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Crazy Jack
Once there was a boy named Jack who traded away a cow for a handful of beans. But Jack was no fool, he was haunted since the day his father climbed up into the clouds and vanished. When the beans provide a way for Jack to pursue his father, he enters the Giant’s world, where he discovers the terrifying ends of greed and desire. In Donna Jo Napoli’s transforming novel, Jack’s search for his father yields not gold, but sustenance, love, and the means to build a life.
144 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 12, 1999
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About the author
Donna Jo Napoli
138 books1,112 followersDonna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction. She loves to garden and bake bread, and even dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 15, 2010
I love this author. She always takes fairy tales and then creates a beautiful world with incredible, believable characters around them.
November 4, 2019
This book was amazing. Why didn't they just adapt this to film instead of making Jack the Giant Slayer? That would have been a much more interesting movie!
In this Jack and the Beanstalk retelling, young Jack has the misfortunate of having a gambler for a father, who then disappears at the cliffs the giant lives atop of. Jack blames himself and once a year goes crazy and throws himself at the cliffs in a fever-dream fit, reliving the terrible night his father vanished. And rather than support the poor traumatized boy, his childhood sweetheart totally dumps him because "ewwwwww, he's a madman, that's going to make her look bad, waaaaahh, waahhh". But things change when he trades the cow for magic rainbow beans which grow into a beanstalk that allow him to scale the cliff and go to the giant's house. He discovers grand treasures -- the hen that lays golden eggs, a pot of gold, and a harp that plays itself -- but when he takes them home, he quickly learns that the only thing he's getting out of that hen is scrambled eggs and that his pot of gold just produces endless stone. However, the beans and eggs help him and his mother to get out of the hole of poverty they were trapped in, and the stone allows him to build a dream house with an open courtyard. In the end, when Jack has to chop down the beanstalk and kill the giant, the giant like everything else turns normal when he leaves the clouds, becoming a man-sized corpse for our hero to bury. And, even though she absolutely doesn't deserve it, his childhood sweetheart is able to come back to him and share in Jack's good fortune.
So there's my (somewhat biased) summary, and here are my thoughts on the book broken down for the purposes of this review because I couldn't think of any other way to cover it all.
The content:
Holy SMOKES this is a children's book with bite. I love how Napoli causally (but to her credit never without reason or tastelessly) adds in themes of domestic abuse, possible substance abuse, gambling addiction, extreme poverty, race discrimination, death (and lots of it, including death during childbirth and death via cannibalism), bullying, greed, and probably a lot of other stuff I'm forgetting into a CHILDREN'S book. You know, FOR KIDS! But seriously, I freaking LOVE IT so much. It's so nice to find a book that doesn't talk down to its audience or sugarcoat real problems and just goes for telling the story it needs to tell. So I don't care if certain squeamish people would find this 'inappropriate'; I think it's awesome. Unlike with Magic Circle, where I can understand a parent maybe being uncomfortable with pagan themes, this one is mostly just stuff your kids are going to learn exist someday anyway -- someone is going to be unfair to them, or they are going to know somebody who is being abused, and this book does just what a fairy-tale should in the tasteful way the dark themes are explored.
Flora:
Sigh. I ain't sayin' she a gold digger... No, wait, that's exactly what I'm saying. And for a book that pushes its fairytale underdog being rewarded according to what they deserve it's super weird that she gets a happy ending for literally no reason. She shows no bravery, marginal kindness, and zero loyalty throughout this book, and is entitled as heck (I lost a lot of respect for her character when she sent William to buy Jack's house), and for this she...gets to live happily ever after in a dream house with the book's hero? What the... WHY? What did she do to deserve getting everything she ever wanted?
Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate Flora. Napoli is too talented an author for that. Rather than write her as an unbearable shrew, as another author might because it would be the easiest way, Flora actually is not a garbage person and you can see why Jack would like her, at least prior to how she treated him when he went 'mad'. Really, in another kind of fantasy book she'd basically be the 'Susan Pevensie' architype. And that can be fun (I used to write a lot of Narnia fanfiction, so I've written for that character type before) to read about, but not when she isn't called out on her sensible crap. At least in Narnia, Susan is called into account for choosing 'adult sensibility' over doing the right thing or loyalty to her beliefs, but Flora here never is. Jack just forgives her and they're cool.
There was one point where I was thinking Napoli was going for a 'Skater Boi' (admit it, you still listen to that song too) thing with Flora/Jack, but then the potential rival girl gets her head smashed in by the abusive giant because she's too greedy and stupid to leave her jewelry behind in giant land and that possible plot thread is out the window like beans in the original fairy-tale. I also got the feeling that the girl died just so that the book could end with Flora/Jack. I kind of get why -- the abusive giant and the girl was so obviously a representation of how Jack saw Flora's future if she married William (William does come across as abusive when he doesn't get his way, only covered by a show of 'niceness'), and so both the giant and the girl had to be done away with so the fears could be buried and moved on from -- but still.
I just think Flora got off too scot free. Even if she did marry William, she would have gotten her dream house, because Jack was so good-hearted he was going to give it to her regardless. It's just that Jack was never 'mad' enough to warrant how Flora treated him. He had a few nightmares and made a couple of mooing sounds and she breaks an engagement over that so she can have a more secure future? Gold freaking digger. But in a weird way I still liked Flora and Jack together, so I'm conflicted.
The writing:
It's insanely good, aside from the somewhat rushed climax where Jack escapes from the giant, rushes down the beanstalk, and chops it down practically on the same page where the girl prisoner of the giant is killed (and this is the large print edition!) which bugs me. But aside from that, oh my gosh, I don't know how Napoli does it but she uses only a few words to get across very strong emotions and visuals and makes a short book feel a lot longer because of it. It is just amazing.
And I love how she takes characters who would be seen as wicked or stupid or lazy and makes them decent human beings. Jack's father was obviously a fool who gambled like a lunatic and probably drank (how else do you explain how much responsibility he gave to a freaking NINE YEAR OLD? and how he never listened to his wife? and a dozen or so other questionable choices the man made), but because Jack loves him the book shows him as a good guy and does so believably. Not all authors could have pulled this off.
The morality:
Aside from the whole 'Flora' deal, this book actually has a great morality to it, and I think that's super!
Conclusion:
This was a brilliant book that earned every one of its five stars. And I recommend it. Two giant thumbs up!
In this Jack and the Beanstalk retelling, young Jack has the misfortunate of having a gambler for a father, who then disappears at the cliffs the giant lives atop of. Jack blames himself and once a year goes crazy and throws himself at the cliffs in a fever-dream fit, reliving the terrible night his father vanished. And rather than support the poor traumatized boy, his childhood sweetheart totally dumps him because "ewwwwww, he's a madman, that's going to make her look bad, waaaaahh, waahhh". But things change when he trades the cow for magic rainbow beans which grow into a beanstalk that allow him to scale the cliff and go to the giant's house. He discovers grand treasures -- the hen that lays golden eggs, a pot of gold, and a harp that plays itself -- but when he takes them home, he quickly learns that the only thing he's getting out of that hen is scrambled eggs and that his pot of gold just produces endless stone. However, the beans and eggs help him and his mother to get out of the hole of poverty they were trapped in, and the stone allows him to build a dream house with an open courtyard. In the end, when Jack has to chop down the beanstalk and kill the giant, the giant like everything else turns normal when he leaves the clouds, becoming a man-sized corpse for our hero to bury. And, even though she absolutely doesn't deserve it, his childhood sweetheart is able to come back to him and share in Jack's good fortune.
So there's my (somewhat biased) summary, and here are my thoughts on the book broken down for the purposes of this review because I couldn't think of any other way to cover it all.
