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Joan G. Robinson
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When Marnie Was There Hardcover – January 1, 2018

by Joan Robinson (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,132 ratings
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When Marnie Was There is a gripping ghost story telling of Anna's strange encounter and friendship with a shadowy girl called Marnie among the wild and watery sand dunes of the Norfolk countryside. Is Marnie real? Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal when first published in 1967, this is a classic tale with truths to tell about friendship, loneliness and family.

One of Hayao Miyazaki's top 50 favorite books for children, When Marnie Was There, is coming to the big screen with an animated adaptation by his film company, Studio Ghibli, creators of Oscar-winning Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle and Arietty, based on Carnegie-winning novel, The Borrowers. This classic ghost story comes back into print to celebrate the film's release, bringing Anna's encounters with Marnie to a new generation of readers.
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  1. Reading age
    8 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    3 - 7
  5. Publisher
    EgmontUSA
  6. Publication date
    January 1, 2018
  7. ISBN-10
    1606846515
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1606846513
  9. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
1,132 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book nice, amazing, and good young adult literature. They describe the story as wonderful, uplifting, and interesting. Readers also find the emotional content heart-wrenching, heartwarming, and relatable. They appreciate the vivid imagery and thought-provoking writing.

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ReadabilityStory qualityEmotional contentBeautyThought provokingAge range
33 customers mention "Readability"29 positive4 negative

Customers find the book nice, amazing, and easy to read. They say it's a great summer read with a lovely ending. Readers also mention the book is short and quick.

"...It is suitable for any age and while it maybe a somewhat quick read, it will surely be one of the more emotional books you've probably read in a..." Read more

"...Please, do yourself a favour and read it. It's short and easy to read. Perfect for kids, too! What are you waiting for?" Read more

"Great book! I watched the Studio Ghibli film several weeks ago and couldn't get the characters out of my head so I downloaded the book for my Kindle...." Read more

"This a fantastic book with an amazing story and setting. Worth a read from any book lover.The book arrived in good condition...." Read more

29 customers mention "Story quality"29 positive0 negative

Customers find the story wonderful, uplifting, and interesting. They say it has a wonderful twist and is one of the most sophisticated ghost stories ever put down on paper. Readers also mention the book has a lovely ending.

"...wild emotional ride from start to finish, a bitter sweet but ultimately uplifting story that is beautifully woven from start to finish...." Read more

"...To have the story turn so wonderful was pure delight." Read more

"...it does not seem so, the book could be argued to be one of the most sophisticated ghost stories ever put down on paper, as portrayed through the..." Read more

"This a fantastic book with an amazing story and setting. Worth a read from any book lover.The book arrived in good condition...." Read more

11 customers mention "Emotional content"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book emotional, heart-wrenching, and relatable. They also say it's haunting and beautiful.

"Well written, poignant and thought provoking. Showing the effect of trauma on a child. Little children need love. Love it!" Read more

"...What makes this story so amazing is the emotion. This is a wild emotional ride from start to finish, a bitter sweet but ultimately uplifting story..." Read more

"...I was happy to see in the second half of the book filled with more joy." Read more

"...The book, the town and the characters all have a quaint, relatable feel and it's easy to see why Miyazaki and so many others fell so in love with..." Read more

7 customers mention "Beauty"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book beautiful to watch. They appreciate the vivid imagery and subtle, thought-provoking, old-fashioned, and emotional content.

"...It does not disappoint! It’s haunting, beautiful, and amazing...." Read more

"...This is a very nice, authentic original edition...." Read more

"Heartbreaking and beautiful...." Read more

"A stunning book with an amazing plot interesting characters and vivid imagery that helps capture the rapturous beauty of the setting...." Read more

7 customers mention "Thought provoking"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking, witty, and well-written. They also say it's charming, detailed without being overwritten, and evocative.

"Well written, poignant and thought provoking. Showing the effect of trauma on a child. Little children need love. Love it!" Read more

"...Thankfully, this book was very clear, witty, heartwarming, and sad at times. I would definitely recommend this book!" Read more

"Really enjoyed this story, lots of irony and a hint of the supernatural made this story unique...." Read more

"Subtle, thought provoking, old fashioned, emotional, compassionate, detailed without being overwritten. You don't find many books like it...." Read more

5 customers mention "Age range"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book great for middle-aged kids. They also say it's a wonderful mystery for all ages and a wonderful coming-of-age tale.

"...It is suitable for any age and while it maybe a somewhat quick read, it will surely be one of the more emotional books you've probably read in a..." Read more

"...It's short and easy to read. Perfect for kids, too! What are you waiting for?" Read more

"...Loved the movie too. Lots of good tears! Great for middle aged kids." Read more

"Wonderful mystery for all ages!" Read more

Amazing story and very emotional
5 out of 5 stars
Amazing story and very emotional
Since I saw the movie I've been madly in love with the story, when I learned it was based off a book I knew I had to have it. Thanks Joan G. Robinson and Studio Ghibli for making this possible.
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Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The book is even better than the movie
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2024
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Well written, poignant and thought provoking. Showing the effect of trauma on a child. Little children need love. Love it!
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Supified
5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless classic
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2019
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For some weird reason it is getting rarer and rarer to read, or watch or consume really any media with a deep emotional relationship between two people without having the need to drift into romance or explain away how it is not romantic. So much fiction tends to either make friendship always equate to romance, or carefully dodge that by explicitly stating how unromantic two people's connections are. When Marnie was There does not try to shy away from a deep emotional relationship while also not feeling the need to explain it away.

