Uncle (New York Review Children's Collection) (Hardcover)

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Review
"I've never met a child who didn't love Quentin Blake." --Melanie McDonagh, "Daily Telegraph"
"A reprint of the British children's classic "Uncle" by J.P. Martin, a writer who makes Roald Dahl look restrained, would make a great gift for literary eccentrics of any age." --"The Los Angeles Times," Favorite Children's Books of 2007
"Marvelously screwy" --"The San Francisco Chronicle"
"Those who fall for it may find that many lasting shared jokes spring from J.P. Martin's eccentric story...A classic of British nonsense, the book was originally published in 1964 at the behest of the author's grown children, who wanted the stories they heard in their youth passed down to the next generation. And a most elegant nonsense it is, utterly silly and deeply sophisticated at the same time...In the tradition of the best English children's literature..." --"Newsday"
"The "Times Literary Supplement "called the books 'spellbinding', the "Observer "predicted that they could become 'a classic in the great English nonsense tradition', while the "Times Educational Supplement" likened the books to "Alice in Wonderland," a comparison that has been made many times since...Uncle's disappearance continues to mystify his devotees. The books contain many of the elements of the best English children's literature. There is the blurring of the line between the human and the animal kingdom, made familiar by Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne. There is the quirky humor of 'Toad in the Hall' or 'Alice'. And the books are illustrated by the wonderful drawings of Quentin Blake." --"The Economist"
"These extremely funny books were never a mass-market proposition, but nearly 40 years on retain a cultfollowing. Blake still gets irate letters from parents demanding to know why they aren't in print, because they want to read them to their children." --"The Independent" (Sunday) (London)
"When I wondered which book I wished I'd written, Uncle by J. P. Martin prang to mind...perhaps because it was the first book I read which made me feel (at nine) grown-up, as if I was in on the joke as well as caught up in the fantasy...[The stories] have a wonderfully improvisational, careless quality, matched by riotous illustrations by Quentin Blake...Uncle is an utterly indulgent book, which veers recklessly between the childish and the sophisticated" --"The Guardian "(London)
"The books are very funny, installing a large cast of unlikely characters...in a world of mildly squiffy logic...And the illustrations are among Quentin Blake's best work, scrawls and splotches that finally and unarguably distill character. But most important, this is political satire of a high order -- "Animal Farm" for pre-teens, but wittier and more relevant to our own world." --"The Independent" (London)
"There can be few people under 50, and nobody under 40, who don't feel that [Quentin Blake's] merry or melancholy figures were part of their childhood. He has been described as a 'national institution, ' and he as the trappings: an OBE...the first Children's Laureate...as well as winning Hans Christian Andersen Award from the International Board on Books for Young People [and] appointed "Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" in France." --"The Sunday Independent" (London)
"Uncle's neglect may be partly due to the fact that in the supposedly egalitarian age in which we live he is an unfashionablefigure - a millionaire elephant in a purple dressing gown exercising one man rule over "Homeward," a vast moated castle rather like a combination of Manhattan and Battersea Fun Fair. The Wind in the Willows, Robinson Crusoe, and many other classics would, I suspect, find it hard to find favour with modern publishers in search of inoffensive matter with the right kind of message. Such people could easily mistake the violent horseplay in Uncle for cruelty and be uneasy about political undertones." "--"The Sunday Times"

"J.P. Martin's books are very funny or satirical depending on one's own depth in reading. Uncle is a magnificent take-off of the benevolent despot. It is all a matter of tradition. You ask any class "Who's heard of Alice in Wonderland" and up goes a forest of hands. Uncle is on the same level and should be more widely read and enjoyed."" "--"The Junior Bookshelf"
"This is fantasy in the grand style; in the tradition of Lear and Graham.
Younger readers will take it at face value and enjoy it thoroughly. Older readers will be able to see into the depths of these adventures. This is true, however of most juvenile fiction; who appreciates Alice when it is first read to them?" --"The Times Educational Supplement"

Product Description
Unimaginably rich, invariably swathed in a magnificent purple dressing-gown, Uncle oversees a vast ramshackle castle full of friendly kooks while struggling to fend off the sneak attacks of the incorrigible Badfort Crowd. Each Uncle story introduces a new character from Uncle's madcap world, but for every delightful friend of Uncle, there is a foe who is no less deliriously wicked. Luckily the misbegotten schemes of the Badfort Crowd are no match for Uncle's superior wits. Quentin Blake's quirky illustrations are the perfect complement to J.P. Martin's stories, each one of a perfect length for bedtime reading. Lovers of Roald Dahl and William Steig will rejoice in Uncle's wonderfully bizarre and happy world, where the good guys always come out on top, and once a year, everybody, good and bad, sits down together for an enormous Christmas feast.

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3 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   8 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Childhood Favourite, 9 Dec 2003 By  Pandora Braithwaite - See all my reviews This review is from: Uncle (Red Fox classics) (Paperback) I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it in the library many years ago and found myself drawn completely into it. Never mind the snobbery and slighltly bullying manner of Uncle (an extremely rich elephant with a BA who wears a purple dressing-gown), the surreal imagery is fantastic. Uncle's generosity is touching, especially as regards the Badfort crew whom are invited in for Christmas and to use Uncle's swimming pool (with the best water-slide in the world!). I searched for years for this in bookshops and was delighted to see it re-released last year. I recommend everyone to read this book at least once; the magic will stay with you. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   11 of 16 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A Savage Critique of Capitalism?, 14 May 2002 By  "jagey" - See all my reviews This review is from: Uncle (Red Fox classics) (Paperback) Somehow the books always lead you to side with Uncle despite the fact that he is a major snob and rich bully. Up the Badfort Crowd - should be the refrain but in the end they're always kicked up and crushed. Totally fabulous series of books, great and strange characters and a peculiar world not so different from our own. Re-reading after thirty years and they are still totally engaging. Buy them for the kids and for yourself!! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Roald Dahl good, 28 Feb 2009 By  Graham S. Exton (Andros, Bahamas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Yep, that's how highly I rate J P Martin's Uncle series. I recently revisited some childhood favourites, and while others disappointed, Rev. Martin's Uncle series surpassed my expectations, and I can't wait for the rest to be republished. Some weirdo is trying to buy every edition of every Uncle book, so us plebs have to hope that they get republished before he or she snaps them all up. (I can't blame him or her for the enthusiasm, but why deny the rest of the world the pleasure of reading these wonderful, playful, subversive yet very generous books?) If you've enjoyed Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl or Viz comic, buy an Uncle book and be prepared to have a new favourite. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 3 customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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