The content:
Holy SMOKES this is a children's book with bite. I love how Napoli causally (but to her credit never without reason or tastelessly) adds in themes of domestic abuse, possible substance abuse, gambling addiction, extreme poverty, race discrimination, death (and lots of it, including death during childbirth and death via cannibalism), bullying, greed, and probably a lot of other stuff I'm forgetting into a CHILDREN'S book. You know, FOR KIDS! But seriously, I freaking LOVE IT so much. It's so nice to find a book that doesn't talk down to its audience or sugarcoat real problems and just goes for telling the story it needs to tell. So I don't care if certain squeamish people would find this 'inappropriate'; I think it's awesome. Unlike with Magic Circle, where I can understand a parent maybe being uncomfortable with pagan themes, this one is mostly just stuff your kids are going to learn exist someday anyway -- someone is going to be unfair to them, or they are going to know somebody who is being abused, and this book does just what a fairy-tale should in the tasteful way the dark themes are explored.
Flora:
Sigh. I ain't sayin' she a gold digger... No, wait, that's exactly what I'm saying. And for a book that pushes its fairytale underdog being rewarded according to what they deserve it's super weird that she gets a happy ending for literally no reason. She shows no bravery, marginal kindness, and zero loyalty throughout this book, and is entitled as heck (I lost a lot of respect for her character when she sent William to buy Jack's house), and for this she...gets to live happily ever after in a dream house with the book's hero? What the... WHY? What did she do to deserve getting everything she ever wanted?
Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate Flora. Napoli is too talented an author for that. Rather than write her as an unbearable shrew, as another author might because it would be the easiest way, Flora actually is not a garbage person and you can see why Jack would like her, at least prior to how she treated him when he went 'mad'. Really, in another kind of fantasy book she'd basically be the 'Susan Pevensie' architype. And that can be fun (I used to write a lot of Narnia fanfiction, so I've written for that character type before) to read about, but not when she isn't called out on her sensible crap. At least in Narnia, Susan is called into account for choosing 'adult sensibility' over doing the right thing or loyalty to her beliefs, but Flora here never is. Jack just forgives her and they're cool.
There was one point where I was thinking Napoli was going for a 'Skater Boi' (admit it, you still listen to that song too) thing with Flora/Jack, but then the potential rival girl gets her head smashed in by the abusive giant because she's too greedy and stupid to leave her jewelry behind in giant land and that possible plot thread is out the window like beans in the original fairy-tale. I also got the feeling that the girl died just so that the book could end with Flora/Jack. I kind of get why -- the abusive giant and the girl was so obviously a representation of how Jack saw Flora's future if she married William (William does come across as abusive when he doesn't get his way, only covered by a show of 'niceness'), and so both the giant and the girl had to be done away with so the fears could be buried and moved on from -- but still.
I just think Flora got off too scot free. Even if she did marry William, she would have gotten her dream house, because Jack was so good-hearted he was going to give it to her regardless. It's just that Jack was never 'mad' enough to warrant how Flora treated him. He had a few nightmares and made a couple of mooing sounds and she breaks an engagement over that so she can have a more secure future? Gold freaking digger. But in a weird way I still liked Flora and Jack together, so I'm conflicted.
The writing:
It's insanely good, aside from the somewhat rushed climax where Jack escapes from the giant, rushes down the beanstalk, and chops it down practically on the same page where the girl prisoner of the giant is killed (and this is the large print edition!) which bugs me. But aside from that, oh my gosh, I don't know how Napoli does it but she uses only a few words to get across very strong emotions and visuals and makes a short book feel a lot longer because of it. It is just amazing.
And I love how she takes characters who would be seen as wicked or stupid or lazy and makes them decent human beings. Jack's father was obviously a fool who gambled like a lunatic and probably drank (how else do you explain how much responsibility he gave to a freaking NINE YEAR OLD? and how he never listened to his wife? and a dozen or so other questionable choices the man made), but because Jack loves him the book shows him as a good guy and does so believably. Not all authors could have pulled this off.
