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Russell Hoban (1925–2011)

Author of Bread and Jam for Frances

109+ Works 25,750 Members 446 Reviews 59 Favorited

About the Author

Russell Hoban was born in Lansdale, Pennsylvania on February 4, 1925. He attended art school in Philadelphia and during World War II, he served in the Army and earned a Bronze Star. He taught art in New York and Connecticut, and also worked as an advertising copywriter and a freelance illustrator show more before beginning his career as a writer. He began publishing children's books in the late 1950s, including What Does It Do and How Does It Work?, Bedtime for Frances and the six other books featuring Frances, The Story of Hester Mouse Who Became a Writer, What Happened When Jack and Daisy Tried to Fool the Tooth Fairies, and The Mouse and His Child, which was adapted as an animated film in 1977. In 1973, he published his first adult novel, The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz. His other books for adults include Turtle Diary, Pilgermann, and Ridley Walker. He received the John W. Campbell Memorial Award and the Australian Science Fiction Achievement Award for Ridley Walker. He died on December 13 at the age of 86. In 2015 he made the Kate Greenaway Medal shortlist for his title Jim's Lion wth illlustrator Alexis Deacon. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Photograph courtesy of Lisa Greenstein, 2005.

Series

Works by Russell Hoban

Bread and Jam for Frances (1964) 3,687 copies
A Bargain for Frances (1970) 3,504 copies
Bedtime for Frances (1960) — Author — 3,164 copies
Best Friends for Frances (1969) 2,035 copies
A Baby Sister for Frances (1964) 1,741 copies
A Birthday for Frances (1968) 1,474 copies
Riddley Walker: Expanded Edition (1998) — Author — 1,343 copies
Riddley Walker (1980) — Author — 1,334 copies
The Mouse and His Child (1967) 1,050 copies
Turtle Diary (1975) 613 copies
Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas (1971) — Author — 391 copies
The Mole Family's Christmas (1969) 372 copies
Pilgermann (1983) 343 copies
The Medusa Frequency (1987) 332 copies
Kleinzeit (1974) 302 copies
The Little Brute Family (1656) 181 copies
Harvey's Hideout (1969) — Author — 176 copies
Amaryllis Night and Day (2001) 175 copies
The Bat Tattoo (2002) 144 copies
Linger Awhile (2006) 138 copies
Fremder (1996) 138 copies
Angelica's Grotto (1999) 134 copies
Charlie the Tramp (1966) 127 copies
Her Name Was Lola (2003) 116 copies
Monsters (1989) 114 copies
Dinner at Alberta's (1974) 89 copies
Mr. Rinyo-Clacton's Offer (1998) 84 copies
Soonchild (2012) 82 copies
The Marzipan Pig (1986) 82 copies
Jim's Lion (2001) — Author — 77 copies
The Sea-Thing Child (1972) 76 copies
Rosie's Magic Horse (2012) 74 copies
Come Dance With Me (2005) 72 copies
Nothing to Do (1964) 70 copies
Angelica Lost and Found (2010) 59 copies
Trouble on Thunder Mountain (1999) 56 copies
The Moment Under the Moment (1992) 55 copies
The Trokeville Way (1996) 54 copies
Tom and the Two Handles (1965) 51 copies
Ace Dragon Ltd (1980) 45 copies
A Russell Hoban Omnibus (1999) 42 copies
La Corona and the Tin Frog (1821) 39 copies
The Frances Collection (2008) 38 copies
The Rain Door (1986) 35 copies
Arthur's New Power (1771) 29 copies
The Pedalling Man (1968) 24 copies
The Great Gumdrop Robbery (1981) 18 copies
Jim Frog (1983) 17 copies
The Dancing Tigers (1979) 14 copies
Lavinia Bat (1984) 13 copies
Ten What? (1973) 13 copies
The Flight of Bembel Rudzuk (1982) 12 copies
Herman the Loser (1961) 11 copies
Ponders (1988) 9 copies
Flat Cat (1980) 8 copies
They Came from Aargh! (1981) 8 copies
The Serpent Tower (1981) 7 copies
Save my place, (1967) 6 copies
Ugly Bird (1969) 5 copies
The Song in My Drum (1962) 5 copies
Court of Winged Serpent (1994) 4 copies
Some snow said hello (1963) 3 copies
Goodnight (1969) 3 copies
Jim Glotón (1992) 2 copies
Frances (2021) 2 copies
Monster Film (1995) 2 copies
Dark Oliver 1 copy
Leon boaz-jachin (1989) 1 copy
FANCY THAT! (2013) 1 copy

