Saturnalia [Paperback]

Paul Fleischman (Author), Joel Spector (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1992

"I Want You To Know That My Eye Is Upon You"

It is December 1681, and the words of Mr. Baggot, the tithingman, terrify young William. William is living a strange double life. By day he is a printer's apprentice living in a white man's house. By night, he is Weetasket of the Narraganset tribe who must risk Baggot's wrath to search for his lost brother. Then comes the winter celebration of the Saturnalia -- the ancient Roman holiday on which masters and slaves trade roles. Will William's secret be revealed? And what dark deed of others will be brought to light on this fateful night?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this rich and alluring historical novel, Fleischman ( Joyful Noise , Graven Images , Paths of the Pale Horse ) examines the attitudes of Puritan society, while focusing on the White Man's treatment of Indians and servants. At the center of the story is William, a Narraganset Indian who has been taken under the wing of Mr. Currie, a kind-hearted printer. Others in the cast include neighboring Bostonians: a hypocritical tithingman, a self-important wigmaker trailed by his not-so-loyal manservant, and a woodcarver haunted by his past. The action takes place around the time of Saturnalia, the day on which ancient Romans traded places with their slaves. Although few townspeople practice the pagan ritual, on that day many experience ironic twists of fate. With exceptional skill, Fleischman evokes an aura of days gone by through a series of interrelated vignettes. Offering lyrical prose, resonant themes and a tragicomic tone, this story will captivate those who seek a challenging and enlightening read. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up. It's December, 1681, and an assortment of pompous masters and impudent servants lead different lives by day and night. Events are woven together through the story of a 14-year-old Narraganset Indian boy who is searching for threads of his past. Melodious writing, revealing images, and a colorful, outlandish cast characterize this unusual novel that revels in surprises. (May
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (October 30, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006447089X
• ISBN-13: 978-0064470896
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,422 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Fleischman grew up in Santa Monica, California, the son of children's book author Sid Fleischman. Drawing on history, music, art, and theater, his books have often experimented with multiple viewpoints and performance. He received the Newbery Medal in 1989 for JOYFUL NOISE: POEMS FOR TWO VOICES, a Newbery Honor Award for GRAVEN IMAGES, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for BULL RUN, and was a National Book Award finalist for BREAKOUT. He lives on the central coast of California.

For more information, visit paulfleischman.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than expected, September 21, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Saturnalia (Paperback)

I was mainly looking for some shorter books for some of my students who aren't great readers when I bought this book. I had really liked Whirligig, by this author, so I wanted to see some of his other work. It's really a nice little book, better than the review indicated. It's a quick read and all of my students who read it liked it very much.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it in one sitting!, May 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Saturnalia (School & Library Binding)

Paul Fleischman is a great experimenter when he writes young adult fiction, and this is another example of his virtuosity. This delicately written historical fiction foreshadows the rise in black slavery in America. With other examples of historical fiction, it shows the struggles and inconsistancies of beliefs by colonists at the time. I am not surprised the "Reader from Seattle, Washington" did not like it. Any book read over a two month period would kill me. This type of book needs to be read over a short period of time to preserve the mood and characterizations. Why do teachers do this to students? I cannot wait to share it with the students in our library at school.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric read, June 21, 2002

By 

kennedy19 "kennedy19" (wakefield, ma USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Saturnalia (Paperback)

This slim volume is a good historical fiction glimpse for young adults. It tells the story of William, a young Narraganset Indian who was captured in King Philip's war, and now serves a printer in Boston, where he is treated kindly and learns to study books and English ways. By day he is English, and by night William sneaks out and scours the December streets looking for his lost Indian brother. Though the plot focuses on William, the book is full of colorful characters of the Puritan city, some ridiculous, others tragic. What I like most about this book is the cimenatic way in which our focus is led from one character to another, keeping the perspectives fresh and interesting. (For this reason I think the book would make a good film for television.)Fleishman has done a good job of conjuring up the atmosphere of early Boston, and the eerie world of the dark city at night. Because the book is so short, I'm not sure Fleishman does entire justice to the complex themes he has raised - the struggle of the young Indian between two cultures, the struggle within the English colonists between Puritan strictness and the human need to have fun (in ways such as celebrating the ancient Roman holiday for which the book is named), etc. Nor does it entirely resolve the fates of some of the characters, such as the wood carver who seeks to atone for his wartime past. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable, atmospheric, and original read.