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A review by a_blue_box_full_of_books
Treacle Walker by Alan Garner
5.0
I have always been fascinated by Folklore and Myths, so I knew Treacle Walker would be a hit. Digging into old English beliefs and stories, Alan Garner created a fun and coming of age adventure where a little boy meets a strange traveler, possibly from another Realm.
Joseph Coppock lives alone in a little house and spends his time reading comic books, collecting birds’ eggs, and playing with marbles. His daily routine comes to an end when he meets Treacle Walker, a rag-and-bone man who offers cure-all medicine (except for jealousy !). Trading an old pair of pajamas and a lamb's shoulder blade from his museum of curiosities, Joseph receives a white jar and a donkey stone. From there, strange things start happening to the young boy who discovers a world beyond his imagination.
I really loved this novel ! Saying I understood all of it would be a lie (Garner uses old English and invented words in part of the book), but I enjoyed it enough to want to read more of the author’s work (I just ordered his book of British Fairy Tales ). Part of the fun was to recognize the folkloric aspect of the story. If you love the work of Terri Windling, Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke or Ellen Kushner’s Thomas the Rhymer, you will fall in love with Alan Garner’s book.
Joseph Coppock lives alone in a little house and spends his time reading comic books, collecting birds’ eggs, and playing with marbles. His daily routine comes to an end when he meets Treacle Walker, a rag-and-bone man who offers cure-all medicine (except for jealousy !). Trading an old pair of pajamas and a lamb's shoulder blade from his museum of curiosities, Joseph receives a white jar and a donkey stone. From there, strange things start happening to the young boy who discovers a world beyond his imagination.
I really loved this novel ! Saying I understood all of it would be a lie (Garner uses old English and invented words in part of the book), but I enjoyed it enough to want to read more of the author’s work (I just ordered his book of British Fairy Tales ). Part of the fun was to recognize the folkloric aspect of the story. If you love the work of Terri Windling, Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke or Ellen Kushner’s Thomas the Rhymer, you will fall in love with Alan Garner’s book.