Donald Has a Difficulty [Hardcover]

Peter Neumeyer (Author), Edward Gorey (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

This is the story of a boy named Donald who enlists his wise mother's aid in removing a splinter. She tells him to think of markets, and strings, and battles, and he therefore doesn't feel its removal. However, when she calls him back to treat the wound, he forgets to think of those things and feels the sting.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter F. Neumeyer is the author of many books for children and adults and a regular book reviewer for The Boston Globe and other publications. Edward Gorey illustrated nearly 100 books from 1953 until his death in 2000.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810948354
• ISBN-13: 978-0810948358
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic restored to us, June 16, 2004

By 

Kevin Killian (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Donald Has a Difficulty (Hardcover)

Haven't seen this book since I was a boy myself, but its republication is one of the great events in the publishing world of 1970. Gorey is, of course, well known for his quirky antiquarian drawings and his bizarre sense of black humor, but his work with Peter Neumeyer isn't as familiar as the stories he wrote on his own. Collaboration didn't make Gorey's particular genius any less strange; indeed it sharpened the wit and the eerie conceptualization of these drawings.

Little "Donald" is rather a creepy boy himself, but he's downright appealing next to his mother, who spends the entire book picking a splinter out of poor Donald's leg with a needle and tweezers, and then seeing to the aftermath of his wound with alcohol and a very large pillow. She will remind you of the part Katharine Hepburn played in LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT.

Hooray for Donald, Gorey, Abrams and Neumeyer!

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, October 20, 2005

By 

R. J. Tuggy (Georgia, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Donald Has a Difficulty (Hardcover)

I've been a mild fan of Gorey for years, but this little book sent me right over the edge. I bring it out and read it to visitors. It helps me decide who my real friends are. The sparse text makes the story that much more surreal and enjoyable.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky Fun for Children, Adults Will Marvel at the Artwork., August 1, 2009

By 

R. Silva "Rick Silva" (Cape Cod MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Donald Has a Difficulty (Hardcover)

This lovely little hardcover was the result of a longstanding correspondence and collaboration between Neumeyer and Gorey.

Young Donald is out playing in the woods, when he gets a splinter in the calf of his leg while pushing a tree. Fortunately, his mother is wise in the ways of splinters, and she calls upon her skills to attend to Donald's wound.

The text is simple, yet skillfully worded. The illustrations are classic Edward Gorey, especially during a sequence of daydreams that Donald uses to distract himself while his mother sets to work on the splinter.

Neumeyer's afterword gives some insight into his friendship and collaboration with the sometimes enigmatic Gorey.

This is the kind of quirky, fun book that children will find appealing while their parents marvel at the artwork.