A collection of ten stories by a Russian writer who, after the overthrow of the tsar, turned to writing children's stories when he could no longer publish his politically charged adult works. "Hilarious as well as absurd."-Book Links
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up?Kharms, a Russian author who "disappeared" during Stalin's regime, turned to writing for children when he could no longer safely publish his adult works. The 10 stories and poems presented here reflect an absurdist's view of life. The situations are often unsettling, the word images jarring, and the characters symbols for larger issues. In one story, a carpenter falls so often on the ice and is eventually so covered with bandages that his family no longer recognizes him and won't let him into his apartment. In one of the more accessible poems, people wave at balloons with hats, canes, rolls, cats, chairs, and lamps. Using a vibrant selection of colored inks, sketchy brushwork, and black outlining, Arnold's illustrations are a visual assault on the senses. Think of Dr. Seuss mingled with Marc Chagall. This may be the desired effect, but given the quirky, image-filled text, the pictures often seem unnecessary. It's as if every poem in Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends (HarperCollins, 1974) were illustrated by a dozen separate images. Some of the more successful artwork deals concretely with the social conditions of Stalinist Russia. For example, the poem "A Man Left His House" is perfectly complemented by a backdrop of search warrants. While this book will introduce Kharms's life and work to a larger audience, it is difficult to determine who that audience will be. The ideal readership may be older students who are studying the effect Communism had upon the Russian people.?Denise Anton Wright, Alliance Library System, Bloomington, IL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"A comic master of Russian juvenile." -- Michael Patrick Hearn
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5.0 out of 5 stars
if you like absurdist,
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This review is from: It Happened Like This: Stories and Poems (Hardcover)
I've been a long-time Kharms fan & was delighted to find this book. I immediately sat down on the floor to read the whole thing & laughed and laughed. I bought it for my one-year-old niece, who is certainly too young to appreciate it -- but hopefully will develop to appreciate this lovely little nugget.
The humor may not be for the un-funny, so I'd advise you to look up some Kharms excerpts (there's plenty free on the internet) first to see if it's too your tastes.
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