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17th out of 88 books
—
120 voters
Horton Halfpott: or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset
by
Tom Angleberger (Goodreads Author)
Tom Angleberger's latest, loopiest middle-grade novel begins when M'Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset (it's never been loosened before!), thereby setting off a chain of events in which all the strict rules of Smugwick Manor are abandoned. When, as a result of "the Loosening," the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Lug
...moreHardcover, 206 pages
Published
May 1st 2011
by Harry N. Abrams
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Good source of robust vocabulary. All 3 of the characters are enjoying this, but it is hard to read aloud - M'Lady Lugertuck & Smugwick manor do not roll off the tongue...
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Horton Halfpott is a playful poke at English Victorian aristocracy, written by Tom Angleberger with clever satire from an intimate, judgmental narrator. When we meet Horton, he is a lowly kitchen boy tirelessly scrubbing dishes day in and out for a penny per week. His employers, Lady Luggertuck and her horrid son, Luther, live a ridiculously high life while the servants are kept on gruel and bread crusts (one crust per day, mind you). Horton meets and falls in love with wealthy Miss Celia Sylvan...more
Horton Halfpott is a kitchen boy, working at Smugwick Manor for the Luggertuck family. The Luggertucks range from unpleasant to cruel to evil in both act and intention. Horton Halfpott’s adventure actually begins–unbeknownst to him–when M’Lady Luggertuck inexplicably chooses NOT to tighten her corset one morning as her maid, Old Crotty, is helping her to dress.
The choice to loosen the corset leads M’Lady to consent to throwing a costume ball in honor of visiting cousin, Montgomery, and the young...more
The choice to loosen the corset leads M’Lady to consent to throwing a costume ball in honor of visiting cousin, Montgomery, and the young...more
Horton was a poor , miserable servant in the neat and strict Smugwick Manor. When the grouchy Lady of the Manor (M’Lady Luggertuck) loosens up her corset , everything goes crazy! Apparently her corset is what made M’Lady so grouchy and strict. After she loosened her corset, all the rules of the Manor are broken but what is even worse, the Luggertuck Lump (a priceless family heirloom) is stolen! The Luggertuck family goes even crazier trying to find who took it. Horton realizes that the detective...more
This book is very, very clever. For one reason or another, I started it, but had to put it aside for a bit. When I started it again, I had forgotten some of the plot, so I basically re-read much of it, and I didn't mind at all (and I rarely re-read anything). From the very beginning when Angleberger dedicated the book to John Christopher, an author whose works my son really enjoyed when it was hard to encourage reading, to the cute drawings, to the cute asides, it is very well done. There is so...more
With a name like this, it has to be good, right? Not necessarily, but this hilarious book lives up to its title. The story begins with an unprecedented event: while being dressed one morning, M'lady Luggertuck, a nasty, tyrannical beast of a woman who runs Smugwick Manor like a despotic bully, decides to wear her corset a little looser. This loosening is somehow felt throughout the manor, and other shocking events begin to occur which involve thefts, disappearances, unbridled evil, pickle eclair...more
I enjoyed reading this offbeat mystery that centers on the theft of the Luggertuck families claim to fame, the Luggertuck Lump. Angleberger crafts a fun ride that many readers will enjoy. The mystery surrounded the theft of the lump is only part of the story. As readers we get to soak in Angleberger's version of Victorian England. In many ways the plot reminds me of a combination of an Agatha Christie mystery and just about any episode of the Office (if both of these were written for kids).
All t...more
All t...more
I picked up a ARC of this book and got it signed while at ALAN this year. I really wanted to get something signed by the writer since I really enjoyed his book The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Been reading Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger as my before bed read every since ALAN; which meant it took me way longer than usual to finish the books because I hardly ever go to bed on time and spend most of my nights writing. But every time I picked up this book and read a chapter I really loved what...more
Things start to get out of hand when M'Lady Luggertuck insists on loosening her corset...household rules seem to loosen, too, yet not in a good way.
