A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears

I’ve loved The Phantom Tollbooth for years, so when I saw that those who like that book would likely like this one, I knew I wanted to read this. My chance came when I was looking for the next book to read aloud to my siblings, and I thought of this one. Almost everyone in the family loved it! I agree with Kirkus Reviews when they said it’s “wild and loose”. That’s an apt way to describe this book. I’d also add hilarious, imaginative, wacky (in the best sense of the term possible), and downright delightful to the list of descriptions as well. This book takes all the classic hallmarks of a good fantasy and turns it on its head (in a good way), while at the same time drawing inspiration from a plethora of fairy tales, fables, show more legends, and suchlike. Add to that the amusing side-notes from the author and the crazy literary devices that pop up frequently, and you might start to get a picture of what this book is about.

Frankly, it’s ridiculous, and probably not all that worthwhile. If you’re the type of person that likes to read books that have some form of reality in them, this is not the book for you. But if you enjoy letting an author take you on a journey sometimes, and stretch the normal bounds of what you would call a good story just a little, I think you’d enjoy it. This is the kind of book that either you’d really enjoy, or you wouldn’t—and for almost everyone in my family, we loved it. Recommended. show less

Silly and wise. A postmodern fairy tale romp about growing up. And not in a sappy way.

This is my all-time favorite book. Funny, pithy, poignant and wise, it's a great book for all ages.

A really great book. Great for the young and the old. Light, but laugh out loud funny.