The morality:
Aside from the whole 'Flora' deal, this book actually has a great morality to it, and I think that's super!
Conclusion:
This was a brilliant book that earned every one of its five stars. And I recommend it. Two giant thumbs up!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2019
I have loved Donna Jo Napoli's work for a while now. I've always really enjoyed her retelling and version of fairy tales. This one was based off "Jack and the Beanstalk." It was an interesting take, making Jack crazy. But I also liked how they gave Jack a reason to want to get the magic beans and go up the bean stalk. There was motive compared to him just being the "rascal kid" like he usually is.
Short and quick read. If you enjoy Napoli's work or simply like a retelling of fairy tales like I do, I would recommend it.
Short and quick read. If you enjoy Napoli's work or simply like a retelling of fairy tales like I do, I would recommend it.
August 6, 2018
Jack’s family is very poor and when his father goes missing, Jack becomes obsessed with the cliff where his father disappeared. Everyone thinks Jack is crazy, even Flora his beloved turns away from him and becomes engaged to a wealthy man. Then one day, Jack meets a fairy on the way to town to sell the cow and trades the cow for those magic beans.
August 9, 2023
A fun retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. I liked how more was added to the old fairytale with Jack 'going crazy' and the background to Jack and his father's relationship. I didn't expect to get emotionally invested but I did especially with the love interest and her backstory as well. Super cute quick story. Fun to write an analysis about for my children's lit class.
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August 6, 2020It's been so long since I read this, I am not going to score it. Considering how much I love this author- it's probably at least a 4. It might be time for a re-read.
March 3, 2024
An interesting retelling.
June 12, 2011
At first I didn't realized that this story was a retelling of the popular Jack and the Beanstalk. Although I have seen a few similarities already, I was only sure of it when it came to the part where Jack planted bean seeds and it grew overnight.
More or less, the story has got the same plot as Jack and the Beanstalk, but with a twist. I like Jack's character in the story. Even though people called him crazy and all those foul names, he didn't care. Flora, who was his love interest in the story has also forsaken him already, but he did not lose hope. His faith and belief has captured me, I want to be like him too.
Towards the end of the story, I almost cried because of Jack's selfless love for Flora. He did not mind when Flora keeps saying bad things to him, when she left him and choose another man instead of him. I am somewhat like Jack in a way, willing to give anything and everything to the person I love if it would make him happy, even though his happiness would not include me in it.
For Flora's character, I don't know why she kept hiding his true feelings for Jack. I think she's just afraid of what others will say about her if she continues to be with Jack. Though I'm sure of her feelings for Jack, but why be like that? She has hurt Jack but he still does not mind for as long as Flora is happy.
Overall, I love the story. It does not only focus on the adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk, but there are many more stories and faces that this book has shown. For one, poverty and not giving up on your dreams is something that I really admired about the lead character. I think this book teaches us lessons in life that can be applied to our reality today.
More or less, the story has got the same plot as Jack and the Beanstalk, but with a twist. I like Jack's character in the story. Even though people called him crazy and all those foul names, he didn't care. Flora, who was his love interest in the story has also forsaken him already, but he did not lose hope. His faith and belief has captured me, I want to be like him too.
Towards the end of the story, I almost cried because of Jack's selfless love for Flora. He did not mind when Flora keeps saying bad things to him, when she left him and choose another man instead of him. I am somewhat like Jack in a way, willing to give anything and everything to the person I love if it would make him happy, even though his happiness would not include me in it.
For Flora's character, I don't know why she kept hiding his true feelings for Jack. I think she's just afraid of what others will say about her if she continues to be with Jack. Though I'm sure of her feelings for Jack, but why be like that? She has hurt Jack but he still does not mind for as long as Flora is happy.
Overall, I love the story. It does not only focus on the adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk, but there are many more stories and faces that this book has shown. For one, poverty and not giving up on your dreams is something that I really admired about the lead character. I think this book teaches us lessons in life that can be applied to our reality today.
