What do you think?
Rate this book
Counting Stars
David Almond’s extraordinary novels have established him as an author of unique insight and skill. These stories encapsulate his endless sense of mystery and wonderment, as they weave a tangible tapestry of growing up in a large, loving family. Here are the kernels of his novels—joy and fear, darkness and light, the
healing power of love and imagination in overcoming the wounds of ignorance and prejudice. These stories merge memory and dream, the real and the imagined, in a collection of exquisite tenderness.
healing power of love and imagination in overcoming the wounds of ignorance and prejudice. These stories merge memory and dream, the real and the imagined, in a collection of exquisite tenderness.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 16, 2000
28 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
About the author
David Almond
101Ìýbooks804ÌýfollowersDavid Almond is a British children's writer who has penned several novels, each one to critical acclaim. He was born and raised in Felling and Newcastle in post-industrial North East England and educated at the University of East Anglia. When he was young, he found his love of writing when some short stories of his were published in a local magazine. He started out as an author of adult fiction before finding his niche writing literature for young adults.
His first children's novel, Skellig (1998), set in Newcastle, won the Whitbread Children's Novel of the Year Award and also the Carnegie Medal. His subsequent novels are: Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003) and Clay (2005). His first play aimed at adolescents, Wild Girl, Wild Boy, toured in 2001 and was published in 2002.
His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of 'the self'. He has been greatly influenced by the works of the English Romantic poet William Blake.
He is an author often suggested on National Curriculum reading lists in the United Kingdom and has attracted the attention of academics who specialise in the study of children's literature.
Almond currently lives with his family in Northumberland, England.
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2010).
His first children's novel, Skellig (1998), set in Newcastle, won the Whitbread Children's Novel of the Year Award and also the Carnegie Medal. His subsequent novels are: Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003) and Clay (2005). His first play aimed at adolescents, Wild Girl, Wild Boy, toured in 2001 and was published in 2002.
His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of 'the self'. He has been greatly influenced by the works of the English Romantic poet William Blake.
He is an author often suggested on National Curriculum reading lists in the United Kingdom and has attracted the attention of academics who specialise in the study of children's literature.
Almond currently lives with his family in Northumberland, England.
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2010).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 20, 2010
I opened the book just to take a peek; I was already reading another book, after all. David Almond drew me in and I dreamwalked episodes from his childhood in northeastern England with him. There isn't really a storyline in this book. The episodes come in no apparent sequence, floating into view, becoming sharper, fading out. His little sister and his father have died in one chapter, but are alive again in the next. He had a large Catholic family and woven through the stories are the insistent questions of life and faith as asked by sensitive, intelligent children. His family was large and close, and he seemed to have been the dreamy child in the middle. In fact, the book opens with his younger sister asking "What's in the middle of me?" and the book seems to explore a child's perceptions and questions, from the inside out. It evokes a certain time (1960s) and place (a town in England along the River Tyne), the middle of the author's young world, with all the mystery of life and death. There isn't really a resolution, just as for many questions there are no certain answers. His mother says, "And anyway,...as well as life and death, there's this." "What's this?" says Mary. "The kitchen. Just the kitchen, I suppose." "The smallest place in the world", says Dad. "An impossible place. An impossible story. A kind of Heaven." "And what's Heaven?" says Colin. "Maybe it's just this, an impossible afternoon when everyone is together all at once." Almond's theme of wings appears in this book, too, as his mother slips her hands under his shoulder blades and tells him this is where his wings once were and where they will be again. The book is shelved with teen fiction, but it doesn't seem to me your usual teen read. Almond says, in his author's notes at the end, "Writing can be difficult, but sometimes it really does feel like a kind of magic. I think that stories are living things--among the most important things in the world." I couldn't agree more.
November 26, 2017
Exceptional. Certainly nothing for readers who prefer clear storylines and straightforward language, but I found it stunningly beautiful. It makes me want to never write again because there is no way I could come anywhere close to David Almond's writing. Even more, however, it makes me want to write and write and write until I have found a voice of my own, until I can spin tales as captivating and magical as the ones told in this book.
September 30, 2024
After reading David Almond's 'Skellig' and liking it so much, I thought I should read another book by him. I picked up 'Counting Stars'.
'Counting Stars' is a collection of stories. It is based on David Almond's own childhood experiences. It is probably closer to a fictional memoir. As Almond says in his introduction �
"Like all stories, they merge memory and dream, the real and the imagined, truth and lies. And, perhaps like all stories, they are an attempt to reassemble what is fragmented, to rediscover what has been lost."
