres, etc and he could also sing in various voices! Listening to this talented storyteller is a real treat because for most of the time, I thought I was listening to the audio of the fantasy movies of my young man's life like The Neverending Story or The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. The narrator has this ability to create a picture in your mind through his narration. The characters come alive while listening to him and for a couple of instances while driving, I almost hit speeding cars trying to overtake my lane. Don't worry, LS. Bad grass withers last.
My favorite scene is the one towards the ending when the villain gets teary-eyed because for the first time in his life somebody has just greeted him on his birthday. You see, it was my birthday last Wednesday and just a day after that (yesterday), I heard that character in this audiobook singing "Happy Birthday" from my car's stereo. I said, whoa it's as if even this audiobook also knows my birthday! You see, with the current technology, one gets too many greetings nowadays: Facebook, ŷ, Twitter, texts, emails, e-cards. I no longer received any Hallmark card nor phone call except when I called up my mom in the evening and I my opening was my singing "Happy birthday to mee, happy birthday to mee..." and she laughed. How nice it is to hear your old (she is now 76) mother laugh at the end of the line. Nothing can beat cheering up your old mom and hear her greet you on your birthday.
It was so different though when I was a young boy. You see, I came from a poor family. I have 2 older brothers and a sister. If you are the youngest among several children, you know how the financial string of your parents becomes shorter and shorter when it is your turn to ask money from them. Not that they celebrated my older siblings' birthdays in any grandiose ways but there was a time that I got jealous of my classmates whose parents invited me to their houses for a dinner and when my birthday was nearing, I was asking God to make my mom cook nice dinner and also invite over some of my classmates.
So, a day before my birthday, I was just silent continuously hoping for my heart's desire to happen. However, I knew that money was scare and seemed that my birthday would pass like an ordinary day. So, when the day came, I kept silent about it. Then in the morning, my mom greeted me "Happy Birthday" and I pretended that I did not remember that it was my birthday. Up to now, my mom used to tease me that there was a time in my young boy's life that I forgot my birthday. It is only now that I divulge this secret: I did not. I just wanted something to happen and I pretended not to remember it because I got sad realizing that it would not come true.
Looking back, I still cherish those times when we were really poor and our family of six only had cans and cans of sardines for many meals. I am now in the middle of my life and I will probably not become a rich man but I nevertheless consider myself and my own family luckier. As they say, success is not what you've reached but what you went through to get where you're at. I still can't say that I am a successful man at all fronts but at least, I can say that I am happy.
I liked this fairy tale children's book, Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest partly because of its good-triumph-over-evil theme but more especially for the talented narrator. He could change his voice from a boy, a girl, a mother, a witch, an old aunt, a wicked professor, two types of witches, a troll, a pixie, a couple of huldres, etc and he could also sing in various voices! Listening to this talented storyteller is a real treat because for most of the time, I thought I was listening to the audio of the fantasy movies of my young man's life like The Neverending Story or The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. The narrator has this ability to create a picture in your mind through his narration. The characters come alive while listening to him and for a couple of instances while driving, I almost hit speeding cars trying to overtake my lane. Don't worry, LS. Bad grass withers last.
My favorite scene is the one towards the ending when the villain gets teary-eyed because for the first time in his life somebody has just greeted him on his birthday. You see, it was my birthday last Wednesday and just a day after that (yesterday), I heard that character in this audiobook singing "Happy Birthday" from my car's stereo. I said, whoa it's as if even this audiobook also knows my birthday! You see, with the current technology, one gets too many greetings nowadays: Facebook, ŷ, Twitter, texts, emails, e-cards. I no longer received any Hallmark card nor phone call except when I called up my mom in the evening and I my opening was my singing "Happy birthday to mee, happy birthday to mee..." and she laughed. How nice it is to hear your old (she is now 76) mother laugh at the end of the line. Nothing can beat cheering up your old mom and hear her greet you on your birthday.
It was so different though when I was a young boy. You see, I came from a poor family. I have 2 older brothers and a sister. If you are the youngest among several children, you know how the financial string of your parents becomes shorter and shorter when it is your turn to ask money from them. Not that they celebrated my older siblings' birthdays in any grandiose ways but there was a time that I got jealous of my classmates whose parents invited me to their houses for a dinner and when my birthday was nearing, I was asking God to make my mom cook nice dinner and also invite over some of my classmates.
So, a day before my birthday, I was just silent continuously hoping for my heart's desire to happen. However, I knew that money was scare and seemed that my birthday would pass like an ordinary day. So, when the day came, I kept silent about it. Then in the morning, my mom greeted me "Happy Birthday" and I pretended that I did not remember that it was my birthday. Up to now, my mom used to tease me that there was a time in my young boy's life that I forgot my birthday. It is only now that I divulge this secret: I did not. I just wanted something to happen and I pretended not to remember it because I got sad realizing that it would not come true.
