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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
An Insult to Readers of All Ages, March 22, 2002
Louise Fitzhugh wrote serious books for serious children. Anybody who has ventured past Harriet The Spy to read The Long Secret (the real sequel) or the unrelated Nobody's Family Is Going To Change knows this. Ericson's work (fairly labeled a "companion" piece rather than a sequel) contains none of the seriousness of the original Harriet novels. We are given a predictable plot (gee, I wonder why Ole Golly is cranky and going to the doctor so much), a formulaically "kooky" new character (Rosarita Sauvage -- is Ericson planning a spinoff from this desecration?), zero social commentary (Fitzhugh's work was loaded with it) and, worst of all, a DUMBED-DOWN Harriet for a protagonist. It's true, Ericson has a decent grasp of Harriet's personality, but this is betrayed by how long Harriet remains clueless about Ole Golly's "condition". In The Long Secret (I wonder if Ms. Ericson's even read this book), Harriet solved a mystery which was a legitimate challenge. We, the readers, may have beat her to it, but we had much more information than Harriet did. In Harriet Spies Again we are unfairly imprisoned in a mind more appropriate of a nine-year-old (Harriet is supposed to be twelve). I'll be honest: I didn't think Sport (the third -- and final! -- story of Harriet and friends) was worthy of it's posthumous publication, either. But then, it's been years since I read that one. I picked up Harriet Spies Again while on a mission for The Long Secret. I read this new book first, and my initial reaction was MERELY tepid. Then, I plunged into The Long Secret, the story of Beth Ellen Hansen (with Harriet as supporting character) . . . and I was stunned at how good it was. Now, I'll have to read Sport again. It's probably better than I remember. It certaintly can't be worse than Harriet Spies Again. I have attempted to keep my trashing of this book to a minimum. It's worthy of two stars, simply because it's a decent book for kids age 6 - 9. It's not worthy of Lousie Fitzhugh fans, though. Most importantly: If you loved Harriet the Spy, you must remember that the magic of that book is overflowing from its (real) sequel, The Long Secret. It's probably evident in Sport, too. Choose Helen Ericson's new book ONLY as a last resort -- you Harriet junkie, you. ;) What were Fitzhugh's survivors thinking??? First Rosie O'Donnell, then this. *sigh*
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Will the real Harriet please expose this imposter?, April 10, 2003
In a concept fraught with peril, this sequel to Harriet the Spy (authorized by the estate of the late Louise Fitzhugh, but why??), has some redeeming details, such as the increased role of the prickly Cook. Unfortunately, the plot has turned Harriet into an obtuse narcissist. Instead of writing and observing, now she makes wild ridiculous speculations and spends her time, not on her notebook, but on a timeline of her life. Janie has disappeared in order to introduce a mysterious new girl across the street, though this intriguing character isnt developed. Newer readers are likely to be more entertained than die-hard Harriet fans, who are apt to be appalled at this caricature of our beloved heroine.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dismayed -- If Not Quite Appalled., March 27, 2002
The classic "Harriet the Spy" is a book I find eminently re-readable. It functions simultaneously on a child's level, and an adult's level -- at 25, I find social commentary I missed at age ten. In this companion piece, it's disturbing how much Louise Fitzhugh's character has been "dumbed down". The mystery Ms. Ericson creates is appropriate for an eight-year-old, yet the twelve-year-old Harriet is supposedly absorbed by it. Worse, there's no *real* story to accompany the mystery. "Harriet the Spy" (and its sequel, "The Long Secret") had deeper things going on while Harriet scurried around spying and scribbling. There is no social commentary here, unlike the original, and those who were entranced by Beth Ellen's angst in "Secret" will find nothing nearly as compelling this new book. "Harriet Spies Again" compares most aptly with "Sport", the simplest and shallowest of Fitzhugh's trilogy. But then, there's no character as disturbing as Charlotte Vane here, either -- just the predictably "kooky" Rosarita. The new Harriet lives, ironically, in a much safer world than her classic incarnation. Don't get me wrong: Helen Ericson has talent, and Harriet's basic personality is evident here. She could have done a decent Harriet PREQUEL, albeit with a different plot. This piece is age-inappropriate, one-dimensional, and after reading it you (or your child) will be entirely unchanged . . . unchallenged . . . and possibly insulted.
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