As the book is based on his own childhood, many of the characters appear across multiple stories. So we can read the book as a collection of interrelated stories or as an overall novel. It made me think of one of my favourite books, Ray Bradbury's 'Dandelion Wine', which has a similar structure.
I loved the stories in the book. The book started off slowly, but once I got into it, I enjoyed reading the stories very much. I don't exactly know why, but when I read Almond's prose, I feel that it quietens and calms the mind. It is like listening to Zen monks chant in a monastery. I don't know whether it is because of the simple nature of the prose, or because of the beautiful lines, or because of something else. I felt like this when I read 'Skellig' too, and I am happy that I experienced the same while reading this book.
It is hard to pick favourite stories from the book, because they are all beautiful, but if I push myself to pick some, I'll say that 'The Baby', 'The Time Machine', 'Barbara's Photographs', 'Jonadab', and 'Jack Law' were my favourites. 'The Baby' was probably my most favourite of them all. It is about an old woman who is a seamstress who lives in that small town. People gossip about her and some of them call her a witch. When we discover her story through the narrator's voice, it melts our heart.
'Jonadab' has a beautiful start. It goes like this.
"Jonadab was our grandfather's place, a place more impossible and distant than Timbuctoo.
'Where you going?' we'd ask him.
'Jonadab,' he'd say.
'Where you been?'
'Jonadab.'
'But where's Jonadab?'
'Timbuctoo.'
I'd seen Timbuctoo on the map, in Geography. There it was in the African desert, tiny and exotic, a week's camel ride through the blazing heat from the nearest town. But Jonadab wasn't in the index of the atlas. It was nowhere. It was an invented place. It was a place to tease us, to halt our questioning, to silence."
Imagine our surprise when the narrator discovers that there used to be a place called Jonadab in his own town and one day the narrator goes in search of it. What he discovers is very fascinating.
I loved 'Counting Stars'. The stories in it are happy, sad, moving, charming. I could feel an Irish vibe and spirit throughout the book, though I'm not sure whether David Almond is Irish. David Almond is fast becoming one of my favourite writers. Hoping to read more by him.
Sharing some of my favourite parts from the book.
"It happened so long ago I can't even be sure it happened as I say it did. Stories change in the telling, memory makes up as much as it knows. We were very small. The things we saw were all mixed up with the things we dreamed and the things that we were scared of. We were at school together : me, your Grandma, Jack Law, lots of others that you know and lots that's dead and gone. Forty-five of us, fifty, who's to know? Too many. No way of teaching anything worth having, not when there's half a hundred of you and just one man before you with a stick. Filled your head with things that wouldn't stop, things that still won't stop once you let them go. Many's the night I'm in my cold bed and if I'm not careful here they come from all those years ago. Seven sevens are forty-nine, eight sevens are fifty-six, I, said the sparrow, with my bow and arrow, Infant Jesus meek and mild, January, February, March, April, I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, a for apple, b for ball, c for cat... You know, Esther? Yes, you know. From all those years back, things we learned, useless things just going round and round and round our heads."
"We listen to the truth, the memories, the bits made up. We gaze at each other. We eat warm buttered toast. We know that the sun will fall, that the children and the birds will be silent. We know that we will return to separate lives and separate deaths. We listen to the stories, that for an impossible afternoon hold back the coming dark."
Have you read 'Counting Stars'? What do you think about it?
'Counting Stars' is a collection of stories. It is based on David Almond's own childhood experiences. It is probably closer to a fictional memoir. As Almond says in his introduction �
"Like all stories, they merge memory and dream, the real and the imagined, truth and lies. And, perhaps like all stories, they are an attempt to reassemble what is fragmented, to rediscover what has been lost."
As the book is based on his own childhood, many of the characters appear across multiple stories. So we can read the book as a collection of interrelated stories or as an overall novel. It made me think of one of my favourite books, Ray Bradbury's 'Dandelion Wine', which has a similar structure.
I loved the stories in the book. The book started off slowly, but once I got into it, I enjoyed reading the stories very much. I don't exactly know why, but when I read Almond's prose, I feel that it quietens and calms the mind. It is like listening to Zen monks chant in a monastery. I don't know whether it is because of the simple nature of the prose, or because of the beautiful lines, or because of something else. I felt like this when I read 'Skellig' too, and I am happy that I experienced the same while reading this book.