Looking back, I still cherish those times when we were really poor and our family of six only had cans and cans of sardines for many meals. I am now in the middle of my life and I will probably not become a rich man but I nevertheless consider myself and my own family luckier. As they say, success is not what you've reached but what you went through to get where you're at. I still can't say that I am a successful man at all fronts but at least, I can say that I am happy.
July 25, 2009
I was intrigued by this book because it is set in Norway and uses Norse folklore about trolls and huldre folk instead of the more standard YA fantasy Celtic or British mythology. However, the writing was nothing to excite and the characters, especially the main character Samuel, were unlikable. I'm all for giving characters life-like flaws, but the Blinks took it a little too far: needlessly rude, quarrelsome, ungrateful, and selfish. Possibly this would appeal to younger readers who fantasize about insulting adults, but I wouldn't give it to those sorts of kids anyway, in case it encouraged bad behavior.
June 4, 2019
Сладка, интересна, поучителна и леко зловеща детска книжка. Чувството за хумор на Мат Хейг много ми допадна между другото.
June 11, 2019
Много, много сладка книга в най-добрите традиции на Астрид Линдгрен (Не заради Норвегия, но...) и цяла една поредица "северни" детски автори (отново не заради Норвегия, но...) - суперски написана, суперски преведена, и цялата СУПЕРСКА!
С едно мъничко, ама мъничко изключение.
Няма порода "норвежко лосово куче", официалното й название е "норвежки елкхунд". Което значи същото.
Но това прави книгата дори още по-чаровна!
С едно мъничко, ама мъничко изключение.
Няма порода "норвежко лосово куче", официалното й название е "норвежки елкхунд". Което значи същото.
Но това прави книгата дори още по-чаровна!
July 25, 2011
Shadow Forest
I picked this up at Title Wave, the local used bookstore. I was a tad confused when I attempted to find out more about it on Amazon because it seemed as though you couldn’t buy a copy in the USA unless you’re buying a used copy. However, it turns out that in the USA it was published as Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest, which leads me to wonder if this is anything like the whole Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone versus Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone fiasco. Because the book clearly refers to it as the Shadow Forest, not the Forbidden Forest.
To begin, the hero is Samuel Blink from Nottingham who, along with his sister Martha is orphaned at the beginning of the book. They go to live with their Aunt Eda in Norway. Eda lives on the edge of the Shadow Forest into which her husband Henrik disappeared years ago.
The Shadow Forest is the home to Professor Horatio Tanglewood (aka The Changemaker), who ISN’T A NICE MAN AT ALL. The Forest also contains the huldres, truth pixies, trolls, the slemp, and calooshes and many animals. The BIG problem with the forest is that people who go in do not come out.
This is VERY bad news for Samuel because Martha DOES go into the forest and being a big brother who does in fact love his little sister, he follows.
It’s written in a manner that reminds me a little of A Series of Bad Events, but I liked this far more than I liked those. I’m also reminded of the Sisters Grimm (if you haven’t read the Sisters Grimm, go do so. They deserve it far more than A Series of Bad Events) and their adventures. The tone is friendly (even though the author does, on TWO occasions, interrupt the story) and the story trips along nicely as it tells us what adventures Samuel and Martha have in the forest.
Samuel and Martha are ordinary children without any special gifts or powers save the fact that they are quite lovely children who will probably grow up to be adults who do things like turn off their mobiles in the theatre and use bookmarks instead of folding the corners of pages on borrowed books.
Bottom-line: Yes, by all means, pick this book up to read either to yourself or a child in elementary school. I doubt you’ll regret it.
P.S. I’m feeling a tad silly.
I picked this up at Title Wave, the local used bookstore. I was a tad confused when I attempted to find out more about it on Amazon because it seemed as though you couldn’t buy a copy in the USA unless you’re buying a used copy. However, it turns out that in the USA it was published as Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest, which leads me to wonder if this is anything like the whole Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone versus Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone fiasco. Because the book clearly refers to it as the Shadow Forest, not the Forbidden Forest.
To begin, the hero is Samuel Blink from Nottingham who, along with his sister Martha is orphaned at the beginning of the book. They go to live with their Aunt Eda in Norway. Eda lives on the edge of the Shadow Forest into which her husband Henrik disappeared years ago.
The Shadow Forest is the home to Professor Horatio Tanglewood (aka The Changemaker), who ISN’T A NICE MAN AT ALL. The Forest also contains the huldres, truth pixies, trolls, the slemp, and calooshes and many animals. The BIG problem with the forest is that people who go in do not come out.
This is VERY bad news for Samuel because Martha DOES go into the forest and being a big brother who does in fact love his little sister, he follows.
It’s written in a manner that reminds me a little of A Series of Bad Events, but I liked this far more than I liked those. I’m also reminded of the Sisters Grimm (if you haven’t read the Sisters Grimm, go do so. They deserve it far more than A Series of Bad Events) and their adventures. The tone is friendly (even though the author does, on TWO occasions, interrupt the story) and the story trips along nicely as it tells us what adventures Samuel and Martha have in the forest.
