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Heaven Eyes
Erin Law and her friends are Damaged Children. At least that is the label given to them by Maureen, the woman who runs the orphanage that they live in. Damaged, Beyond Repair because they have no parents to take care of them. But Erin knows that if they care for each other they can put up with the psychologists, the social workers, the therapists—at least most of the time. Sometimes there is nothing left but to run away, to run for freedom. And that is what Erin and two friends do, run away one night downriver on a raft. What they find on their journey is stranger than you can imagine, maybe, and you might not think it's true. But Erin will tell you it is all true. And the proof is a girl named Heaven Eyes, who sees through all the darkness in the world to the joy that lies beneath.
—From the hardcover edition.
—From the hardcover edition.
233 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 15, 2000
41 people are currently reading
996 people want to read
About the author
David Almond
121 books823 followersDavid Almond is a British children's writer who has penned several novels, each one to critical acclaim. He was born and raised in Felling and Newcastle in post-industrial North East England and educated at the University of East Anglia. When he was young, he found his love of writing when some short stories of his were published in a local magazine. He started out as an author of adult fiction before finding his niche writing literature for young adults.
His first children's novel, Skellig (1998), set in Newcastle, won the Whitbread Children's Novel of the Year Award and also the Carnegie Medal. His subsequent novels are: Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003) and Clay (2005). His first play aimed at adolescents, Wild Girl, Wild Boy, toured in 2001 and was published in 2002.
His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of 'the self'. He has been greatly influenced by the works of the English Romantic poet William Blake.
He is an author often suggested on National Curriculum reading lists in the United Kingdom and has attracted the attention of academics who specialise in the study of children's literature.
Almond currently lives with his family in Northumberland, England.
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2010).
His first children's novel, Skellig (1998), set in Newcastle, won the Whitbread Children's Novel of the Year Award and also the Carnegie Medal. His subsequent novels are: Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003) and Clay (2005). His first play aimed at adolescents, Wild Girl, Wild Boy, toured in 2001 and was published in 2002.
His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of 'the self'. He has been greatly influenced by the works of the English Romantic poet William Blake.
He is an author often suggested on National Curriculum reading lists in the United Kingdom and has attracted the attention of academics who specialise in the study of children's literature.
Almond currently lives with his family in Northumberland, England.
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2010).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
June 9, 2018
I remember reading this when I was 11 years old when I was in Primary school.
I loved this book the first time I read it, and although I read my childhood books a little differently to how I used to, I still loved this book. It's still as good as I remember it.
This is a great book and can recommend it all children under 12, and all those re-reading. It's still just as magical.
I loved this book the first time I read it, and although I read my childhood books a little differently to how I used to, I still loved this book. It's still as good as I remember it.
This is a great book and can recommend it all children under 12, and all those re-reading. It's still just as magical.
May 27, 2017
Wow. I stumbled onto Heaven Eyes at the library used bookstore where I volunteer, totally ignoring the 50-some books I know I want to read & gobbling this up almost in one sitting after reading the first few pages. It's that most unusual of books, a small novel (both in length & scope of story) that is equally accessible to older kids, teens, and "grown-ups."
David Almond is an alleged grown-up but his ability to write first person as a 12(?) year old girl is uncanny: every word from Erin Law, the main character and our guide, resonates as right and true. She has the unusual trait of many kids who've been through Kid Hell, simultaneously older & younger than her years. She has her own magic, although she doesn't realize it as such, and yet retains the child's ability to knowingly inflict casual emotional harm on those trying to care for her. Kids can be very binary and very selfish and that's a good thing, it's one way the human race has survived and ultimately evolves past selfishness. You can't evolve past a thing without having had some taste of it, sometime in one's life. Erin evolves, a bit, as much as she can in the limits of the book.
Her orphaned companions are less well-defined, obviously, but Heaven Eyes, the little girl they meet on their adventure, is nearly the incarnation of love. Heaven Eyes' peculiar speech pattern, her lack of any education from which the kids can create their usual interkid-relations, forcing them to relate to her on her own strange, unfamiliar level, and her utterly peculiar life all combine to create something magically real, and to gently transport Erin out of her own comfort zone and into the next step of her own growing-up.
This is an amazing, poignant, odd little book. Magic is as real as the love in a human heart, where it abides for us all. Maybe that was the whole point of the story.
David Almond is an alleged grown-up but his ability to write first person as a 12(?) year old girl is uncanny: every word from Erin Law, the main character and our guide, resonates as right and true. She has the unusual trait of many kids who've been through Kid Hell, simultaneously older & younger than her years. She has her own magic, although she doesn't realize it as such, and yet retains the child's ability to knowingly inflict casual emotional harm on those trying to care for her. Kids can be very binary and very selfish and that's a good thing, it's one way the human race has survived and ultimately evolves past selfishness. You can't evolve past a thing without having had some taste of it, sometime in one's life. Erin evolves, a bit, as much as she can in the limits of the book.
Her orphaned companions are less well-defined, obviously, but Heaven Eyes, the little girl they meet on their adventure, is nearly the incarnation of love. Heaven Eyes' peculiar speech pattern, her lack of any education from which the kids can create their usual interkid-relations, forcing them to relate to her on her own strange, unfamiliar level, and her utterly peculiar life all combine to create something magically real, and to gently transport Erin out of her own comfort zone and into the next step of her own growing-up.
This is an amazing, poignant, odd little book. Magic is as real as the love in a human heart, where it abides for us all. Maybe that was the whole point of the story.
April 13, 2024
Kniha Nebeské oči ma chytila za srdce. Po prečítaní niekoľkých stránok som vedela, že táto kniha je moja šálka kávy.
Asi jediné, čo by som mohla knihe vytknúť je časté opakovanie frázy: „Ty kokos.”😅
Asi jediné, čo by som mohla knihe vytknúť je časté opakovanie frázy: „Ty kokos.”😅
May 21, 2018
The book is so beautifully written it's almost magical, and yet I found the story it tries to tell disturbingly boring and pointless.
I probably fail to understand this book as a whole. How can it start so powerfully, with such a magnificent prose it reads almost as poetry, and yet I read it while virtually banging my head into my desk and internally screaming, why oh why oh why am I reading this and why am I supposed to care about this story, or the lack of it. At least I enjoyed the prose.
What makes me sad the most is the fact that I knew it's a strange book, and I usually like strange books. Or at least I think I like strange books. And therefore I thought I am going to enjoy this one a lot. But it seems like there's quite a few kinds of strange, and not every kind of strange fits your own strangeness. Sometimes the book is written for a very special kind of reader, and you, unfortunately, are of a different kind.
Also, I have read the translation to Lithuanian, but I have skimmed through the English version, too, and compared some parts. I can honestly say that the translation is really well done, it is rich, it is flowing and very creative - just as the original text is. But I hated with all my little black heart what it did to poor Heaven Eyes - a character who sounds so cute, childish and innocent in the original with all her self-invented phrases and all, and who sounds sooo pretentious in Lithuanian, she sounds like some 100 years old literature teacher at best. And she should sound like a kid with zero education, totally excluded from the world for all her life!
Look, look:
[i]‘This is your treasures, Erin, isn’t it?’
‘Yes.’
‘Lovely lovely. My treasures is waiting in the Middens says Grampa. He will dig them out afore he is still as still.’
‘Still as still?’
‘Still as still. Not mind, Erin. Show, show.’
– Čia tavo lobiai, Erina?
– Taip.
– Žavėtinai žavėtiniausi. Mano lobiai manęs laukia Sąnašynuose, sako senolis. Jis juos iškas, paskui taps stingių stingiausias.