March 5, 2011
In this retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, Donna Jo Napoli recounts the story of a young boy sent to town by his mother to sell their last cow. They are poor, hungry, and without hope. When Crazy Jack meets a fairy on the road, he sells his cow for a bag of seven rainbow-colored beans. Jack's mother is distraught. But, the magic beans yield a very sturdy beanstalk and a never ending supply of beans.
When Jack finally climbs the beanstalk, high above the clouds, he encounters a man-eating giant and a frightened woman. Three times he climbs the stalk and comes away with a treasure... a hen who lays eggs on command, a black pot full of stones that build the perfect house, and a musical lyre which charms the heart of his beloved Flora.
Jack learns that his father was eaten by the giant when he climbed to the clouds, yet he braves the giant's wrath and tries to save the woman. Once on ground again and helping his mother, Jack learns the value of each stolen treasure... and how it makes their lives happy and good once again.
Used for Hiawatha School Book Talk: March, 2011.
When Jack finally climbs the beanstalk, high above the clouds, he encounters a man-eating giant and a frightened woman. Three times he climbs the stalk and comes away with a treasure... a hen who lays eggs on command, a black pot full of stones that build the perfect house, and a musical lyre which charms the heart of his beloved Flora.
Jack learns that his father was eaten by the giant when he climbed to the clouds, yet he braves the giant's wrath and tries to save the woman. Once on ground again and helping his mother, Jack learns the value of each stolen treasure... and how it makes their lives happy and good once again.
Used for Hiawatha School Book Talk: March, 2011.
June 22, 2013
This is the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, but with an added twist. Donna Jo Napoli is so good at taking old tales and rather then changing them into the same fairy tale book, she makes them into a heart-wrenching, emotional story. Jack has to deal with the hardships of losing a parent, poverty, and the fact that everybody thinks he is crazy because of his grief and the way he handles it.
This was a really short read, and dealt with human emotions through beautiful themes. There was still the basics to the tale kept in, like an actual giant, and that he steals the three same items from him. Flora the girl he has always loved brings out his hopefulness and kindness. He always thinks that she is the best thing that he has, and always keeps it that way, even when she push's away from him. I would recommend this book for any young adult. It's just a quick, interesting read.
Language: none
Violence: There are physical signs of violence, and a murder.
Sex: One scene, but nothing descriptive
Drugs: none
This was a really short read, and dealt with human emotions through beautiful themes. There was still the basics to the tale kept in, like an actual giant, and that he steals the three same items from him. Flora the girl he has always loved brings out his hopefulness and kindness. He always thinks that she is the best thing that he has, and always keeps it that way, even when she push's away from him. I would recommend this book for any young adult. It's just a quick, interesting read.
Language: none
Violence: There are physical signs of violence, and a murder.
Sex: One scene, but nothing descriptive
Drugs: none
October 25, 2012
I read this book a long, long time ago, and after rereading, it still has a huge impact on me. Napoli's version of the classic tale of Jack and the Beanstalk was very well-written. It had all the stuff the old fairy tale had: the fee-fie-foe-fumming giant, his magical harp and chicken and pot of gold, the beanstalk, Jack... but the novel provided even more: there were plot twists, romance, magic, and hopes and dreams dashed by harsh reality. The author created the distinction between the magical realm above and the reality Jack came home to, and amazingly, she provided an ending that tied it together almost seamlessly.
September 14, 2007
I have always been a fan of fairy tales and I love this author's retellings. Crazy Jack is based on "Jack and the Beanstalk."
Jack's father loses the family farm and then climbs up the side of a mountain, never to be seen again. Jack goes crazy with grief because he is unable to climb the mountain to follow his father. One day, he trades the cow for a handful of magic beans. Jack climbs the beanstalk and visits the gian't home. He manages to get everything he needs in order to create his very own happily ever after.
Jack's father loses the family farm and then climbs up the side of a mountain, never to be seen again. Jack goes crazy with grief because he is unable to climb the mountain to follow his father. One day, he trades the cow for a handful of magic beans. Jack climbs the beanstalk and visits the gian't home. He manages to get everything he needs in order to create his very own happily ever after.
