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163rd out of 580 books
—
341 voters
The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed (The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle #1)
by
Patrick Rothfuss (Goodreads Author),
Nate Taylor
"This is not a book for children." -- inside flap.
Hardcover, 72 pages
Published
July 31st 2010
by Subterranean Press
(first published 2010)
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This is a pet project of mine that I've been working on with a friend for a couple of years now. It's a not-for-children picture book. I think of it as Coraline meets Calvin and Hobbes.
It will be released from Subterranean Press in July of 2010, and I'm really unreasonably proud of it.
If you want more details, you can read the blog I wrote about it over here:
The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle.
Edit: The book is out now. The first printing is almost sold out....
It will be released from Subterranean Press in July of 2010, and I'm really unreasonably proud of it.
If you want more details, you can read the blog I wrote about it over here:
The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle.
Edit: The book is out now. The first printing is almost sold out....
4.0 stars. I have been waiting for this to come out ever since I first read that Patrick Rothfuss was writing a "not for children" children's book and it did not disappoint. Diabolically clever, this is a book you will want to go back through a second time after you finish it so you can really appreciate the brilliance of the artwork that absoutely makes the story. Highly Recommended!!!!
Aug 12, 2010
Joel
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
the easily amused, sycophants
Recommended to Joel by:
The author (that's what I get)
Remember how the Calvin and Hobbes anthologies would start off with some elaborate, full-color artsy extended bit of weirdness from Bill Watterson? My favorite was "A Naseous Nocture," an long poem about something creepy under the bed in the closet, with lines like this: "In the morning, they’ll come in/And say, 'what was that awful din/We heard last night? You kept us both from sleep!' Only then will they surmise/The gruesomeness of my demise/And see that my remains are in a heap."
The Adventure...more
The Adventure...more
6 likes · like · see review
I had pre-ordered the book, and it came with the promised "This Shit is Not for Kids. Seriously." sticker to place on the front cover. At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to put the sticker anywhere; the cover art is delightful and balanced, and I felt the sticker might spoil it.
Then I finished the book, and I applied the sticker.
I'd heard the first two thirds of the book before, read by Rothfuss, and I had an idea of what to expect. The ending doesn't disappoint, but it's probably not the thing...more
Then I finished the book, and I applied the sticker.
I'd heard the first two thirds of the book before, read by Rothfuss, and I had an idea of what to expect. The ending doesn't disappoint, but it's probably not the thing...more
Patrick Rothfuss is a storyteller (The Name of the Wind), a father, a blogger (patrickrothfuss), a humanitarian (Worldbuilders), and more than a little insane:
.
Patrick (I feel I can call him "Patrick" since he will be haunting my dreams for many nights to come) gives voice to his insanity with The Adventure of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle. It is a story that is both touching and diabolical. A reminder of what it was like to be a child in a world fueled by imagination, it is also a cautionary tal...more
.Patrick (I feel I can call him "Patrick" since he will be haunting my dreams for many nights to come) gives voice to his insanity with The Adventure of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle. It is a story that is both touching and diabolical. A reminder of what it was like to be a child in a world fueled by imagination, it is also a cautionary tal...more
A terrible story wonderfully told. A young princess lives in a castle alone with her teddy bear. She seems quite content in her world, except for "the thing beneath the bed". Before you go feeling too bad for her, just take one look at her manic eyes and you'll stop with the pity. Rothfuss offers us three endings. For those readers who feel empathy for our young protagonist, it's best to stop at ending number one. Still curious, it's not too, too bad if you go on and read the second ending. Only...more
My 3 through 8 year old kids would love this book(they love scary stories just like their dad). It comes off sweet and innocent with a taste of darkness hanging out in the corner just out of range.
