The 13 Clocks
by James Thurber
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 315)
Read in January, 1976
recommends it for:
everyone
James Thurber's The Thirteen Clocks is an allegorical fairy tale for adults that primarily showcases Thurber's wit and mischievous wordplay. Although it's ostensibly about an evil Duke who keeps his niece, the Princess Saralinda locked in his cold dark castle, where time has been stopped by his own sword, and feeds her potential suitors to his geese, I don't recommend it as a bedtime story to your six-year-old unless you want them to turn out like me. Thanks dad! I mean that. The 13 Clocks is ...more
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The copy that I read was a renewal copyright of 1990 which is the copyright of the illustrations, too. Each chapter begins with a large, decorative initial letter. The book is filled with prose, poetry and made up words. There is a definite plot, but it seems secondary to the style and tone of the book which seems to be the primary element. The illustrations are strewn throughout the book. Most are fairly simple done in black and blue ink. Some take up most of one page and have more detail and c...more
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Read in April, 1959
Carolyn Cantwell introduced me to this book. She was a concert pianist headed for law school, majoring in American literature. I was a pre-med student fascinated with technology, dissecting fetal pigs in the kitchen. I loved poetry, folk and rock and didn't read books. I looked things up and read the funny papers. I challenged her to find a book that could hold my attention to the end. She took on my cutural development as a project and gave me Thirteen Clocks.
I enjoyed the pictures and set ...more
I enjoyed the pictures and set ...more
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Read in May, 2005
this was a gift, given to me by a friend who had never heard of the book but noticed the name of the princess [saralinda] had my name within hers. it was found for 25 cents among library books that were ripped and useless or never read. it had been abandoned and for the life of me i can't imagine why.
it had me instantly. it also started me obsession with freesias. beautiful flowers.
i remember at the time i kept going back and reading page 40 over and over again. phrases like "It was...more
it had me instantly. it also started me obsession with freesias. beautiful flowers.
i remember at the time i kept going back and reading page 40 over and over again. phrases like "It was...more
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Read in January, 1979
Damn, Thurber's a genius in this one. Read, my friend, and witness. The deliciously evil Duke who has stopped time in its tracks, who slits people "from guggle to zatch." The sly alliteration and delightful wordplay. The intentional tweaking and inversion of tired fairy-tale standards.
"...They came and tried and failed and disappeared and never came again. And some, as I have said, were slain, for using names that start with X, or dropping spoons, or wearing rings, or spe...more
"...They came and tried and failed and disappeared and never came again. And some, as I have said, were slain, for using names that start with X, or dropping spoons, or wearing rings, or spe...more
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Read in January, 1975
recommends it for:
smart people
It is books like this that make me wish for a sixth star, reserved for only the top 0.5% of one's books. It hardly seems fair to reduce the ratings of all my other books because of the excellence of this one.
The Thirteen Clocks is a fairy tale, for both young and old. I t is especially nice to read out loud. The book is full of wordplay, and creatures like the Todal: "An agent of the devil, sent to punish evil-doers for having done less evil than they should."
Read it! Now!
The Thirteen Clocks is a fairy tale, for both young and old. I t is especially nice to read out loud. The book is full of wordplay, and creatures like the Todal: "An agent of the devil, sent to punish evil-doers for having done less evil than they should."
Read it! Now!
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Read in January, 1983
This is James Thurber's foray into the world of fantasy, and although it's a short story, it's a gem, for both children and adults. The language is classic Thurber, with just the right seasoning of tongue in cheek, and the illustrations are perfect for the text. Highly recommended for everyone, and particularly fun to read aloud either by yourself or to an audience!
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Read in April, 2007
recommends it for:
i probably wouldn't
the begining gave me hope, and the end left me bitter. the 13 clocks started off well, then meandered every which way. there was no real character development. it was supposed to be philosophical, but i found it convoluted. the author imployed too many tortuous windings and improbable circumstances to get everything to work out. the end was rather obvious but still a bit vague. and the occasional rhyming annoyed me.
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This is overall a good children's book. Thurber loves tinkering with the rhythm and sound of the story, making it one that works better read out loud (to children most likely). However, there is little in the way of development of character and plot which, while perhaps not necessary in a children's book, let me a bit unsatisfied. The characters and story existed just for the play of words.
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recommended to Sara by:
my father read it to me
recommends it for: EVERYONE
recommends it for: EVERYONE
This is probably my all-time favorite book. It's meant for children, but for goodness' sake don't let that slow you down!
It's written to be read aloud. Read it to your cat if you need to so that you can appreciate the beautiful, elegant use of language, meter, and tone in this book.
It's written to be read aloud. Read it to your cat if you need to so that you can appreciate the beautiful, elegant use of language, meter, and tone in this book.
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Read in March, 2008
Thurber played in words like my daughter in a sandbox. And I had as much fun reading his play as if I were two years old in a sandbox. The Thirteen Clocks took me 40 minutes to read and I'm going to read it often and out loud for the rest of my life.
Besides the word fun, who doesn't love a princess trapped in a castle and a smart prince to save her from a REALLY nasty badguy.
Besides the word fun, who doesn't love a princess trapped in a castle and a smart prince to save her from a REALLY nasty badguy.
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I recommend reading it aloud, preferably to friends or the children of friends, but just to yourself would be alright too. It works best this way because there are so many words in it that are far more fun to say than just read silently somewhere in a dark corner.
There's also an illustration with a spider in it that I've always been rather fond of.
There's also an illustration with a spider in it that I've always been rather fond of.
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This is probably my all-time favorite book. It reads like one long poem, and I've memorized entire portions of it. Be sure to get one with the illustrations by Marc Simont, or you won't get the full experience.
Out of print, but worth the hunt.
Out of print, but worth the hunt.
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recommends it for:
anyone, esp. you!
If you don't know what the phrase guggle to zatch means, then this book is for you! Classy, witty, and unconventional, this is Thurber at his best. Find a copy with illustrations by Marc Simont otherwise you'll miss out decidely.
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Read in January, 1990
recommends it for:
anyone, especially younger readers
I read this book ages ago and it was one of my random childhood favorites. So perfectly random. I think I got it for Christmas. Well, it was original and fresh and completely unlike everything else I had read up until then.
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recommends it for:
People
What did I learn? That the whole wide world is on the page and in the head... when they meet, you may just find yourself thirty years from childhood thinking to yourself: Wow.
Thank you, Scotty and Cheryl.
Thank you, Scotty and Cheryl.
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AMAZING!! I grew up with this book, and so did my mom and her siblings...an absolute classic. My grandfather used to quote it all the time. Adorable and a necessity.
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Read in May, 2007
recommended to The Resident Philosopher and Sage by:
My dad
This book is really cool. I have always liked the pictures in this book, they're amazing. If you like a short, fairy taleish book, you need to read this book
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fantastic. this is like the princess bride for a slightly younger set. I read it many times as a child and still think about it frequently.
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Read in February, 2007
This is a brilliant and charming book, witty and wise. Even quite young kids would find something to appreciate in it.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.34 (206 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 4.29 (170 ratings) number of reviews: 38popular shelves
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""I am the Golux, the only Golux in the world and not a mere device"
-The Golux"
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