February 4, 2010
This was an interesting take on Jack and the Beanstalk. I don't know how to rate it, because the story line itself, and the ideas that were presented by the author are great. I really like the way she explained why Jack would trade a cow for a few beans, and why he seemed a little... crazy. I also like what happened with the magic items when Jack brought them home. She made it into a story, one that reads and feels more folk than fairy tale. However, I didn't love the writing. It was good, but not great; interesting but not overly engaging. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars.
November 5, 2015
This was a very odd book (and probably should be more in the young adult section than the children's section). It's very difficult to tell what is real here. Jack isn't quite sane, and his view of the world could be dead on accurate or warped from his grief over his father's apparent suicide. Is the giant an image of his father? Of greed? Of William? Or is he just a giant? A lot of questions are left either unanswered or open-ended. It did hold my interest, though, and was a different idea for the story.
September 3, 2009
Jack is crazy, all right, but only occasionally, usually around the anniversary of the day his gambling father climbed a mountainous cliff and disappeared into the clouds above. Then Jack trades the family’s only asset, a cow, for some colored beans. Sound familiar? It should. It’s Jack and the Beanstalk, told with characters who seem very real. The tiny bit of sexual content in the novel is merely hinted. Positive, though slightly dark.
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August 11, 2011I liked this story. The backstory of Jack's father presents such a warm and loving family; then seeing is disintegrate is heartbreaking. I liked how the fairy tale comes alive with interesting and compelling characters.
Caution: there is an apparant suicide, spousal abuse, and Jack overhears the giant with his wife. Because of this, I would definitely not recommend this book for children under age 14.
Caution: there is an apparant suicide, spousal abuse, and Jack overhears the giant with his wife. Because of this, I would definitely not recommend this book for children under age 14.
July 24, 2010
Great re-telling of Jack and the Beanstalk. Napoli gives her characters more depth and more emotion than any other version I have heard or read before. I was so emotionally involved with the characters. Great read.
August 1, 2010
Crazy Jack started off rather slow but got better near the end, when the actual Jack and the Beanstalk tale got involved. The romantic end was highly predictable, but a nice detour from the original tale.
May 13, 2018
not a bad story, interesting and well written, but the resolution took about 6 and a half minutes. probably should've expected that from a 130 page book. I love her writing style though, its old and ethereal without being overdone
December 8, 2013
Napoli's version of Jack and the Beanstalk adds some plot twists and details that I haven't seen done elsewhere. I especially appreciated what happened when Jack brought the treasures back down from the beanstalk. Somehow it seemed more fitting than the original, and gave a better moral.
January 27, 2008
This is an excellent and thought provoking book. It is loosely based on the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk.
May 12, 2009
One of my favorite's by Napoli, because this one actually has a happy ending.
July 8, 2009
This was a good take on Jack and the Beanstalk. I thought this was one of her better stories. I came to really like Jack and Flora by the end of the book. A 3.5 star read.
September 21, 2011
I seriously hope S can arrange an introduction for me some day. I would love to sit down with Napoli and pick her brain about literature theory. High marks for Crazy Jack.
May 14, 2012
Very pleasant novella of Jack and the Beanstalk. Has a romantic storyline. Nice.
September 23, 2014
A really interesting retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. Though before I read the book, I had kind of forgotten what the story of Jack and the Beanstalk was actually about!
November 3, 2012
Loved it! I felt like it was a historical fiction for at least half the book. Loved the way the author weaved reality and the world of the fairies into a grand tale.
June 17, 2013
By far my favorite of hers. the subtle gray of each character, how it seemed that everyone except Jack was crazy.
the falling, the speaking aloud to himself, the woman giant.
the falling, the speaking aloud to himself, the woman giant.
February 8, 2016
Interesting, but didn't add a lot to the fairy tale.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews