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A review by pkfire199x
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
4.0
Navigating through the minefield of YA and Children's literature in order to find the cream of the crop is an arduous task. As with any genre that has become oversaturated within recent decades, it becomes plain to see that there is a status quo to be met; a formula, if you will, to follow, for publishers wanting to make the most money, and authors who are chasing the limelight. Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of borderline (and blatant) plagiarism and sameness in the pursuit of writing the next big thing, ending in the publication of a lot of substandard books. Even worse is the fact that this method of unoriginality on the author's part is encouraged by many readers who desire to keep reading the same sort of story over and over again. Whether it be YA or high fantasy or shonen manga, there is a certain popular demand to be met, and standards have dropped as a result of this.
But, on special occasions, you will find those special gems; the stories that stick with you for years, that put other books in its respective genre to shame. The Mysterious Benedict Society (TMBS) is, without a doubt, one of those special books. It's one of the few titles that has remained impressed upon me ever since my first reading of it nearly thirteen years ago, and now I find that I have a deeper appreciation and respect for what Stewart accomplished here in the beginning of the tetralogy.
To be able to write Children's and YA books well, a marvelous cast of characters is a must. But, not only must they be marvelous, but they must also be wholly relatable; real. Stewart's cast is exceptional because he's not afraid to make them as real as he can: flawed, faceted, and developed. I was surprised by how complex one of the main characters was, as there were things he was going through and thoughts he had that I was able to appreciate more as an adult now. And yet, I was still able to relate to him when I was a child, and desire many of the same things he did, too, just in a far simpler way. The four children that the story revolves around are just bursting with life, with humor, and with longing. Togetherness and coming-of-age are at the heart of this book, and Stewart has a keen understanding of these concepts as they flourish in his novel. Many a time, I was touched and moved by certain passages in ways I never thought I would be when rereading TMBS. Stewart's writing so readily connected with me, spoke to me in ways that so many other books never have. It is a struggle to build a powerful scene at the right time and place in a story, yet for Stewart, it just seems so easy for him to accomplish.
And while Stewart's writing can be very heart-warming, it can also be dark and sardonic, surreal and strange. At times it is reminiscent of Lewis Carroll, and at other times, Roald Dahl. Mix that in with a Victorian-esque flair, and you have some wonderful writing on your hands. Stewart is no stranger to humor, either. Like Dahl or Lemony Snicket, Stewart has a good handle on all sorts of jokes, be it black humor or slapstick, and even when it comes to certain naming choices, Stewart still had me laughing. Similarly to Neil Gaiman or Snicket, there will be names that are almost unbelievable but are so absurd or interesting that they just work in Stewart's favor. Additionally, if you like puzzles, then there are a great deal of those that the main characters must solve, which are included in a natural manner, making them a joy to read about and to even try solving yourself before the main characters do.
Unfortunately, Stewart's writing isn't always consistent. One of his major shortcomings as a writer is how he can tend to drag things out in certain places. He may repeat the same thing thrice when it's already been established, or linger too long before transitioning scenes, but this is mostly forgivable since those moments are interposed by intrigue or entertaining character interactions. His mild penchant for overstaying his welcome is nowhere near as overbearing as some other authors I've had the displeasure of reading. Beyond certain moments, though, Stewart maintains a good pace, and is able to continually find ways to heighten the mystery of the story until you're saying to yourself, "I've just got to find out what happens next." Stewart can also tend to say a bit too much for his own characters rather than intimating their thoughts and actions, but again, this is not often, nor is it too great an issue. Still, it's a shame, as the book would become better without the extra intrusions from the author.
Now, relating back to my first point about sameness in the genres, I've seen that some people will claim that TMBS bears too much resemblance to A Series of Unfortunate Events, and while it is clear that Trenton Lee Stewart was certainly influenced by Lemony Snicket, Stewart produced a totally different animal, and even managed to surpass Snicket with TMBS #1 alone. While Unfortunate Events does present its dark humor, stakes, and suspense quite well, it lacks the kind of crucial character development found within TMBS, not to mention how the plot and scope of events are completely different between the two series. While Snicket's characters share archetypes with Stewart's, it's Stewart's characters who are more dynamic and alive as opposed to Snicket's virtually static trio. The themes, as well, are not explored nearly as deeply by Snicket as they are by Stewart. I still love me some Lemony Snicket books, but Stewart is simply a much better author. Of course, one can never detach themselves completely from their sources--what ideas would be left for them to write about, for them to build upon from experience?--and so it is imperative for writers to avoid using their influences as a crutch that would lead them to repeating what's already been done. Stewart did not use his sources as crutches; he did not reinvent the wheel. Instead, he improved upon it by distancing himself enough from his sources while still holding onto a necessary amount of imaginative whimsy and inspiration from them, innovating in a rather niche area. Alas, the innovative writer is seldom valued nowadays, and fresh ideas often go unnoticed in favor of cliche and familiarity.
