“Watsons Go to Birmingham … 1963” remains one of my favorite books, and Mr. Curtis returns to familiar territory here. Again, he reveals a dark and horrific period in our history with gentleness. His protagonist is “nearly 12 year-old” Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in the Canadian settlement of Buxton. The year is 1860. By making a young boy his narrator, the sadness of events is tinged with the hope and promise of the future. Elijah grows in this tale because of the realities of his mid-nineteenth century environment, but he also plays with his friends and loves his parents and struggles with his schoolwork. Elijah’s grounded and honest voice brings humor and humanity to this novel. Unfortunately, it is yet another book by Curtis that might be more appreciated by adults than kids, many of whom will have to be steered towards it. Elijah is young out of necessity. It is important that he still sees the magic possibilities of the world. However, his age and the picture of a young boy on the cover will keep many teens from picking it up. Younger readers will also not gravitate towards it, as the book is over 300 pages and not paced in such a way as to hold their attention. A pity, as this is an excellent tale. Written in authentic but understandable dialect, Mr. Curtis once again manages to convey a layered story through seemingly simple prose. Elijah’s journey, both external and internal, make a real impact, but it sneaks up on the reader. The story is mostly fictional, but the settlement is real. Historical notes provided by the author as an epilogue give an uplifting emotional sense despite a challenging ending. Credit is given to the author for not providing us so much with the ending we would wish, but an ending that feels real. For those who have enjoyed his previous books, dig in! For those who haven’t, I would say that it’s time to discover a great new talent.
Monday, September 21, 2009
“Elijah of Buxton” by Christopher Paul Curtis
“Watsons Go to Birmingham … 1963” remains one of my favorite books, and Mr. Curtis returns to familiar territory here. Again, he reveals a dark and horrific period in our history with gentleness. His protagonist is “nearly 12 year-old” Elijah Freeman, the first free-born child in the Canadian settlement of Buxton. The year is 1860. By making a young boy his narrator, the sadness of events is tinged with the hope and promise of the future. Elijah grows in this tale because of the realities of his mid-nineteenth century environment, but he also plays with his friends and loves his parents and struggles with his schoolwork. Elijah’s grounded and honest voice brings humor and humanity to this novel. Unfortunately, it is yet another book by Curtis that might be more appreciated by adults than kids, many of whom will have to be steered towards it. Elijah is young out of necessity. It is important that he still sees the magic possibilities of the world. However, his age and the picture of a young boy on the cover will keep many teens from picking it up. Younger readers will also not gravitate towards it, as the book is over 300 pages and not paced in such a way as to hold their attention. A pity, as this is an excellent tale. Written in authentic but understandable dialect, Mr. Curtis once again manages to convey a layered story through seemingly simple prose. Elijah’s journey, both external and internal, make a real impact, but it sneaks up on the reader. The story is mostly fictional, but the settlement is real. Historical notes provided by the author as an epilogue give an uplifting emotional sense despite a challenging ending. Credit is given to the author for not providing us so much with the ending we would wish, but an ending that feels real. For those who have enjoyed his previous books, dig in! For those who haven’t, I would say that it’s time to discover a great new talent.
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4 comments:
OMG, I hated this book. I just down right hated it. I really hate historical fiction. I HATE IT AS MUCH AS I HATE THE PERCY JACKSON SERIES. The caharcters don't seem real to me. I read one chapter, and i abandomed it. I'm very picky when it comes to books, and even though this is the law, i judge books by their cover. I don't like the cover on this book. It doesn't satisfy me.....
This book did not satisfy me. The plot was mashed potatoes. I did abandon this book, so I don't know exactly the ending. I would not recommend it.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH NATASCHA!!! This book just seemed boring. One of my friends who usually recommends good books told me it was one of his faves. I don't get it! The cover was just too boring, the first chapter was bland, it needed detail, spice, sugar, ANYTHING to make it readable!
Maybe it was one you had to stick with. Can't say I was grabbed in the first few chapters, but it did grow on me.
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