Marshmallow’s reviews – Page 18

Marshmallow reviews Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Today Marshmallow reviews the first book in Nancy Springer’s Enola Holmes series: The Case of the Missing Marquess, first published in 2006. Sprinkles, who loves detective stories, is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, I am really eager to hear your thoughts about this book. I know that there is a TV movie made about Enola Holmes, the main character of this book series, who is supposed to be the teenage sister of the famed fictional detective Sherlock Holmes created by Arthur Conan Doyle. I have always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes and his many incarnations, especially a recent version depicted by Benedict Cumberbatch. So I really want to know what you thought of this book.

Marshmallow: I thought it was quite good!

S: Well, that’s a good start. Tell us what the book is about.

M: I saw the movie version first but reading the book, they are really very different.

S: Okay, I saw the trailer but did not see the movie myself. So let us start with the book then. What is it like? What is the story basically?

M: The story is about Enola, who is the younger sister of the famed detective Sherlock Holmes and Mycroft Holmes. Enola has been raised by her mother, who often leaves her alone, in a giant estate called Ferndell Hall. But one day, on her birthday actually, Enola wakes up to find that her mother is gone. She tries to get the older brothers to help her find their mother, but they instead dismiss her and say that she has “a limited cranial capacity”.

S: Ouch, so they are really saying she is stupid.

M: Yes, they are quite sexist. I mean, I guess it was the Victorian era and such, and women were not really thought to have been very smart back then, but these two brothers should have known better. But the book is pretty cool. She basically outsmarts them all!

S: I like that! Okay, so is the book basically about Enola’s search for her mom?

M: Well, it starts there, but along the way Enola gets involved with the kidnapping of the Marquess of Basilwether, who is a twelve-year-old boy. (In the movie, the marquess is a lot older and seems to even become a love interest, almost.) And of course she will solve the mystery, but she also has to keep evading her brothers who want to put her up in a boarding school for young ladies, which sounds like torture to her. Like they have to wear corsets which they progressively tighten so the ladies will have really tiny waists. And it is quite like physical torture. Enola hears that one girl even died from these!

Marshmallow is reading Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer. — Marshmallow is reading *Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess* by Nancy Springer.

S: Okay, so the plot sounds quite captivating even though the story is supposed to be historical fiction. How is the language used?

M: I think the author wants Enola to sound like a real teenager from that era, and as she is the narrator, the language of the book is not really modern. But it works well and it is still perfectly understandable.

S: I understand that Enola is pretty smart. Is she also funny?

M: Not specifically. The book is really entertaining but the narrator does not try to be funny exactly.

S: Is it a good detective story? You are a fan of Nancy Drew and have read a lot of Agatha Christie.

M: Yes. I think it really is a neat detective novel too. I am quite intrigued and I want to read more from this series.

S: That sounds great! Maybe you can move on to the second book and I can read this one.

M: Sounds like a good plan to me!

S: Okay, so let us wrap up this review then. How would you rate the book overall?

M: I’d rate it 100%. It is fun and empowering and clever, too.

S: Great! I really want to read it now. So what would you like to tell our readers as we end this post?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess* by Nancy Springer 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman

Today Marshmallow reviews the first volume of Maus: A Survival Tale, Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel first published in 1986. Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Marshmallow reviews Maus: A Survivor's Tale - I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman. — Marshmallow reviews *Maus: A Survivor’s Tale – I: My Father Bleeds History* by Art Spiegelman.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, you chose to talk about a classic graphic novel today.

Marshmallow: Yes, we are talking about Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. This is in fact the first of two volumes, and Art Spiegelman published the second volume in 1991.

S: Okay, thanks for that important note. Wikipedia tells us that this is the first graphic novel that won a Pulitzer Prize. So I am glad you have read it and will talk with me about it.

M: I can see why it would get such an important prize. It is a very important book and it has a very important message.

S: Okay, so maybe it is about time to tell our readers what this book is about. They have already seen your photos with it, and they must be wondering.

M: Yes, sure. The book is about the Holocaust, and the imagery in the front cover is basically describing the main metaphorical device used in the story.

S: How so?

M: This is a graphic novel, as we said before, and all characters are animals. There are mice, and those are supposed to be the Jews, and then there are cats. Those are the Nazi Germans. Then there are pigs, who are supposed to be the non-Jewish Poles. And as I said before, the story takes place around the time of the Second World War.

S: I see. When you tell me all this, I am thinking of how sometimes a cat could be playing with a mouse just to have fun and even kill it with no remorse even when it does not need to eat it. I can see how the cat-mouse-pig metaphor could work.

M: Yes. The story is basically about Vladek who is the author’s father, and his experiences before and during the war. Vladek lived in Poland before the war, and when Germany invaded Poland, he and his family continued to live there. For a while they try to survive but eventually they are sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp.

S: That sounds intense!

M: It is. There is also a second story line, which is more or less the present day, or rather around the time this book was first published. The main story is basically the author’s father’s story, and the second story line is about the author as a grownup trying to connect with his father.

