Morning Monday:
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Either way, here where I live, it is very rainy. On rainy days I love to pick up a book and make myself a hot cup of tea. Unfortunately, I have school, which means I'm not allowed to curl up in a sofa and cuddle with a pillow. Still, I'm going to review a book...just to get myself in that peaceful mood.
The Phantom Tollbooth is one of my all-time favorite books. I probably mentioned before that I really, really love fantasy books. I just love the magical worlds the main characters enter, the odd people they meet, and the peculiar customs in that particular land. It is just so magical! I mean, sometimes when I think I've had enough of reality, I read books like these. The fictional world is just so much better than where I am right now. Less stress, more adventure.
Before I move on, look at that map above. Isn't it glorious? It really reminds me of some of the worlds that come out in The Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones series. It has that olden-days feeling to it as well as the adventurous excitement.
Here's a brief summary about what this book is about: Milo, a boy who does not value time, is spending his day as usual: dwadling an doing nothing, finds a tollbooth in his room. Having nothing else to do, he drives his toy car into a strange land(s)... There he visits different kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Wisdom (Dictionopolis), the land of Doldrums, Kingdom of Numbers (Digitopolis), and the Mountains of Ignorance. He meets new friends, too, such as a Spelling Bee, a watch-dog (which is literally a dog with a watch) named Tock, and a Humbug. Strange but magnificent book. His mission is to save the two princesses, Rhyme and Reason...in the end...well, I'm not going to spoil anything.
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| Milo and the Humbug |
This book will always keep you interested at all times. Instead of concentrating on one land, it moves around often, which in my opinion is suitable. The author's words poke fun at how society is today, which I also love (for example in the Digitopolis, Milo eats a soup that only makes him hungrier. So the more he eats, the hungrier it gets. Does that remind of you something? Humans' greed, perhaps?). It's very similar to Alice in Wonderland, in a way...fascinating and intriguing.
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| Look at those math equations on his robe! |
There are some awesome quotes in here as well that teach you important things about life. You know those children stories that actually have more depth than you expect them to have? Yeah, this is one of those books. For example, one of my favorites is: "FOR MILO, WHO HAS PLENTY OF TIME".
or
“Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven't the answer to a question you've been asked, or the hush of a country road at night, or the expectant pause of a room full of people when someone is just about to speak, or, most beautiful of all, the moment after the door closes and you're alone in the whole house? Each one is different, you know, and all very beautiful if you listen carefully.”
“Time is a gift, given to you, given to give you the time you need, the time you need to have the time of your life. ”
“It's bad enough wasting time without killing it.”
"In this box are all the words I know…Most of them you will never need, some you will use constantly, but with them you may ask all the questions which have never been answered and answer all the questions which have never been asked. All the great books of the past and all the ones yet to come are made with these words. With them there is no obstacle you cannot overcome. All you must learn to do is to use them well and in the right places.”
My, my, the list goes on and on! This book is a huge philosophy textbook! It is FULL of inspiring, deep quotes. To be honest, I didn't notice some as I was reading the book, but now that I go looking for quotes again (thank you, Goodreads, by the way!) I can see so many. I bet you can find one in every single page of this glorious book.
If you loved reading either A, the Harry Potter series, B, Alice in Wonderland, C, any fantasy fiction book that involves going to bizarre lands full of extra-terrestrial creatures, then this book is for YOU! Even if you don't like fantasy books, fiction, or even READING, this book is for you. Read it. You won't regret it. The book might teach you something great...or might help you open your eyes on something you were too blind to see before (my, I'm becoming philosophical as well! Look what this book does to you!)
Overall, I give this book: 9.99/10
Not dry at all, tasty, and fascinating enough to make me read the book for hours. I never got bored and I will never, ever get sick of this story. There are certain stories that I just can never pick up again, and this book isn't one of them. If you want a good laugh, this book is just so perfect.
