Customer Reviews

Kneeknock Rise (Sunburst Book)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

We had the honor of having Mrs. Babbitt read the final chapter to our second graders. They enjoyed debating the issue of whether the Megrimum was real or not. The joy about the book and the author is that each reader must decide. As for me I believe the Megrimum will live forever.

The best thing about this story is the setup, involving a weirdly mist-shrouded hill that, according to legend, is haunted by a man-eating demon. After that -- let's just say that a reader who expects nothing will not be disappointed. I will start with relatively minor quibbles, and work my way up. Spoilers will follow:

The story works best as a mystery, but is clumsy even on that level. As in "Tuck Everlasting", Babbitt's weakness is lazy plotting and contrived character motivations. Can we really believe that a young boy would simply decide to journey in the dead of night, in a rainstorm, armed only with a stick, accompanied only by a small elderly dog, to do battle with a giant man-eating demon who he knows or at least believes has devoured every human who has encountered it? Why would he would not turn back, even after hearing the demon's larger-than-life howls? Would he really do this just for dare? Is he suicidal? Could he not at least have taken with him (for instance) a purported magic charm, or some other flimsy basis for hoping he might be able to defeat the demon rather than merely die a horrible death?

The purpose of this contrivance, supposedly, is to get our fearless hero to the lonely hilltop so he can solve the mystery. But instead of discovering for himself, he just happens, by coincidence, to meet on the hilltop an Adult-Explainer-Ex-Machina who TELLS him what is -- and, perhaps more importantly to Babbitt, what is NOT -- on the hill. I guess Babbitt felt constrained to rely on this contrivance because of the inherent impossibility of proving a negative.

But the worst of it is that, after the mystery is (sort of) resolved, we are then forced to endure the nihilistic MORAL, mouthed by yet another Adult Explainer. Referring to the hill demon, he says:

"Nephew, I'll tell you what I think. I think it doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is whether you want to believe that he is there or not. And if your mind is made up, all the facts in the world won't make a difference."

You hear that kiddies? Why invest the intense effort required for actual learning when you can just believe whatever you please? Why endure the sacrifices that come with honesty and integrity when you can just say what people want to hear? As is repeatedly emphasized elsewhere in this book, knowing the truth and telling the truth can only make you and others miserable.

What makes the above nihilism particularly bizarre is the context: Here we have an adult - and a parent - taking the position that it does not matter whether or not a nearby hill is home to a man-eating monster. That is rather like saying that it does not matter whether or not the next-door neighbor is a serial killer. Of course it matters!

If you want spooky stories with rational explanations, I am sure you will find better than this. You can try Washington Irving, for starters. You can even watch Scooby Doo! At least the Scooby gang has the sense to flee in terror when the monster gives chase. They seem to realize something this author does not -- that it does indeed matter whether or not the monster is real.

Others have told the story of this children's book, so I won't rehash it. Some of the younger readers have also shown their jaded natures in panning it, but I found it to be interesting, if a bit disconcerting, which is, perhaps, what the author wanted the book to be all about. I am not sure. Babbitt's writing style has some very, very good visual images, and her characterizations are well-drawn. My rating starts with that, at least.

But it is the 'moral' of the story that continues to bother me. We all find out that some things we believed in childhood, are no longer true when we come to a certain age; and that is a part of growing up.

But what we come to find is not true, often are not the things themselves, but how OTHERS have viewed them- and it is this false insight, which make us cynical as we age. That is both an enlightenment and a curse. And that, I think, is the 'moral' the author conveys in Kneeknock rise. At least Babbitt leaves us with the understanding that both the uncle and the child know 'what is true,' but BOTH are content to understand it as true in their own way, without coming to believe that the world they inhabit is false- rather, they know truth as part of the whole, and realize the delusion rests just among the mortals with which they have to interact.

Age range for this novel is difficult to pin down. As an adult, the 'moral' is still resonating with me, a week after I read it. But the simple conclusion the book COULD afford, means that it should not be read to those too young to grasp the subtlety of,for instance, say the real person- St. Nicholas of Myra; (who did exist, and does within the pantheon of Orthodox saints) and our American Santa claus, who.... well, you know.

Age range? oh, 9-10. I think one could even assign this as a book to read, but it might/should be better as a 'read-aloud' at home, with parents to answer the tough existential questions. But even here, one has to ask one's self the question, do we want a cynical 10 year old...or at least one more... around, when the joy of childhood and it's naivete are so much more to be prized? As a HS dad, I find the already encroaching worldliness of a child having spent ONE year in PS hard to bear. Now that I am HS myself, that innocence and gentleness of spirit is slowly returning. And that is something I would not want to die within myself, or my children. A book such as this is potent stuff, in an age of cynicism run amok. Therefore, to read or not to read,
That is a question each parent will have to ask himself.

I still have vivid memories of my 2nd grade teacher reading this book to the class 20 years ago. It's quite a thriller. What I liked best about it then was that it was a mystery/ghost story with a kid like me as the detective. Of course, it drove us all crazy when the teacher would quit reading for the day. We were constantly on the edges of our seats.

It is about a little boy named Egan, who goes to a town called Instep to visit some of his relatives. Instep is right along the side of a cliff called Kneeknock Rise. Up on top of the rise there is a creature known as the Megrimum. Nobody knows what the Megrimum is, but Egan finds out!!!