It is hard to pick favourite stories from the book, because they are all beautiful, but if I push myself to pick some, I'll say that 'The Baby', 'The Time Machine', 'Barbara's Photographs', 'Jonadab', and 'Jack Law' were my favourites. 'The Baby' was probably my most favourite of them all. It is about an old woman who is a seamstress who lives in that small town. People gossip about her and some of them call her a witch. When we discover her story through the narrator's voice, it melts our heart.
'Jonadab' has a beautiful start. It goes like this.
"Jonadab was our grandfather's place, a place more impossible and distant than Timbuctoo.
'Where you going?' we'd ask him.
'Jonadab,' he'd say.
'Where you been?'
'Jonadab.'
'But where's Jonadab?'
'Timbuctoo.'
I'd seen Timbuctoo on the map, in Geography. There it was in the African desert, tiny and exotic, a week's camel ride through the blazing heat from the nearest town. But Jonadab wasn't in the index of the atlas. It was nowhere. It was an invented place. It was a place to tease us, to halt our questioning, to silence."
Imagine our surprise when the narrator discovers that there used to be a place called Jonadab in his own town and one day the narrator goes in search of it. What he discovers is very fascinating.
I loved 'Counting Stars'. The stories in it are happy, sad, moving, charming. I could feel an Irish vibe and spirit throughout the book, though I'm not sure whether David Almond is Irish. David Almond is fast becoming one of my favourite writers. Hoping to read more by him.
Sharing some of my favourite parts from the book.
"It happened so long ago I can't even be sure it happened as I say it did. Stories change in the telling, memory makes up as much as it knows. We were very small. The things we saw were all mixed up with the things we dreamed and the things that we were scared of. We were at school together : me, your Grandma, Jack Law, lots of others that you know and lots that's dead and gone. Forty-five of us, fifty, who's to know? Too many. No way of teaching anything worth having, not when there's half a hundred of you and just one man before you with a stick. Filled your head with things that wouldn't stop, things that still won't stop once you let them go. Many's the night I'm in my cold bed and if I'm not careful here they come from all those years ago. Seven sevens are forty-nine, eight sevens are fifty-six, I, said the sparrow, with my bow and arrow, Infant Jesus meek and mild, January, February, March, April, I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, a for apple, b for ball, c for cat... You know, Esther? Yes, you know. From all those years back, things we learned, useless things just going round and round and round our heads."
"We listen to the truth, the memories, the bits made up. We gaze at each other. We eat warm buttered toast. We know that the sun will fall, that the children and the birds will be silent. We know that we will return to separate lives and separate deaths. We listen to the stories, that for an impossible afternoon hold back the coming dark."
Have you read 'Counting Stars'? What do you think about it?
April 24, 2007
An unmissable chance to discover the influences behind David Almond's compelling stories, enabling us to trace the birth of such characters as the beautiful, broken Skellig and others.
There's warmth, light, darkness, fear and love here.
There's warmth, light, darkness, fear and love here.
August 18, 2017
this short story collection was so nostalgic and beautiful. And "Loosa Fine" absolutely broke me I cannot stop thinking about the little girl :-(
Also I don't think many people who're reviewing this book seem to realise it's a short story collection, not a novel. The titles are story tiles not chapter names...
Also I don't think many people who're reviewing this book seem to realise it's a short story collection, not a novel. The titles are story tiles not chapter names...
April 15, 2021
Who would have thought that a small town can hold so much love, wonder, pain, joy, laughter, misery, and hope? The way Almond recognises the mundane and reimagines it in a rather magical, mysterious way is quite commendable! Having read this book, I feel as though I understand Almond better than ever before.
The Baby, Barbara’s Photographs, and Dad’s Hat were my absolute favourite stories from this collection!
The Baby, Barbara’s Photographs, and Dad’s Hat were my absolute favourite stories from this collection!
March 8, 2022
. . . growing up in the midst of poverty, love, harsh discipline, death and the possibility of salvation.
January 28, 2024
Such touching and heartfelt stories from my part of the world.
March 5, 2018
This was certainly an unusual read, and very different to my usual intake. It took me until about halfway through the book before I found somewhat of an enjoyment and engagement in it however, as a quick read, it didn't take too long to reach that point. For a short book, it provides a lot of stories and provoking thoughts, and for that I give it its due credit.
As someone who is still a teenager though, and has had an upbringing and childhood entirely different to that of the author, many of these stories did not resonate with me as much as I'm sure they would for an older audience - or even as much as I'm sure they'll resonate with me in the future. Although I found certain aspects and stories interesting and intriguing, I did find it a bit of a chore to read and keep plodding away at.
