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44th out of 127 books
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191 voters
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Winkie
In Cliff Chase's scathingly funny and surprisingly humane debut novel, the zeitgeist assumes the form of a one-foot-tall ursine Everyman--a mild-mannered teddy bear named Winkie who comes to life and finds himself on the wrong side of America's war on terror. After suffering decades of neglect from the children who once loved him, Winkie realizes that taking charge of his ...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
June 10th 2007
by Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
(first published January 1st 2006)
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26th out of 55 books
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27 voters
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It's the story of a teddy bear that is passed down from a mother through her five children, and then left neglected on a shelf. Finally the bear's consciousness begets movement and Winkie escapes. He goes to live in the forest and bears a child, a mini-me called Baby Winkie. This idyll is interupted when a mad man of the forest, a Unabomber type whose bombs never explode, becomes obsessed with Baby Winkie and bear-naps her. She escapes from captivity by winking herself out of existence; the man ...more
Winkie
By Clifford Chase
236 pp. Canada
Williamson Music. $12.00
ISBN-10: 0802118305
ISBN-13: 978-0802118301
Did you ever wonder “What’s the purpose of your life or why did you like this?” In the book “Winkie” it’s about a teddy bear named Winkie and it’s about a journey that he took to find who he is and where he comes from but there’s one problem. The police/army put him on arrest while he had done nothing wro...more
By Clifford Chase
236 pp. Canada
Williamson Music. $12.00
ISBN-10: 0802118305
ISBN-13: 978-0802118301
Did you ever wonder “What’s the purpose of your life or why did you like this?” In the book “Winkie” it’s about a teddy bear named Winkie and it’s about a journey that he took to find who he is and where he comes from but there’s one problem. The police/army put him on arrest while he had done nothing wro...more
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I dunno, dude.
Bear comes alive, gets mistaken for terrorist. Sounds vaguely interesting. Unfortunately, the writing is so dry, it really isn't.
Besides, the entire thing reads like an inside joke you're not allowed in on -- allusions to Foucault, Lacan, Whitman, famous trials like Scopes and Salem, etc. Plus the bear learns to poop and gives birth to a child that later disappears by sheer self-determinism. Author makes a cameo appearance as a kid who shits in his pants...more
Bear comes alive, gets mistaken for terrorist. Sounds vaguely interesting. Unfortunately, the writing is so dry, it really isn't.
Besides, the entire thing reads like an inside joke you're not allowed in on -- allusions to Foucault, Lacan, Whitman, famous trials like Scopes and Salem, etc. Plus the bear learns to poop and gives birth to a child that later disappears by sheer self-determinism. Author makes a cameo appearance as a kid who shits in his pants...more
I adore this book. A unique anthropomorphic tale of a teddy bear who decided to take his life in his own paws. He is loved and neglected and the neglect drives him to jump on the lonely shelf he was placed on for several years. He wishes for freedom, food and to learn how to poo-poo.
There is some philosophy but the book is not heavily laden with philosophical ramblings as some of the previous reviewers have spoke about. It makes you think just a teeny tiny bit and if that's too...more
There is some philosophy but the book is not heavily laden with philosophical ramblings as some of the previous reviewers have spoke about. It makes you think just a teeny tiny bit and if that's too...more
When you pick this book up I believe it is supposed to shock you with it’s description. A teddy bear on trial for being a terrorist sounds absolutely ridiculous. This seems to be the exact reaction Chase wanted when he wrote his allegorical satire. The way of attaching the reader to Winkie is done in a very cruel way, Chase touches upon our childhood sensitivities for a toy we loved. It pushes the reader to sympathize with Winkie, especially when the children grow up and want to play with him n...more
tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com
I picked this book up at the bookstore recently because I thought that it had an interesting premise: a teddy bear that comes to life and finds itself on the wrong side of the war on terror. The idea brought to mind times when as a child I used to wonder if any of my dolls or bears ever came to life when I wasn't around.