I asked myself throughout: Why is this girl all alone in this marzipan castle with no one around but her teddy bear? Why is she stuck behind a gate with a big lock on it? Why are there spikes on the inside of the wall, are they trying to keep her in? After playing war with her stuff animals did she rea...more
I asked myself throughout: Why is this girl all alone in this marzipan castle with no one around but her teddy bear? Why is she stuck behind a gate with a big lock on it? Why are there spikes on the inside of the wall, are they trying to keep her in? After playing war with her stuff animals did she rea...more
The description of this book boasts: "The truth is, this is a book for adults with a dark sense of humor and an appreciation of old-school faerie tales." But the old school Grimm's faerie tales had a lot more meat on their bones -- pun intended, if you've read this book -- than this little illustrated edition. And while the art was beautiful, it felt... lacking. The whole thing probably had one hundred words in it, and they weren't used to tell much of a story, just to jump from one not-terribly...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Albert
Beware of spoilers!
The Adventure of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath The Bed is easy to read. It’s a quick read too since the entire book is only 71 pages with a picture and a single line of text on each page. Like a children’s book. Just keep away from children since the appearance in this case is very deceiving.
The book is split into three section. Each section has it’s own “ending”. The first two endings are cliffhangers that are resolved at...more
Beware of spoilers!
The Adventure of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath The Bed is easy to read. It’s a quick read too since the entire book is only 71 pages with a picture and a single line of text on each page. Like a children’s book. Just keep away from children since the appearance in this case is very deceiving.
The book is split into three section. Each section has it’s own “ending”. The first two endings are cliffhangers that are resolved at...more
I've been interested to read Rothfuss' novels for awhile, just haven't got around to it yet. Found this at the library and decided to check it out.
This was supposed to be a clever twist on children's fables and picture books, and as the inside flap warns over and over, this isn't a story for children. However, I found this book short on clever and twists. And it wasn't particularly dark except for the very end, and even that seemed forced.
There are multiple endings, which was interesting, but...more
This was supposed to be a clever twist on children's fables and picture books, and as the inside flap warns over and over, this isn't a story for children. However, I found this book short on clever and twists. And it wasn't particularly dark except for the very end, and even that seemed forced.
There are multiple endings, which was interesting, but...more
2 likes · like · see review
It looks like a children’s book. It reads like a children’s book. It’s short like a children’s book. It has a child in it. But, brother, this is no children’s book…unless you hearken back to the days of the truly grim fairy tales, the ones filled with water-dwelling Necks, baby-eating witches, child-snatching Sidhe and monsters like Rawhead-and-Bloody-Bones, The Green Lady, La Llorona, the original Sandman and a host of others with bloodshed on their minds.
Filled with a sly humor that gets prog...more
Filled with a sly humor that gets prog...more
This is an awesome and terrifically fun take on the whole locked away princess tale. Have you ever wondered WHY she's locked away? Well here's your answer.
The pictures are engaging (and even more entertaining on the second read). Be sure to watch the background for the aftermath of the battle on the bridge, analyze that buried treasure and take note of the placement of the locks and spikes on the gate.
The story has three endings. The first is sweet, the second is suggestive of horrific events, a...more
The pictures are engaging (and even more entertaining on the second read). Be sure to watch the background for the aftermath of the battle on the bridge, analyze that buried treasure and take note of the placement of the locks and spikes on the gate.
The story has three endings. The first is sweet, the second is suggestive of horrific events, a...more
The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle: The Thing Beneath the Bed is a perfectly deceptive little book. At first glance, it looks like your typical children's picture book. It's the size of a picture book. It has an image of the young Princess playing with her teddy bear, Mr. Whiffle, on the cover and they are adorable. As you read through, you discover a typical tale of a little girl and her teddy bear best friend. Yet, there seems something slightly dark and sinister about the entire t...more
The Princess and Mr. Whiffle live alone together in a marzipan castle, but they don't mind for they are the best of friends doing everything together. They have many great adventures facing many dangers, though none of these dangers are real but for one exception; the Thing beneath the bed.
