Arrived in St. Louis in 2015; loves it all except for that weird stuff you call cheese. Will read almost anything, especially if it has nice typesetting.
This is the first book in what has been my favorite series of children's books for about 18 years. A boy comes to live with his grandmother in an old English country house, and finds there a world full of stories, legends, spirits, and ghosts—some friendly and some less so. The present and the past enrich and enliven each other here just as the joy of celebrating Christmas is enriched by a touch of the spooks.
Probably my single favorite novel, and one of the greatest books ever written. Rooted in the moment in English history which produced it but universal in scope, this book is an incredibly complex and clear-sighted exploration of themes like idealism, the intellectual life, and the awakening of the social conscience. What can we do when those we leave don't share our thoughts and feelings? How do we handle the ghosts of a past that we would rather leave behind? What can we do when our best impulses seem to be squandered in futility? The book explores all of these questions in depth, with no easy answers but lots of wit and compassion. Readers who rise to this book's demands could spend years exploring all it has to offer.
