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A review by malikasbooks
The Doldrums by Nicholas Gannon
5.0
The Doldrums is a story of a boy with neither friends nor adventure, desperately longing for both, who gets his wish without ever leaving his home town. Not only did I love this book, but I know that I would have loved this book even more if I read it as a kid. It's funny and unpredictable, and it made me feel intensely (loneliness with Arthur, pride in his friends, fear when the adventure goes awry, and absolute loathing for the villians - Mrs. Murkley and, arguably, Mr. and Mrs. Helmsley).
Mr. Gannon's writing style is simple, accessible, but with a depth not often attempted by children's authors. His story is dotted with observations and truths so profound and simply stated that they can stick with readers, regardless whether they are old enough to fully understand.
Mr. Gannon's characters are those characters of which the feminists and child psychologists say we need more, for the betterment of our children, but they are so perfectly unassuming and ordinary that I had too much fun to notice I was being bettered. When was the last time you read about a character with a wooden leg that wasn't either a bad guy or a tragic ending? Mr. Gannon handles these difficult subjects (loneliness, disappointing your parents, fear, friendship, and yes, even having a wooden leg) with grace and honesty. Each character gives the reader an opportunity to see him- or herself in them, and love what they see.
And the art? Magical. It's simple, but with a delightful level of detail, that complements rather than distracts from the story.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to readers and dreamers of any age.
Mr. Gannon's writing style is simple, accessible, but with a depth not often attempted by children's authors. His story is dotted with observations and truths so profound and simply stated that they can stick with readers, regardless whether they are old enough to fully understand.
Mr. Gannon's characters are those characters of which the feminists and child psychologists say we need more, for the betterment of our children, but they are so perfectly unassuming and ordinary that I had too much fun to notice I was being bettered. When was the last time you read about a character with a wooden leg that wasn't either a bad guy or a tragic ending? Mr. Gannon handles these difficult subjects (loneliness, disappointing your parents, fear, friendship, and yes, even having a wooden leg) with grace and honesty. Each character gives the reader an opportunity to see him- or herself in them, and love what they see.
And the art? Magical. It's simple, but with a delightful level of detail, that complements rather than distracts from the story.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it to readers and dreamers of any age.