The anything box

3/2013 I read Walking Aunt Daid through tears, oh, who am I kidding- through sobs, the other night to a teenaged boy. If I never do another thing in my life, it's okay. Henderson's that good. I've dipped and supped throughout the book in the days since I read that story and as always I marvel that Henderson isn't more revered, isn't celebrated with parades and sparklers on her birthday. There are so many brilliant stories in this collection alone. Seriously, READ ZENNA HENDERSON. Read her right now.




2008 Henderson was brilliant. I was looking in the mirror the other day, and the plethora of wrinkles got me thinking of her short story "Walking Aunt Daid", which had a profound effect on my teenaged self. I wondered what it would be like to read from middle age. I like to play with fire, you see.

And I read it, I did, and it tore great heaving sobs from me. The bitterness at the heart of it is so hurtful, so bruised and ultimately so universal. And one feels for the boys, generation upon generation of them.

I can't read this very often. Then again, I don't need to because I carry it with me every step of the way.

( )

This is NOT a book of "The People". It is a collection of some of her other short stories. They are very good and some of them are very scary. ( )

A great collection of stories, each one a mini-reality break. For weeks after first reading the Anything Box as a teen, I was scared to death to babysit--afraid of the life-sucking vacuum cleaner and the sled-runners it used to glide around the house.
Zenna Henderson's amazing storytelling ability takes you places you never imagined existed, such as a dark hole in the side of an aquaduct from which a boy and his donkey must escape. At the same time, some of her stories are of wonder and the innocense of childhood, which may be lost as we grow into adults.
Excellent reading! ( )

I read these stories in a library book as a teen, later searched for it for about 10 years in bookshops before my sister found a copy for me using an online search. Not a lot of books I want to own, but this was one I couldn't forget. ( )

The stories in the Anything Box vary wildly between the simply fantastic, the deeply moving, and the absolutely haunting. If you enjoy any kind of fantasy story, there is sure to be something in the box for you. I've read The Anything Box several times since childhood and am always pleasantly surprised to find that there's something I've missed or forgotten and the various themes are the kind that you find yourself reflecting on when you least expect it...a great collection! ( )