Associated Works

Household Tales {Crane} (1963) — Introduction, some editions — 769 copies
The Family Read-Aloud Christmas Treasury (1989) — Contributor — 273 copies
Granta 28: Birthday: The Anniversary Issue (1989) — Contributor — 150 copies
Granta 42: Krauts! (1992) — Contributor — 130 copies
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas [1977 TV movie] (1996) — Original story — 104 copies
Granta 10: Travel Writing (1984) — Contributor — 88 copies
Granta 8: Dirty Realism (1983) — Contributor — 72 copies
Granta 13: After the Revolution (1984) — Contributor — 54 copies
Granta 5: The Modern Common Wind (1982) — Contributor, some editions — 44 copies
Granta 9: John Berger, Boris (1983) — Contributor — 43 copies
Granta 3: The End of the English Novel (1980) — Contributor — 41 copies
Scary! 2: More Stories That Will Make You Scream (2001) — Contributor — 31 copies
Puffin Annual: No. 1 (Puffin Books) (1974) — Contributor — 20 copies
The Thorny Paradise: Writers on Writing for Children (1975) — Contributor — 15 copies
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 8, April 1975 (1975) — Contributor — 4 copies
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 11, July 1976 (1976) — Contributor — 3 copies
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 8, April 1976 (1976) — Contributor — 3 copies
Cricket Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 5, January 1979 (1979) — Contributor — 2 copies
Turtle Diary [1985 film] — Original story — 1 copy
The Marizipan Pig [1990 TV episode] — Original book — 1 copy

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Common Knowledge

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Children's book about clockwork mice in Name that Book (April 2009)

Reviews

‘Two minds full of turtle thoughts’

Quirky middle-aged single introverts ✅ mild existential introspection ✅ environmentally conscious anti-establishment animal rescue ✅ Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban couldn’t fail in seducing me with it’s heartwarming tale. The two said introverts coincidentally (due to the fact they don’t know each other) decide at the same time to do something about the two giant sea turtles at their local zoo which are kept cramped in a tiny tank. The turtles serve as the fulcrum to the lives of Neaera H. a scatty children’s author and new owner of a stolid water beetle and William G. a hard-up divorcee who has lost everything to his ex-wife, but this isn’t a particularly sentimental or predictable tale. It is rather an examination on middle age, loneliness, authenticity and self awareness.

The second role of the turtles is a metaphorical one: they are a symbol of being true to oneself, of concentrating on what is important in your life and accepting who you are. I have collected a lot of Hoban’s works after I read a review drawing comparisons between him and #kurtvonnegut. After my first venture I wouldn’t particularly agree with this, however there is no doubt he was a talented writer and I’m looking forward to the ten or so others of his books I’ve bought, happy in the knowledge he’s good and my unrestrained purchasing seems like it won’t end up being foolish!
… (more)
 
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Dzaowan | 18 other reviews | Feb 15, 2024 |
A cute and humorous look at sibling rivalry and bickering. Harvey Muskrat and his older sister, Mildred, try to one-up each other with the exciting things they are doing this summer, like a party or secret club, to which the other isn't invited.

I like the minimal but amusing impact of the parents on a story that is truly about the kids working things out for themselves.
 
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villemezbrown | 4 other reviews | Dec 25, 2023 |
The most exciting thing about this slim novel was figuring out it was written by the author of one of my boys' beloved childrens books, [Bread and Jam for Frances].

Other than that, it was sort of boring. The idea is kind of clever. Two strangers meet because they are both interested in freeing the giant sea turtles that they like to visit at the zoo. But the execution of the novel as a whole left a bit to be desired. There were some clever lines, but this book didn't grab me.
 
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japaul22 | 18 other reviews | Dec 20, 2023 |
#1225 in our old book database. Rated: Indifferent.

This book arrived in our library by way of my wife's childhood, so I have no sentimental attachment to it, but I do like the idea of near-sighted moles becoming fixated on seeing stars and deciding to take advantage of this newfangled present delivery system they've heard about run by a fat man in a red suit. I do like the mouse's amusing description of Christmas traditions, and Delver's haggling in his letter to Santa. It's a little off-putting that the crux of the story depends on a predator not following his instincts when being presented with easy prey, but as my wife points out, he was probably overcome by the Christmas spirit. So it works.… (more)
 
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villemezbrown | 5 other reviews | Dec 9, 2023 |

Lists

1970s (2)
1960s (1)

Awards

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Statistics

Works
109
Also by
27
Members
25,750
Popularity
#813
Rating
4.0
Reviews
446
ISBNs
703
Languages
16
Favorited
59

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