To top it all off, valuable items (to the Luggertucks anyway) start disappearing...a wig, a lump (supposedly a rough diamond), fancy stationery, and an important key. That's when famous detective Portney St. Pomfrey is called in. AND, on top of all that, the Luggertuck's nephew, Montgomery is smitten with beautiful, wealthy Celia. They want to host...more
To top it all off, valuable items (to the Luggertucks anyway) start disappearing...a wig, a lump (supposedly a rough diamond), fancy stationery, and an important key. That's when famous detective Portney St. Pomfrey is called in. AND, on top of all that, the Luggertuck's nephew, Montgomery is smitten with beautiful, wealthy Celia. They want to host...more
“You see, the lives of servants are not lived by clocks, but by the ringing of their masters' bells.”
―Horton Halfpott: or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset, P. 17
Tom Angleberger seems to have entered into that select group of authors elevated in common thought as being particularly good at writing for boy readers. At their best, his books are so much more than just that, but never does he fail to produce writing that is remarkably suited...more
―Horton Halfpott: or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset, P. 17
Tom Angleberger seems to have entered into that select group of authors elevated in common thought as being particularly good at writing for boy readers. At their best, his books are so much more than just that, but never does he fail to produce writing that is remarkably suited...more
It all starts with the Loosening. Of M’Lady Luggertuck’s corset, that is. Everyone feels happier, and morre free, since M’Lady Luggertuck isn’t nearly as angry as she used to be. But then, the Luggertuck Lump, family heirloom, and possibly the largest diamond in the world is stolen. And then Napoleon’s bust. And then M’Lady Luggertuck’s wig. With things disappearing daily, Horton; the hero of our story, and Bump, Blight and Blemish are trying to track down the thief. With love and kidnapping in...more
The cover of this caught my eye as I walked past an end-cap in the library, and I grabbed it on a whim. I'm so glad I did! This is one I definitely want to add to my library. I read the whole thing, then, a few hours after finishing, I started reading it aloud to my husband.
The review quoted on the front really says it all: "A positively gleeful historical mystery farce." Though intended for middle-grade readers, Ryan and I both loved this delightful little book. The narrator's style, which is s...more
The review quoted on the front really says it all: "A positively gleeful historical mystery farce." Though intended for middle-grade readers, Ryan and I both loved this delightful little book. The narrator's style, which is s...more
6/13/11 ** Day 17 Book 20 ** Just from the title, you can tell that this book is likely to be over the top; it's a spoof of Victorian adventures with the pure hero, multiple evil villains, numerous miscellaneous characters, and a mystery. The author includes many dryly humorous asides addressed to the reader, in a style reminiscent of Lemony Snickett. Angleberger also clearly loves wordplay. Most character names have several syllables and are slight variations on actual words - as I read, I trie...more
Originally posted at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I really enjoy Tom Angleberger's Origami Yoda books. That being the case, he is now an author whose books I'm on the lookout for. I was fairly excited when my library attained copies of Horton Halfpott or The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor or The Loosenin og M'Lady Luttertuck's Corset. It is written by Tom Angleberger and involves life at an English manor house.
There are so many exciting things in this book-a Stolen Diamond, snooping stabl...more
I really enjoy Tom Angleberger's Origami Yoda books. That being the case, he is now an author whose books I'm on the lookout for. I was fairly excited when my library attained copies of Horton Halfpott or The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor or The Loosenin og M'Lady Luttertuck's Corset. It is written by Tom Angleberger and involves life at an English manor house.
There are so many exciting things in this book-a Stolen Diamond, snooping stabl...more
Fun but not wildly memorable pseudo-Victorian goofiness. I enjoyed it, I laughed out loud, I'm going to suggest it to middle readers/librarians/teachers/parents of middle readers/people who like funny books.
But if you had asked me ten minutes after I finished it what the names of any of the characters were, I could only have supplied "Horton" and "the pirates", only one of which is the name of an actual character. And these were some top quality character names.
So, in conclusion: fun read! good...more
But if you had asked me ten minutes after I finished it what the names of any of the characters were, I could only have supplied "Horton" and "the pirates", only one of which is the name of an actual character. And these were some top quality character names.
