Customer Reviews

Awful End (Eddie Dickens Trilogy)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My dyslexic son bought this book and the sequel while we were in
Oxford, England and we absolutely loved them. We could readily picture all of the characters and the things they were involved in. My son was 11 at the time and loved having it read to him every night. We have just purchased our first Lemony Snicket book as we grew tired of waiting for the final book in this trilogy. Perhaps we found it so entertaining as I am an upper elementary teacher and his father a middle school teacher and we know these characters on a personal level. It is well worth exploring. I have also read it to my students and they beg for more.

Firstly,lets cut through all the treacle....if this book suffers from one thing,it's the comparrisons,that not only the book jacket gives,but most ill-read reviewers. Comparrisons to Monty Python (because it's British,and eccentric in spots ),Lemony Snickett ( because it's bad things happening to a child antagonist ),and Charles Dickens ( because of the name ). Well folks,Roald Dahl was doing stories about bad things happening to children long before Lemony Snickett or Monty Python,and Charles Dickens was doing stories about bad things happening to Victorian children before him. So Who Sues Who?
( A question which here means: "Stop crying wolf.")

HISTORY LESSON OVER....REVIEW BEGINS HERE:

This is a fun little book. It's silly. It's definitely written more for children than the adventures of the Baudelaire Children. It's also quite British in it's humours,but that by no means,means Americans and other foreigners won't enjoy it and laugh along. Young Eddie Dickens is sent to live with his Loony Aunt & Uncle and a stuffed stoat,at Awful End. And this book is the tale of what happens when they encounter Insane Actors,Highwaymen,The Empress of China,A Nosey Peeler(or "copper" to you. ),A Suspect Orphanage,and an Amusing Cow Shaped Parade Float. This is a good read for children,and fun for those adults who aren't too grown up. I also enjoyed the artwork,which has that "Willy Wonka"/"Edward Gorey" appeal to it.

A House Called Awful End is a hilariously funny book. But it's too short. It might just be me because I think I'm a bit old for the series, but it's still really good and a definite filler for Lemony Snicket Fans like me who are eagerly awaiting his next book.

I absolutely loved this book. I picked it up from the bookstore because it reminded me of the Unfortunate Series. It is so funny that I couldn't put it down. One of the best parts in it (I almost peed my pants!) the author writes that Eddie took a seat in the carriage and Eddie's Mad Aunt Maud says, "Put that back!" *LOL* I was rolling. I agree with the other critique on here also, but I think that maybe this one is better than the Lemony Snicket books.

Before I go on with this story, I suppose I should explain that I love funny stories with lots of laughs (like this one) that capture the reader's attention with comedy.

Awful End is about the unfortunate Eddie Dickens, a little boy with sick parents who goes to live at a place known as Awful End. Eddie is brought to Awful End by his "Mad" Uncle Jack, "Mad" Aunt Maude and a stuffed stoat named Malcolm (or Sally). When little Eddie finds himself in a place called the Coaching Inn, some incredible things happen there. And when the Coaching Inn's actor-manager, Mr. Pumblesnook, "attacks" them on the road, there are even more laughs! But when there's a fire in Mr. and Mrs. Dickens house, and their Gentlemen's Gentlemen doesn't know what to do except to fry eggs, Mr. and Mrs. Dickens make their own escape. They start looking for Eddie, who in the meantime is in Saint Horrid's home for Ungrateful Orphans.

There weren't any parts that I didn't like in this hilarious book, but my favorite scene is when the author is describing the fire (which is actually quite funny) and how there is a mix-up between the Gentleman's Gentleman and Mrs. Dickens (the frying eggs one). I liked this book a lot and I hope you will too.

I like Lemony Snicket. But, at some point the whole world weary sour thing can become so predictable and formulaic that it is just tedious. Well, this is Snicket lite - a little more sense of fun and a little more silliness without the bitter aftertaste.

But, like Snicket, it still only works in small doses; I don't know if I could take too much of this in one sitting. Luckily, the book is a manageable length and lends itself to chapter reading over the course of a few bedtimes. It does seem like this would be a good choice to add a little variety to the kids' library.

This book, along with the other two books in the trilogy and the two books in the Unlikely Exploits series, are really something special, as is Mr. Ardagh, who goes out of his way to connect with his fans. The stories and characters are unusual and extremely funny -- I laugh out loud quite often. Ardagh even manages to make his glossaries hilarious. I would even call this series educational, as it is historical fiction -- I certainly learned a lot about the time period depicted (including its slang!).

Regarding the oft-made comparison to A Series of Unfortunate Events, those books are a quite a bit more gloomy than these, and in fact the Dickens trilogy was written first (and not initially intended for publication). I would recommend Ardagh's books not just to fans of that series, but truly to anyone who enjoys a good chuckle and a great story!

I am a fifth grade weirdo who LOVES comedy, so, of course, I LOVE this book. This is not a carbon copy of Lemony Snicket. And remember, these were originally written as installments to his nephew who was in boarding school at the time, and it also states quite clearly in the author's note: "I never expected the letters would become a book, but they did!"

THE PLOT...

I'm not going to give too much away, but here is an overview of the plot.

Eddie Dickens's parents catch a terrible disease, and he is sent to go live with his Mad Uncle Jack and Even Madder Aunt Maud. They both live up to their name. On their way, they stop at the Coaching Inn coaching inn (not a typo), meet an insane actor-manager, and other h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s (funny) things. Near the end, Eddie is told to act as a little orphan boy by the above-mentioned actor-manager, and gets sent to St. Horrid's Home for Grateful Orphans (a jail-like place run by horribly terrible people with crappy, unedible food) but organizes a mass breakout and escapes. Blah blah (...). Ignore the one-star reviews. Just buy it!!!!!

When Eddie's parents get an awful disease, that you wouldn't believe, he is forced to live with his great aunt and uncle.They aren't normal they are completly crazy.His Great Aunt Maud has a stuffed stoat that she treats like a person.His Great Uncle Jack puts his horse in a room and puts Eddie in a trunk in the stable. I thought this was a very funny book that is unlike any other book that I have ever read.Hope you like it!

Philip Ardagh's short novel is his first in what is billed as a trillogy of novels concerning Eddie Dickens, a young boy living in England, and the silly things that befall him. Eddie's parents fall ill with an "awful disease that made them turn yellow, go a bit crinkly around the edges, and smell of old hot water bottles." During their illness, his parents wish him to go live with Mad Uncle Jack at Uncle Jack's house, Awful End. While Mad Uncle Jack is strange, Mad Aunt Maud is truly insane. She carries around a stuffed stoat (presumably once living, but that is never made clear) she calls Malcolm, and is not above hitting people with it. Through a series of crazy events Eddie winds up in St. Horrid's Home for Grateful Orphans. Escaping from St. Horrid's is Eddie's next obstacle.

Ardagh informs the reader that this story about Eddie was originally written as a series of letters to entertain his nephew in boarding school. Since Ardagh is British, he has used some terms that are common in British English, but rare or unheard-of in American English. Fortunately Ardagh also includes a Glossary, explaining these terms to his American audience.

Many adults and older children will find Awful End to be tedious foolishness. However, as is illustrated by the popularity of Lemony Snicket's absurd stories, silliness is popular with children. Adults who enjoy goofiness will giggle over the implications of such things as Eddie's last name being Dickens (conjuring images of Charles Dickens and his orphans). Fans of ridiculous nonsense are in for a treat; those that find such wackiness annoying should steer clear.