In this extended love letter to children's books and the wonders they perform, Francis Spufford makes a confession: books were his mother, his fat...
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Dec 27, 2011
Lindsey
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I have been into a "books on books" kick lately and had been recommended this book rather highly. I am a reader that will usually give a mediocre book/author I've never read before three books before I give up entirely on them. I don't think I made it half-way through this book. Not only was I disgusted with the author and his views on his own family. But was shocked at how bluntly his stated mentally and physically challenged people scared and revolted him, especially his own younger
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Apr 26, 2009
Eva
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Francis Spufford (what a supremely British name) was born only the year before I was and is, like me, a self-described book addict who began reading compulsively at a very early age. He discusses those books that had an early strong effect on him, from picture books like Where the Wild Things Are to The Hobbit, one of the first books he read all the way through, and discusses the circumstances of his life that may have given rise to such a reading mania. Bettelheim comes up, and Piaget - and t
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Feb 18, 2009
Barbara
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I found parts of this book easy to read and others impossibly hard. I liked best the middle chapters when Spufford wrote in detail about his first book loves. In the chapter entitled "The Island" he writes about the Narnia books and describes beautifully his feeling of betrayal when Narnia is destroyed in the final book. In "The Town" he describes a visit to an Independence Day celebration of the "Little House" books and shows how Rose Wilder's libertarian vi
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May 15, 2010
Kinga
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I appreciate the effort Francis Spufford made into to describe all the psychological reasons behind reading anything from picture books to porn literature. He analysed his reading from the moment he learnt to read until his late teenage years.
It was an interesting perspective, though I think sometimes a bit far fetched. I wish there was more memoir in this memoir and less of showing off Spufford's erudition. Even though it was interesting most of the time, I felt like it was random and goi More...
It was an interesting perspective, though I think sometimes a bit far fetched. I wish there was more memoir in this memoir and less of showing off Spufford's erudition. Even though it was interesting most of the time, I felt like it was random and goi More...
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Sep 17, 2010
Meg
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New Historicism's emphasis on personal antecdote is mixed with Bachelard's Poetics of Space idea--the woods by the college where he grew up and doors are evocative.(Jungian images in literature.)
About CSL: the circle of things we can perceive by our senses becomes in Lewis an island surrounded by pleasurable reality. Forest is the boundary of the circle.
British people believe Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter wrote her books. Is this true?
Sin tastes like ash beca More...
About CSL: the circle of things we can perceive by our senses becomes in Lewis an island surrounded by pleasurable reality. Forest is the boundary of the circle.
British people believe Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter wrote her books. Is this true?
Sin tastes like ash beca More...
Jun 23, 2010
With humor and passion, he chronicles reading experiences and the impact of books by authors such as William Mayne, Peter Dickinson, Alan Garner, Jill Paton Walsh, Kenneth Grahame, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Jane Austen. Spufford connects his personal development through reading with research and theories in child development, cognitive psychology, language development, and literary criticism. This is a boldly honest, enlightened, and enlightening testimony of the powe
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Aug 05, 2011
Graceann
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Even though I am a few years younger than Mr. Spufford, he and I started reading at just about the same time. His rendition of the discovery of the magic of words on a page is the best I have ever read, and the first that directly connects with my own experience. Even all these many years later, I still remember how amazing it was when those strange marks on paper came together to form... a STORY. Spufford's description of this journey is lyrical, magical and such that I wish to put most of his
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Dec 21, 2007
Tracey
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I checked this out from the library based on supergee's recommendation, but also curious to see if the author's experiences reflected my own.
Mr. Spufford not only reflects on his own reading choices as a child, but also discusses some of the psychological aspects of what children learn from books. He used books as an escape, a metaphorical forest in which he could choose to get lost. He explores the Narnia series in depth, giving his interpretation of Lewis' approach to Christianity More...
Mr. Spufford not only reflects on his own reading choices as a child, but also discusses some of the psychological aspects of what children learn from books. He used books as an escape, a metaphorical forest in which he could choose to get lost. He explores the Narnia series in depth, giving his interpretation of Lewis' approach to Christianity More...
Apr 12, 2008
Lisa
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This book was quoted often in the little blurbs before each chapter in Inkheart and Inkspell; it made me want to read the book. The author looks back at his history with reading and books and how they affected him through his life. He is WORDY (and the bigger the words, the better), deeply and DETAILEDLY analytical and awfully hard to get through at times (I wanted to bundle up some of his big words and beat him with them!) yet I still kept reading (except towards the end when he gets into "
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Dec 07, 2009
Lex
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I just couldn't get into this. The educational topics(child psychology, language acquisition, literacy) that the author brought into the mix were interesting, but I didn't relate to the author's favorite books so I found myself skimming and wishing I thought of the idea first so I could write it about my favorite childhood books instead.
