Helpful Score: 4
This was a really quick read, and I found the story delightful. Ms. Powell's writing style took me a chapter to get the hang of - she only indidcates conversations by paragraph indention rather than with quotation marks - very quickly I didn't even notice any longer. The Griffith household is one that invites children to have adventures and it is such a wonderful change from the stodgy household where Lily Newman lives with her parents. Lily's father is kept even more at a distance in the story as Ms. Powell refers to him as Mr. Newman throughout! I loved it! Anyway Lily and her mother, Charolotte, go to visit, Lily's aunt Beth Griffith and her boisterous, imaginative, gang of children (Lily's cousins) in their home in the country. The Mushroom Man is born in a bedtime fairytale, but launches an adventure that affects all the characters in the book in a positive way for each of them. I loved the magic of this story, and I loved the children rollicking about the woods and enjoying life that comes from having a highly developed imgination.
Helpful Score: 1
I began reading this book with trepidation, not sure at all that it was my cup of tea. I was in for a wonderful surprise! This slim volume is the most delightful fairytale for grownups. It is playful rather than cute, a whimsical fantastic little ride. If you are looking for a light-hearted escape from the world, give this little book a try. It is a slightly surreal gem of a book!
Helpful Score: 1
From Booklist:
Everyone's fed up with Charlotte's relentless uptightness. Her wealthy London husband is having a crude affair with Pavlova, their au pair. Her sister, Beth, a widowed painter living in Wales with her teenage son and somewhat younger triplet daughters, is hurt by Charlotte's coldness and contempt for her bohemian country ways. And Charlotte's only child, pretty six-year-old Lily, has had it with her strict mother's refusal to let her have any fun. Driven by a sense of superiority, which she calls duty, Charlotte finally deigns to bring Lily to visit Beth and her family. Her dreamy little daughter is instantly captivated by the beauty of the countryside, and by her imaginative cousins, one of whom tells her a story about the Mushroom Man, an invisible, tree-dwelling hermit and dear friend of the fairies. Lily takes off to find him and vanishes from sight, sending everyone into a panic.
This book was a very light and easy read. It was interesting how the author juxtaposed the very adult themes of sex and adultery with the idea of children's fairy tales and their desire for them to be real.
Everyone's fed up with Charlotte's relentless uptightness. Her wealthy London husband is having a crude affair with Pavlova, their au pair. Her sister, Beth, a widowed painter living in Wales with her teenage son and somewhat younger triplet daughters, is hurt by Charlotte's coldness and contempt for her bohemian country ways. And Charlotte's only child, pretty six-year-old Lily, has had it with her strict mother's refusal to let her have any fun. Driven by a sense of superiority, which she calls duty, Charlotte finally deigns to bring Lily to visit Beth and her family. Her dreamy little daughter is instantly captivated by the beauty of the countryside, and by her imaginative cousins, one of whom tells her a story about the Mushroom Man, an invisible, tree-dwelling hermit and dear friend of the fairies. Lily takes off to find him and vanishes from sight, sending everyone into a panic.
This book was a very light and easy read. It was interesting how the author juxtaposed the very adult themes of sex and adultery with the idea of children's fairy tales and their desire for them to be real.
could have been better. too much of a pat happy ending. The 6 year old girl was realistically portrayed though.
A lovely combination of family drama, Celtic myth and hope.
An unusual story. A quick read.