In this book a stuffed bear who after years of neglect is miraculously gifted with life. Winkie then goes out into the world,...more
I picked this book up at the bookstore recently because I thought that it had an interesting premise: a teddy bear that comes to life and finds itself on the wrong side of the war on terror. The idea brought to mind times when as a child I used to wonder if any of my dolls or bears ever came to life when I wasn't around.
In this book a stuffed bear who after years of neglect is miraculously gifted with life. Winkie then goes out into the world,...more
Winkie is a well-loved teddy bear who gets tired of sitting on a shelf, waiting for yet another child to pick him up and love him. Tired of decades of tedium and sameness, he decides to make himself real. So he wills himself off the shelf, and out into the world. Once out in the real world, Winkie quickly finds himself on trial, accused of gross terroristic acts against humanity.
What is intended as biting social commentary on how terrorism is regarded in America today, instead comes...more
What is intended as biting social commentary on how terrorism is regarded in America today, instead comes...more
This is a very intriguing and possibly disturbing book.
If you are expecting a Velveteen Rabbit-esque approach, forget it.
Although not what I would consider "brilliantly written" (the trial section was a little too prolonged and heavy-handed, in my opinion), it is the kind of book that leaves you feeling like you have changed in some way for the reading of it.
Some of the themes that I appreciated in this book:
-What does it mean to be a person?
...more
If you are expecting a Velveteen Rabbit-esque approach, forget it.
Although not what I would consider "brilliantly written" (the trial section was a little too prolonged and heavy-handed, in my opinion), it is the kind of book that leaves you feeling like you have changed in some way for the reading of it.
Some of the themes that I appreciated in this book:
-What does it mean to be a person?
...more
So it's been a long time ago that I read this...I will attempt to remember what I thought: very weird, very surreal, and well written. Lots of social commentary, maybe too much time spent on the trial portion of the book. The subplot of Winkie and his/her child was heartbreaking. Overall I liked it and would recommend it to others.
It was a great concept. It felt rather heavy-handed at times. I understand the apparent anger from the author directed at the conservate extreme. I think his own prejudices over-shadowed what could have been a less absurd, more poetic and life-affirming (if possible) court room narrative. This is exactly where the book loses steam. Winkie himself evokes the wonders and memories of childhood wants and desires. The relationships he endures throughout his life pay tribute to any person that ha...more
This story was really two books in one. The first was the beautiful and moving story of a teddy bear who wills himself to life and wanders the world enjoying all of life's most basic and wonderful experiences. The descriptions are wonderfully rendered through the eyes of innocence and the bear's grasp of the beauty of life is spellbinding.
The second story line is a satirical look at the judicial system as a whole and the war on terror specifically. It is dripping with sarcasm and almost o...more
The second story line is a satirical look at the judicial system as a whole and the war on terror specifically. It is dripping with sarcasm and almost o...more
This story was really two books in one. The first was the beautiful and moving story of a teddy bear who wills himself to life and wanders the world enjoying all of life's most basic and wonderful experiences. The descriptions are wonderfully rendered through the eyes of innocence and the bear's grasp of the beauty of life is spellbinding.
The second story line is a satirical look at the judicial system as a whole and the war on terror specifically. It is dripping with sarcasm and almost o...more
The second story line is a satirical look at the judicial system as a whole and the war on terror specifically. It is dripping with sarcasm and almost o...more
A story about a teddy bear who comes to life and is accused of terrorism. Sounds completely insane right? But it wasn't, it somehow made sense, it was funny, touching, tragic and a great look at the insanity of modern life and the so called 'War on Terror'
This sort of reminded me of the gnome from Amelie. Winkie is a bear who escaped his dull life as a stuffed animal for the adventure of the woods where he is apprehended, mistaken for a terrorist. Wry, Adorable, and Satirical.