Here at the first of three endings you can decide to stop before things get too frightening and you can still pretend that there is nothing too terrifying about the Thing beneath the bed, or else you can go on...more
Here at the first of three endings you can decide to stop before things get too frightening and you can still pretend that there is nothing too terrifying about the Thing beneath the bed, or else you can go on...more
What appears to be a children's book at first glance is most definitely for adults. You might not believe me when you start perusing this book...but please, for the love of man, don't read this to children! The ending is...well I really can't say anything about the ending now can I? What I can reveal is that technically there are three endings. So, I suppose you could read the book up to the first ending to a child - however, if you have curious children (and aren't most children curious?), I wo...more
From the mind of the author who brought us The Name of the Wind, comes a different sort of fairytale. Very different. The sort of different that only Patrick Rothfuss can do. And while the story is cute, chilling, heart-warming, and ultimately disturbing, I think most praise has to go to Nate Taylor for his drawings. If you look closely, you will see little details that reveal just how strange a little girl the Princess is.
If you want something a little whimsical, something dark, something to re...more
If you want something a little whimsical, something dark, something to re...more
Cute, dark, funny and shocking. I don't remember the picture books I read as a kid, but this one is undoubtedly better than any of them. Also, it's not for kids. Seriously.
Not only are the pictures super cute, the entire set-up of the story and the language come across as if it's all meant for children, but the further along in the story you get, the more you realise you are mistaken.
I loved the second and third ending, whereas the first would have been a good place to stop if you plan on readi...more
Not only are the pictures super cute, the entire set-up of the story and the language come across as if it's all meant for children, but the further along in the story you get, the more you realise you are mistaken.
I loved the second and third ending, whereas the first would have been a good place to stop if you plan on readi...more
I just read this book yesterday with my significant other, who introduced me to the wonderful and twisted mind of Patrick Rothfuss through The Name of the Wind and A Wise Man's Fear. Having been converted into a huge fan, I decided to look up what else Rothfuss had written, because chances are that it was equally as good.
Now, I'm a big fan of the cute and creepy. My favorite type of book is dark comedy/dark humor, and The Adventure of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle fit the bill pretty well. I like...more
Now, I'm a big fan of the cute and creepy. My favorite type of book is dark comedy/dark humor, and The Adventure of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle fit the bill pretty well. I like...more
Jan 12th, 2012
Christmas gift from Eric. Review to follow, after I'm certain he's gotten my thoughts on it by post.
Jan 24th, 2012
What an incredibly lovely book. Visually, the line drawings are the perfect complement to the clever, curious tale of a princess and her favored companion, a stalwart teddy bear who sticks with her through thick and thin. Patrick Rothfuss claims that this is not a book for children, but I know that I, as a bloodthirsty little girl, would have appreciated this tale at th...more
Christmas gift from Eric. Review to follow, after I'm certain he's gotten my thoughts on it by post.
Jan 24th, 2012
What an incredibly lovely book. Visually, the line drawings are the perfect complement to the clever, curious tale of a princess and her favored companion, a stalwart teddy bear who sticks with her through thick and thin. Patrick Rothfuss claims that this is not a book for children, but I know that I, as a bloodthirsty little girl, would have appreciated this tale at th...more
My English teacher read this out loud to us. She didn't name the author, though she said it was one of her favorite authors, and I'm not surprised it's Patrick Rothfuss. This book was a treat. The noisy, emotional reactions of twenty-six airheaded teenagers made it even better. A few girls were actually crying at the end. It was hilarious. At the same time, the book offers some interesting morals and things to think about. I would actually read it to a kid, albeit one of about ten or eleven, bec...more
This is one seriously f@cked up book. And I liked it. When the author and publisher both tell you a book is "not for children," and it arrives looking suspiciously like "Where the Wild Things Are" with full page illustrations and short sentences, you doubt the warning. I mean, look at the cover! After reading the story, I know better. There is a very good reason this little Princess probably lives alone in that castle.