I therefore decided upon a relatively neutral 3 star rating - I wouldn't want this to put anyone off though. If you like short, anecdotal stories, and perhaps are slightly older, I feel this would be much more fulfilling.
Noteworthy quotes:
"We listen to the truth, the memories, the bits made up. We gaze at each other. We eat warm buttered toast. We know know that the sun will fall, that the children and the birds will be silent. We know that we will return to separate lives and separate deaths. We listen to the stories that, for an impossible afternoon hold back the coming dark."
�It happened so long ago I can't even be sure it happened as I say it did. Stories change in the telling, memory makes up as much as it knows. We were very small. The things we saw were all mixed up with the things we dreamed and the things we were scared of.�
�Death is knowing you're about to die,' says Mam. It's seeing the dead and seeing the living all at once. It's wanting not to die and not to live. It's wanting to stay with the last breath when the dead and the living are all around you, and touching you, and whispering, It's all right, Mam. Everything's all right. But there's no way of staying with the last breath. You have to die.�
As someone who is still a teenager though, and has had an upbringing and childhood entirely different to that of the author, many of these stories did not resonate with me as much as I'm sure they would for an older audience - or even as much as I'm sure they'll resonate with me in the future. Although I found certain aspects and stories interesting and intriguing, I did find it a bit of a chore to read and keep plodding away at.
I therefore decided upon a relatively neutral 3 star rating - I wouldn't want this to put anyone off though. If you like short, anecdotal stories, and perhaps are slightly older, I feel this would be much more fulfilling.
Noteworthy quotes:
"We listen to the truth, the memories, the bits made up. We gaze at each other. We eat warm buttered toast. We know know that the sun will fall, that the children and the birds will be silent. We know that we will return to separate lives and separate deaths. We listen to the stories that, for an impossible afternoon hold back the coming dark."
�It happened so long ago I can't even be sure it happened as I say it did. Stories change in the telling, memory makes up as much as it knows. We were very small. The things we saw were all mixed up with the things we dreamed and the things we were scared of.�
�Death is knowing you're about to die,' says Mam. It's seeing the dead and seeing the living all at once. It's wanting not to die and not to live. It's wanting to stay with the last breath when the dead and the living are all around you, and touching you, and whispering, It's all right, Mam. Everything's all right. But there's no way of staying with the last breath. You have to die.�
February 16, 2020
David Almond is a master when it comes to literature for young people. He deserves the many awards he has received, including the Hans Christian Andersen Award, which is nicknamed the Nobel Prize for Children's Literature. He is probably best known for the mysterious and magical novel "Skellig," which has sold roughly a gazillion copies.
"Counting Stars" is a collection of stories about his youth, and the stories within are just as lyrical and beautifully written as his fiction. In fact, Almond tells us in the brief introduction that these stories,
"Like all stories, they merge memory and dream, the real and the imagined, truth and lies. And, perhaps, like all stories, they are an attempt to reassemble what is fragmented, to rediscover what has been lost."
Though all of stories have their virtues, my favorites are the title story, the tragic "The Baby," the coming of age tale "The Time Machine," the heartbreaking "Loosa Fine," the sublime and enchanting imaginary piece, "The Kitchen" and the lovely "Where Your Wings Were."
These stories do not shy away from tough issues like religion, loss, memory and death.
In my humble opinion, not to be missed.
Grade: A
"Counting Stars" is a collection of stories about his youth, and the stories within are just as lyrical and beautifully written as his fiction. In fact, Almond tells us in the brief introduction that these stories,
"Like all stories, they merge memory and dream, the real and the imagined, truth and lies. And, perhaps, like all stories, they are an attempt to reassemble what is fragmented, to rediscover what has been lost."
Though all of stories have their virtues, my favorites are the title story, the tragic "The Baby," the coming of age tale "The Time Machine," the heartbreaking "Loosa Fine," the sublime and enchanting imaginary piece, "The Kitchen" and the lovely "Where Your Wings Were."
These stories do not shy away from tough issues like religion, loss, memory and death.
In my humble opinion, not to be missed.
Grade: A
January 8, 2024
I'm not sure, despite the author normally publishing for middle grade and elementary readers, that I would suggest this to anyone younger than a teen. This is a collection of short stories, yes, but they are also childhood memories that are haunting and sad and dark. Child abuse, the ostracizing of members of a community, death, people turning a blind eye to injustices - all topics that are touched upon in these stories. I'm not sure there's even one where I can say the short story described a truly joyful memory. The whole book has the feel of a heartfelt speech given at a celebration of life after a person has passed away. Similar to Bridge to Terabithia, it feels very somber even when the characters are happy. Everything is mired in a sense of sadness and lost. After a while, it does begin to feel very much the same.
