Customer Reviews

What-the-Dickens: The Story of a Rogue Tooth Fairy

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I recently recieved this book for my birthday, and I love it! Its not your everyday fairy tale, centering around a princess with a happily ever after, instead we find ourselves in the world of skibereen and their extremely odd society. Our main character, What-The-Dickens, turns one little skibereen colony upside down, while having quite an adventure. You'll find yourself laughing in parts, and contemplating society in others.

I've read most of Maguires books, and this is by far my favorite. While I feel he starts off with a great story, it often fizzles towards the end as if he isnt sure where to go with it. That was not the case with What-the-Dickens, and I think I loved the ending best of all.

So I say read it, you'll probably enjoy it. If you don't, that's ok, but don't be surprised to find something that looks a bit like a moth-or is it a dead leaf?-on your bed post one night asking "why not?" ;).

First, let me re-acknowledge that Maguire is not for everyone. This book continues that trend.

The overall concept sounds fairly airy and fun but at its heart, it's a lot darker than you might imagine.

There are two story threads going on throughout the novel and each one is very intriguing. The threads sometimes intertwine and even when they don't directly touch, you find yourself wondering about the balance between the two.

The story arc of the fairy creatures is highly imaginative and really a lot of fun. The reader is placed directly alongside other characters in the novel who are "hearing" the fairy tale at the same time that we're reading it. This juxtaposition of character and reader truly helps bring the reader into the second story arc and relate to the turmoil going on.

The second story arc, that of the children in the midst of a violent storm, is not entirely spelled out and leaves a lot to the reader's insight and imagination. I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel...the fact that Maguire trusts his readers to be smart enough to read between the line and to develop the characters and situations of the "real world" rather than rely on him to spell out every little detail.

The themes of hope, imagination and a world spoiled by adult influence are all presented very well. But it never feels like Maguire is preaching to us or standing on a soap box condemning the adults and unimaginative pessimists of the world. Rather, he is exploring the hopes and dreams of children even within bleak circumstances.

This isn't a fairy tale you should read when you're looking for a pick-me-up, but it's definitely something I'd recommend to those looking for a thought provoking story and entertaining writing.

I am a fan of Maguire's writing, both his adult and children's fiction. His re-imagined fairy tales like "Wicked" and "Mirror, Mirror" are clever, well-crafted and entertaining. I also enjoyed his "Hamlet Chronicles" which I found to be witty and fun (particularly as the series progressed). But "What-the-Dickens", though displaying his wonderful artistry with words, was a real chore for me to get through.

Concisely, we have a story within a story. A few children are stranded at home looked after by their young adult cousin in the midst of a terrible storm. Their cousin seeks to distract them by telling the story of a fairy-like people called skibbereen who after arriving to our world became the tooth-fairy. He focuses on a young skibberee named What-the-Dickens whose experiences seem uniquely well-suited to drum some lessons into the lives of the real-life youngsters.

Neither the real-life characters nor the fairy tale characters impressed me as sympathetic. For the youngsters caught in the storm, their plight does not seem real. We are told about the terrible storm and danger but it never feels real. Additionally, they are perceived as being in their predicament in part because they have tried to separate from the world for religious reasons. Their parents have chosen for them a life eschewing the world and its trappings. This is not an overly-sympathetic world view to which one easily relates. Additionally, this then makes the story of the skibbereen who are also wary of outsiders and foreign world views a problematic story. It appears the cousin is blatantly contradicting the will of the children's parents. Maybe it is for their own good, but it feels uncomfortable and underhanded nonetheless.

As for the fairy tale creatures, the story is formulaic and clichéd. What-the-Dickens, good-hearted though naïve, becomes our hero who lacks the cynicism of the tribe he encounters. The tribe is generally just mean and set in its ways and cannot hear reason ("Math is a myth"; "Ask no questions"). One of the tribe's own, jaded and adventurous, wants to rise above her simple station and is something of an outcast. She fortuitously meets our hero and they are able to help each other, though not without their own conflict.