Out of the hundreds of books I had read when I was young, it's hard to find a story that pushes all the right buttons quite like TMBS #1 does. Though it has its flaws, the first book still remains as an impressive piece of literature that mystery readers of all ages may enjoy. Trenton Lee Stewart, with his brilliance and imagination, wrote an indelible book that has stuck with me for years, and it seems as though it were just yesterday that I saw the curious cover on a bookshelf at my library and sat down with it to gauge the first chapter--a decision that I'll never regret. And, years later, I'm glad that I can be reunited with this series and look at it through a more mature lens, and to confirm that, yes: The Mysterious Benedict Society is still the cream of the crop.
But, on special occasions, you will find those special gems; the stories that stick with you for years, that put other books in its respective genre to shame. The Mysterious Benedict Society (TMBS) is, without a doubt, one of those special books. It's one of the few titles that has remained impressed upon me ever since my first reading of it nearly thirteen years ago, and now I find that I have a deeper appreciation and respect for what Stewart accomplished here in the beginning of the tetralogy.
To be able to write Children's and YA books well, a marvelous cast of characters is a must. But, not only must they be marvelous, but they must also be wholly relatable; real. Stewart's cast is exceptional because he's not afraid to make them as real as he can: flawed, faceted, and developed. I was surprised by how complex one of the main characters was, as there were things he was going through and thoughts he had that I was able to appreciate more as an adult now. And yet, I was still able to relate to him when I was a child, and desire many of the same things he did, too, just in a far simpler way. The four children that the story revolves around are just bursting with life, with humor, and with longing. Togetherness and coming-of-age are at the heart of this book, and Stewart has a keen understanding of these concepts as they flourish in his novel. Many a time, I was touched and moved by certain passages in ways I never thought I would be when rereading TMBS. Stewart's writing so readily connected with me, spoke to me in ways that so many other books never have. It is a struggle to build a powerful scene at the right time and place in a story, yet for Stewart, it just seems so easy for him to accomplish.
And while Stewart's writing can be very heart-warming, it can also be dark and sardonic, surreal and strange. At times it is reminiscent of Lewis Carroll, and at other times, Roald Dahl. Mix that in with a Victorian-esque flair, and you have some wonderful writing on your hands. Stewart is no stranger to humor, either. Like Dahl or Lemony Snicket, Stewart has a good handle on all sorts of jokes, be it black humor or slapstick, and even when it comes to certain naming choices, Stewart still had me laughing. Similarly to Neil Gaiman or Snicket, there will be names that are almost unbelievable but are so absurd or interesting that they just work in Stewart's favor. Additionally, if you like puzzles, then there are a great deal of those that the main characters must solve, which are included in a natural manner, making them a joy to read about and to even try solving yourself before the main characters do.
Unfortunately, Stewart's writing isn't always consistent. One of his major shortcomings as a writer is how he can tend to drag things out in certain places. He may repeat the same thing thrice when it's already been established, or linger too long before transitioning scenes, but this is mostly forgivable since those moments are interposed by intrigue or entertaining character interactions. His mild penchant for overstaying his welcome is nowhere near as overbearing as some other authors I've had the displeasure of reading. Beyond certain moments, though, Stewart maintains a good pace, and is able to continually find ways to heighten the mystery of the story until you're saying to yourself, "I've just got to find out what happens next." Stewart can also tend to say a bit too much for his own characters rather than intimating their thoughts and actions, but again, this is not often, nor is it too great an issue. Still, it's a shame, as the book would become better without the extra intrusions from the author.
Now, relating back to my first point about sameness in the genres, I've seen that some people will claim that TMBS bears too much resemblance to A Series of Unfortunate Events, and while it is clear that Trenton Lee Stewart was certainly influenced by Lemony Snicket, Stewart produced a totally different animal, and even managed to surpass Snicket with TMBS #1 alone. While Unfortunate Events does present its dark humor, stakes, and suspense quite well, it lacks the kind of crucial character development found within TMBS, not to mention how the plot and scope of events are completely different between the two series. While Snicket's characters share archetypes with Stewart's, it's Stewart's characters who are more dynamic and alive as opposed to Snicket's virtually static trio. The themes, as well, are not explored nearly as deeply by Snicket as they are by Stewart. I still love me some Lemony Snicket books, but Stewart is simply a much better author. Of course, one can never detach themselves completely from their sources--what ideas would be left for them to write about, for them to build upon from experience?--and so it is imperative for writers to avoid using their influences as a crutch that would lead them to repeating what's already been done. Stewart did not use his sources as crutches; he did not reinvent the wheel. Instead, he improved upon it by distancing himself enough from his sources while still holding onto a necessary amount of imaginative whimsy and inspiration from them, innovating in a rather niche area. Alas, the innovative writer is seldom valued nowadays, and fresh ideas often go unnoticed in favor of cliche and familiarity.
Out of the hundreds of books I had read when I was young, it's hard to find a story that pushes all the right buttons quite like TMBS #1 does. Though it has its flaws, the first book still remains as an impressive piece of literature that mystery readers of all ages may enjoy. Trenton Lee Stewart, with his brilliance and imagination, wrote an indelible book that has stuck with me for years, and it seems as though it were just yesterday that I saw the curious cover on a bookshelf at my library and sat down with it to gauge the first chapter--a decision that I'll never regret. And, years later, I'm glad that I can be reunited with this series and look at it through a more mature lens, and to confirm that, yes: The Mysterious Benedict Society is still the cream of the crop.