Liz W
rated it
Recommends it for:
no one, really
Recommended to Liz by:
it looked more interesting than it was.
it seemed like a good premise. how can you screw up a toy that gets accused of terrorism? it SOUNDS like it should be funny. but it wasn't really all that funny. at all. for such an oddball idea, it takes itself WAY to seriously. i also had a problem where it was really hard to tell what type of world this little bear was supposed to exist in. reality, fantasy, or a hodge-podge of both? it was really hard to tell, especially when the witnesses start giving their testimonies. you just kind of wan...more
A "we lost our innocence on 9/11" allegory about a teddy bear that becomes real. And then "he" has a cub. And then he gets arrested for terrorism. And then he's charged with just about every crime you could charge someone with who dares to be different. And then the government makes a mockery of the judicial system and the press becomes a pawn of the government. And there's more, but it really must be read to be enjoyed. This is a very original and well written story about f...more
I remember purchasing this book on whim while at the bookstore, after seeing it on the shelf. I mean, the idea of a teddy bear that wills himself to life? Who could resist. I wasn't expecting much from Chase's novel, but was pleasantly surprised that for a "teddy bear" book, it was very complex and an excellent social commentary on how we view terrorism and the lengths (sometimes, insane) to put a stop to it. It was was also a sweet story about a bear who lives his life and wants t...more
"I specifically chose those book to be the one I would take my time for since I was in dire need of a break from reading as in reading for a hobby and this book is the perfect book for such a task. The pacing was done very well and the plot itself was quite simple but the delivery was what made me like this book the most. As people say this novel is very weird, I consider it be very unique and I like that since a lot of novels are straying away from being unique for safety.
The sto...more
The sto...more
A very peculiar book that doesn't quite know what it is. There were parts that captivated me and made me think it was a groundbreaking novel that linked the sensitivity of The Velveteen Rabbit to the philosophy and surrealism of Sophie's World. But then it went off into unnecessary descriptions of body functions and a satirical indictment of our War on Terror. It had a lot of threads intertwined that just didn't quite weave into a satisfying final project. Still, a memorable novel that I'm gl...more
I was enjoying this book quite a bit at first. And then I began to get bored with it. And then it picked up again. And then I had to wonder what the fucking point was. Who the fuck cares?
Winkie is a book that I had been following the reviews of for a while. I was anxious to read it. Eager. It's gotten good reviews. And I don't want to say that the good reviews are unfounded because the book is good. But there is a disconnect in tone throughout the book that, in my opinion, drags the ...more
Winkie is a book that I had been following the reviews of for a while. I was anxious to read it. Eager. It's gotten good reviews. And I don't want to say that the good reviews are unfounded because the book is good. But there is a disconnect in tone throughout the book that, in my opinion, drags the ...more
First of all: It's satirical, but it's not the "haha, in your face funny" satirical.
Second of all: If you haven't had a proper philosophy class then you should pick up Sophie's World first. (Read that anyway, but especially if you want to get the end of the book.
Third of all: Despite the teddy-bear coming to life this is not the average heart-warming speaking stuffed animals story. This is at times heart-warming but also soul-wrenching and if you've got a box of stuffed ani...more
Second of all: If you haven't had a proper philosophy class then you should pick up Sophie's World first. (Read that anyway, but especially if you want to get the end of the book.
Third of all: Despite the teddy-bear coming to life this is not the average heart-warming speaking stuffed animals story. This is at times heart-warming but also soul-wrenching and if you've got a box of stuffed ani...more
I liked this book more after I was done reading it. It provides you with a good deal of thinking material. I might have to read it again.
For starters, it's a story about a teddy bear who is on trial for terrorism. So you have to get through that, and the bear's ability to walk and talk suddenly after sitting on a shelf for decades. I spent half the book trying to decide what this was a farce of - Homeland Security? The Church of Christian Science? One guy's childhood? The general Am...more
For starters, it's a story about a teddy bear who is on trial for terrorism. So you have to get through that, and the bear's ability to walk and talk suddenly after sitting on a shelf for decades. I spent half the book trying to decide what this was a farce of - Homeland Security? The Church of Christian Science? One guy's childhood? The general Am...more
Winkie, ou une satire du système judiciaire américain.