Aug 07, 2011
Selene
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This book started off really well, digging deeply into early children's fiction and the effect it had on the writer. I would say it was good up until his teenage years, where he became crass and self indulgent, flowing off on to different and boring tangents.
Feb 08, 2011
Carolynne
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How one man was influeenced by the books he read as a child, including _Little House on the Prairie_.
Spufford comments on many of my own favorite childhood reads, so I was excitedly looking forward to this book. However, I thought it fell a little flat.
Spufford comments on many of my own favorite childhood reads, so I was excitedly looking forward to this book. However, I thought it fell a little flat.
Jan 29, 2010
Megan
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This book is a fun and informative read. The author, using himself and his journey through books as an example, describes childhood books shape a person. Fluxes back and forth between technical psychology and heartfelt personal experience narrative. Plus, I squeed when he geeked out at Narnia.
Mar 29, 2010
Lisa
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When I started this book and was reading the introduction, I really related to the way in which the author experiences reading a book. The glazed look he gets in his eyes as he is absorbed into another world or experience. Unfortunately my enthusiasm for the book started to wane. I think that Spufford's passion for all written word was just too much in the end and he went on for a bit too long! I picked this book up not knowing what it was really about, and while I took a few things away fro
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Apr 06, 2009
jen8998
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Francis Spufford's memoir focuses on the books he read as a child and their impact on him. Interesting in places but horribly dense in other sections. This one is a mixed bag for me - I liked some of it very much but was also very bored at times.
May 15, 2009
beladozer
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Good opening chapter - I could really relate. But I just couldn't get into the rest. It might just be that it isn't the right for me at this point, so I'll try again next year...it did have promise.
Jan 20, 2011
Carolin
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I had high expectations for this one but got bored fairly quickly. Probably because I read different books as a child and because the author comes across as a know-it-all. Interesting facts about Laura Ingalls though.
Aug 29, 2011
Jonathan
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Brilliant and fascinating and with an additional interest in that Spufford grew up at Keele university, where I currently work.
Mar 04, 2009
Nadine
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Okay, so I didn't read the last 20 pages or more. I just really didn't find the author likable.
Nov 17, 2011
Brian
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Enjoyed thhe book for the most part. One of those writers who hit a number of reading experiences shared by self and many other readers.
Occasionally I yawned - his discussion of Piaget being one of them, but on the whole found much of interest. Loved some of his humour.
Occasionally I yawned - his discussion of Piaget being one of them, but on the whole found much of interest. Loved some of his humour.
Jan 13, 2009
Quoted in intro to Children's Literature by Lerer. This one sounds more interesting!
Jan 25, 2009
The Child That Books Built: A Life in Reading by Francis Spufford (2002)
Mar 05, 2011
Alison
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Not always an easy read, but a rewarding one. I especially liked his account of his experience with the Narnia and Little House books--both favorites of mine as well.
May 22, 2008
"An easy going and slightly whimsical trip down memory lane (particularly if, like me, you are of an age with Francis Spufford and grew up with the same books he did). [return][return]This is described as an autobiography, and certainly contains many biographical details, but is centred on the books he read. Much of the book can equally be read as a series of essays as book reviews. I read this and enjoyed it so much, I recommended it to my book group. We read it and it generally had a good
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Sep 28, 2011
Roxanne
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I love books about books, but I just couldn't get into this. I thought from the cover copy that it would be Spufford's thoughts and reminiscences about the books he loved growing up. Instead there was a lot of psychological stuff about what books do to children's brains. That's interesting too, but not what I thought I was going to get. I only made it maybe 50-75 pages in. I got the impression that maybe I would have enjoyed the later stuff more, but it wasn't really worth the investment fo
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May 21, 2011
Sara
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Not as good as I thought it would be. Great language but long and ranty-- purposeless. Thought I could learn more from it. Good to read only if you have time and want the nostalgia.
Dec 20, 2011
Blah. Quitting for now. Will pick it back up when I am more in the mood - Chaos Walking is a tough act to follow.
Jun 22, 2007
Saadiah
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Anyone who remembers spending endless hours absorbed in a book as a child will recognize a 'kindred spirit' in Francis Spufford. While the book has a particular resonance for those who, like me, shared the author's childhood passion for writers like Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Laura Ingalls Wilder, it is also full of interesting observations about how books shape the way we see the world.
Sep 01, 2011
Robin
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The chapter called The Town was my favorite, probably because it was mostly about De Smet, SD.