Marshmallow is reading Maus: A Survivor's Tale - I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman. — Marshmallow is reading *Maus: A Survivor’s Tale – I: My Father Bleeds History* by Art Spiegelman.

S: Okay, so now we know the main plot lines and so on, but tell me Marshmallow, how was it like reading such a tough story in graphic novel form?

M: I thought it worked really well. It was very easy to visualize things, even though the characters are mice and cats and so on, because they had already been visualized for you. The book and its visual nature show the undeniably horrific nature of the Holocaust. You fully feel the pain of the mice, and knowing that these events actually happened to people, it makes the whole book even more impactful.

S: I wonder if the harshness of the realities the book is depicting can be related to why some people want to ban this book from school libraries. Some people want us to forget and never talk about these historical events, I am not talking about those people. But even those who believe we should teach this history might think that these stories are too hard to share with young people.

M: I understand why you want us to emphasize that the themes and imagery of the book might be disturbing to very young readers. There is violence in the book. But I also think it is very important for young bunnies to know what happened. And this book does a very good job in telling exactly what happened. And maybe ironically, the use of animal characters allows you to end up seeing the humanity of the victims of the Holocaust very clearly.

S: You make a very good point Marshmallow.

M: Thank you. I also wanted to say the book reminded me of Animal Farm a bit because it shows the worst aspects of humanity under the guise of animals. The animal characters allow us to look at ourselves and see how terrible we truly are or can be. Since we are not seeing humans, we can see things more objectively.

S: That makes sense to me, too, Marshmallow. Okay, this is already a pretty long post. Before we wrap things up, can you tell me how you would rate this book?

M: I’d rate it 100%. It is a striking and impactful book. And I recommend it strongly. It is important for bunnies to understand the magnitude and the impact of these events.

S: Okay, thank you Marshmallow. So last words?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Maus: A Survivor's Tale - I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Maus: A Survivor’s Tale – I: My Father Bleeds History* by Art Spiegelman 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Illustrated Happiness Trap by Russ Harris and Bev Aisbett

Today Marshmallow wanted to talk to Sprinkles about The Illustrated Happiness Trap by Russ Harris and Bev Ausbett, first published in 2014.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow this time you chose a book that is not really intended for a young audience.

Marshmallow: Yeah, I suppose.

S: This book is apparently an illustrated and abbreviated version of a more normal-sized book which could be considered a self-help book. And we have not really gone into the self-help book genre here much.

M: True. I did review a book about confidence, a book about time management for teenagers, and two books about how to be a good student. But we do not typically review self-help books, you are right.

S: But I think the title and the cover page of this book are both very intriguing, aren’t they?

M: Yes, I like how it has a Pac-Man style half-split smiley face.

S: Yes, it is quite striking how the smiley who could represent authentic happiness, but also a fake version of it, is somehow split open with the title.

M: Yeah.

S: So I had only read a little bit of the book before you took it from me and I know you have finished reading it quite fast. I understand it is about happiness?

M: Yes, kind of. It is basically about how we should not be going after happiness as our goal in life.

S: Hmm, this reminds me of a very interesting young person in one of my classes who had said that they did not necessarily want happiness for their child. They wanted them to find purpose.

M: Yeah, it is kind of like that. The main goal of the book is to dispel the myth that happiness is the right goal for one’s life. The goal should instead be to figure out your values and live your life accordingly. Once you know your values, the goals you set for yourself should reflect those values and be feasible. And along the way, you are likely to be unhappy at times, and that is not a disaster.

S: I see. So the title is basically saying that the idea that you should always be happy is flawed.

M: Yes, and that pursuing the goal of living a life where you are always to be happy and have no negative feelings leads to only unhappiness.

S: I see. That makes sense to me. I also saw that the book mentions explicitly four myths. Can you tell us what they are?

M: Okay. So the first one is “Happiness is the natural state for human beings.” The second is “If you are not happy, you are defective.” The third is “To create a better life, we must get rid of negative feelings.” And the fourth one is “You should be able to control what you think and feel.”

S: I can see how the first three are wrong, if we accept the main thrust of the book. And I already did not believe some of them myself. Like there are sometimes very good reasons not to be happy. But the fourth one is hard for me to accept. It feels kind of disempowering.

M: I agree with you. But I think the idea behind their stance, which they call Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, is that basically you should accept your feelings and decide what to do with them in a productive manner. As you learn to do this better and more effectively, your emotional state can change, too, and improve, but that is not the main goal.

Marshmallow is reading The Illustrated Happiness Trap by Russ Harris and Bev Aisbett. — Marshmallow is reading *The Illustrated Happiness Trap* by Russ Harris and Bev Aisbett.

S: So Marshmallow, I think these are all rather hefty thoughts and a bit heavier than some of the things we read and talk about here in this blog.

M: True, but we have talked about all sorts of other heavy things like war and slavery and so on. So talking about mental health challenges should not be totally out of bounds, I think.

S: Oh I agree.

M: And we have talked about mindfulness before. Actually you and Caramel talked about a book about how breathing could be helpful. And then there were those two books about dragons and anger management.

S: True. And the topic is actually quite relevant to a lot of bunnies.

M: Yes,. sure, this is not really quite meant for little bunnies, but maybe a bunny around my age would be perfectly fine with it. And I think they could learn from it.

S: I am glad you found the book helpful.

M: I did. I found it resonating a bit with the Getting Things Done book I reviewed before. Both books say that figuring out your values and building your life around them is a good idea.

S: I can see how that could be helpful for teenagers who are looking to build their lives, preparing to grow up into adult bunnies. So if you were to rate the book then, what would you rate it?

M: I’d rate it 95%. I especially liked the illustrations and how they made the book so much easier and quicker to read. Because it is kind of stressful to read a book about mindfulness sometimes. I feel like I am losing time, but this book is so quick and you learn a lot.

S: Great! I will now take it from your paws then and finally get the chance to finish it myself. What would you like to tell our readers as we wrap up this review?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates The Illustrated Happiness Trap by Russ Harris and Bev Aisbett 95%. — Marshmallow rates *The Illustrated Happiness Trap* by Russ Harris and Bev Aisbett 95%.

Marshmallow reviews Beowulf: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Gareth Hinds

Today Marshmallow is talking to Sprinkles about Beowulf: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, written and illustrated by Gareth Hinds and first published in 2007.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, you read yet another graphic novel adaptation of yet another ancient story. Tell us a bit about this book.

Marshmallow: This book is about a hero named Beowulf. The story takes place within the world of Norse mythology. Beowulf is a strong warrior, who is the leader of a people called the Geats. There is a king named Hrothgar, who is the leader of the Danes, who decides to build a banquet hall that will be the greatest ever. Once this great hall is finished however, this monster from “an accursed race” called Grendel comes and eats everyone who is there at night. And then this happens for twelve winters.

S: Wait, so there is a monster who comes and eats the folks in the great hall at night. Then why don’t they leave the hall empty at night?

M: I do not really understand the logic there either. But that is what happens. So Grendel is a big threat to the Danes and their king. Until Beowulf comes and he says he will save them. And he fights Grendel and kills him.

S: So is that the whole story then?

M: No, this is only part one. Then Beowulf has to kill Grendel’s mother who is another monster, and then there is a dragon who comes, and Beowulf kills that too.

S: So the book is about three different heroic triumphs of Beowulf protecting or saving the Danes.

M: Almost but not quite. Those things kind of happen but there is more. Between the murder of Grendel’s mother and the dragon, Beowulf returns home and rules over his land for fifty years. And then the dragon comes and attacks the Geats. So Beowulf has to fight against the dragon. He manages to kill it but he is mortally wounded in the fight.

S: So he dies in the end?

M: Yes, but he seems quite at peace with it because he lived a long and valiant life and he saved his land and his people. And other people too.

S: You mean the Danes?

M: Right.

Marshmallow is reading Beowulf: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Gareth Hinds. — Marshmallow is reading *Beowulf: A Graphic Novel Adaptation* by Gareth Hinds.

S: So the original Beowulf story is very old.

M: Yes, not as old as the Iliad or the Odyssey, but the first known manuscript of the story is more than a thousand years old. But this graphic novel looks like it would fit right in with the genre. Especially if you like graphic novels which are very graphic.

S: Can you open that up a bit?

M: I mean the fights are depicted very explicitly. It is rather violent. For example, Beowulf rips off Grendel’s arm and Grendel is shown eating people and ripping off other people’s limbs and so on. It is really violent. I would definitely not recommend the book for little bunnies.

S: I looked at the book a bit and did see a lot of action and violence.

M: Yes. But I think most teenagers can handle it. And if they are trying to get the sense of the historic text, this could be very helpful. It is a very fast read. There is very limited amount of text, and there are many pages where there is no text whatsoever.

S: Hmm, that sounds interesting. It does seem like you appreciated reading the book.

M: Yes. I’d even rate it 95%. Honestly when I first began to read it, I thought that maybe the font of the text was a bit too fancy and could make it hard to read, but then I got used to it and could read it easily. I’d definitely recommend this book to bunnies curious to know the story of Beowulf.

S: That makes sense.

M: Did you know that J.R.R. Tolkien, the writer of the Lord of The Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, was a scholar who wrote a bunch about the original story Beowulf? He worked on a translation of it from Old English and even wrote about translating it.

S: I knew he was a scholar of ancient literature but I think I did not know he worked with Beowulf specifically. That is very interesting Marshmallow.

M: I thought so too.

S: Okay, then; this is probably enough for this review. What would you like to tell our readers as we wrap it up?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Beowulf: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Gareth Hinds 95%. — Marshmallow rates *Beowulf: A Graphic Novel Adaptation* by Gareth Hinds 95%.