So, in conclusion: fun read! good...more
This was an interesting and funny mystery. If you enjoy the writing of Lemony Snicket and Pseudonymous Bosch you will like this one as well. The story is about a boy named Horton who is a kitchen servant at Smugwick Manor. He is very small and is always getting in trouble. He is made to wash all the dishes of the Manor all by himself everyday. He is working for the manor to take care of his family to get his dad the medical treatment he needs. There are very strict rules at the manor and everyth...more
From Amazon:
Tom Angleberger's latest, loopiest middle-grade novel begins when M'Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset (it's never been loosened before!), thereby setting off a chain of events in which all the strict rules of Smugwick Manor are abandoned. When, as a result of "the Loosening," the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks look for someone to blame. Is it Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can't tell...more
Tom Angleberger's latest, loopiest middle-grade novel begins when M'Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset (it's never been loosened before!), thereby setting off a chain of events in which all the strict rules of Smugwick Manor are abandoned. When, as a result of "the Loosening," the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks look for someone to blame. Is it Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can't tell...more
The "loosening" up of a strict Victorian household's rules begins with the day M'Lady requests that her corset be loosened. The mysterious theft of the family's "lump" is followed by the pinching of the Fashionable Wig and a bust of Napoleon. A funny romp with stable boys who dream of jobs as butlers, a lazy detective with an entourage of reporters, and a lovely lady pursued by total clods.
Fans of Origami Yoda may be surprised by the distinctly different style of this book - but they will love...more
Fans of Origami Yoda may be surprised by the distinctly different style of this book - but they will love...more
On this audiobook, the British narrator's plummy voice is perfect for a silly, farcical romp in a grand manor. Horton Halfpott, the good-hearted, true-blue protagonist, deserves better than the hard work he is forced to do as a kitchen boy in Lady Luggertuck's household. Angleberger must have had a ball choosing all the silly character names (Blight, Blemish and Bump, Miss Neversly, Celia Sylvan-Smythe).His convoluted plot moves along quickly with a mystery (who stole the Luggertuck LUMP?), pira...more
I maybe should have given it a four, because I really did like this book and its characters, especially Celia, but I don't actually think it's a book everyone should read. It's not great literature, and not everyone will like it. That said, it is an extremely fun read. The idea that loosening the tightnes with which M'Lady's corset is fastened will result in laxness throughout the entire household is hilarious, and I do adore books where everyone gets their just desserts in the end. (I don't thi...more
Who could ever believe that the loosening of a corset could cause so much trouble? After reading this book, you will!
All Horton wants in life is to work hard and be able to pay for doctors to visit is poor, sick family, but as the corset loosens, hijinks ensues. Horton's life gets crazier and crazier when the Luggertuck Lump goes missing, hipless pirates gets involved, and truly horrible villains complicate everything.
Will Horton be able to solve the mystery of the missing Lump and restore ord...more
All Horton wants in life is to work hard and be able to pay for doctors to visit is poor, sick family, but as the corset loosens, hijinks ensues. Horton's life gets crazier and crazier when the Luggertuck Lump goes missing, hipless pirates gets involved, and truly horrible villains complicate everything.
Will Horton be able to solve the mystery of the missing Lump and restore ord...more
This is a perfect book for relunctant boy readers. It is funy, silly, and strange. There are shipless pirates bumbling detectives, disguises, and a stolen diamond known as The Lump. It would be a great starting novel for those who enjoy graphic novels because it is a descriptive but fast paced.
It sets up a household that is filled disgruntled workers and a spoiled noble family that is oblivious to anything other than their own needs. Horton is the kitchen boy with a good heart but bad things ke...more
It sets up a household that is filled disgruntled workers and a spoiled noble family that is oblivious to anything other than their own needs. Horton is the kitchen boy with a good heart but bad things ke...more
this is a genre mixer. it's set in Victorian England, but i wouldn't call it historical fiction. it's definitely a mystery and a farce. elements of the Cinderella tale--albeit a male protagonist (romance & mistreated male servant) and "flat characters" (the good are very good and the bad are vey bad) yes, theres even a ball but no magic.
the tale involves short chapters, a lot of characters, robust vocabulary, and a shifting between third person omniscient and second person narration. these...more
the tale involves short chapters, a lot of characters, robust vocabulary, and a shifting between third person omniscient and second person narration. these...more
On the day that M'Lady Luggertuck orders her maid to tie her corset a bit more loosely, all kinds of things at Smugwick Manor begin to be affected, from the servants' duties to the above-stairs world. Aside from the fact that corsets make an odd theme for a children's novel, I found this title sort of disappointing after the hilarious, creative Origami Yoda book that has made Tom Angleberger an elementary-school favorite; if you're tired of books that have a lot of meta-chatter and cutesy humor...more
In this delightful children's tale, we are taken into the world of Horton Halfpott, no one special, just the kitchen boy who cannot tell a lie.
