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5.0 out of 5 stars
Who was that Masked Man Anyway?, October 20, 2009
A Kid's Review
This review is from: "Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?" (Paperback)
In 1992, Avi published, "Who was that Masked Man Anyway?" a book that is set in America at the time of the Second World War. Avi's story is both entertaining and instructive to read. The main themes in this book are the use of radio dialogue, how entertainment helps people escape from reality, and friendship.
The main characters in this book are a boy named Frankie, his friend Mario, his brother Tom, and his teacher Ms. Gomez. Frankie is obsessed with his radio programs and wants to "rid the world of all evil". Mario on the other hand, usually doesn't want to be a part of Frankie's adventures. Mario is a straight A student and isn't really the heroic type because his father died in the war. Frankie is the leader and Mario is the follower. Tom was a soldier who fought in the Pacific against Japan. After getting wounded in a battle, he came back to Frankie's house and is currently living there. Ms. Gomez is also an important character because she is trying to help Frankie do well in school. Frankie has a big problem: he is failing 6th grade. Three days after Tom comes back from fighting in the war, Frankie concocts a "fantastic" plan: to get Tom to marry his teacher so that he won't have to repeat 6th grade. Mario is eventually dragged into this mess and the two boys go on many adventures. In the end, Frankie is able to almost finish his plan. Ms. Gomez and Tom marry, but part that didn't work out was that he still had to do 6th grade again.
The use of radio dialogue in this book was a major part of the book. It made the book unlike any other. Using the dialogue, you were able to show action and adventurous journeys. An example would be in the beginning, Frankie was listening to "Captain Midnight," a popular radio show at the time.
"In a small, bombproof dugout the light of a candle flickers across the strained face of a general of the Allied army. Outside, the night is dark and cold. Suddenly, we hear--"
"Major Steel?"
"Sir everything is prepared."
"You've found the man?"
"I have."
"Bring him in"
"Yes Sir. You can come in now Captain."
"You have your instructions Captain?"
"Yes sir."
"If you fail tonight, it will be the end for all of us."
"Yes sir."
"Your ultimate goal is to exterminate a fiend, coward, and traitor. I mean the one known as... Ivan Carr."
"I understand."
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yes sir."
"You are a brave man, Captain. Now Godspeed."
"Thank you, sir."
"And so, into the night roars a plane piloted by a lone man upon whose shoulders rest the fate of his country."
"Hours later--"
A reader can tell the setting, the character's emotions, and the way that the people talked from just reading dialogue. You could show basically anything by just writing skillful dialogue. I think that this book is a comic without graphics. In other words, writing is one of the most effective ways of showing things. You can also get a lot of entertainment from just listening. An example is so simple: stories! When you hear or read a good story, you can see the entire thing in front of you, and it is very entertaining. You can get so consumed by the story, that you feel like you are there. This feeling is satisfying and fulfilling. I never knew that dialogue could be used so effectively to convey action and show the personalities of the characters.
Entertainment is a temporary escape from reality. Like Frankie, many people buy video games, watch movies, and surf the Internet to take a break from the harassing truth of life. During WWII, life was very difficult, and thousands of people tuned to the radio. People today are very similar to people back in the 1940s. Today they buy video games and watch movies, to temporarily forget about the economy or war in Afghanistan. This is a very ineffective ploy if you ask me. There is nothing you can do to forget about what is really going on, except if you are able to stop it. Frankie though, wanted to be part of the challenges during his time. His creativity from the radio fueled a passion to become a spy for the Allied army. Electronics and other fun things will not help you end the harsh challenges that you encounter in life. Frankie made this mistake. A moral from this book is that there is no way to leave reality. Instead, try and do something about it.
My last theme the author develops is friendship. A good friend is somebody that is honest to you and won't make you do something that you don't want to do. In my opinion, Frankie is not a good friend at all. He forces Mario to accompany him on his adventures, gets Mario in trouble, and generally doesn't heed to Mario's wishes. By playing on Mario's emotions, Frankie manipulates him. If I were Mario, I would avoid Frankie. Although Frankie isn't a good friend, he is the ideal hero and Mario is the unwilling sidekick. An example for Frankie being the leader would be when Frankie leads Mario to spy on Ms. Gomez at the park. Mario, who wanted to make a hasty retreat, was forced to come along. This is why he is the unwilling sidekick. I think that Mario should've stood up for himself and said that he didn't want to come. Friendship is crucial in this book because the two boys are constantly with each other and the friendship makes up a good part of the book.
I recommend this book to anybody who likes a good laugh. It's witty, charming, and plainly funny. I hope you read this book.
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