The story within a story construct seemed contrived. It was not developed to good effect making one wonder why he didn't just write about the skibbereen without the real world intrusion. The cousin even argues against the reality of the story he just told when one of the children wants to believe it to be true. What is the point of that? Just to highlight that stories true or false can be powerful and of great use or help to people?

The narrative, particularly the first 200 pages, was bloated. Maguire usually is adept at wit and word-play, but he did not come across very clever this go round. He writes a good description, but it grew very tiresome and seemed forced early on. Fortunately he did bring some things full circle and tied some of the early narrative in rather well toward the end of the book.

All in all, the story did not feel like one burning to be told (from inspiration). It felt like one that "had" to be told (from duty). It read like a chore. Perhaps this book may uniquely appeal to youth. But the best children's lit, in my opinion, transcends any such boundary. Maguire is very talented (which is in evidence here as well), but this just isn't a compelling story.

The book cover gives us the story's setting: it's a wild, stormy night. The house perched precariously on the valley's edge shelters three young children and their 20-something cousin. The children's parents have left under somewhat mysterious circumstances, the entire area has evacuated, the power is out, there is no food. How to pass the time, calm the nerves, weather the storm? The cousin begins a story. HIS story, apparently, and the story of What-the-Dickens.

Turns out What-the-Dickens is a tooth fairy - orphaned and born in a tuna can, he doesn't know what he really is until he stumbles upon another fairy at work (Pepper). He is then introduced to the fairy world, its rules and customs and beliefs. He tries to figure out how and where he fits in, while growing closer and more loyal to Pepper. The story is told in fits and starts as we also learn about the condition of the children and the status of the storm.

I think What-the Dickens can be read two ways: as a straight-across fairy tale aimed at mainly 5th-8th graders. Or it can be read with more adult undertones of religious and political themes. There is some discussion of faith, purpose, and sacrifice. And war, aggression, and territory. I wouldn't say there is enough fodder for philosophical debates or personal paradigm shifts, but there is a little meat to gnaw off the bone.

Maguire's talent with words does not disappoint, and the character of What-the-Dickens is a wonderfully complicated little skibbereen (the technical term for "tooth fairy"). He is at times simple, and yet honest and full of heart. If I'm being honest, I'll have to say that I cared more about the fate of the little sprite than I did about those stuck in the storm.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. The story of the skibereen is delightful. I wish I had seen more about the various colonies and even leaned what happens to Pepper and What-The-Dickens after the book ends (I think that's where a good story would have really gotten going). But the whole framing story rubbed me the wrong way. First off, the ultra-religious homeschooling stereotype is annoying, and I think largely unnecessary. I also felt the frame alluding to larger twists than it provided. I really expected more of this book after reading Maguire's other novels.

I am a fan of Gregory Maguire's adult works of fiction, but I had no idea what he would be like as a children's author. As it turns out, "What-the-Dickens" is a quirky, charming tale for adults and older children, alike. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I found Maguire's language style amusing from the get-go, but the reason for his linguistic playfulness became clearer towards the end of the book when the main character's linguistic quirks are explained. In any case, it is no more unusual or obtuse than Lemony Snicket's writing style.

I would not read this story to a 5-year old, however. I think that the background story is a little too frightening for younger children. I imagine that some of the negative reviews of this story can be attributed to the fact that readers were expected a story that is appropriate for all ages, and this one is not. It's perfectly fine for anyone who's capable of making their way through the third or fourth "Harry Potter" book, however.

That said, if you're expecting something on the level of "Wicked," you will be disappointed. This is a light-hearted, gentle tale, and should be appreciated as such. If you're looking for fatally-destined characters, political/philosophical treatises, and lurid, poetic language, this is not the place to find it.

The author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Harper Fiction) continues to undermine fairy tales, this time for young readers. I enjoyed it as much as they do. This is the inside story of the tooth fairies, why they do what they do, how they do it, when they do it, what they do in their spare time. It's all told on a dark and stormy night to two resourceful children, cut off by a storm. Not the way the story is usually told....but plausible, possible and pleasurable.