Samuel and Martha are ordinary children without any special gifts or powers save the fact that they are quite lovely children who will probably grow up to be adults who do things like turn off their mobiles in the theatre and use bookmarks instead of folding the corners of pages on borrowed books.
Bottom-line: Yes, by all means, pick this book up to read either to yourself or a child in elementary school. I doubt you’ll regret it.
P.S. I’m feeling a tad silly.
May 22, 2019
На места малко мрачна като за детска книга, но иначе доста фантастична и изпълнена с приключения история.
May 14, 2019
Лека и приятна за четене
October 7, 2011
The blurb, and the cover, had me believing I was in for a Lemony Snicket inspired adventure full of wit and satire, unfortunately, while the style attempts to mimic the dark, casual format of A Series of Unfortunate Events, it just isn’t able to commit. The author blinks in and out of addressing the audience with chatty writing, dipping frequently into traditional third-person story-telling, creating a confusion of styles that don’t sit well together. Just when one is starting to flow, the other will usurp it, and so-on and so-forth throughout the novel. There are two ‘note-from-the-author� chapters displaced here and there, which are funny, but appear as a hurried after-thought � something to give a chatty vibe, which just isn’t there. Add to this, needless pages of script-style writing, and the mix is pretty heavy going.
Over-all the writing is juvenile; Haig info-dumps character descriptions (and repeats those descriptions several times in the space of a few paragraphs), and the dialogue is clumsy and unrealistic. He also breaks the show-not-tell rule throughout. The first chapter is both clever and surprising, but after the initial hook, I found myself struggling to carry on. The plot is a good adventure, once you get about a third of the way in, journeying the enchanted landscape of a magic forest, and is unique in its use of Norwegian folklore. For children this would be a pretty fun and engaging story, but it’s placement in the teen/YA shelves is a little baffling. The jokes are cliché and childish, the characters overstated and shallow. While I did enjoy some of the quirky adults, such as a Norwegian cheese-shop owner, and a two-headed troll, I couldn’t relate to either of the child protagonists.
It’s a fun read, with good-hearted adventure, and a cushy moral undertone. It’s a story to read to young-children before bed.
Over-all the writing is juvenile; Haig info-dumps character descriptions (and repeats those descriptions several times in the space of a few paragraphs), and the dialogue is clumsy and unrealistic. He also breaks the show-not-tell rule throughout. The first chapter is both clever and surprising, but after the initial hook, I found myself struggling to carry on. The plot is a good adventure, once you get about a third of the way in, journeying the enchanted landscape of a magic forest, and is unique in its use of Norwegian folklore. For children this would be a pretty fun and engaging story, but it’s placement in the teen/YA shelves is a little baffling. The jokes are cliché and childish, the characters overstated and shallow. While I did enjoy some of the quirky adults, such as a Norwegian cheese-shop owner, and a two-headed troll, I couldn’t relate to either of the child protagonists.
It’s a fun read, with good-hearted adventure, and a cushy moral undertone. It’s a story to read to young-children before bed.
May 19, 2020
Edit: I've just realised that this is 1. a book by Matt Haig, when I thought I'd read my first book by him (Reasons to Stay Alive) this year, and 2. technically this must have been my first ever ARC!
I was given this book when I was 10 years old in return for a review, from a book club I was in. If only I still had that review to post here, 12 years later! Young me was an avid bookworm who loved to write (and could do so better than adult me) and had many opinions on books. But I'll dredge my (now scant) memories of reading this book here in lieu of that original review.
I would like to thank this book, as it was the book that got me hooked onto Nordic folklore. The mythical beings of the forest and the Scandinavian names within this book ignited a spark in little me's heart, one that is still burning today. This was also the case for the dark elements of the story and the intrigue and mystery of the forest. Whilst this story may not have delivered these elements in a way that tops others in this genre, it was the first I read of its kind. And for that, I shall always be thankful and nostalgic for.
I would also like to thank this book for making me quite afraid of sitting in cars behind trucks carrying logs. What's a kid's book without a little trauma afterall?
I was given this book when I was 10 years old in return for a review, from a book club I was in. If only I still had that review to post here, 12 years later! Young me was an avid bookworm who loved to write (and could do so better than adult me) and had many opinions on books. But I'll dredge my (now scant) memories of reading this book here in lieu of that original review.
I would like to thank this book, as it was the book that got me hooked onto Nordic folklore. The mythical beings of the forest and the Scandinavian names within this book ignited a spark in little me's heart, one that is still burning today. This was also the case for the dark elements of the story and the intrigue and mystery of the forest. Whilst this story may not have delivered these elements in a way that tops others in this genre, it was the first I read of its kind. And for that, I shall always be thankful and nostalgic for.
I would also like to thank this book for making me quite afraid of sitting in cars behind trucks carrying logs. What's a kid's book without a little trauma afterall?