An inventive creation that I'm glad I bought just because it's so different. I...more
An inventive creation that I'm glad I bought just because it's so different. I...more
My daughter had the privilege of being one of the first people Pat read this to and she LOVED his reading of it. My daughter is 7 (she was 6 when he read it to her). She loves this book. Reads it over and over. Finds it hilarious. Mind you, my daughter loves animals. But she is also aware of the cycle of life and is not horrified when one animal eats the other (despite the fact that I, her mother, am a vegetarian). My point is that some kids will be horrified by this book, certainly. And some wi...more
A quick and fun read that deserves a 3.5 rating. This is the first book that has actually surprised me (and that's saying something because I have read lots of mysteries). What you think is going to happen doesn't. (view spoiler)...more
Given, I have a personal fondness for this book, because it's mine. But I happen to love the this new paperback edition for several additional reasons:
1. It has a new author's note from me and Nathan Taylor, the illustrator.
2. It fixes a very few tiny mistakes nobody but me would ever notice or care about.
3. It's paperback, so it's cheaper.
4. A portion of the proceeds from the book go to Worldbuilders, the charity I run every year.
5. It has a bunch of Nate's original concept sketches in the...more
10 likes · like · see review
I avoided reading this book for a long time b/c Pat kind of implied that it was somewhat disturbing and generally I don't take well to disturbing. And yeah, it is weird. I probably could have gone without reading it. I read it b/c the second one is coming out. I have to admit, I'm afraid I don't really get it. I wanted to like it but to me its kind of just a weird (and disturbing) story. Maybe I'm not thinking about it enough.
The art is amazing tho. Wish I could have seen it in color.
Edit: So...more
The art is amazing tho. Wish I could have seen it in color.
Edit: So...more
Well, despite all the protestations to the contrary and efforts to position this as a bit of horror for adults it is a children's book and I don't see why it would have taken more than an hour to write either. Yeah, it's a little macabre at the end, but it's really just a slightly extended joke---and nothing that's going to trouble anyone's sleep. I am a big fan of Rothfuss's fantasies, but here the artist definitely worked harder than the author. No stars.
Premise: A princess lives alone in a ma...more
Premise: A princess lives alone in a ma...more
So long ago I don't remember when I first heard about Patrick Rothfuss' not-for-children children's book. What began as a bedtime story he told his girlfriend made its way to publication through Subterranean Press. I put my copy on reserve months ahead of time and, eventually, the book arrived at my house.
At a cursory glance, The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle seems like any other children's book. The cover has a cute little girl and her stuffed teddy bear playing in a creek. Even th...more
At a cursory glance, The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle seems like any other children's book. The cover has a cute little girl and her stuffed teddy bear playing in a creek. Even th...more
1 like · like · see review
This book is beyond brilliant. The first read was strange and absorbing, but every subsequent read has opened up my mind in very chilling ways. The book takes about 5 minutes to read - tops - then the adventure begins. You go back and dissect the pages, which seemed at first to be honest and virtuous, and you begin to notice things that show the books true nature. This isn't just great writing. This isn't just skilled artwork. This book is pure - unadulterated, imagination, vision and creativity...more
Wasn't fond of this book at all. I'm a big fan of Rothfuss' first fantasy book and am looking forward to the second. But this one didn't resonate. I get that this book isn't really for children, but even so, it's a children's book for adults, if that makes sense - and those kinds of books still need to be magical. Every word counts since there are so few of them. Wasn't fond of the word choice, wasn't fond of the illustrative style, wasn't fond of the story, didn't find any of the three endings...more
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It all began when Pat Rothfuss was born to a marvelous set of parents. Throughout his formative years they encouraged him to do his best, gave him good advice, and were no doubt appropriately dismayed when he failed to live up to his full potential.
In high-school Pat was something of a class clown. His hobbies included reading a novel or two a day and giving relationship advice to all of his femal...more
More about Patrick Rothfuss...
In high-school Pat was something of a class clown. His hobbies included reading a novel or two a day and giving relationship advice to all of his femal...more
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Jul 25, 2012 04:34pm
Jan 18, 2013 07:57am