– Stingių stingiausias?
– Stingių stingiausias. Nesirūpink, Erina. Parodyk, parodyk.[/i]
Do you see my horror? But still, I think the translator did an amazing work and I won't be surprised if she gets some award for translating Heaven Eyes.
Do I recommend this book? Yes, if you like beautiful prose. No, if you like good stories that draw you in. Maybe, if you like strange books. Maybe this can be just the right kind of strange for you, who knows.
I probably fail to understand this book as a whole. How can it start so powerfully, with such a magnificent prose it reads almost as poetry, and yet I read it while virtually banging my head into my desk and internally screaming, why oh why oh why am I reading this and why am I supposed to care about this story, or the lack of it. At least I enjoyed the prose.
What makes me sad the most is the fact that I knew it's a strange book, and I usually like strange books. Or at least I think I like strange books. And therefore I thought I am going to enjoy this one a lot. But it seems like there's quite a few kinds of strange, and not every kind of strange fits your own strangeness. Sometimes the book is written for a very special kind of reader, and you, unfortunately, are of a different kind.
Also, I have read the translation to Lithuanian, but I have skimmed through the English version, too, and compared some parts. I can honestly say that the translation is really well done, it is rich, it is flowing and very creative - just as the original text is. But I hated with all my little black heart what it did to poor Heaven Eyes - a character who sounds so cute, childish and innocent in the original with all her self-invented phrases and all, and who sounds sooo pretentious in Lithuanian, she sounds like some 100 years old literature teacher at best. And she should sound like a kid with zero education, totally excluded from the world for all her life!
Look, look:
[i]‘This is your treasures, Erin, isn’t it?’
‘Yes.’
‘Lovely lovely. My treasures is waiting in the Middens says Grampa. He will dig them out afore he is still as still.’
‘Still as still?’
‘Still as still. Not mind, Erin. Show, show.’
– Čia tavo lobiai, Erina?
– Taip.
– Žavėtinai žavėtiniausi. Mano lobiai manęs laukia Sąnašynuose, sako senolis. Jis juos iškas, paskui taps stingių stingiausias.
– Stingių stingiausias?
– Stingių stingiausias. Nesirūpink, Erina. Parodyk, parodyk.[/i]
Do you see my horror? But still, I think the translator did an amazing work and I won't be surprised if she gets some award for translating Heaven Eyes.
Do I recommend this book? Yes, if you like beautiful prose. No, if you like good stories that draw you in. Maybe, if you like strange books. Maybe this can be just the right kind of strange for you, who knows.
July 31, 2012
'Heaven Eyes' tells the story of a young orphan, Erin, who runs away from Whitegates with her friend January Carr, and their uninvited guest, Mouse. Their journey begins on a makeshift raft along a river. Going with the ebbs and flows of the current they are soon marooned on the dark mud bank of the Black Middens. Guided by the spiritual comfort and voice of her mother, Erin pulls the raft to safety. Here the three orphans meet a strange web fingered girl with bright eyes and blonde hair, Heaven Eyes. As the story progresses we meet an old man with black dust in the creases of his skin, Grampa.
For a few days the Orphans live with Heaven Eyes and Grampa in the derelict printing press, living off Cadbury's Milk Tray and Fray Bento's Corn Beef. Grampa is forever patrolling the grounds and digging for treasures for Heaven Eyes. January, the sharp witted young boy is reluctant to trust the two new beings they have met and is determined to find out what Grampa keeps in the boxes on the very top shelf and the locked drawer of his desk. Inside lies the truth behind Heaven Eyes and her past. Is she a 'fishy, froggy thing' or a ghost? Could this quite possibly be the end for Erin, January and Mouse?
The books of David Almond are laced with mystery, and some of that mystery remains unresolved. There is a consistent theme of belonging that runs through Almonds books. Stemming from familiar backgrounds, Almond uncovers the concept of the "damaged" child in this story and their quest for a journey away from their humdrum life in the orphanage.
The novel is delicate and Almond's prose has a poetic nature to it. The disjointed structure of sentences adds life to the characters and allows the reader to empathise with their struggle. Similar to 'Skellig' and 'The Savage' the themes of this story can be used in a KS2 PSHCE lesson to discuss the need to belong, bullying and highlight the need for social interaction. Furthermore, science experiments testing the buoyancy of makeshift rafts can be carried out in class. 'Heaven Eyes' can also be used to research the journey of rivers from spring to sea.
I found the mystery, friendship and journey covered in the book to be very endearing. I believe 'Heaven Eyes' to be most suitable for a Year 6 class as the content covered may need the maturity and understanding of an older child.
For a few days the Orphans live with Heaven Eyes and Grampa in the derelict printing press, living off Cadbury's Milk Tray and Fray Bento's Corn Beef. Grampa is forever patrolling the grounds and digging for treasures for Heaven Eyes. January, the sharp witted young boy is reluctant to trust the two new beings they have met and is determined to find out what Grampa keeps in the boxes on the very top shelf and the locked drawer of his desk. Inside lies the truth behind Heaven Eyes and her past. Is she a 'fishy, froggy thing' or a ghost? Could this quite possibly be the end for Erin, January and Mouse?
The books of David Almond are laced with mystery, and some of that mystery remains unresolved. There is a consistent theme of belonging that runs through Almonds books. Stemming from familiar backgrounds, Almond uncovers the concept of the "damaged" child in this story and their quest for a journey away from their humdrum life in the orphanage.
The novel is delicate and Almond's prose has a poetic nature to it. The disjointed structure of sentences adds life to the characters and allows the reader to empathise with their struggle. Similar to 'Skellig' and 'The Savage' the themes of this story can be used in a KS2 PSHCE lesson to discuss the need to belong, bullying and highlight the need for social interaction. Furthermore, science experiments testing the buoyancy of makeshift rafts can be carried out in class. 'Heaven Eyes' can also be used to research the journey of rivers from spring to sea.
I found the mystery, friendship and journey covered in the book to be very endearing. I believe 'Heaven Eyes' to be most suitable for a Year 6 class as the content covered may need the maturity and understanding of an older child.
September 1, 2009
Continuing my quest to read all of Almond's books in 2009, I found this book more mythological than his previous.
As usual, Almond writes of children who search to belong and to make sense of the adult world around them. Again, the pattern in Almond's work is the main character who binds the wounds and heals the pain is a strong female.
Erin Law and her friends January Carr and Mouse Gullane live in the orphanage of Whitegate, and are labeled "Damaged Children." With no parents to take care of them, they carry the pain of abandonment, neglect and abuse.
Longing for "freedom" from the labels and the cruel fate life has dealt them, they run away in a handmade raft.
Their adventure to the deep, muddy Black Middens symbolically takes them to the darkness of their memories and the quest for the light of love...found through a waif, fantasy like creature called Heaven's Eyes.
Heaven's Eyes, also a child without parents, accepts and loves unconditionally and through her the small group of misfits form a family and see through the darkness into the light.
This is a book that is touchingly mystical and thought provoking.
As usual, Almond writes of children who search to belong and to make sense of the adult world around them. Again, the pattern in Almond's work is the main character who binds the wounds and heals the pain is a strong female.
Erin Law and her friends January Carr and Mouse Gullane live in the orphanage of Whitegate, and are labeled "Damaged Children." With no parents to take care of them, they carry the pain of abandonment, neglect and abuse.
Longing for "freedom" from the labels and the cruel fate life has dealt them, they run away in a handmade raft.
Their adventure to the deep, muddy Black Middens symbolically takes them to the darkness of their memories and the quest for the light of love...found through a waif, fantasy like creature called Heaven's Eyes.