March 26, 2017
Trotz des Verbots ihrer Tante betreten die Geschwister Martha und Samuel den nahe gelegenen Wald. Dort ist nichts so ist, wie es scheint. Hinter jedem Baum lauern tückische Gefahren: Hinterhältige Pixies, die vergiftete Suppen kochen, Furcht einflößende Huldren, die anderen nach dem Leben trachten, Trolle mit zwei Köpfen, Trolle, die sich ein Auge teilen. Sie alle würden ein glückliches Leben führen, wäre da nicht der "Veränderer", der mächtige Herrscher des Waldes, der allen Wesen seinen Willen aufzwingt. Doch er hat die Rechnung ohne Martha und Samuel gemacht.
Muss mir mein Hang zu Kinderbüchern in letzter Zeit zu denken geben? Jedenfalls konnte mich Haig von der ersten Seite an fesseln und mir hat die Lektüre echten Spaß bereitet. Sowohl die Protagonisten als auch die Schattenwald-Figuren, wie der Wahrheits-Pixie sind zauberhaft gezeichnet und werden vom Leser sofort ins Herz geschlossen. Eine schöne Kinder-grusel-geschichte.
Muss mir mein Hang zu Kinderbüchern in letzter Zeit zu denken geben? Jedenfalls konnte mich Haig von der ersten Seite an fesseln und mir hat die Lektüre echten Spaß bereitet. Sowohl die Protagonisten als auch die Schattenwald-Figuren, wie der Wahrheits-Pixie sind zauberhaft gezeichnet und werden vom Leser sofort ins Herz geschlossen. Eine schöne Kinder-grusel-geschichte.
January 31, 2021
Sort of a reimagining of Hansel and Gretel. Listened to as an audiobook. The story seemed translucent and not very real. Death was always near but never was real. Terror was always a shadow and the opposite of light. Opposite were merely that and depth of reality reversed itself to the point of meaning being lost. I feel like I lost some meaning in the translation from Old English folklore to American folk present. And yet it is Norskee, not standard England folklore.
*** Spoiler Alert ***
The story beginning with the tragic end of the parents was too flat and not the sad quirkiness that was perhaps intended.
*** Spoiler Alert ***
The story beginning with the tragic end of the parents was too flat and not the sad quirkiness that was perhaps intended.
Read
April 7, 2008I don't think that Matt Haig's Shadow Forest, is going to be one of the greats of children's literature, it will vanish into oblivion, and unlike Swallows and Amazons and Alice in Wonderland, it will not live on as long as there are children of whatever age in the world. Lord of the Rings it is not. It concerns two children, both very irritating, who despite being warned not to, go off into a wood, full of goblins and nasties. Jusat typical! They are captured, and one's sympathy is for there poor jailers rather than them as they inevitably escape. They are inevitably rescued by their aunt, what a pity. She is the best character in the book, apart from Ibsen the Norwegian Elkhound. The children are rude spoiled, irritating, and unlovable. The author in a mind bending show of cringing ingratiation, speaks directly to his young reader, and advises them to avoid the more sensible chapters and skip on to the more exciting ones.. 1 out of 10.
August 21, 2016
Ein düsteres Märchen mit einem etwas spröden Hauptcharakter, der aber gerade dadurch authentisch wirkt. Nach dem schrecklichen Ereignis am Anfang des Buches hätte auch nichts anderes gepasst. Durch die gesamte Geschichte zieht sich eine leise Melancholie, und ganz im Sinne klassischer Grimm-Märchen auch einiges an Grausamkeiten. Trotzdem ist es soweit kindgerecht und es gibt auch immer hoffnungsvolle und witzige (der zweiköpfige Troll, herrlich!) Momente. Für sehr zartbesaitete Kinder würde ich es aber nicht empfehlen, denn die ins böse verdrehten Kreaturen des Waldes sind schon nicht ohne teilweise. Ebenso wie der Bösewicht, dessen Werdegang jedoch gut erklärt wird. Ein spannendes Abenteuer, welches ich zum Schluss hin nicht mehr weglegen konnte, und das mich trotz des märchenhaften Stils mit allen Figuren mitfiebern liess.
September 11, 2020
*3.5 Rating*
This was a very nice book to read
I remember when this book first came out and I bought a that the author then signed.
After reading it that first time I kept it on my shelf and decided to pick it up again this month.
I felt that the start of the story was quite slow but once the children got into the forest the action and intensity built and I really loved how the story progressed from there. There were some twists and shocks and graphic scenes that I didn't expect and loved greatly
This was a very nice book to read
I remember when this book first came out and I bought a that the author then signed.
After reading it that first time I kept it on my shelf and decided to pick it up again this month.
I felt that the start of the story was quite slow but once the children got into the forest the action and intensity built and I really loved how the story progressed from there. There were some twists and shocks and graphic scenes that I didn't expect and loved greatly
May 28, 2008
This book is very similar to the Fairy Tale Detectives in overarching plot and character types, but I enjoyed this so much more. I believed it so much more, and the disobedience of the kids, while equally grievous in both cases, seems so much more reasonable here. A believable and highly entertaining (I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud) fantasy.
