From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Rating:
Summary: Read this book
Review: I suspect that if you missed reading "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" as a child you have, in a sense, missed the boat. People who read this book as kids have a near psychotic attachment to it. They'll buy you multiple copies and gleefully describe to you the delight they felt at the idea of running away and living in a museum of art. The book's influence has stretched to the point where scenes from it have appeared in such popular films as "The Royal Tenenbaums". Pity me, then, since the first time I read this book when I was roughly 20 years of age. I read it, digested it, and came to the somewhat sour conclusion that it was a fine book but hardly worth the attention it's received. Fast forward some six odd years. I've just reread the book (again, as an adult). I've a little more experience reading and reviewing children's literature, especially Newbery winners like this l'il number. I read it. I digested it. And I came to the slightly less sour conclusion that while this book was enjoyable and loved widely by children everywhere, it's definitely not Konigsburg's best by a long shot. "The View From Saturday" is her best. "From the Mixed-Up Files" is just a nice gimmicky book that is vastly appealing to children but not written particularly well or badly. It's fine, but that's all it is. Fine.

Claudia is deeply disappointed with her life. Every day she goes about as the same old Claudia in the same old routine. Convincing herself that the only recourse left to her is to run away from home, Claudia enlists the aid of her younger brother Jamie. With Jamie in charge of all monetary concerns and Claudia heading the planning, the two set off on an adventure. And where do all good suburban kids run away to when they live a short distance from New York City? Why to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, of course! While there the two live on their own, spending their money wisely. It's not long before they find that their stay has coincided with the arrival of a mysterious statue that may or may not have been sculpted by Michelangelo. Together, Claudia and Jamie set off to discover the secret of the statue. A secret that may well live in the files of the mysterious Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Reading the book again, I have to admit I was a little more impressed with it than I expected to be. Konigsburg certainly does cover her bases when it comes to plausible hiding out. The kids think of everything possible when it comes to living on their own, including where to take baths and how to save their pennies. You begin to really believe that a story of this nature could occur. Unfortunately (and Konigsburg is, admittedly, guilty of this crime in more than one of her books) they don't really act their ages very well. Jamie in particular seems blessed with a vocabulary well beyond his years. This results in him saying phrases like, "Claudia, dear, I'm no angel. Statue or otherwise". I've yet to hear a nine year old of my own acquaintance casually use the word "otherwise" in conversation.

The book's definitely a bit of a historical piece of work too. The kids are constantly eating at automats (a place that most children will need some kind of explanation of). The prices that they pay for things are almost ludicrously low and there are references to items of clothing like petticoats. Otherwise, the book could have been written today. Even as I write this I find that I'm growing a little fonder of it. There have been far more recent children's books that have tried to latch onto the feelings inspired by "From the Mixed-Up Files". I'm thinking, of course, of Blue Balliett's less successful (writing-wise), "Chasing Vermeer". But nothing really compares with the original. Though I'd be the first to say that "From the Mixed-Up Files" is not really the best book ever written, it's still a fun one for kids that's filled with excellent information on Michelangelo. Consider it recommended with some reservations.


Rating:
Summary: Right up there in my Top Ten Kid's Books...
Review: ...of all time (at at least all MY time). Not sure how many times I've read this one, but I just revisited it. After reading Chasing Vermeer, and reading reviews that compared it to the Konigsburg classic (and deciding that those reviews were a little too TOO complimentary), I bought Frankweiler (probably my fifth or sixth copy over the years) to refresh my memory. It's a classic. Smartly written. Funny. Makes you want to be right there with Claudia and Jamie.