Angleberger hooks readers from page one with his introduction paragraph. It's simple - "there are so many exciting things in this book - a stolen diamond, snooping stable boys, a famous detective, the disappearance of a valuable wig, love, pickle eclairs, unbridled evil, and the black deeds of the shipless pirates - "
And thus the author summarizes the en...more
Angleberger hooks readers from page one with his introduction paragraph. It's simple - "there are so many exciting things in this book - a stolen diamond, snooping stable boys, a famous detective, the disappearance of a valuable wig, love, pickle eclairs, unbridled evil, and the black deeds of the shipless pirates - "
And thus the author summarizes the en...more
2.5 stars
I liked this story, but it didn't wow me. I somehow feel that the story didn't live up to it's cover, which I loved (and which is why I wanted to read this book in the first place). There were so many different things going on in the story: the end result for me is that I felt underwhelmed. The "fiendish mystery" promised on the cover left me feeling flat. And for a protagonist, Horton sure was dull. I got more out of the storylines involving Bump, Blight and Blemish. Perhaps I just wa...more
I liked this story, but it didn't wow me. I somehow feel that the story didn't live up to it's cover, which I loved (and which is why I wanted to read this book in the first place). There were so many different things going on in the story: the end result for me is that I felt underwhelmed. The "fiendish mystery" promised on the cover left me feeling flat. And for a protagonist, Horton sure was dull. I got more out of the storylines involving Bump, Blight and Blemish. Perhaps I just wa...more
Children's fiction; boy-friendly humor. I didn't have time to finish this but I wholeheartedly recommend anything from Tom Angleberger, especially where reluctant male readers are concerned. The protagonist here is Horton Halfpott, a lowly kitchen servant; most of the rest of the characters in the grand house where he works are treated irreverently and with great humor. Unlike "Origami Yoda" this book doesn't have the "easy reading" appeal of the "Wimpy Kid" books, but with any luck kids will ge...more
I don't get to read many books aimed at the 8-12 market (I wish we had a cool term for this age band like the Americans who use Middle Grade) but when I do I tend to find myself thinking that I ought to read more. Most of the titles I've read are fun and fast-paced, Horton Halfpott is certainly no exception.
The opening pages are devoted to a map of the area around Smugwick Manor and drawings of the cast of characters. Each chapter also starts with a drawing of one or more characters, I found th...more
The opening pages are devoted to a map of the area around Smugwick Manor and drawings of the cast of characters. Each chapter also starts with a drawing of one or more characters, I found th...more
Horton Halfpott is the unfortunate kitchen boy who gets stuck washing the thousands of dishes in the royal kitchen. M'Lady Luggertuck is a mean queen with an even meaner son, Luther. His cousin, Montgomery declares that he is in love with Celia Shortley and a summer ball is planned.
Horton is assigned to deliver the invitation to the Shortleys, where he meets and falls in love with the girl on the bicycle. She happens to be Celia who every suitor in the area is after. The parents are rich and s...more
Horton is assigned to deliver the invitation to the Shortleys, where he meets and falls in love with the girl on the bicycle. She happens to be Celia who every suitor in the area is after. The parents are rich and s...more
I imagine the servants of Downton Abbey would be both appalled and amused by this send-up of British upper class manners and culture. The privileged get their comeuppance for their snobbery and lowly kitchen boy Horton gets a chance to be our hero. It all begins when M’Lady Luggertuck decides one morning to leave her corset a bit looser than normal, and that loosening leads to a loosening of behavior and of adherence to rules throughout Smugwick Manor, with all kinds of strange results. Silly in...more
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Tom Angleberger artist-turned-writer. He is a columnist for the Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia, and began work on his first book while in middle school. Tom is married to author-illustrator Cece Bell. He lives in Christianburg, Virginia.
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“You see, the lives of servants are not lived by clocks, but by the ringing of their masters' bells.”
—
2 people liked it
“Ignorance and evil-an ugly alliance.”
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