May 24, 2020
Interesting story, different.
April 24, 2021
Хејг нема утка кога станува збор за детски книги!
June 12, 2019
Все се каня днес, утре, днес, утре да седна и да си напиша ревюто и все не ми се получава. През последните седмици нямах много свободно време и във всяко такова предпочитах да чета колкото мога, за това и ми се насъбраха няколко книги, които си чакат ревютата и "Призрачната гора" е една от тях.
За първи път се запознах с творчеството на Мат Хейг през миналата година, когато по Коледа, отидох до книжарницата и съвсем случайно попаднах на книгата "Момче на име Коледа" и останах много доволна от прочита й.
Хейг е написал история в която има от всичко по-малко и така написано че според мен няма дете, (дори и на нас по-големите 😜) на което да не му хареса тази книга.
Имаме, разбира се на първо място история изпълнена с приключение, магия, митични същества, които може би не са били толкова лоши през цялото време и не на последно място частица магия.
След като Самюъл и сестра му Марта губях родителите си, живота им се променя и то завинаги. Заминават в Норвегия при леля си Ида, докато Самюъл се държи психически малко по-добре, то Марта е в голям шок. Не е говорила от дни, нищо не я интересува, не се усмихва и всъщност единственото което предизвиква емоция в нея е кучето на лела Ида - Ибсен.
Един ден както Марта си стой и гледа през прозореца, изведнъж решава да наруши най-важното и най-забранено от всички правила на леля Ида, а именно никога да не влиза в гората.
И тук както казах за мен голямото и невероятно приключение за Марта, Самюъл и Ибсен започва, ще се срещнат с най-различни, грозни, странни или пък загубили сянката си същества. Всички тези необикновени срещи ще им отворят очите и според мен на края, децата ще разберат че не всичко е изгубено, да никога няма да върнат родителите си, но леля им и чичо им са винаги насреща.
Ибсен се превърна в най-любимият ми персонаж, от всички останали. Далеч това куче не е обикновено и всъщност се оказва че има много по-голяма роля в цялата история. Това което също много ми хареса е как тръгна след Самюъл в гората, за да се опита да опази него и сестра му от всички опасности които дебнат в нея - та кой ако не самия Ибсен, знае най-добре че там е наистина опасно.
Дали ще успее да ги спаси, леля Ида ще се престраши ли най-накрая да влезе в гората и през какво точно ще се сблъскат главните герои ще оставя, подробностите на самите вас.
Както вече споменах, стилът на писане на Мат Хейг, много ми хареса - самите истории които пише, тази тук беше на моменти доста страшна и все пак караща те да искаш да четеш още и още докато не разбереш какво ще се случи. Изграждането на героите и израстването им - Марта е чистия пример за това, тя няма нищо общо с тази Марта която е в началото на книгата и с когато вече се сблъскваме в края с нея. Голяма промяна и градация, започва да говори (чак и пее), разбира че не е постъпила правилно като е влязла в опасната гора и все пак ако не беше направила това, една ли щеше да се промени толкова и да започне да се радва отново. Следващото нещо което ми хареса е това как автора е пресъздал взаимоотношенията между брат и сестра, макар Марта да не комуникираше с Самюъл, това как мислят един за друг и да не им се случи нещо се усещаше.
След това нещо което имаше и в "Момче на име Коледа" - много интересно и забавно е как автора по средата на действието се появява и започва да пише от свое име, пак свързано с историята, но по-различно. Личи си че Мат Хейг има голямо чувство за хумор и съвсем успешно успява да го включи и в книгите си.
Изданието което издателство Емас предлагат е с оригиналната корица, която на мен ми харесва и също така вътре има и няколко илюстрации, а аз обожавам такива неща. Много бързо Хейг се превърна в един от любимите ми автори и с нетърпение очаквам продължението.
Превода е дело на Емилия Ничева-Карастойчева.
"Щастието, което смяташе за нещо неотменно. Щастието да имаш мама и татко - дори те никога да не те слушат. Защото майките и татковците не са просто хора; те са спасителна мрежа. Знаеш, че колкото и да са скучни часовете по математика, в каквито и бъркотии да се замесиш в училище, те винаги ще се погрижат за теб. Дори да те скастрят, винаги ще ти помогнат да отскочиш нагоре."
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Благодаря Ви, за отделеното време!!!
За първи път се запознах с творчеството на Мат Хейг през миналата година, когато по Коледа, отидох до книжарницата и съвсем случайно попаднах на книгата "Момче на име Коледа" и останах много доволна от прочита й.
Хейг е написал история в която има от всичко по-малко и така написано че според мен няма дете, (дори и на нас по-големите 😜) на което да не му хареса тази книга.
Имаме, разбира се на първо място история изпълнена с приключение, магия, митични същества, които може би не са били толкова лоши през цялото време и не на последно място частица магия.