Young Egan is traveling by chandler's cart to the distant village of Instep, to enjoy their annual fair, where he will
stay with relatives. (The setting is deliberately vague as to country and date.) But the guests and tourists expect much more than a delightful day in the country with special foods, games and craft booths. They want mist, rain and a big storm as a lugubrious prelude to the audible terror who dwells at the top
of a mound called Kneeknock Rise. (We assume that the people are so traumatized by the wizard that their knees together in fear.)

It's not just the knees of children that knock on stormy nights, either, for the local adults place various charms to ward off the malevolent skulker who might come too close to their comfy homes. Obviously no child or adult has ever dared to confront the monster in his lair; both men and dogs have disappeared forever as a result of their temerity in approaching
the sacred mound in the Mammoth Mountains.

Taunted by his snobby cousin, Ada, Egan determines to prove himself brave--albeit foolhardy. He boldly marches up the hill during a storm, to call out the monster and settle this business once and for all. Then would the Insteppers be relieved--released from their probably false bondage of fear! And wouldn't his Uncles and Aunt
be proud of him? Why, he could actually save the entire village, with any luck! Little did the naive boy realize that not everyone would appreciate his courage, for legends and superstitous values may have their place in society. Besides, what if the monster slays Him, instead of the other way around? An old dog offers poor protection for the big showdown. Is it better to be a wise fool or a foolish wise man? This is a quick, fun read for kids 10-15.

Reviewed by Claire Vath

Natalie Babbitt's Kneeknock Rise was the recipient of a 1984 Newberry Award.

Babbitt's classic tale centers around Instep, a small town at the foot of a mountain. The townspeople live in fear of the monster at the top of Kneeknock Rise, aptly named for the kneeknock birds upon which the monster, or Megrimum, feasts.

Egan sets out to attend the Instep fair and stay with his relatives--Aunt Gertrude, Uncle Anson, cousin Ada and Anson's brother, Uncle Ott.

The first night there, he's informed that Uncle Ott is missing. Panicked townspeople hang onions and wishbones over their doors to ward off the Megrimum.

The day of the fair, Ada challenges Egan to climb the rise. Ready to face the unknown, he sets off. When Egan gets to the top, he learns the truth of the Megrimum and Uncle Ott's whereabouts.

After reading this book, it's easy to see why Natalie Babbitt's books are classics. She easily crafts a suspenseful plot, her writing is solid and her imagination endless.

Armchair Interviews says: A 5-star story for middle readers (age 10-14).

In a mountain range called the Mammoth Mountains there is a place called Kneeknock Rise. Kneeknock Rise is a place of much speculation, as there are noises and bellowing that occur whenever there is a storm. Because of this, the citizens of Instep (a small town at the base) believe there is a creature living there which they have dubbed the Megrimum. Many of Instep's denizens have heard the creature, and believe that is it is a horrible beast capable of killing one in an instant. This is the reason that many of the people refuse to climb Kneeknock Rise to investigate the creature, for fear that they will be slain.

Every year in Instep there is a fair that has garnered wide acclaim. People travel from miles around to attend the annual fair, and a young boy named Egan is no different. Egan journeys to his Uncle Anson and Aunt Gertrude's home in Instep to take part in the festivities with them and his cousin, Ada, but the recent disappearance of his Uncle Ott combined with the presence of the Megrimum prove to be too much for Egan's precocious curiosity. He gleans much information on the fabled creature, and desires to slay the horrible beast. On the night of the fair he decides to attempt just that, and learns of something that will forever change the populace of Instep.

I will admit, I wasn't as into this book as I was into "Tuck Everlasting". The premise is ok, but the flow just isn't the same. I still enjoy Babbitt's style, and her characters, but this story just didn't drive me in the same way. The morality twist on it was appealing though, as well as the comparison of Mankind's superstitious nature when confronted with actual facts. All of this made it a worthwhile read, but I can't help but compare it to Tuck Everlasting, which I felt deserved more acclaim than it received... when one thinks that Kneeknock Rise was a Newbery Honor recipient and Tuck Everlasting was overlooked one becomes a bit dubious. However, this book deserves praise in that it tries to dispel the mythological nature of men's beliefs, and that it is still a book penned by Babbitt.

Egan goes to visit relatives and attend a local festival, but when he arrives, he learns about a dangerous monster that lives on a nearby rise. Goaded on by his cousin, Egan decides to show his bravery by climbing the rise during a storm. He learns the truth about the monster and tries to share it with the villagers. All refuse to deny the veracity of the monster, clinging to the legend despite the evidence of several eyes. Newbery Honor.

Side note: After reading all the Newbery winners and many of the honor books, I sometimes wonder if those who choose the Newbery winners actually try books out with real, live children.

I do love Natalie Babbitt's writing style and I enjoy a charming country fable as much as the next person, but I am rather at a loss as to how this received a Newberry Honor--I've read more of Babbitt's that are much more deserving.

This particular story takes us to a cute little village tormented/entertained by a mysterious monster up on the mountain. And here comes visiting a little boy who is unaware of this deep-running superstition.

This is certainly cute and Babbitt is a great writer, but this to me was nothing more than a sweet story of a promising mystery that is really nothing with everything explained under the guise of a fable. Not a bad message, not bad writing, not a bad story, but I'm afraid only lackluster.