- Paperback: 220 pages
- Publisher: Reclam Philipp Jun. (30 Nov 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 3150091004
- ISBN-13: 978-3150091005
- Product Dimensions: 14.6 x 9.4 x 1.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 7,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Greg Eden, The Bookseller
A rare and brilliant evocation of a child's mindset... this is the word of an undeniably gifted storyteller.
--This text refers to an alternate
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First Sentence
WHEN I WAS FIVE I KILLED MYSELF. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
WHEN I WAS FIVE I KILLED MYSELF. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Hailed as 'one of the most charming voices since Holden Caulfield', Burton Rembrand is the eight year old hero of this unusual and occasionally bewildering narrative of love, loyalty and the injustice inherent in not being understood by the adult world.
Burton tries to express his feelings for another girl his age and is thrown into an institution for disturbed children for his troubles. His deadpan perspective and impeccable language -he is, after all, the spelling champion of his grade- carry the novel though the flashbacks gradually constructing the events which led to him being locked up. He is no madder than you or I, merely puzzled and frequently driven to tantrums by his situation and its restrictions; he makes sense of it all by writing his story on the walls of the 'quiet room', his sanctuary from patronising adults with only his best interests in mind.
Burton tries to express his feelings for another girl his age and is thrown into an institution for disturbed children for his troubles. His deadpan perspective and impeccable language -he is, after all, the spelling champion of his grade- carry the novel though the flashbacks gradually constructing the events which led to him being locked up. He is no madder than you or I, merely puzzled and frequently driven to tantrums by his situation and its restrictions; he makes sense of it all by writing his story on the walls of the 'quiet room', his sanctuary from patronising adults with only his best interests in mind.
77 of 80 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It was the quirky title that initially drew me to this book, and without a doubt, I was more than satisfied with the novel itself. When I Was Five is the tale of eight year old Burt, who is sent away to a childrens residential home by his parents, after trying to express his love for his friend, Jessica. Buten captures perfectly the mind of an eight year old. The prose is simple, and at times very funny. But there is no escaping the horror behind the humour, and often while I was laughing, my heart was aching for Burt, who is so misunderstood and bewildered. All he wanted to do was be a good friend, and he can't understand why he is being punished.
Originally, this book was aimed at the young adult market, but I think it works perfectly as an adult book. It is one of the best books I have ever read, pure and simple. Read it, because if you don't you are missing out on an amazing talent and a heart stopping book.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
What a brilliant little book!
I bought it because of the disturbing title and not much else....but it was fantastic and I feel so lucky to have stumbled across it. A great story, fantastic main character and brilliantly written. I know I will read it many more times and recommend it to anyone who will listen!
I bought it because of the disturbing title and not much else....but it was fantastic and I feel so lucky to have stumbled across it. A great story, fantastic main character and brilliantly written. I know I will read it many more times and recommend it to anyone who will listen!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Solid Piece of First Person Prose
Some really great first person narrative sits over a story that doesn't really have that much to say. Adults and children communicate in different ways, erm, that's about it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Anwen Peng
A treat
I really enjoyed the book - written from eight-year-old Burt's point of view it shows how confused he is about why everyone's panicked at his behaviour towards Jessica, an... Read more
Published 12 months ago by aee
Almost there...
'When I Was Five I Killed Myself' is, in my opinion, a beautifully written book. The relatively unstructured narrative creates an incredible sense of wonder throughout it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by J. Brown
could not stop reading
What a smashing little book. It kept me in suspense till the end. Exceedingly well written and sensetively written also. Read more
Published 12 months ago by CF Dorrian
Excellent Read!
This is a well written book about the confusion of childhood. A sensitive boy is thrown into an institution after an "incident" that will blight his life forever. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Beth Kelly
Dull Dull and oh yes Dull
Christ this book is so boring. If you like you me have read (and loved) The Catcher In The Rye and think that this book might give you a second taste of that kind of heaven forget... Read more
Published on 15 July 2009 by Mr. D. J. Connop
Autistic spectrum disorder from a child's viewpoint.
This book portrays the confusion felt by an autistic spectrum child when he interacts with the 'normal' world. Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2007 by nearasyouget
Beautiful story about childhood innocence and silly adults
This book was initially published under the title Burt.
I do not know if there are any differences between the two publications. Read more
I do not know if there are any differences between the two publications. Read more
Published on 19 July 2006 by P. Toche
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