Dreadful Acts

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Entertaining
Review: I first discovered the Eddie Dickens' Trilogy by sheer good fortune while Christmas shopping two years ago. (I was perhaps a little struck by the comparison to Monty Python.) I promptly bought "A House Called Awful End" for my niece, and spent the night ploughing through the book, laughing the entire way. What a brilliant and witty narrative Philip Ardagh spins. Needless to say, I was eagerly awaiting a chance to read more about the mishaps and misadventures of the young Eddie Dickens.

"Dreadful Acts" introduces us once again to the hilariously weird world that Eddie inhabits. He lives in a house called Awful End with his Mad Uncle Jack (who lives in a treehouse, well, a dried-fish house), his even Madder Aunt Maud (who lives in a hollow cow named Marjorie - don't ask if you haven't read the first book), his parents and various other servants who have little sense among the lot of them. Eddie is awoken one morning to find a driverless hearse in the driveway and must contend with the coffin that is left behind and the escapologist inside that coffin, The Great Zucchinni. Eddie's escapades with Zucchinni and his helper Daniella, land Eddie in a variety of troubling positions - jail, helping escaped convicts, and a chase on the misty moors that surround the town.

Set in Victorian England, Ardagh peppers his narration with whimsical asides to the readers, definitions of possible little-known words and comments about how our hero might feel if he were in a book. Ardagh's pithy narration is sprinkled with sketches (by David Roberts) that enhance the crazy characters that fill Eddie's life. While the series does read a little like Lemony Snicket, Ardagh has his own style and humor that bring Eddie and his insane relatives to life. And while this may be classified as a children's book, it's intelligence and humor are suited for any adult who appreciates good literature.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully Entertaining
Review: I first discovered the Eddie Dickens' Trilogy by sheer good fortune while Christmas shopping two years ago. (I was perhaps a little struck by the comparison to Monty Python.) I promptly bought "A House Called Awful End" for my niece, and spent the night ploughing through the book, laughing the entire way. What a brilliant and witty narrative Philip Ardagh spins. Needless to say, I was eagerly awaiting a chance to read more about the mishaps and misadventures of the young Eddie Dickens.

"Dreadful Acts" introduces us once again to the hilariously weird world that Eddie inhabits. He lives in a house called Awful End with his Mad Uncle Jack (who lives in a treehouse, well, a dried-fish house), his even Madder Aunt Maud (who lives in a hollow cow named Marjorie - don't ask if you haven't read the first book), his parents and various other servants who have little sense among the lot of them. Eddie is awoken one morning to find a driverless hearse in the driveway and must contend with the coffin that is left behind and the escapologist inside that coffin, The Great Zucchinni. Eddie's escapades with Zucchinni and his helper Daniella, land Eddie in a variety of troubling positions - jail, helping escaped convicts, and a chase on the misty moors that surround the town.

Set in Victorian England, Ardagh peppers his narration with whimsical asides to the readers, definitions of possible little-known words and comments about how our hero might feel if he were in a book. Ardagh's pithy narration is sprinkled with sketches (by David Roberts) that enhance the crazy characters that fill Eddie's life. While the series does read a little like Lemony Snicket, Ardagh has his own style and humor that bring Eddie and his insane relatives to life. And while this may be classified as a children's book, it's intelligence and humor are suited for any adult who appreciates good literature.

Rating:
Summary: Dreadful Story
Review: I liked this book okay. I am a little too old for it, but I got it for free, so I read it. I would not recommend it to someone above the age of 12, unless you like to read shorter stories. This book made little sense and lacked a strong plot. I didn't really like it.

Rating:
Summary: Dreadful Story
Review: I liked this book okay. I am a little too old for it, but I got it for free, so I read it. I would not recommend it to someone above the age of 12, unless you like to read shorter stories. This book made little sense and lacked a strong plot. I didn't really like it.