|
|
Sold Out
Book Categories |
Michael’s grandfather has a secret—a secret that’s almost too strange to share . . .
When Michael moves to Israel, he leaves loneliness behind and steps into the light of his grandfather’s magic. Like a sorcerer’s apprentice, Michael learns how to blur the lines between dreams and reality when his grandfather hands down the most precious of gifts—a gift that allows Michael passage into his grandfather’s dreams.
Written with a quiet simplicity that wins the reader over at once Uri Orlev writes in a style so sure and yet so unassuming that it is certain to linger in reader’s minds long after turning the last page.
Orlev (Run, Boy, Run) blurs the edges of dream and reality in this story about Michael, a friendless child of self-absorbed parents, who “[doesn't] like sports or computer games,” preferring the company of his Plasticine figures and the old men in his neighborhood. When his family moves to Israel, Mikha'el (as he's known there) forges a strong bond with his ailing grandfather, who takes him into his dreams. The two share surreal nocturnal adventures, in which Grandpa “fixes” people's dreams--a gift he passes on to Mikha'el. While Orlev writes with deep empathy for the misfit Mikha'el and his relationship with his dying grandfather, the abrupt shifts from dream to the “really real world” can be jarring and the dreams bizarre. In one nightmare, intended to reform Mikha'el's parents' meat-eating ways (Grandpa is a vegetarian), animals in a restaurant are eager to chow down on Mikha'el's father, who appears as roast beef topped “with side dishes of contracts, account books, and income tax returns.” A strange tale, but a diverting escape, perhaps, to those also at odds with the really real world. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)
| Price | Condition | Delivery | Seller | Action |
| $99.99 | Digital |
| WonderClub |
Martin Jungverdorben
reviewed The Song of the Whales on April 12, 2010
The Song of the Whales
The "Song of the Whales" explores the relationship between a grandfather and grandson in Israel. This is a short novel, episodic in pacing. Much of the narrative qualifies as a novel-in-dreams.
Mikha'el has never quite fit in with his American classmates, instead spending his free time with various adult friends. When he moves to Israel, that trend continues as he forms an instant bond with his grandfather and continues to correspond with his American friends. The pacing is a bit jarring--after forty pages of setup, the author finally gets to the crux of the story and begins to introduce the dream element. Then, events transpire at breakneck speed, with one dream sequence after another to set up the ending. Inexplicably, the narrative switches to Madame Saupier's point of view for a brief scene. These pacing elements make the narrative feel a bit chaotic at points.
The story establishes a strong, viable connection between Mikha'el and his grandfather. Perhaps most compelling is his grandfather's dark side, which manifests itself as an alternate persona in their shared dreams. It is this alternate persona that resolves the Madame Saupier storyline.
Aptly, the narrative is dreamlike, sometimes blurring the edges of dreams and the "really real" world. Because the story takes place in Israel, some more establishment of setting would have helped to immerse the reader more fully in Mikha'el's new world.
Some of the ancillary relationships in this novel could have used more development, particularly that between Mikha'el's grandfather and Madame Saupier. Why does he keep her around for so many years when he no longer loves her and she believes that his beloved grandson is little more than a germ carrier? What drew them together in the first place? For her to stay in his household for so many years, there must have been something substantial between them once. Her character might have taken on more dimension with some development of her back-story. In the absence of such development, she feels somewhat superfluous in this story.
Overall, "The Song of the Whales" is a poignant read. There are some errors in execution, but the prevailing message is an important one for young readers: It is okay to be unique. Pursue it. Embrace it.
(Disclaimer: I received the galley proofs of this book from Houghton Mifflin Books for Children for review.)
Login|Complaints|Blog|Games|Digital Media|Souls|Obituary|Contact Us|FAQ
CAN'T FIND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR? CLICK HERE!!! X
You must be logged in to add to WishlistX
This item is in your Wish List
X
This item is in your Collection
The Song of the Whales
X
This Item is in Your Inventory
The Song of the Whales
X
You must be logged in to review the productsX
X
X
Add The Song of the Whales, , The Song of the Whales to the inventory that you are selling on WonderClubX
X
Add The Song of the Whales, , The Song of the Whales to your collection on WonderClub |