Gudgekin, the thistle girl, and other tales [Paperback]

John Gardner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1978

 

The classic children’s collection—now available as an ebook

John Gardner’s fairy-tale collection depicts a world where anything can happen—and often does

 

A humble thistle girl, a wise old philosopher, a hapless woodchopper, and an unscrupulous king—these are the vivid protagonists of Gardner’s masterful book for children. Richly and humorously drawn, they face challenges at every turn. And in a realm where any one of these unconventional heroes might triumph, the reader will delight in expecting the unexpected!

 

Inventive and illustrative, entertaining and edifying, these four stories demonstrate the quirky challenges of distinguishing between good and evil and living happily ever after.

 

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A jaunty treatment of time-honored fairy tales . . . fantastic fun.” —Publishers Weekly

“Everything is sacred and nothing is sacred. The form of the fairy tale is honored, but wild deviations are taken within it . . . Tables are turned this way and that, with consequences that are hilarious and wonderful.” —The New York Times Book Review

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 55 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; Bantam Skylark ed edition (1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553150219
• ISBN-13: 978-0553150216
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,219,279 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Gardner (1933-1982) was born in Batavia, New York. His critically acclaimed books include the novels Grendel, The Sunlight Dialogues, and October Light, for which he received the National Book Critics Circle Award, as well as several works of nonfiction and criticism such as On Becoming a Novelist. He was also a professor of medieval literature and a pioneering creative writing teacher whose students included Raymond Carver and Charles Johnson.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Truly bizarre, August 28, 2004

By 

Maesmiddle "Maesmiddle" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gudgekin, the Thistle Girl, and Other Tales (Library Binding)

I have had this book since my childhood, but never read it until my kids were in elementary school. These stories are fables but strange in a sort of James Thurber fashion. They are funny and odd and slightly disturbing. Gudgekin's story is similar at heart to Rumplestilzkin, but everything else is deeper and sort of funny. The Griffin tale is a very strange story. Please forgive this description but it's sort of funny and cerebral. I hate that terminology but there's no other way to describe it. It's a tale of an intellectual battle between a selfishly disruptive griffin and a meekly and un-confident philosopher. It's almost as though the author were making fun of people who try to make everything intellectual. The Shape-shifters story leaves me without anyway to descibe it but funny and disturbing. I can't even tell you what the basic plot is because I'm not sure except maybe a reflection on -- No, I'm not even going to try. The Sea Gulls is about the consequences of making a promise too hastily. This is a weird and slightly disturbing read. It's funny, though. You may be asking yourself, after this review, why I would even rate it as high as 3 stars. Well, it's one of those books that is weird enough that you should read it. Gudgekin is, by far, the best story in the book. Regardless of what kids are allowed to watch and read these days, I would not have a child under the age of 14 read this without an adult reading along. There are just too many things that will stir strange questions that children should not have to struggle with until they are older. Before you read this, I suggest you read James Thurber's "The thirteen Clocks" so that you can get the feel of this humor. Then read this with the understanding that it's the same humor just MUCH darker.

5.0 out of 5 stars 2nd grade thru Grad School, January 3, 2011

By 

Arnold F. Williams "Thoughts Online Magazine" (Santa Monica, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gudgekin the Thistle Girl: and Other Tales (Kindle Edition)

The second story in this volume covers an important problem in subatomic physics, but you'll only spot it if you have encountered it before. My kid, on the other hand, laughed several times at the characterizations and the fun of the story, as she did at the other stories.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding kids book for the slyly politically incorrect., February 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Gudgekin, the thistle girl, and other tales (Paperback)

One of the best books of my childhood. This is great stuff. Find it. Read it.