I have a book review blog that reviewed this book on January 12, 2009:
[...]

Gregory Maguire is a fascinatingly creative author who takes well-known fairy tales and reinvents them with a new perspective. The author of Wicked, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Mirror Mirror and many others, Maguire surely has a first-class talent. What-the-Dickens, however, though creative, may not compare as highly to his previous works. Maguire boldly shines when he gives an original twist to those stories we grew up with, but when creating an entirely knew story about the Tooth Fairy, he only twinkles softly.

During a strong hurricane, it seems as if the world is ending. Dinah is barricaded in her house with her older brother Zeke and younger, almost two-year old sister Rebecca Ruth. Their parents have gone missing after leaving to find medical help for the mother, so it is lucky that their second-cousin Gage was there to look after them when the rest of the area had been evacuated due to the storm and subsequent landslides and loss of power. In order to remain brave in a crisis, Gage tells the children a story about skibbereen, fairy-like creatures we believe to be the Tooth Fairy. These creatures live in separate local colonies, which explains how all of the teeth can be collected and paid for in a single night. These creatures are loyal to their colony and competing colonies are in a state of war, conducting raids for resources. They live by the motto "Hidden and Forbidden:" they must hide from sight and if caught are forbidden to tell anything about their colony, especially its location. When the orphan skibbereen, What-the-Dickens, is born in a tin can, the story follows his quest to learn who (and what) he is and where (if anywhere) he belongs. After many different attempts to belong, either with the cat McCavity, the mother grisset or an old woman who thinks him to be the Angel of Death, he finds another skibbereen named Pepper that illegally takes him back to her colony located in a tree stump in the center of a highway clover. Here, What-the-Dickens is able to learn what he is and that there are others like him, but he quickly finds that is it a complicated and untrusting world. Thought to be a spy, What-the-Dickens must prove that he is not in order to try and win himself a home.

The thing about trying to create a new fairy tale is that a whole cultural background must be created from scratch. And even harder is trying to portray this enter society of tooth fairies in a way that is still fascinating and readable. By using the idea of an orphan trying to figure out who and what he is, lots of questions are asked, allowing the readers to better understand the circumstances of the novel. Yet, there is 200-pages worth of build up that must be done before the last 100 pages of plot can take place. Personally, I found the constantly intertwining story of those in the hurricane far more fascinating than that of the skibbereen's history and social dynamics. However, once a strong foundation had finally been made for What-the-Dickens, the plot quickly picked up and readers will be happy to know that little things from those first 200 pages play a larger part near the end and it wasn't all for nothing. Once you continue through to the end, you get some action and resolution in the land of skibbereen. But when readers return to those human characters in the hurricane, done with the completed story of What-the-Dickens and the warring, tooth-collecting skibbereen, a second and I think necessary ending seemed to be missing. The present ending appears to be incomplete and even contradictory. Some might consider it to be bittersweet, while I consider it not enough.

For those who have the will to finish the novel, you will be better off than those who quit before anything substantial can be gained. If you choose to start this, please finish it, or you will not understand it or appreciate the creativity and originality of the work or of the author. While this book was only okay, I would still recommend Gregory Maguire as a talented writer that should be read. His previous works make you wish there were more pages to read, but What-the-Dickens made you wish it were Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister instead.

"All the best stories in the world are but one story in reality -- the story of escape. It is the only thing which interests us all and at all times, how to escape."
- Arthur Christopher Benson

I absolutely love this book. It was a quick read, it was interesting, and it was fun! Maguire left it open-ended, and it enables you to imagine your own result, or to hope for a second book! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good twisted fairy tale!

Maguire has written, in my opinion, some very original material. This book could be included in that. But, it lacks the oomph that made Wicked, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, and Mirror Mirror excellent books. I have to say that I was overall disappointed in this book. It's worth the read, but I wouldn't expect greatness.