Heaven's Eyes, also a child without parents, accepts and loves unconditionally and through her the small group of misfits form a family and see through the darkness into the light.
This is a book that is touchingly mystical and thought provoking.
April 22, 2014
I am going to offer a quote from the book as my review.
"My story could have been a sad, sad tale. All stories could be sad, sad tales: the stories of my friends and of all the others. But they are not sad tales. We have each other, and our stories mix and mingle like the twisting currents of a river. We hold each other tight as we spin and lurch across our lives. There are moments of great joy and magic. The most astounding things can lie waiting as each day dawns, as each page turns...Like all stories, there is no end. It goes on and on and mingles with all the other stories in the world."
I love this book. I want to have a long conversation with David Almond. I wonder if he ever takes walks...
"My story could have been a sad, sad tale. All stories could be sad, sad tales: the stories of my friends and of all the others. But they are not sad tales. We have each other, and our stories mix and mingle like the twisting currents of a river. We hold each other tight as we spin and lurch across our lives. There are moments of great joy and magic. The most astounding things can lie waiting as each day dawns, as each page turns...Like all stories, there is no end. It goes on and on and mingles with all the other stories in the world."
I love this book. I want to have a long conversation with David Almond. I wonder if he ever takes walks...
October 20, 2024
یک نفس خوندمش. دوستش داشتم. شاید نه به اندازهی بقیهی کارهاش، ولی دوستش داشتم.
خیلی دلم میخواد بدونم این علاقهی شدید دیوید آلموند به گِل از کجا میاد. توی تک تک کتابهاش یه گریزی به گل و مجسمه سازی زده.
خیلی دلم میخواد بدونم این علاقهی شدید دیوید آلموند به گِل از کجا میاد. توی تک تک کتابهاش یه گریزی به گل و مجسمه سازی زده.
August 12, 2018
For some reason I was having dim flashbacks of a very strange book I read years and years ago about orphans adrift in a wasteland of dirty rivers, concrete, and crumbling warehouses. A few keyword searches later, I found it. Heaven Eyes is every bit as bleak and beautiful as I remembered. Tried reading it on my phone during downtime at work. That was a bad idea. *sits at desk crying at spreadsheets*
I've often found urban decay to have a haunting allure (one of the reasons I loved Havana so much - I know, I know, First World privilege and romanticism) and Almond does a fantastic job unearthing it, like a saint out of muddy shores. The ending is arguably pretty deus ex machina, but this is juvenile fiction, so I'll allow it.
Heaven Eyes has been classified as YA but the protagonist is only twelve, so I would say it's more middle-grade. Some of the one-star reviews allege that the imagery is too disturbing for young readers, but I think kids are tougher and more insightful than we sometimes give them credit for.
I've often found urban decay to have a haunting allure (one of the reasons I loved Havana so much - I know, I know, First World privilege and romanticism) and Almond does a fantastic job unearthing it, like a saint out of muddy shores. The ending is arguably pretty deus ex machina, but this is juvenile fiction, so I'll allow it.
Heaven Eyes has been classified as YA but the protagonist is only twelve, so I would say it's more middle-grade. Some of the one-star reviews allege that the imagery is too disturbing for young readers, but I think kids are tougher and more insightful than we sometimes give them credit for.
August 7, 2013
I'm still trying to figure this one out. I hesitate to give it more than three stars, because I think the truth is I'm not caught up with Almond. I certainly recommend Kit's Wilderness before I recommend this book, but there is something awfully fascinating about this story. Heaven Eyes is the name of a girl who lives a mysterious life alone with her "grandpa," who spends his days caretaking an abandoned warehouse and his nights digging in the "dark Dark Middens." There is treasure in the Middens, and I think it's the treasure that makes this book so fascinating. I'll have to read it again sometime.
July 22, 2016
A charming young adult book that takes three "damaged" children from their group home on an adventure of their lives. Set in England, the three friends set out for freedom from their home, the aides and headmistress. Lack of communication between the authority figures and the kids makes it a believable scenario.
The dialect of Heaven Eyes makes it a little hard to focus on the conversations, but if you can get beyond that, it is a sweet book of friendship, loyalty and love.
The dialect of Heaven Eyes makes it a little hard to focus on the conversations, but if you can get beyond that, it is a sweet book of friendship, loyalty and love.
February 6, 2018
i very much like this book, kinda creepy and kinda weird. felt a little slow at times. but overall the characters were so so complex and diverse, the plot was original and creepy and mystical, the writing style was extremely magical (i love david almond), and the cover is beautiful. heaven eyes will stay with me for a while. :)
May 22, 2010
A very dream-like book that brings a group of "damaged" children, who are told daily how damaged they are, and who create fantasy lives for themselves as part of therapy, into the light. I wasn't sure what was real, what was not - the real was so bleak, the not-real a little frightening.
May 5, 2018
Sometimes you just want a book that you know will be captivating and easy to read, that's when I turn to YA novels. David Almond's writing is almost luminous, he has a vert descriptive way with words and aso always manages to capture my imagination
December 24, 2009
ไม่ถูกกะแนวเด็กกำพร้า + หดหู่ เอาซะเลย
หยิบมาอ่านเพราะเข้าใจผิดนึกว่าจะมีแฟนตาซีผสมซะอีก
จะแปลเป็นไทยทำไมว่าเด็กตาทิพย์ เฮเว่นอายส์ คือชื่อ"เด็กพิเศษ"ในเรื่องก็เท่านั้น
หยิบมาอ่านเพราะเข้าใจผิดนึกว่าจะมีแฟนตาซีผสมซะอีก
จะแปลเป็นไทยทำไมว่าเด็กตาทิพย์ เฮเว่นอายส์ คือชื่อ"เด็กพิเศษ"ในเรื่องก็เท่านั้น
August 6, 2017
I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. It was so strange. I did feel compelled to continue reading it. It was above average but just so strange.
March 30, 2018
Strange, intangible almost dream like and hard to grasp story, depending on your mood could be seen as ever fascinating or irritating.
May 23, 2018
SU SPOILERIAIS
Kokia yra tikslinė šios knygos auditorija?
Ilgai mąsčiau ką būtų galima pasakyti apie šią knygą. Manau tai yra viena tų knygų, kurias išrenka mamos savo vaikams, bet iš tiesų tai jos yra skirtos tėčiams. Šiame kūrinyje pagrindinis personažas yra našlaitė, kurios motina mirė nuo vėžio. Skaitydama būtent tokią mirtį vertinau kaip labai simbolišką, nes ją nužudė nekontroliuojama ir mirti atsisakanti gyvybė kilusi jos pačios viduje. Piktoji našlaitė nešiojasi kitokios gyvybės, buvusios jos viduje, nuotrauką – savo pačios, dar įsčiose ultragarso vaizdą. Herojė taip pat turi motinos kvepalų, nagų lako. Šiek tiek pasikvėpina, nusidažo viena nagelį, taip labai taupydama kas liko iš jos mamos ir tuo pat metu suformuodama ritualą padedantį jai pasikalbėti su savo mama, pajustis artumą ir tapatumą su ja.
Herojė gyvena vaikų globos įstaigoje, kurioje jos globėja, pati netekusi dukters, stengiasi su heroje susidraugauti, tapti jai motina, bet herojė negali priimti naujo asmens, nes nėra išgedėjusi pilnai savo mamos ir vargu ar kada išgedės. Drauge su dar dviem našlaičiais jie pabėga ant savadarbio plausto ir juos upė nuneša į kažkokį pelkyną-pliurzyną-griuvesyną.
Ten realybė susimaišo su pramanybe ir vaikai sutinka dar vieną paaugliukę – tarsi undinėlė, su plėvėm tarp pirštų ir primityvia vaikiška kalba. Internetai rašo, kad lietuviškas vertimas čia prastas, nes nepavyko išversti būtent primityvumo kalbos, gavosi daugiau kažkokia nimfos-dvasios kalba. Kas gal mažiau tragiška, nes ta mergaitė (Dangaus Akys) tada atrodo mažiau žmogiška. Ji pati galvoja, kad jinai buvo iškasta iš žemės, kad jos motina ir yra ta gaivališka drėgmė, ji nei tai driežiukas, nei tai varliukas, bet nori sesės ir pati įsisesina knygos heroją ir įsibrolina kitus du našlaičius.
Knygoje nėra labai daug nuotykių, tik paaiškėja, kad Dangaus Akys visai ne kokia undinėlė, o vienintelė išlikusi gyva mergaitė iš sudužusio laivo, kurią rado ir augino pamišęs benamis. Taip gaunasi, kad abi mergaitės kildina save iš tamos (viena iš mamos įsčių juodoje nuotraukoje, kita iš juodo purvo), abi neteko mamos dėl gamtos jėgų (viena vėžio, kita audros), tik pirmosios motina gyva jos atsiminimuose, t.y. viduje, o antrosios gyva kažkur išorėje, t.y. jinai vis dar jos ieško, kas galėtų ją pakeisti ir randa – tą pačią tų pačių globos namų globėją.
Paprastai vaikiškos knygos būna apie tapimą suaugusiu, o čia yra apie vaikystės apsaugą, per tai, kad buvimas vaiku duoda imlumą, atvirumą, duoda galimybę VISKĄ pataisyti. Kai našlaičiai grįžta ir parsiveda namo mergaitę undinėlę, tai jie ją saugo nuo kitų suaugusiųjų, liepia jiems jos neklausinėti, nieko jai nepasakoti – kad jinai nesusidurtų tuom, kas neišvengiamai duotų jai suaugti, nes, kol dar nesusidūrė, tol ji gali suspėti įgyti naujos brolius ir seseris (juos) ir mamą. Na o patys jie išeina iš paauglystės per tai, nebėra “broken”, nes nebegali būti, kadangi dabar jie globoja vienas kitą iš tiesų, o ne tik šliejasi vienas prie kito.
Tai, skaitydama šią knygą, galvojau, kad ji tokia menkai komerciškai propagandinė, nešlovininti nei teisybės, nei jėgos. Kalbanti apie tai, kad mergaitės turi motinas ir pačios gali tapti motinomis, klausianti ar tam būtina nebebūti dukra ar kažkieno seserimi, nejau žmogus turi tik vieną galimą identitetą? Nėra čia jokių kovų knygoje, jokio smurto dėl hierachijos, tiesiog “taip kartais būna” – pabėgi iš namų, atsiduri šiukšlyne, randi kažką, kas jame gyvena neturėdamas net ir tokių namų, kokius tu turi ir permąstai nuo ko čia ir kur bėgi. Jei nežinai ko nori ir kur eini, tai kaip nesistebėsi, kad nieko neturi ir niekur nenueini.
Kokia yra tikslinė šios knygos auditorija?
Ilgai mąsčiau ką būtų galima pasakyti apie šią knygą. Manau tai yra viena tų knygų, kurias išrenka mamos savo vaikams, bet iš tiesų tai jos yra skirtos tėčiams. Šiame kūrinyje pagrindinis personažas yra našlaitė, kurios motina mirė nuo vėžio. Skaitydama būtent tokią mirtį vertinau kaip labai simbolišką, nes ją nužudė nekontroliuojama ir mirti atsisakanti gyvybė kilusi jos pačios viduje. Piktoji našlaitė nešiojasi kitokios gyvybės, buvusios jos viduje, nuotrauką – savo pačios, dar įsčiose ultragarso vaizdą. Herojė taip pat turi motinos kvepalų, nagų lako. Šiek tiek pasikvėpina, nusidažo viena nagelį, taip labai taupydama kas liko iš jos mamos ir tuo pat metu suformuodama ritualą padedantį jai pasikalbėti su savo mama, pajustis artumą ir tapatumą su ja.
Herojė gyvena vaikų globos įstaigoje, kurioje jos globėja, pati netekusi dukters, stengiasi su heroje susidraugauti, tapti jai motina, bet herojė negali priimti naujo asmens, nes nėra išgedėjusi pilnai savo mamos ir vargu ar kada išgedės. Drauge su dar dviem našlaičiais jie pabėga ant savadarbio plausto ir juos upė nuneša į kažkokį pelkyną-pliurzyną-griuvesyną.
Ten realybė susimaišo su pramanybe ir vaikai sutinka dar vieną paaugliukę – tarsi undinėlė, su plėvėm tarp pirštų ir primityvia vaikiška kalba. Internetai rašo, kad lietuviškas vertimas čia prastas, nes nepavyko išversti būtent primityvumo kalbos, gavosi daugiau kažkokia nimfos-dvasios kalba. Kas gal mažiau tragiška, nes ta mergaitė (Dangaus Akys) tada atrodo mažiau žmogiška. Ji pati galvoja, kad jinai buvo iškasta iš žemės, kad jos motina ir yra ta gaivališka drėgmė, ji nei tai driežiukas, nei tai varliukas, bet nori sesės ir pati įsisesina knygos heroją ir įsibrolina kitus du našlaičius.
Knygoje nėra labai daug nuotykių, tik paaiškėja, kad Dangaus Akys visai ne kokia undinėlė, o vienintelė išlikusi gyva mergaitė iš sudužusio laivo, kurią rado ir augino pamišęs benamis. Taip gaunasi, kad abi mergaitės kildina save iš tamos (viena iš mamos įsčių juodoje nuotraukoje, kita iš juodo purvo), abi neteko mamos dėl gamtos jėgų (viena vėžio, kita audros), tik pirmosios motina gyva jos atsiminimuose, t.y. viduje, o antrosios gyva kažkur išorėje, t.y. jinai vis dar jos ieško, kas galėtų ją pakeisti ir randa – tą pačią tų pačių globos namų globėją.
Paprastai vaikiškos knygos būna apie tapimą suaugusiu, o čia yra apie vaikystės apsaugą, per tai, kad buvimas vaiku duoda imlumą, atvirumą, duoda galimybę VISKĄ pataisyti. Kai našlaičiai grįžta ir parsiveda namo mergaitę undinėlę, tai jie ją saugo nuo kitų suaugusiųjų, liepia jiems jos neklausinėti, nieko jai nepasakoti – kad jinai nesusidurtų tuom, kas neišvengiamai duotų jai suaugti, nes, kol dar nesusidūrė, tol ji gali suspėti įgyti naujos brolius ir seseris (juos) ir mamą. Na o patys jie išeina iš paauglystės per tai, nebėra “broken”, nes nebegali būti, kadangi dabar jie globoja vienas kitą iš tiesų, o ne tik šliejasi vienas prie kito.
Tai, skaitydama šią knygą, galvojau, kad ji tokia menkai komerciškai propagandinė, nešlovininti nei teisybės, nei jėgos. Kalbanti apie tai, kad mergaitės turi motinas ir pačios gali tapti motinomis, klausianti ar tam būtina nebebūti dukra ar kažkieno seserimi, nejau žmogus turi tik vieną galimą identitetą? Nėra čia jokių kovų knygoje, jokio smurto dėl hierachijos, tiesiog “taip kartais būna” – pabėgi iš namų, atsiduri šiukšlyne, randi kažką, kas jame gyvena neturėdamas net ir tokių namų, kokius tu turi ir permąstai nuo ko čia ir kur bėgi. Jei nežinai ko nori ir kur eini, tai kaip nesistebėsi, kad nieko neturi ir niekur nenueini.
January 12, 2022
"I was about to turn away from him.
'I listened to you,' he said.
'Eh?'
'To you. You said we can do anything we want.'
'Yes.'
'I know that. I know that as well. We can do anything.'
His eyes changed. They focused on me. It was so rare for him to focus clearly on any of us, so rare for him to speak like this to any of us. His fingers ran across the clay figure.
'Anything,' he said. 'Even me. Me, here, facing the wall playing with clay and water. I can do anything.'
I touched his head again.
'Yes. I know that.'" (pp. 30-31)
"'The letters make words and words make us.'" (p. 66)
"'Grampa is the caretaker,' he said. 'Grampa dug out Heaven from the Middens one starry night. This is long long time back and much in memory does fade away. Heaven Eyes is called Heaven Eyes cos she does see through all the grief and trouble in the world to the Heaven that does lie beneath. There are days that come and nights that come and tides that turn. There is chocolates that are sweetest chocolates of all.'" (pp. 71-72)
"'How many wakes and sleeps have you been here?' I said.
She pondered. She giggled.
'You making my head flap like a pigeon wing, Erin.'" (p. 84)
"'In my sleep thoughts I is like a ghost,' she whispered. 'I is with them that is like ghosts.'" (p. 135)
"We watched the river glittering beneath the stars. Both of us became lost in ourselves, in our memories, our mysteries and dreams. I slipped into the little garden at St Gabriel's and felt Mum's arms around me. Where was January? In a cardboard box, maybe, wrapped in blankets, being carried through a bitter winter's night.
We were silent for a long time. The moon journeyed across the sky. The noise of distant traffic came to us, the noise of distant music." (pp. 150)
"'Sometimes,' he said. 'I want to hate everybody. I want to hate them and hurt them and make them hate me.'
I smiled.
'I know that,' I said. 'But you can't bring yourself to hate them.'
'No. Can't even manage that.'" (p. 151)
"'There is secrets and there is treasures and there is saints waiting to be found.'" (p. 167)
"My head reeled as I looked at this strange circle around this figure on the printing floor below the ruined roof. I told myself that I was dreaming, hallucinating. This is impossible, I whispered to myself. Then I remembered Wilson Cairns' words just before he ran away: It's possible. It's possible. I thought of the way his eyes stared through us to a stunning place beyond. I thought of his last words: Keep watching. I watched." (p. 168)
"'Lovely as lovely.'" (p. 173)
"We collected letters as we walked, enough letters for all our names and the names of all our stories, and put them in our pockets." (p. 182)
"'Brave as brave.'" (p. 183)
"The most marvellous of things could be found a few yards away, a river's-width away. The most extraordinary things existed in our ordinary world and just waited for us to find them." (pp. 194-195)
"While the rest of us scampered across the earth or drifted away on rafts, he found his own freedom in his way of looking, in his thoughts and dreams, in his way of working clay." (p. 201)
'I listened to you,' he said.
'Eh?'
'To you. You said we can do anything we want.'
'Yes.'
'I know that. I know that as well. We can do anything.'
His eyes changed. They focused on me. It was so rare for him to focus clearly on any of us, so rare for him to speak like this to any of us. His fingers ran across the clay figure.
'Anything,' he said. 'Even me. Me, here, facing the wall playing with clay and water. I can do anything.'
I touched his head again.
'Yes. I know that.'" (pp. 30-31)
"'The letters make words and words make us.'" (p. 66)
"'Grampa is the caretaker,' he said. 'Grampa dug out Heaven from the Middens one starry night. This is long long time back and much in memory does fade away. Heaven Eyes is called Heaven Eyes cos she does see through all the grief and trouble in the world to the Heaven that does lie beneath. There are days that come and nights that come and tides that turn. There is chocolates that are sweetest chocolates of all.'" (pp. 71-72)
"'How many wakes and sleeps have you been here?' I said.
She pondered. She giggled.
'You making my head flap like a pigeon wing, Erin.'" (p. 84)
"'In my sleep thoughts I is like a ghost,' she whispered. 'I is with them that is like ghosts.'" (p. 135)
"We watched the river glittering beneath the stars. Both of us became lost in ourselves, in our memories, our mysteries and dreams. I slipped into the little garden at St Gabriel's and felt Mum's arms around me. Where was January? In a cardboard box, maybe, wrapped in blankets, being carried through a bitter winter's night.
We were silent for a long time. The moon journeyed across the sky. The noise of distant traffic came to us, the noise of distant music." (pp. 150)
"'Sometimes,' he said. 'I want to hate everybody. I want to hate them and hurt them and make them hate me.'
I smiled.
'I know that,' I said. 'But you can't bring yourself to hate them.'
'No. Can't even manage that.'" (p. 151)
"'There is secrets and there is treasures and there is saints waiting to be found.'" (p. 167)
"My head reeled as I looked at this strange circle around this figure on the printing floor below the ruined roof. I told myself that I was dreaming, hallucinating. This is impossible, I whispered to myself. Then I remembered Wilson Cairns' words just before he ran away: It's possible. It's possible. I thought of the way his eyes stared through us to a stunning place beyond. I thought of his last words: Keep watching. I watched." (p. 168)
"'Lovely as lovely.'" (p. 173)
"We collected letters as we walked, enough letters for all our names and the names of all our stories, and put them in our pockets." (p. 182)
"'Brave as brave.'" (p. 183)
"The most marvellous of things could be found a few yards away, a river's-width away. The most extraordinary things existed in our ordinary world and just waited for us to find them." (pp. 194-195)
"While the rest of us scampered across the earth or drifted away on rafts, he found his own freedom in his way of looking, in his thoughts and dreams, in his way of working clay." (p. 201)
Read
May 17, 2018Heaven Eyes by David Almond is about three ¨damaged¨ kids Erin,Jan, and Mouse trying to get away and be free. They leave their orphanage and sail to soon discover their treasures. The main characters in the story are Erin,Jan, Mouse, grandpa and heaven eyes. With a few others including the caretaker of the orphanage Maureen. The main characters left their ¨home¨ and sailed to the Middens. They found new discoveries and explored the Middens. They had a lot of problems with trusting themselves and trusting the people they found. The whole book was an adventure. Leaving their home and meeting heaven eyes and grandpa. My favorite character had to be heaven eyes. She always saw the brighter side in everyone. No matter who or what you were.
I can't say that I really relate to any of the characters. I mean sometimes we almost all feel alone but then you read stories like this about children having nothing and then you start to realize that you are not alone. Not like the characters in the book. All the characters in this book have been damaged. These kids dealt with Parents leaving or just coming from nothing. All they basically have is each other they have no adult role model. They talk a lot about being broken damaged kids and never being able to succeed. So I feel as if a bunch of people can relate to Erin. Maureen would always tell them they were going to be nothing when they grow old. That they were left for a reason. Erin could care less what she said though. She was a tough independent kid.
This book was amazing. I couldn't get my nose out of it. It never got boring and it always had a twist to the story. My favorite part of the book is when heaven eyes final gets to discover her treasure and finds out what it is. It makes you feel uplifted. This child who has been living with this old man who didnt know she even came from a family. Then she finally gets showed where she actually came from. Her real name and to discover her treasure is her family. The author could have made things a bit more clear. Sometimes I had to re read a few parts to understand what he was trying to say. The author also though explained and gave so much detail. He explained the kids past and the little details that dont really matter but help enhanced the story.
I would strongly recommend this book to other people. I feel as if a lot of kids or even adults could relate to most of the characters in this book. Maybe not the decisions they make but the way they feel. They show a lot of passion and deeply describe sometimes what they truly feel. I feel like any type or basically any age middle school age kids to adult age would enjoy this book.
I can't say that I really relate to any of the characters. I mean sometimes we almost all feel alone but then you read stories like this about children having nothing and then you start to realize that you are not alone. Not like the characters in the book. All the characters in this book have been damaged. These kids dealt with Parents leaving or just coming from nothing. All they basically have is each other they have no adult role model. They talk a lot about being broken damaged kids and never being able to succeed. So I feel as if a bunch of people can relate to Erin. Maureen would always tell them they were going to be nothing when they grow old. That they were left for a reason. Erin could care less what she said though. She was a tough independent kid.
This book was amazing. I couldn't get my nose out of it. It never got boring and it always had a twist to the story. My favorite part of the book is when heaven eyes final gets to discover her treasure and finds out what it is. It makes you feel uplifted. This child who has been living with this old man who didnt know she even came from a family. Then she finally gets showed where she actually came from. Her real name and to discover her treasure is her family. The author could have made things a bit more clear. Sometimes I had to re read a few parts to understand what he was trying to say. The author also though explained and gave so much detail. He explained the kids past and the little details that dont really matter but help enhanced the story.
I would strongly recommend this book to other people. I feel as if a lot of kids or even adults could relate to most of the characters in this book. Maybe not the decisions they make but the way they feel. They show a lot of passion and deeply describe sometimes what they truly feel. I feel like any type or basically any age middle school age kids to adult age would enjoy this book.
January 23, 2018
Fazit:
Ein Buch, welches mich nicht so in seinen Bann schlagen konnte. Die Geschichte ist interessant und berührt mich auch auf eine Art, aber der Funke springt einfach nicht über, leider. Denn ich finde, die Geschichte hatte durchaus Potenzial.
Bewertung:
Erin, Januar und Mouse wohnen im Waisenhaus und fliehen. Dieses Mal geht es weiter fort und sie treffen ein Mädchen, welches sehr geheimnisvoll ist. Auch nach ihrer Rückkehr ist alles ziemlich verquer, denn es soll alles nur ein Traum sein, das eben Mal drei. Aber sie haben auch unglaublich erlebt und auch Heaven wird nicht als diese wahrgenommen.
Das Waisenhaus Whitegate ist ein dreistöckiges Gebäude, um dessen ein Zaun gezogen worden ist. Maureen die Leiterin des Heimes hat ein gutes Herz und hegt Hoffnung für die Kinder. Sie hat es nicht immer leicht dort. Außerdem hat sie wohl vieles geprägt, eine Mischung aus Liebe und Bitterkeit. Sie wollte den Kindern vertrauen und lieben, aber sie sah oft nur Kinder, die nie mehr genesen, weil sie Waisen sind.
Auch haben die Kinder viel Fantasie und leben auch in dieser, jedenfalls manchmal. Es ist eine Art Rückzug und Zuflucht aus dem Alltag, dem Waisenhaus. Ein Stück Glück und Hoffnung, die sie mit sich tragen. Es ist manchmal auch ein schmaler Grad zwischen Realität und Fantasie.
Der Schreibstil an sich ist ok, Für mich ist er nicht sonderlich spannend und daher habe ich auch einige Probleme beim Lesen. Die Geschichte an sich hätte Potenzial für spannende Aspekte, die für mich aber nicht so gut erzählt worden sind.
Charaktere
Erin ist eine Waise, sowie Januar und Mouse. Ihre Mutter ist gestorben. Sie mag nicht gerne im Waisenhaus sein, besonders bei Maureen, sie ist ihr gegenüber sehr verschlossen und will eben nicht viel reden.
Januar wurde im Januar auf den Treppen eines Krankenhauses abgelegt und hat so seinen Namen erhalten. Er ist so eine Art Anführer und gibt gerne den Ton an. Er scheint auch ziemlich selbstbewusst und kämpft gerne gegen an. Ich kann mir hier auch gut vorstellen, dass es eine Schutzhülle ist, wie jeder sie hat.
Mouse Mutter ist gestorben und sein Vater verschwunden. Er ist sanft und scheu und möchte es am liebsten allen recht machen. Er spielt gerne beim Fantasiespiel über seine Familie mit und hofft auf was besseres. Er ist sehr ängstlich und eher anhänglich, daher manchmal auch etwas anstrengend. Er ist ein Junge voller Gefühle, der auch öfter mal heult
Ein Buch, welches mich nicht so in seinen Bann schlagen konnte. Die Geschichte ist interessant und berührt mich auch auf eine Art, aber der Funke springt einfach nicht über, leider. Denn ich finde, die Geschichte hatte durchaus Potenzial.
Bewertung:
Erin, Januar und Mouse wohnen im Waisenhaus und fliehen. Dieses Mal geht es weiter fort und sie treffen ein Mädchen, welches sehr geheimnisvoll ist. Auch nach ihrer Rückkehr ist alles ziemlich verquer, denn es soll alles nur ein Traum sein, das eben Mal drei. Aber sie haben auch unglaublich erlebt und auch Heaven wird nicht als diese wahrgenommen.
Das Waisenhaus Whitegate ist ein dreistöckiges Gebäude, um dessen ein Zaun gezogen worden ist. Maureen die Leiterin des Heimes hat ein gutes Herz und hegt Hoffnung für die Kinder. Sie hat es nicht immer leicht dort. Außerdem hat sie wohl vieles geprägt, eine Mischung aus Liebe und Bitterkeit. Sie wollte den Kindern vertrauen und lieben, aber sie sah oft nur Kinder, die nie mehr genesen, weil sie Waisen sind.
Auch haben die Kinder viel Fantasie und leben auch in dieser, jedenfalls manchmal. Es ist eine Art Rückzug und Zuflucht aus dem Alltag, dem Waisenhaus. Ein Stück Glück und Hoffnung, die sie mit sich tragen. Es ist manchmal auch ein schmaler Grad zwischen Realität und Fantasie.
Der Schreibstil an sich ist ok, Für mich ist er nicht sonderlich spannend und daher habe ich auch einige Probleme beim Lesen. Die Geschichte an sich hätte Potenzial für spannende Aspekte, die für mich aber nicht so gut erzählt worden sind.
Charaktere
Erin ist eine Waise, sowie Januar und Mouse. Ihre Mutter ist gestorben. Sie mag nicht gerne im Waisenhaus sein, besonders bei Maureen, sie ist ihr gegenüber sehr verschlossen und will eben nicht viel reden.
Januar wurde im Januar auf den Treppen eines Krankenhauses abgelegt und hat so seinen Namen erhalten. Er ist so eine Art Anführer und gibt gerne den Ton an. Er scheint auch ziemlich selbstbewusst und kämpft gerne gegen an. Ich kann mir hier auch gut vorstellen, dass es eine Schutzhülle ist, wie jeder sie hat.
Mouse Mutter ist gestorben und sein Vater verschwunden. Er ist sanft und scheu und möchte es am liebsten allen recht machen. Er spielt gerne beim Fantasiespiel über seine Familie mit und hofft auf was besseres. Er ist sehr ängstlich und eher anhänglich, daher manchmal auch etwas anstrengend. Er ist ein Junge voller Gefühle, der auch öfter mal heult
April 30, 2023
This early Heaven Eyes is as unpolished as you might expect from an author's early work, a raw version of David Almond, unbound and deeply strange. While it is an interesting stepping stone in the development of his fictional creations, Heaven Eyes doesn't add up to one of his best works. I've only recently discovered that there exist Almond books that I do not consider perfect - Bone Music was a miss for me - and I would put this low down on the list of best Almond books. That said, the competition is stiff and this novel still has a lot of offer, especially in terms of atmosphere. It is one of Almond's most angsty, Gothic novels, wrapped up in dusty, muddy, secretive findings, preoccupied with ancient deaths and clad in ghostly solitude, abandoned places and the edges of society. We are introduced to Erin and her two friends, Mouse and January, as they are planning to escape from their orphanage with a raft that January has built. They float away in the darkness, only to become marooned in nearby mudflats and find themselves sheltered in some empty warehouses in the company of a web-footed young girl called Heaven Eyes and the "Grandpa" who has adopted her after rescuing her from the Black Middens.
This strange refuge from the world is full of tension and dark mystery. Heaven Eyes sees Erin has her friend and sister, while January is immediately jealous. The Grandpa is of suspect temperament, possibly dangerous. Mouse, the most uncertain of the group, discovers purpose in precarious treasure hunts in the lethal mudflats. In the company of peers, Heaven Eyes begins to dare to question her identity and her origins, positing Grandpa as both protector and jailor. January's lack of trust boils over in investigations and they discover the truth about Heaven Eyes's past. The traumas each of the four children have suffered are only touched upon, as if they each possessed fading memories of awful nightmares. Ideas of parents (in particular mothers) are shaped like dreams. In fact, their entire mad venture is dreamlike and unreal. They know from the beginning that they will return to the orphanage. They need the act of escape as a way of expressing their autonomy and their dissatisfaction. Yet they see the need to return Heaven Eyes to the real world. They need to discover her real name and return her to somewhere safe. Once they have done that, they can consider escape again.
It's a weird story. Grandpa is a stock Almond character. This old, weary, disheveled, possibly dangerous man is both a manifestation of Northern England's lost men - the homeless, the unemployed, the out-of-time, used up, the tramp, the mystic, the drunk, the crazy - and something magical, something existing on the fringes of the fairy world or the creases of the sublime in the folds of the world. He is more aggressive that Skellig though, and less artistic. He can only release Heaven Eyes through his own passing. Heaven Eyes herself is more complicated. With her webbed feet she is a Stig of the Dump, an outcast, a monster - yet she is also something impossibly beautiful and kind, shrouded in innocence and unrealized tragedy. She is obviously vital to the book but I felt her also to be the weak link. Erin, the narrator, and her two friends, provide the more emotional, real parts of the story. Like many of Almond's book, not much actually happens. The book lives in the little details. It's intense and atmospheric but lacking in thrust and emotion like some of his superlative works. Some of his characteristic poetics, the simplistic repetitions and linguistic motifs, seem a little overused, a little forced. Written in between the some of his greatest stories - Skellig, Kit's Wilderness, Fire Eaters - Heaven Eyes is pure David Almond but not his most focused or satisfying work.
This strange refuge from the world is full of tension and dark mystery. Heaven Eyes sees Erin has her friend and sister, while January is immediately jealous. The Grandpa is of suspect temperament, possibly dangerous. Mouse, the most uncertain of the group, discovers purpose in precarious treasure hunts in the lethal mudflats. In the company of peers, Heaven Eyes begins to dare to question her identity and her origins, positing Grandpa as both protector and jailor. January's lack of trust boils over in investigations and they discover the truth about Heaven Eyes's past. The traumas each of the four children have suffered are only touched upon, as if they each possessed fading memories of awful nightmares. Ideas of parents (in particular mothers) are shaped like dreams. In fact, their entire mad venture is dreamlike and unreal. They know from the beginning that they will return to the orphanage. They need the act of escape as a way of expressing their autonomy and their dissatisfaction. Yet they see the need to return Heaven Eyes to the real world. They need to discover her real name and return her to somewhere safe. Once they have done that, they can consider escape again.
It's a weird story. Grandpa is a stock Almond character. This old, weary, disheveled, possibly dangerous man is both a manifestation of Northern England's lost men - the homeless, the unemployed, the out-of-time, used up, the tramp, the mystic, the drunk, the crazy - and something magical, something existing on the fringes of the fairy world or the creases of the sublime in the folds of the world. He is more aggressive that Skellig though, and less artistic. He can only release Heaven Eyes through his own passing. Heaven Eyes herself is more complicated. With her webbed feet she is a Stig of the Dump, an outcast, a monster - yet she is also something impossibly beautiful and kind, shrouded in innocence and unrealized tragedy. She is obviously vital to the book but I felt her also to be the weak link. Erin, the narrator, and her two friends, provide the more emotional, real parts of the story. Like many of Almond's book, not much actually happens. The book lives in the little details. It's intense and atmospheric but lacking in thrust and emotion like some of his superlative works. Some of his characteristic poetics, the simplistic repetitions and linguistic motifs, seem a little overused, a little forced. Written in between the some of his greatest stories - Skellig, Kit's Wilderness, Fire Eaters - Heaven Eyes is pure David Almond but not his most focused or satisfying work.
March 25, 2019
Ja, dieses Buch musste ich leider abbrechen. Es tut mir immer in der Seele weh dies zutun, aber manchmal kann man nix dagegen tun.
Nach der Kurzbeschreibung freute ich mich sehr auf das Buch, da es doch so einiges mystisches geben sollte. Doch nach der Hälfte des Buches gab ich auf die Geschichte verstehen zu wollen. Die drei Kinder sind Waisen und leben in einem Heim, welches zwar sehr friedlich wirkte, aber trotzdem etwas unheimliches hatte, was wohl an der fragilen Leiterin lag.
Kurz um wir begleiten die Kinder auf ihrer Flucht und werden dabei zu wirklich fragwürdigen Gestalten gebracht. Das sie auf einem verlassenen Gelände lebten, war ja noch ok, aber ihr Verhalten war so verwirrend, das ich mit ihnen nix anfangen konnte.
Auch wenn es am Ende des Buches eine Auflösung geben sollte, so war ich nach einer gewissen Seitenzahl einfach nicht mehr neugierig genug um dies wissen zu wollen. Tatsächlich war ich über die mehr als merkwürdige Art von allem, sehr genervt, da es für mich einfach keinen Sinn ergab.
Auch die Schreibweise wirkte für mich zu abgehackt und irgendwie nicht stimmig. So kam ich neben der Verwirrung auch noch beim Lesen ins stocken, da ich nun mal jemand bin, der sich die dargestellte Umgebung gerne vorstellt, aber dies war nur wenig möglich.
Trotz allem hat das Buch gute Bewertungen, weshalb sich ein Blick trotzdem lohnt. Denn dies ist ja nur mein Empfinden.
Nach der Kurzbeschreibung freute ich mich sehr auf das Buch, da es doch so einiges mystisches geben sollte. Doch nach der Hälfte des Buches gab ich auf die Geschichte verstehen zu wollen. Die drei Kinder sind Waisen und leben in einem Heim, welches zwar sehr friedlich wirkte, aber trotzdem etwas unheimliches hatte, was wohl an der fragilen Leiterin lag.
Kurz um wir begleiten die Kinder auf ihrer Flucht und werden dabei zu wirklich fragwürdigen Gestalten gebracht. Das sie auf einem verlassenen Gelände lebten, war ja noch ok, aber ihr Verhalten war so verwirrend, das ich mit ihnen nix anfangen konnte.