Winkie est un vieil ours en peluche tout rapé. Il est arrêté dans une cabane au fond d'un bois par le FBI. Affublé d'un avocat commis d'office nullisime, il devra répondre de 9000 chefs d'accusation complètement loufoques... si on tient compte du fait qu'il s'agit bien d'un ours en peluche, ce que les autorités n'ont pas l'air de capter...
Clifford Chase, auteur et "propriétaire" de Winkie, dépeind une société prête à tou...more
Winkie est un vieil ours en peluche tout rapé. Il est arrêté dans une cabane au fond d'un bois par le FBI. Affublé d'un avocat commis d'office nullisime, il devra répondre de 9000 chefs d'accusation complètement loufoques... si on tient compte du fait qu'il s'agit bien d'un ours en peluche, ce que les autorités n'ont pas l'air de capter...
Clifford Chase, auteur et "propriétaire" de Winkie, dépeind une société prête à tou...more
This book definitely wasn't what I was expecting.
The beginning has a twisted child like paint over it, where the whole feeling of the book was something different and unique. It was interesting and well done. I especially enjoyed when the bear 'played' imaginary hospital with the doctors. Something about that hinted at what kind of power this bear could have had.
But then it seemed to take this strange turn as if the author wanted to transmit some kind of commentary on ...more
The beginning has a twisted child like paint over it, where the whole feeling of the book was something different and unique. It was interesting and well done. I especially enjoyed when the bear 'played' imaginary hospital with the doctors. Something about that hinted at what kind of power this bear could have had.
But then it seemed to take this strange turn as if the author wanted to transmit some kind of commentary on ...more
Some thoughts I had while reading Winkie:
The tone is depressing and somewhat oppressive - I feel like I can hardly breath while I am reading about Winkie's incarceration.
The book is an obvious written response to the conditions that foreign terror suspects undergo.
Interesting how this bear has uncontrollable empathy - for his jailers; and even, postmortem, for his cub's captor.
Thank goodness for Winkie's sometimes uplifting and simple hopefulness it makes the cruelty and ...more
The tone is depressing and somewhat oppressive - I feel like I can hardly breath while I am reading about Winkie's incarceration.
The book is an obvious written response to the conditions that foreign terror suspects undergo.
Interesting how this bear has uncontrollable empathy - for his jailers; and even, postmortem, for his cub's captor.
Thank goodness for Winkie's sometimes uplifting and simple hopefulness it makes the cruelty and ...more
I love the idea of this book, a modern Ragedy Anne. A teddy bear that has spent two generations with a family watching the children grow and change realizes his own existance. The philosophical struggles of a newly born but fully formed entity are intriging. What makes us what we are? Is it simply what we are made of? The love we've been given? The pain we endure? The trials and tribulations of life in general? Or trials specifically set to test our self beliefs? This little bear has so many que...more
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Stuffed bear comes to life (much to its own bewilderment), creates a life, and then... is mistaken for the Unabomber (or a Unabomber-like character). The police, the FBI don't really know what to make of Winkie, but they do know what they want to charge him with. Winkie goes from being hospitalized to being emprisoned as a woman, a man, an Arab... Mostly fantastically observed, although the trial gets overblown (is it really necessary for them to charge Winkie with the crime of every historic di...more
I really didn't like this much. It had the potential of being a good story or having something to say and I don't think it did either one. I felt uncomfortable reading much of it. The characters weren't believable, the philosophy wasn't coherent and the flowery phrases just didn't fit. The only real point the book made about accepting life and moving forward regardless could have been made much better in any format. The animate bear seemed just a gimmick to sell the book but wasn't even don...more
An appealingly peculiar book. After all the children in his family have grown & he's been abandoned on a shelf for years, a teddy bear escapes, goes into the forest, has an offspring who is kidnapped & dies, then he is captured by law enforcement officials & put on trial as a Unabomber-style terrorist. It's uneven in style & tone, by turns tender & warm, then ridiculously satirical, taking on the paranoid style of post-9/11 law enforcement. I'm not sure how to assess the book, but I did enjoy it...more
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