Il maialino di marzapane

Sentient flowers, a singing bee, and a lovelorn owl are just a few of the peculiar creatures found in Hoban's unconventional tribute to the beauty of life and inevitability of death, from which life springs anew.

Lovely illustrations accompany a tale that I found to be a headscratcher. One constant running through the story seemed to be that each character wanted to be loved.

Technically, I didn't read this book. It was read to me. By Tim Curry. Courtesy of a 1990 minimally animated TV short I watched. After flipping through the book though, I highly recommend getting your hands on the TV version instead. I'm a big fan of audiobooks, especially for children, and Curry is Leggi tutto

I am six. This is what I think of The Marzipan Pig. It starts with a marzipan pig who falls behind a couch. He has been sitting there for days, and weeks, and months when he hears a nibbling sound. He thinks, "Yay, rescue! Help is coming!" He imagines there will be a party after he's found, and he be Leggi tutto

I really shouldn't read any more Russell Hoban books; they're too weird ( The Sea-Thing Child ?). I thought this would be a nice, sweet (haha) story about a marzipan pig, but he gets eaten on the second page. It then becomes a waffling weird ramble involving a mouse who wants a clock to love her, an o Leggi tutto

This book wasn't published until long after I was reading children's books on a regular basis; if I'd read it as a child, it would have been a favorite. A marzipan pig falls beneath a couch, and is never found. Sniff. Well, not until he's eaten by a mouse. A mouse who falls in love with a grandfather Leggi tutto

Fans of Russell Hoban's work will be prepared for the masterful language and the beauty and sweetness and sadness. Love, and longing. The occasional unexpected strange violence. And the humor, too--don't forget that. So, it's about all the true things in life. In 48 pages. And appropriate for kids.

Huh? What is going on here? This book made no sense to me whatsoever. It was beautifully written, yes, but the depressing, rather disjointed episodes left me with a sad taste in my mouth. I can't think of any children who would be interested in this book.

Not exactly a kid's book in the way that Edward Gorey is not exactly for kids.

I have been rediscovering fantastic children's books lately, and everyone should read this one, even adults! Love it.