След като Самюъл и сестра му Марта губях родителите си, живота им се променя и то завинаги. Заминават в Норвегия при леля си Ида, докато Самюъл се държи психически малко по-добре, то Марта е в голям шок. Не е говорила от дни, нищо не я интересува, не се усмихва и всъщност единственото което предизвиква емоция в нея е кучето на лела Ида - Ибсен.
Един ден както Марта си стой и гледа през прозореца, изведнъж решава да наруши най-важното и най-забранено от всички правила на леля Ида, а именно никога да не влиза в гората.
И тук както казах за мен голямото и невероятно приключение за Марта, Самюъл и Ибсен започва, ще се срещнат с най-различни, грозни, странни или пък загубили сянката си същества. Всички тези необикновени срещи ще им отворят очите и според мен на края, децата ще разберат че не всичко е изгубено, да никога няма да върнат родителите си, но леля им и чичо им са винаги насреща.
Ибсен се превърна в най-любимият ми персонаж, от всички останали. Далеч това куче не е обикновено и всъщност се оказва че има много по-голяма роля в цялата история. Това което също много ми хареса е как тръгна след Самюъл в гората, за да се опита да опази него и сестра му от всички опасности които дебнат в нея - та кой ако не самия Ибсен, знае най-добре че там е наистина опасно.
Дали ще успее да ги спаси, леля Ида ще се престраши ли най-накрая да влезе в гората и през какво точно ще се сблъскат главните герои ще оставя, подробностите на самите вас.
Както вече споменах, стилът на писане на Мат Хейг, много ми хареса - самите истории които пише, тази тук беше на моменти доста страшна и все пак караща те да искаш да четеш още и още докато не разбереш какво ще се случи. Изграждането на героите и израстването им - Марта е чистия пример за това, тя няма нищо общо с тази Марта която е в началото на книгата и с когато вече се сблъскваме в края с нея. Голяма промяна и градация, започва да говори (чак и пее), разбира че не е постъпила правилно като е влязла в опасната гора и все пак ако не беше направила това, една ли щеше да се промени толкова и да започне да се радва отново. Следващото нещо което ми хареса е това как автора е пресъздал взаимоотношенията между брат и сестра, макар Марта да не комуникираше с Самюъл, това как мислят един за друг и да не им се случи нещо се усещаше.
След това нещо което имаше и в "Момче на име Коледа" - много интересно и забавно е как автора по средата на действието се появява и започва да пише от свое име, пак свързано с историята, но по-различно. Личи си че Мат Хейг има голямо чувство за хумор и съвсем успешно успява да го включи и в книгите си.
Изданието което издателство Емас предлагат е с оригиналната корица, която на мен ми харесва и също така вътре има и няколко илюстрации, а аз обожавам такива неща. Много бързо Хейг се превърна в един от любимите ми автори и с нетърпение очаквам продължението.
Превода е дело на Емилия Ничева-Карастойчева.
"Щастието, което смяташе за нещо неотменно. Щастието да имаш мама и татко - дори те никога да не те слушат. Защото майките и татковците не са просто хора; те са спасителна мрежа. Знаеш, че колкото и да са скучни часовете по математика, в каквито и бъркотии да се замесиш в училище, те винаги ще се погрижат за теб. Дори да те скастрят, винаги ще ти помогнат да отскочиш нагоре."
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Благодаря Ви, за отделеното време!!!
December 11, 2022
I thought it would be like reading the Harry Potter series, as though you're coming back home. I read this novel a long time ago, so I had my expectations too high, especially because it has been a long journey until I remembered the name of the book. It was exciting to read it in my native language and it opened a lot of memories, but I wouldn't read it again.
August 2, 2020
could of been more detailed and suspensful
March 21, 2012
Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest is an exciting fantasy by Matt Haig. Samuel, 12, and his 10-year-old sister, Martha, live in Nottingham with their parents. As the story opens the family is in the car, heading for a surprise destination to celebrate Martha’s birthday. His sister is singing, his parents are arguing over the map and Samuel is hoping they aill arrive at a theme park. And then, in a bizarre twist of fate involving a truck hauling logs, Samuel and Martha’s parents are killed in a freak car accident, although both children are physically unhurt.
Martha not only stops singing, she no longer talks at all after the death of her parents. Their mother’s sister, Aunt Eda, as their only living relative, sends for them and they travel to Norway to live with her. Eda is stern in appearance, has a Norwegian elkhound named Ibsen and no TV or computer. Samuel is determined to hate everything about her and the place where he must live. It doesn’t help that he neither speaks nor understands Norwegian. Eda, a former Olympic javelin thrower, was married to an Olympic Silver Medalist ski jumper who, unbeknownst to the children, disappeared into the forest behind the house many years ago. Aunt Eda also has a list of rules they are required to follow, two of which (#1 Never go up to the attic; and #9 NEVER–UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES–GO INTO THE FOREST) really intrigue Samuel. It doesn’t take long for Samuel to break the first rule, and this unwittingly leads to breaking rule #9.