Auch wenn es am Ende des Buches eine Auflösung geben sollte, so war ich nach einer gewissen Seitenzahl einfach nicht mehr neugierig genug um dies wissen zu wollen. Tatsächlich war ich über die mehr als merkwürdige Art von allem, sehr genervt, da es für mich einfach keinen Sinn ergab.
Auch die Schreibweise wirkte für mich zu abgehackt und irgendwie nicht stimmig. So kam ich neben der Verwirrung auch noch beim Lesen ins stocken, da ich nun mal jemand bin, der sich die dargestellte Umgebung gerne vorstellt, aber dies war nur wenig möglich.
Trotz allem hat das Buch gute Bewertungen, weshalb sich ein Blick trotzdem lohnt. Denn dies ist ja nur mein Empfinden.
August 17, 2025
This book was different than what I would choose to read. It took me a minute to grasp the story, but could see the bigger picture behind the darkness and honesty often quoted by the characters depicted. It was a story about life's hard times and yet finding the good times in the midst of life's tragedies. it also portrayed confusion in the midst of recognizing your own honest story and how this can help you be a friend to someone else during their own struggling story. This book allowed me to see through a very different perspective than my own. It also led and at times left me in the mystery it was created to be.
This book depicts life as orphans that feel unloved, yet can reciprocate love for one another in their quest for freedom all while trying to figure out who they are, where they come from, whose they are, and who will be there for them in the long run. Even the hardest of hearts can care for one another when they have something that connects them. And, they can put aside their own deep wounds to help someone who also needs saving.
This book depicts life as orphans that feel unloved, yet can reciprocate love for one another in their quest for freedom all while trying to figure out who they are, where they come from, whose they are, and who will be there for them in the long run. Even the hardest of hearts can care for one another when they have something that connects them. And, they can put aside their own deep wounds to help someone who also needs saving.
July 17, 2018
For a time I feared that I already read all the good Almond books, and that I would have to hope for future ones to have the same impact that Skellig or The Tightrope Walkers had on me, but I was wrong and I'm so glad.
Coming from three Sheffield books (which were very plot driven with no particular literary merit or character ambiguity), I found Almond's writing almost musical, and his characters complex in a very fascinating way (though he doesn't explicitly tell much about them, you can feel the depth present in each of them: you feel them almost as they were persons more than characters).
I find the way that Almond has of walking on a very thin line between reality and the fantastic enchanting. I also think that this book was kind of the perfect length: enough to paint a solid enough picture that still left you space to add your own details and consideration. No easy lesson and no need for sequels, and that can really be a blessing.
Coming from three Sheffield books (which were very plot driven with no particular literary merit or character ambiguity), I found Almond's writing almost musical, and his characters complex in a very fascinating way (though he doesn't explicitly tell much about them, you can feel the depth present in each of them: you feel them almost as they were persons more than characters).
I find the way that Almond has of walking on a very thin line between reality and the fantastic enchanting. I also think that this book was kind of the perfect length: enough to paint a solid enough picture that still left you space to add your own details and consideration. No easy lesson and no need for sequels, and that can really be a blessing.
April 13, 2020
دیوید آلموند تنها با کتاب "اسکلیگ" که کتاب مقدس کودکی من بود، تبدیل شده بود به یکی از نویسندگان مورد علاقه ام. چند روز پیش اتفاقی این کتاب رو دیدم تو کتاب فروشی و سریع برداشتمش تا بعد از این همه سال باز جادوی دیوید الموند در برم بگیره. نمی دونم به خاطر زمان بود یا واقعا اسکلیگ جادویی تر بود، این اصلا به پای اون نمی رسید اما جادوی الموند در برم گرفت. چشم بهشتی، ارین، ژانویه و موش منو بردن به دنیایی که رویا و واقعیت با هم قاطی می شن و دیگه نمی تونی از هیچی مطمئن باشی. از تنها چیزی که مطمئنم اینه که این کتاب اصلا یه کتاب کودکانه ی ساده نیست. قبلا هم گفتم، باز هم می گم، کتاب های کودک و نوجوان خیلی جدی تر از اونی ان که فکر می کنیم، تنها فرقشون با داستان های بزرگسال اینه که قهرمانانش به جای آدم بزرگ بچه ها هستن.
February 16, 2020
TL;DR
I don't think this book was aimed at me or I just didn't get the style in which it was written.
Not a book I enjoyed to be honest, I never got into the story it, to me, didn't seem mysterious so much as lacking in depth. The auther numerous times had characters repeating the same phrases back to each other over and over which made the dialogue feel too scripted and not a way in which people actually speak to one another, a couple of instances where pronouns were used without much context meant I had to reread sentences to figure out who was saying what to whom. Turned into a bit of a grind to get through.
I don't think this book was aimed at me or I just didn't get the style in which it was written.
Not a book I enjoyed to be honest, I never got into the story it, to me, didn't seem mysterious so much as lacking in depth. The auther numerous times had characters repeating the same phrases back to each other over and over which made the dialogue feel too scripted and not a way in which people actually speak to one another, a couple of instances where pronouns were used without much context meant I had to reread sentences to figure out who was saying what to whom. Turned into a bit of a grind to get through.
January 28, 2022
I'm in the middle of a fun project. I was combing my bookcases looking for books I no longer want to give shelf space. I have realized two things. First, I still have tons of books that look great that I've never read. I need to read from my own shelves. Second, I missed reviewing so many books. So, today I am going back and recording them. If you are not me, the reviews from this project may not be helpful because this is such a personal project. But, my GoodReads is primarily for me and I would love as complete a look at my reading life as possible.
I like a weird book, I do. And I love David Almond. This one is odd and oddly wonderful.
I like a weird book, I do. And I love David Almond. This one is odd and oddly wonderful.
March 25, 2024
I was in a reading slump FOR A MONTH, that has never happened to me before, but it did, I couldn't focus and/or finish anything. Then one late winter night I couldn't sleep so I grabbed the first thing I saw. I kept reading and was actually interested in it. And I FINISHED THAT NIGHT, hallelujah!
But in all seriousness, I really did enjoy it. The plot was great, I was wondering too if the grandfather did it, she said the boy would be gone, Did he die, Did he run away? I was wondering the whole time. It made me sad, worried, hopeful, I loved her love for them. The way they looked out for each other. Seriously, read it. 4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐
But in all seriousness, I really did enjoy it. The plot was great, I was wondering too if the grandfather did it, she said the boy would be gone, Did he die, Did he run away? I was wondering the whole time. It made me sad, worried, hopeful, I loved her love for them. The way they looked out for each other. Seriously, read it. 4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟⭐
December 5, 2020
Quite a nice book, has the usual Almond vibe. I thought the story was a bit sadder than usual though. And I did find Erin to be quite annoying.
I don’t quite understand how people are confused by it. A Midden is just an old dump. The Black Middens in the book is likely just that too, but muddied and wet from being so close to river. Heaven/Anna is an orphan, her family drowned at sea and the Grampa/Caretaker found her washed up on the Middens, he obviously had some screws loose and convinced Anna that she is some fantastical creature. She’s a child with deformities.
I don’t quite understand how people are confused by it. A Midden is just an old dump. The Black Middens in the book is likely just that too, but muddied and wet from being so close to river. Heaven/Anna is an orphan, her family drowned at sea and the Grampa/Caretaker found her washed up on the Middens, he obviously had some screws loose and convinced Anna that she is some fantastical creature. She’s a child with deformities.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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