Like many, I heard about the Studio Ghibli film first. A lot of people were suggesting it was Ghibli's answer to their utter lack of any pro-lgbt text in any of their works. I would argue that not only is that true of Ghibli, they also lack very many stories where the lead and supporting roles are same sex. There seems to be a hyper heteronormative romance in the stories they tell to the extent that even same sex friendships go too far for them. This has been always something of a disappointment for me, as I, like many, generally and otherwise love their work. As of this writing I have not seen the film, but I am told that the lgbt subtext is really not there and mostly reading too much into it. This may or may not be true for the film, but it absolutely is true for the book. The characters feelings do not stray in that realm, while whatever possibilities could have been is not explored it is also not important and I for one would argue that since the book wasn't afraid of portraying a close same sex friendship, in a way it also does not fall into the typical trap of modern het-norm stories. This book doesn't try to tell an lgbt story, but nor does it feel the need to avoid it by explicitly saying it isn't one, which is getting shockingly rare these days. Certainly Ghibli hasn't done anything of that nature before (with the film based on this book being perhaps the biggest exception).

What makes this story so amazing is the emotion. This is a wild emotional ride from start to finish, a bitter sweet but ultimately uplifting story that is beautifully woven from start to finish. The first couple chapters maybe rather slow, but things start to pick up and don't fall off again at any point. Characters introduced rather late in the story manage to still have emotional impact and importance despite having been in the story for so short a time and often newly introduced characters become emotional callbacks to previous points in the book. Personally I would dare someone to try to read this and not feel their heart strings tugged.

So if you've seen the Ghibli film or not, this book is still a timeless classic. It is suitable for any age and while it maybe a somewhat quick read, it will surely be one of the more emotional books you've probably read in a while. I would recommend this book to anyone.
31 people found this helpful
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Les W
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2024
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I was engrossed from the first chapter. How many times did I feel like Anna when I was young? For that matter, how many times have I felt like her as an adult? To have the story turn so wonderful was pure delight.
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Masumi
4.0 out of 5 stars Healing from the past
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2023
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I felt Anna's grief and anger throughout the first half of the book. She lost her mother and grandmother, left in the foster care, not able to overcome her sadness. Then people, who don't know much what Anna has been through, started to call her odd. I can feel how she became angry and felt outside of the world. Once Anna met Marnie, she seemed lively. Then came the Linsays, quite big lively family melted Anna's heart. I was happy to see in the second half of the book filled with more joy.
One person found this helpful
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BillErakDragónDorado
5.0 out of 5 stars My favourite book.
Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2019
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The level of connection I felt to the Ghibli adaptation of this book was on another level. And of course, after that, I decided to give the source a go.
Suffice to say, this book is the only literary media that has ever managed to make me cry. With only words and my own feelings, at the end of this story, I found myself shedding tears of... what? Happiness? Satisfaction? It's hard to explain. I feel connected to Anna in a way I suspect a lot of people who didn't enjoy the story couldn't. Sure, I may not have her exact series of problems, but I can understood the core of her character, that of being 'On the outside'. It's always increidble to me how with such a small, simple story this book managed to carve its way into my heart with a beautiful small town, a marsh and two girls (with, arguably, some romantic subtext that may or may not take a kind of strange and weird twist when you get to the end).
Anna's and Marnie's interactions are ever so enjoyable, and I was surprised with how much tact and accuracy this book handled its themes: Being an introvert, adopted, parent abandonment, abuse, among many other smaller things. What others may have seen as Anna being rude or plainly unlikable I saw as a completely logical response to a situation she found herself in.
And maybe even more, I loved the answer the book gave to all of these problems. Some may not be simple, some may not really have an answer, but... Well, it's simply beautiful.
Please, do yourself a favour and read it. It's short and easy to read. Perfect for kids, too! What are you waiting for?
3 people found this helpful
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Leah
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful story
Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2016
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I read this book in one sitting. I loved every bit of it and couldn't wait for the mystery to unfold, just like Anna, I was having a hard time telling what was real from what was made up. It's a great bit of fantasy woven into her reality.

It's wonderful to watch the main character, Anna, evolve into the person she's always wanted to be and along the way often becoming her own antagonist and holding her self back. She feels she's an outsider and secretly envies the insiders as she puts on her "ordinary" face so no one can tell the way she feels. Nearly every character in the book is rooting for Anna and wants to help her grow and soon you are as well.

She's quiet but adventurous and makes friends with an upbeat girl named Marnie that lives by the beach. Before long they're good friends and just when Anna has really gotten to know her new pal, Marnie disappears as quickly as she appeared.

The characters are lovable and incredibly supporting and each person that comes across Anna has a different reaction to her. She learns to interact with the world all while learning about herself, her family and her secret past

The book, the town and the characters all have a quaint, relatable feel and it's easy to see why Miyazaki and so many others fell so in love with this story
11 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Canada on August 16, 2024
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Loved it
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Viviane
5.0 out of 5 stars Great for kids and relaxing for adults
Reviewed in Brazil on February 27, 2024
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I love the film, and this book is quite similar to it, but it seems a little more childlike in atmosphere. Its a great read if you have older children and a relaxing read for adults as well. I enjoyed reading it a lot.
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Carlos Ortiz
5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely story a lovely book.
Reviewed in Mexico on February 14, 2024
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Just finished it. I'm really happy this is in my collection. I loved the book, I loved the face.
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Andrew Murphy
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully descriptive
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2021
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This is a wonderful book which I loved as a child. It's just as good to read again now, years later. It's wonderfully descriptive with both the location and the relationships brought to life. My niece is enjoying the book now - like other books, it seems to appeal down the generations.
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Prince r.
5.0 out of 5 stars Reading this bc of movie
Reviewed in India on April 12, 2021
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Book is very light hearted as compared to the movie.
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Prince r.
5.0 out of 5 stars Reading this bc of movie
Reviewed in India on April 12, 2021
Book is very light hearted as compared to the movie.
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