The story is rich with human and fantasy characters. We meet huldre-folk who live underground and serve the evil Changemaker. There are singing Tomtegubbs, three-headed Calooshes, Slemps, Truth Pixies and Trolls. The twists and turns in the plot are sometimes delightful and occasionally terrifying. The presence of both good and evil are evident throughout the forest and its inhabitants.
Haig also has a wonderful sense of humor which can often cause the reader to chuckle aloud. The jail scene with the unfailingly cheerful Tomtegubb and the Two-Headed Troll is a gut-buster. And the family of One-Eyed Trolls who must share one eyeball among them, passing it back and forth to see, is almost Monty Python-esque in the way silliness is laced with the disgusting image.
The strength of the story as a whole is its ability to lead Samuel on a journey through the sadness and anger of losing his parents, to a place of new hope where he can begin to re-discover happiness and love and family with Martha and Aunt Eda in a way he never expected.
Martha not only stops singing, she no longer talks at all after the death of her parents. Their mother’s sister, Aunt Eda, as their only living relative, sends for them and they travel to Norway to live with her. Eda is stern in appearance, has a Norwegian elkhound named Ibsen and no TV or computer. Samuel is determined to hate everything about her and the place where he must live. It doesn’t help that he neither speaks nor understands Norwegian. Eda, a former Olympic javelin thrower, was married to an Olympic Silver Medalist ski jumper who, unbeknownst to the children, disappeared into the forest behind the house many years ago. Aunt Eda also has a list of rules they are required to follow, two of which (#1 Never go up to the attic; and #9 NEVER–UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES–GO INTO THE FOREST) really intrigue Samuel. It doesn’t take long for Samuel to break the first rule, and this unwittingly leads to breaking rule #9.
The story is rich with human and fantasy characters. We meet huldre-folk who live underground and serve the evil Changemaker. There are singing Tomtegubbs, three-headed Calooshes, Slemps, Truth Pixies and Trolls. The twists and turns in the plot are sometimes delightful and occasionally terrifying. The presence of both good and evil are evident throughout the forest and its inhabitants.
Haig also has a wonderful sense of humor which can often cause the reader to chuckle aloud. The jail scene with the unfailingly cheerful Tomtegubb and the Two-Headed Troll is a gut-buster. And the family of One-Eyed Trolls who must share one eyeball among them, passing it back and forth to see, is almost Monty Python-esque in the way silliness is laced with the disgusting image.
The strength of the story as a whole is its ability to lead Samuel on a journey through the sadness and anger of losing his parents, to a place of new hope where he can begin to re-discover happiness and love and family with Martha and Aunt Eda in a way he never expected.
September 23, 2017
This is one of those books that I had varying feelings about. It's a little dark, starting with the death of the children's parents, which we are present for (unlike most books which begin with the children already being orphans). We are left with a very angry, hostile, and rude Samuel and his sister Martha who suffers from selective mutism. The children are whisked from everything that they've ever known to a dull existence in a nowhere kind of place in Norway--something sure to build sympathy in young readers. The story takes a bit to really get going, although there is plenty of spooky foreshadowing along the way. Once we get to the part where the children are actually in the forest, the action speeds up and the story comes alive with palpable evil and exotic characters. The creatures felt very inventive to me, although I have seen notes that many things are based on Norse mythology. I think that kids will love the death-defying adventures of Samuel and Martha. This is not a book that shies away from death and there are many somber moments (including a bit of a plug for vegetarianism). I saw other reviews that said that the book was funny but I disagree. There are some quirky and wryly humorous asides throughout the book but I would not promote it as something with overall humor; it's something with an occasional smile, not something that would cause you to laugh. The creepiness is off the charts and this is what young readers will really thrill at.
March 24, 2020
I don't know why this book has a mediocre rating. This is like the 8th time I have read this book although I have not read it since 7th grade. This is a fantasy book about Samuel and his sister. Their parents died in a car accident and had to live with their Aunt in Norway. When his sister is taken by some of the strange creatures who live there, he goes in to save her. The way this book is written has elements of humor and terror. It scared me a bit when I first read it. I love the creative names and ideas in the book, and the punctuation and words used allow me to read it as if I were the characters. As a teacher I would have this in my library but it has no real world or outside value to teach about life. I could see using pages of this to teach grammar and the way we speak linguistically.
December 1, 2015
A wonderful and imaginative children's story that's been beautifully written with just the right amount of humour. I found it hard to put the book down and look forward to reading more of Matt Haig's work.
June 14, 2021
I read this with my 9 year old daughter, and she seemed to enjoy it. It's occasionally quite scary and often very dark, but never overwhelming for a young audience.
I can't say it was completely memorable and amazing, but it was good enough that I've ordered the next one of the series.
I can't say it was completely memorable and amazing, but it was good enough that I've ordered the next one of the series.
February 6, 2020
4.5 �
Foarte potrivita pentru orice vârstă,dar recomandata celor până in 14 ani 👍
Foarte potrivita pentru orice vârstă,dar recomandata celor până in 14 ani 👍
December 5, 2022
I think this marks my eighth book by Matt Haig. That probably means he is in or is nearing the top 3 of my most read authors by now. I’m good with that.
