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Departure Time
A run-down hotel on a bare plain: the only hiding place for a girl in the rain. Once inside, a fox offers her a chair. A suspicious rat acts like he has met her before. But she can't remember anything. Not even her own name.... At the hotel she finds more questions than answers. She hears piano music, but can't find the piano. And what about the pieces of paper flying arou...more
Paperback, 216 pages
Published
May 15th 2010
by Namelos
(first published 2007)
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Matti, Truus. (2010). Departure Time. South Hampton, New Hampshire: NAMELOS. 212 pp. ISBN 978-1-60898-087-1 (Hard Cover); $18.95.
Maybe if we cross Samuel Beckett with Alice and Wonderland and add a splash of Werlin, we will discover the inspiration for this very different genre mashup. Mouse is, shall we say, not in Kansas anymore. She finds herself in a hotel staffed by a talking fox and a rat. Mouse is not sure how she got here and as time passes she begins to suspect that fox and rat are hold...more
Maybe if we cross Samuel Beckett with Alice and Wonderland and add a splash of Werlin, we will discover the inspiration for this very different genre mashup. Mouse is, shall we say, not in Kansas anymore. She finds herself in a hotel staffed by a talking fox and a rat. Mouse is not sure how she got here and as time passes she begins to suspect that fox and rat are hold...more
Feb 17, 2012
Joel Simon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Joel by:
Elizabeth Bird
"Departure Time" will not be for everyone. It is a book that is translated into English (making it choppy in certain spots), the story is complicated and things don't always go the way you would like them to. But if you give this book a chance, and read it knowing those things about it, the rewards are immense. It is a story rich in character, depth and images. It will leave you happy, sad and pondering about it for a long time. I finished it months ago and I still think about it often. The stor...more
An interesting story... actually, two stories in one. The first tells of a girl who is coming to grips with the recent loss of her father. The second is of a girl who doesn't remember who she is. It turns out the two stories are related as the tale progresses. The second girl finds herself at a hotel, whose only occupants seem to be a fox and a rat. Bit by bit, she starts to remember her past and who she is. This was an interesting story on many levels, as the reader finds out more about both gi...more
This book got a lot of attention last year as an outstanding traslated book (from the Dutch). It started out a little bit slowly, but it quickly became engrossing. The narration of each chapter alternates between a girl's real-life world, in which she deals with her father's death, and a dream-like fantasy world, complete with a talking fox and rat, a run-down hotel, and mysterious piano music coming from the floor (when there only appear to be four floors). Charming, emotional, bizarre, and ser...more
I thought this was a great book. It's a middle-grade kids' book which initially was checked out for Leah. I began reading the first few chapters out loud to her. She went off to read more on her own, but I was so intrigued that I later finished the book myself. It was tranlated from the Dutch and won the Batchelder Award (which I believe is for best translated book). It's a little difficult at first as the story switches back and forth..between two stories that are seemingly unconnected. I can't...more
This is a story of death, and grief, and anger so strong as to stop time. And yet the story has a charm, and smiling wonder.
It opens in a bleak dreamscape, with hints of some existential Hell. The first few pages are otherwise almost indecipherable. And then, chapter by chapter, the sinister allusions clear away, to reveal the hope and love of life that remains. The effect is step-by-step predictable, and still magical.
The book demands a patient, thoughtful reader, but not necessarily a young...more
It opens in a bleak dreamscape, with hints of some existential Hell. The first few pages are otherwise almost indecipherable. And then, chapter by chapter, the sinister allusions clear away, to reveal the hope and love of life that remains. The effect is step-by-step predictable, and still magical.
The book demands a patient, thoughtful reader, but not necessarily a young...more
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Translated children's novels have a tough row to hoe. In my experience as a children's librarian I'll often find that folks react to them in a variety of different ways. Sometimes they like them, but often they'll dislike the books and then fail to express what it is about the book they don't like. Often it all breaks down into feelings. I've had people tell me that they found The Swan's Child by Sjoerd Kuyper "special", though they couldn't pinpoint why. Others have said that The Squirrel's Bir...more
While I wait to hear from my 11-year-old adventurous Test Reader, I will venture that this pecuiar, mysterious book about a grieving girl, an alter-girl seeking to unfurl the answers to mysteries revealed by an old desert hotel populated by a gray fox gourmand and a white rat mechanic, and their intertwinement will engage many readers. As another reviewer noted, it smacks of Stead's When You Reach Me and similarly curiously satisfying.
I'm skipping over months of unlogged books to shout outloud about Departure Time. Unbelievable--especially as a debut book. My only regret is that I did not write it! It's part Sharon Creech, part Holes, part When You Reach Me and part wow! It hit me on so many levels I can't even articulate it well . You might see it in your Christmas gift bag from me soon!
I read this because it was about a daughter and her father - one of those topics I will always read. Its quite a lot more than that. It is about loss and grief, forgiveness and sadness, and joy. I felt a bit like I was IN a dream while reading and wandered this path with Mouse as she figured everything out. Even remembering the experience of reading, I get a bit teary.
I didn't quite know what to expect with this book, but I really liked it. An odd story with fantastic elements that ends up being very touching. Recommended for young readers who want to explore magical realism.
This is a book I would most definitely choose for older students. The girl in this book goes between two different personalities. She is just trying to deal with the death of her father.
Translated from Dutch
Batchelder honor book
Good book in strange way.. Charming international reading.
Batchelder honor book
Good book in strange way.. Charming international reading.
The story may have been a bit too long, but it was very interesting to see how everything fit together. Not for every reader, but some will eat this one up.
Crossover J-fic and ya. Very creative, power of story, grief etc
I liked this book because it flipped back and forth between reality and fantasy as a young girl copes with loss. As I read it, I thought parts would make a good animation, only to read further, that Matti studied filmmaking and animation. Maybe not a complete 5, but there isn't a 4.875 available.
Kirkus Best Children's Books 2010
Weird.
Overall, I liked this book. However, I never quite felt like the two narratives managed to make it into a cohesive story. I guessed quite early what was going on, and I spent most of the rest of the book feeling somewhat frustrated. I’d be interested to see if others had a different reaction. [March 2011]
Interesting story told in alternating reality and imaginary worlds, as a young girl deals with losing her father.
Jun 02, 2013
Chien
marked it as to-read
May 07, 2013
Noldavrielink
added it
Apr 18, 2013
Ambercanread
added it
Apr 15, 2013
Ryan Dreier
marked it as to-read
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Oct 12, 2010 06:54am