book data
108 ratings, 4.13 average rating, 18 reviews
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published
June 26th 2001
by Washington Square Press
binding
Paperback, 192 pages
isbn
0743423003
(isbn13: 9780743423007)
description
Burton Rembrandt has the sort of perspective on life that is almost impossible for adults to understand: the perspective of an 8-year-old. And to Burt...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 191)
Read in June, 2008
recommends it for:
everyone
Wow. Just.. wow. Flawlessly executed. Very few books alter the way I actually think; this one did. Also, I don't know if the author did this intentionally (I suspect he did) or if it was just my pre-existing prejucides and psychology background coming into play, but for a large part of the book I had a certain perception of the kid, the one that the adults in the book had, and then it gradually, and then abruptly, with a certain incident that had been hinted a lot, changed. And I felt guilty for...more
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Read in March, 2007
young people can be terribly harmed 'for their own good,' by the arrogant assumption on the part of adults that our experienced, scientific and 'rational' point of view is infallible. Shelley's Frankenstein advised us to quit trying to play God, but we're still doing it, especially to our kids, who can't do anything to fight back. i survived years of unwarranted psychomeddling in my childhood when it was in fact my mother who needed cou...more
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recommends it for:
anyone who obsessively reads Salinger
Branch out a little. This one's known as The Catcher of the Rye of France, because, though the author is American, AMERICA REFUSED TO PUBLISH IT (until recently). It is awesoome. It made me laugh and cry outloud. The author is a clown who works with autistic kids. He can also write.
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Read in January, 2003
recommends it for:
everyone
This book made a lasting impression for such a quick read. I enjoy books that challenge my perception, and this certainly did that. Funny, sad, disturbing... The author seems to have captured the mind of an 8-year old. Not challenging to read, but challenging to the mind.
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Sarah by:
Whitneyrecommends it for: Adults who like Stuck in Neutral, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, etc.
My daughter gave me her copy to read several years ago and I finally read it this week. The author was not able to get it published in U.S. but it was translated into French and was very popular in France. People started translating it back into English! Crazy! Eventually it was picked up by U.S. publisher.
I was fascinated by it, but also befuddled. The experience was similar to watching a Wes Anderson film. Two days later my daughter came to visit and I said we've GOT to talk about this boo...more
I was fascinated by it, but also befuddled. The experience was similar to watching a Wes Anderson film. Two days later my daughter came to visit and I said we've GOT to talk about this boo...more
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written from the pov of an 8-year old who has supposedly committed a heinous crime. not bad but certainly not great. apparently this is "the catcher in the rye of france," which is just bizarre, i don't even know how to address that, french people scare me. this book reads a little like the curious adventures of the dog in the nighttime, or whatever the hell that book was called. it's nowhere near as good, though. though i'd have to say the title is better.
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Read in June, 2008
I kept reading reviews that called this book 'brilliant,' over and over again, and I guess it got my expectations up too much. I expected to be blown away, and I wasn't. I did enjoy it, and I thought the author did a great job capturing the voice of an eight year old. It's not something that changed my life, or that I'll come back to again and again, though.
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Read in June, 2007
recommends it for:
francophiles?
Usually I've a pretty solid judgement to offer on a book, especially one that apparently 1 in every 10 person in France has read, but I can't decide whether I liked this book. My phobia of clowns may be clouding my judgement, or maybe I am an intolerant American prude, but I can't help being disturbed, and not in a good way.
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I remember very little about this, except that I thought it lived up to the hype. Also, that the author created a very convincing child's voice, and effectively kept the reader totally frustrated by the ineptitude of adults who just don't get kids.
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Writing from a five year old's perspect is done flawlessly in this book. It has a really sad ending (it has nothing to do with the title). I read that the book was huge in France like, Huuuuuggggeee
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Read in January, 2008
This book was good. It took a while to get used to the main character being 8 years old and talking just like an 8 year old, but nonetheless, it was a good read.
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Another example of a book with a great premise, that starts great...and completely fizzles. Worth a read for entertainment, but don't expect to be wowed.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
the Lucky Ladies
Absolutely fantastic, and pretty crazy. I'm definitely tempted to read it a second time before I move onto to my next to-read.
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this was a pretty cool book and interesting read. it's been compared to catcher in the rye - which i've never actually read.
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recommended to Dan by:
Magali Bone
If you liked "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime", you may like this one even more. One of my favorites.
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recommended to me. good read. i love it when he wants to kill inanimate things...its too cute.
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Read in September, 2008
recommended to Nancy by:
Deniserecommends it for: Daisy
I loved this. It's written in the voice of a precocious 8-year-old boy in a mental hospital.
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Read in September, 2008
recommended to Kate by:
Adult fiction sectionrecommends it for: Bukowski fans
Compared to the rest of the story, the title is upbeat.
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