I would not hand this to a child without having read it first. I would not personally choose to read it a second time.
I would not hand this to a child without having read it first. I would not personally choose to read it a second time.
September 1, 2024
I didn't enjoy these short stories as much as Skellig and Joe Quinn's Poltergeist. I struggle with Almond's deliberate merging of 'memory and dream, the real and the imagined, truth and lies'. I wanted to know what was autobiographical in the short stories- this mattered to me as a reader! The short stories weren't written as a collection and this shows- they feel slightly disjointed and don't flow seamlessly from one to the next. There are recurrent themes throughout Almond's stories- his rejection of his Catholic faith, his fascination with the supernatural but, most of all, his struggle to come to terms with untimely loss of his sister and his father. There are some lighter moments- adventures in life and love. However, some of the stories, are disturbing- especially 'The Baby'- and definitely not suitable for younger readers.
October 23, 2021
David Almond's signature dreamlike style just doesn't land in this collection. There's no room for his philosophical musings to breathe, and it never quite feels complete.
The semi-autobiographical nature of the stories doesn't help. His clear fascination with the Other--ranging from exotic beliefs to the mentally disabled--comes off as something close to fetishization when written from his own childhood perspective. Perhaps it's unfair, but I find it adds a sour note to the whole book for me.
The semi-autobiographical nature of the stories doesn't help. His clear fascination with the Other--ranging from exotic beliefs to the mentally disabled--comes off as something close to fetishization when written from his own childhood perspective. Perhaps it's unfair, but I find it adds a sour note to the whole book for me.
January 21, 2024
"Se nei pensieri di Dio siamo così, come siamo quando lui ci sogna?"
Non il miglior libro di Almond ma fondamentale per comprendere il suo percorso come scrittore.
Racconto autobiografico intriso di realismo magico, dove ci viene mostrata l'infanzia di David e dei suoi fratelli in un piccolo paesino dell'Inghilterra, verso la fine degli anni '60.
Consiglio di leggerlo solo DOPO aver conosciuto Almond attraverso le sue opere più famose e aver approfondito la sua bibliografia, solo così può essere davvero compreso, altrimenti risulta una storia poco interessante e comprensibile.
Non il miglior libro di Almond ma fondamentale per comprendere il suo percorso come scrittore.
Racconto autobiografico intriso di realismo magico, dove ci viene mostrata l'infanzia di David e dei suoi fratelli in un piccolo paesino dell'Inghilterra, verso la fine degli anni '60.
Consiglio di leggerlo solo DOPO aver conosciuto Almond attraverso le sue opere più famose e aver approfondito la sua bibliografia, solo così può essere davvero compreso, altrimenti risulta una storia poco interessante e comprensibile.
July 3, 2021
Not what I was expecting. Saw it on the library shelf, knew I hadn’t read it so took it home without so much as glancing at the blurb - I mean, it’s David Almond, you know it will be good. So I was totally unprepared for this collection of very short pieces about his young life. They are moving and not in chronological order and sometimes things are repeated and it is all written in his magical, lyrical language. In short, Counting Stars is a thing of beauty.
March 27, 2020
I read this initially in a shorter format as a World Book Day book, and I those stories. I wasn't as compelled by all of the tales in the full format but the best stories carry the weaker or more difficult ones.
March 5, 2024
Short stories compiled in no particular order (you have to more or less guess if it's a flashback or not), and most didn't amount to anything. Almond's usual creative writing style just didn't land well in this book; definitely not as engaging as his other works.
July 16, 2017
Beautiful what can I say. Loved this so much, although less than his more story books as this was auto biographical. Still enjoyable though and loved it as much as his other books.
July 20, 2017
The fact that there is no storyline but only short snippets was not too enjoyable. The writing style is fascinating - I'll give David Almond's novels a try.
April 14, 2018
Uneven collection of short stories from Almond with some of his signature moments. In some ways you could say a typical Almond collection.
October 29, 2018
Took me a while to get into it.
Not my favorite
Not my favorite
February 17, 2019
I liked the book. It was a collection of short stories made from David Almond imagination and childhood.
September 19, 2019
It was wonderful and enchanting.
November 24, 2020
Such a beautiful and thoughtful book, surely encompasses Almonds style.
