This is the second E.L. Konigsburg book I've read, and there's something very peculiar about her writing style. I can't put my finger on it. There's a real 80s-ish feel to it all, which sounds strange, but there's a real sense of children's books that were written in the late 70s to the early 90s. So the narrator of our novel, Max/Bo, suffers from Little Man Syndrome in that he's about 12 years old, and he's simultaneously much older for his age and much younger. He's a pretentious little shit who is too big for his own boots and wears his freaking school blazer for the whole trip he's on with his father. Seriously, someone buy this kid a freaking Ivy League school sweater, as no one cares about the school you go to on the other side of the country. Never mind that it's the height of summer in Texas, no wonder you pass out.The story itself isn't hugely interesting. The only thing that did capture my attention was Sabrina's story and the 'secret' behind why she keeps popping up. Nothing shocking (I thought her mother was a sex phone operator, but I guess that'd be too raunchy), but still interesting and just a little bit sad.One final thing- if this book were released in modern times, I can't see it being recommended for ages 9 - 14. There's a tiny bit of swearing, a touch of sexual innuendo and just enough that I can see people getting up in arms about it. Fun!
This is a really sophisticated children's book, and the only books I can think to compare it to are adult books. (Flannery O'Connor is the main author who came to my mind. I also kept thinking about Fight Club.) I don't even know who I'd recommend this book to. It's as old as I am, and thanks to references to parents who were hippies, parts of it are dated, and some of the slang didn't even really make sense to me. The main character also acts much older than his intended age, to the point of making very adult observations about the world around him. I don't think kids would necessarily see themselves in this story, or even know how to approach it.The writing is typical Konigsburg, though. It has this certain attitude about it, and it's filled with these little throwaway lines that are actually quite brilliant insights about life. I have no idea where she gets these strange ideas for characters and settings, but I'm glad she has them, and that she writes them down. I'm not sure who the audience would be for a book like this now, but despite all its strangeness, I really liked it, and I'd be really curious to hear other opinions. Read my full review here: http://sharingsoda.blogspot.com/2011/...
What do You think about Journey To An 800 Number (1999)?
As with all of E.L. Konigsburg's stories, this one is populated with strong, fiercely independent characters that, regardless of their few years of life, stand up well on their own two feet and are possessed of a formidable intellect to analyze the happenings and the people around them with wit, honesty, and a high level of smarts. There was a lot of good material in Journey to an 800 Number, lined with sapient insights that ornament the text beautifully and make me appreciate the masterful skills of E.L. Konigsburg all over again. The story is highly original and creative, not following after the typical routes in which the narrative might have been pulled, but rather forging its own path toward a lastingly meaningful and well-wrought conclusion. This is a good book, one that I very much am glad to have read.
—Josiah
Not my favorite of the E.L. Konigsburg books. (I love Father's Arcane Daughter.) But a fun read. My favorite paragraph? narrated by a pre-teen boy:"I had to go to four trailers [because he's lost and looking for directions] before I found one lady-of-the house at home. She had a small baby and was actually nursing the baby when she answered the door. I had never seen anything like that in my life and I must say that it didn't give me a very high opinion of the trailer park class of people. To nurse a baby as if it were the most natural thing in the world."As if! :)And if nursing a baby makes you a trailer-park person, count me in!
—Laura
First book I've read by this author. Some of the jokes are pretty dated; I think on the whole it feels older than it really is. Sort of like the protagonist, a snotty East-coast preppie type who spends the summer riding around with his itinerant camel-driving father in flyover country. There are some interesting revelations at the end, but the book is so short there's not enough time to build up to them. I liked the message, but the book reads like there are four more chapters that got left out when it was going to the publisher. But I guess better too short than too long.
—Zack