Sam Blink and the Shadow Forest starts like a typical Disney movie does: ;)
Said plot takes our children, Sam and Martha, from the U.K. to Norway where their Aunt has a few rules for them to follow. One of them? Never go into the forest that's standing right there, staring at you, beckoning you over.
In the forest live dangerous creatures, under the control of our villain-to-defeat, the Changemaker. We are introduced to white horses, witches, Trolls, Truth Pixies, Tomtegubbs, huldres, Slemps, rabbits, etc. While most of these creatures are normally good-natured, their shadows (read: souls) have been stolen by the witch who works for the Changemaker, and that turns them uncaring and evil. They do the bidding of their boss, and his command is that no human that enters the forest will walk out of it alive again.
You’re going to have to read this story to find out. :)
I’d definitely recommend this book and the follow-up to this. Happy reading!
Sam Blink and the Shadow Forest starts like a typical Disney movie does: ;)
Said plot takes our children, Sam and Martha, from the U.K. to Norway where their Aunt has a few rules for them to follow. One of them? Never go into the forest that's standing right there, staring at you, beckoning you over.
In the forest live dangerous creatures, under the control of our villain-to-defeat, the Changemaker. We are introduced to white horses, witches, Trolls, Truth Pixies, Tomtegubbs, huldres, Slemps, rabbits, etc. While most of these creatures are normally good-natured, their shadows (read: souls) have been stolen by the witch who works for the Changemaker, and that turns them uncaring and evil. They do the bidding of their boss, and his command is that no human that enters the forest will walk out of it alive again.
You’re going to have to read this story to find out. :)
I’d definitely recommend this book and the follow-up to this. Happy reading!
January 1, 2022
Cela faisait vraiment longtemps que je n'avais pas lu un livre aussi captivant et créatif! Toutes les créatures du livre m'ont fascinées: Les trolls, ( surtout Troll-de-Droite et Troll-de-gauche! Je suis un peu déçue qu'on ne sache pas ce qu'ils deviennentSpoiler(cliquez pour révéler)) les gubins, que j'ai adoré, les caloush, qui m'ont beaucoup fait rire et les huldres, qui m'ont terrorisée!
La première page, celle qui présente les personnages, m'a beaucoup fait rire également et aussi le chapitre 26 Spoiler(cliquez pour révéler). L'humour, c'est ce qui rend ce livre déroutant. L'histoire ne s'y prête pas du tout! Deux enfants venant de devenir orphelin sont obligés d'aller vivre chez leur tante qu'ils n'ont jamais vu, habitant à proximité d'une forêt mystérieuse ( La Forêt des Ombres ) et n'ayant même pas la télé! Quel drame! Pourtant, l'auteur arrive à y ajouté une touche d'humour, en inventant des créatures plus loufoques les unes que les autres. Spoiler(cliquez pour révéler)
C'est le second roman de Matt haig que je lis, et celui ci me plait encore plus que le premier " humains", que j'avais pourtant adoré!
La première page, celle qui présente les personnages, m'a beaucoup fait rire également et aussi le chapitre 26 Spoiler(cliquez pour révéler). L'humour, c'est ce qui rend ce livre déroutant. L'histoire ne s'y prête pas du tout! Deux enfants venant de devenir orphelin sont obligés d'aller vivre chez leur tante qu'ils n'ont jamais vu, habitant à proximité d'une forêt mystérieuse ( La Forêt des Ombres ) et n'ayant même pas la télé! Quel drame! Pourtant, l'auteur arrive à y ajouté une touche d'humour, en inventant des créatures plus loufoques les unes que les autres. Spoiler(cliquez pour révéler)
C'est le second roman de Matt haig que je lis, et celui ci me plait encore plus que le premier " humains", que j'avais pourtant adoré!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2020
This was an enjoyable adventure for younger readers - albeit with a rather sad start. Samuel and Martha Blink are left orphaned when an accident kills their parents on the way to a 10th birthday treat for Martha. After this they must travel to Norway to live with their mysterious aunt, who has some odd rules - the oddest of which is that they must never enter the nearby forest. It is no surprise when this rule is ignored. The adventures that follow are imaginative and will especially appeal to younger readers. The author provides humourous asides, and the book has a slightly quirky feel that will again appeal to younger readers.
The asides reminded me of Jonathon Stroud in his Bartimeus trilogy. Not quite as well done though, and for this reason adult readers would enjoy this book less than they would enjoy Bartimeus, but that is fine because adults are not the intended audience, and I would recommend this book for children aged say 9+ (younger too maybe, but with a strong caution about the sad start).
The asides reminded me of Jonathon Stroud in his Bartimeus trilogy. Not quite as well done though, and for this reason adult readers would enjoy this book less than they would enjoy Bartimeus, but that is fine because adults are not the intended audience, and I would recommend this book for children aged say 9+ (younger too maybe, but with a strong caution about the sad start).
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