January 2, 2023
Tutor reading book
February 13, 2023
I really loved this book!! Short stories from the authors childhood I could feel the love for his family in the writing.
December 19, 2023
I love David Almond's writing, and this book is no exception. This is an autobiographical account, detailing the author's childhood in Felling. The writing is, as usual, both accessible and profound - and there are hidden depths here.
One thing that was odd about this book was the way it revealed all the sources of inspiration used in the other David Almond books I have read. There were hints of Skellig with the talk if angels and shoulder blades being vestigial wings. I could see inspiration for the fire eaters in the story about passing the eleven plus, and in one of the character names. The choirboys in Clay find their inspiration in the author's catholic upbringing. And so it goes on.
This is perhaps not a surprise. Most authors - maybe all the good ones - use real life experiences and locations as inspiration for their works. The only odd thing was that as I read this story, I was so clearly put in mind of all the others.
*
Added in 2023:
I re-read this and love the semi-autobiographical writing. I have been looking at creative non fiction and the link between that and the semi autobiographical works. This one is a powerful example.
One thing that was odd about this book was the way it revealed all the sources of inspiration used in the other David Almond books I have read. There were hints of Skellig with the talk if angels and shoulder blades being vestigial wings. I could see inspiration for the fire eaters in the story about passing the eleven plus, and in one of the character names. The choirboys in Clay find their inspiration in the author's catholic upbringing. And so it goes on.
This is perhaps not a surprise. Most authors - maybe all the good ones - use real life experiences and locations as inspiration for their works. The only odd thing was that as I read this story, I was so clearly put in mind of all the others.
*
Added in 2023:
I re-read this and love the semi-autobiographical writing. I have been looking at creative non fiction and the link between that and the semi autobiographical works. This one is a powerful example.
November 3, 2013
How do you classify this? The book is listed as young adult, yet I think it's more because the author writes for young adults. While his stories are about young people, they're poignant, bittersweet at times...they're tiny time capsules recapturing moments in the authors youth, fictionalized only marginally. You can hear the authors tears upon the pages sometimes. Sometimes you feel too close when watching them, like you've unknowingly intruded into the space of a stranger. Other times you yearn to get closer and find that sanctuary of his home, to join in the laughter and love that is so clearly visible in his family.
In short I want to be adopted by them.
No, the stories aren't astonishing in quality, maybe not award winning in their own right by literary critics. But they came at a time where I needed these to read, and so I give this book 5 stars for touching me, which is not easy to do.
In short I want to be adopted by them.
No, the stories aren't astonishing in quality, maybe not award winning in their own right by literary critics. But they came at a time where I needed these to read, and so I give this book 5 stars for touching me, which is not easy to do.
May 5, 2020
I love David Almond's writing, and this book is no exception. This is an autobiographical account, detailing the author's childhood in Felling. The writing is, as usual, both accessible and profound - and there are hidden depths here.
One thing that was odd about this book was the way it revealed all the sources of inspiration used in the other David Almond books I have read. There were hints of Skellig with the talk if angels and shoulder blades being vestigial wings. I could see inspiration for the fire eaters in the story about passing the eleven plus, and in one of the character names. The choirboys in Clay find their inspiration in the author's catholic upbringing. And so it goes on.
This is perhaps not a surprise. Most authors - maybe all the good ones - use real life experiences and locations as inspiration for their works. The only odd thing was that as I read this story, I was so clearly put in mind of all the others.
One thing that was odd about this book was the way it revealed all the sources of inspiration used in the other David Almond books I have read. There were hints of Skellig with the talk if angels and shoulder blades being vestigial wings. I could see inspiration for the fire eaters in the story about passing the eleven plus, and in one of the character names. The choirboys in Clay find their inspiration in the author's catholic upbringing. And so it goes on.
This is perhaps not a surprise. Most authors - maybe all the good ones - use real life experiences and locations as inspiration for their works. The only odd thing was that as I read this story, I was so clearly put in mind of all the others.
July 5, 2010
Well, I'm not sure what to think about this one. On one hand, I was really bored during most of it. On the other, it was really well-written in a somewhat dreamy sort of way and it seemed interesting enough. I don't know if I'm just in a phase right now because that's two books in a row that I should've loved and I had trouble getting through both of them. One problem I think was that the separate stories could've been held together by a stronger thread or narrative arc. I didn't feel it added up completely as a whole, although some chapters were really quite luminous and unique. I loved "The Baby" and "Where Your Wings Were" especially.
Grade: B
Grade: B
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.