The 13 Clocks: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

If you like The Last Unicorn and Alice in Wonderland, you’ll probably like James Thurber’s fairy tales. His work is a fun mix of the wordplay of Lewis Carroll and the beautiful, sometimes half-poetic prose of Peter S. Beagle, plus the gentle satire that can be found in both of those. The 13 Clocks is light enough to read in a day or two, but also unique enough to stick with you for a lot longer than that.It seems like a typical fairy-tale conundrum: a wicked Duke is trying to prevent his niece, Princess Saralinda, from marrying, because he is always cold and her hand is the warmest in all the castle. He sets her suitors impossible tasks and kills them when they can’t complete them. But one day, a young minstrel named Xingu decides to try and thwart the Duke. With the help of the Golux, Xingu may be able to not only win the hand of the Princess Saralinda, but get the 13 stopped clocks in the Duke’s castle up and running as well.The 13 Clocks looks a lot like a kids’ book, what with its slim girth, large print, and color illustrations. A kid would definitely enjoy it, but adults shouldn’t ignore it, either. The writing is clever and fun enough, as Neil Gaiman says in his introduction to the book, that you’ll look for any excuse to read it aloud. Take this quote from the Golux: “I resemble only half the things I say I don’t. The other half resemble me.” Or this description of an ancient hag’s abode: “It was cold on Hagga’s hill, and fresh with furrows where the dragging points of stars had plowed the fields … There was a smell, the Golux thought, a little like Forever in the air, but mixed with something faint and less enduring, possibly the fragrance of a flower.” Now, what grown-up wouldn’t be a child again to live on words like that?That’s why The 13 Clocks works as well as it does. It may have some predictable qualities – well-used plot, stock heroes and villains (except the Golux, who will live on forever in my heart) – but the language is superb, and the pictures aren’t bad, either. (Thurber, known for his endearingly less-than-stellar drawing skills, didn’t illustrate this book; he had Marc Simont do it because his eyes were getting bad.) It’s a great gift for anyone who loves words, even if that person is yourself.

Your pre-school kids will enjoy having you read this to them; you will enjoy reading it; and the older kids will enjoy reading it themselves.A beautiful princess, an evil guardian with designs on her, a mysterious prince to rescue her, and a magical 'golux' to help. And of course a quest. What's not to love.I bought this for each of my children and each of my grandchildren. Love it each time I read it.

I have been reading this book repeatedly since I was about eight, and it never fails to be a delight. Thurber's description, that he was trying to write an old-fashioned story in which the good guy gets the princess and the bad guy loses is accurate, but it doesn't tell the whole story. James Thurber pulls out all the stops in his writing with rhymes, alliteration, imaginative similes, and sly (but always squeaky-clean) descriptions. Take note of all the references to Gilbert & Sullivan songs that are dropped in passing, as well as the author's penchant to take popular sayings and stereotypes and tweak them or turn them on their heads. The story is beautiful. The writing is a stylistic fireworks show that never seems to become stilted or dense. The characters are lovable, hateable, scary, or funny in turns (witness especially the grisly and unimaginable Todal, which gleeps. Yes, really. Read it, and you'll see). It's short. It's beautifully illustrated. And it's ever so hard to put down. If you're a fan of fairy stories, or of good English style, or of humor, or of the innocently macabre, you will soon find this one of your all-time favorite books. I cannot recommend it too much.

I know, I know...every other review of mine is for yet another childhood favorite! What can I say? I was fortunate to be raised with lots of books and lots of them were great.This book, a sort of fairy tale by James Thurber, actually started out being my older brother's but I stole it into my room as soon as I was able. I knew we were really grown up when I finally said, "This is yours. You should have it back." and he said, "No, you love it. Keep it."Thurber had such a way with words. This is a great book, with wonderful imagery, but I didn't realize until I read it to my small daughter, just how wonderful it sounds out-loud. It's fun to read...rolls off the tongue. I sometimes find myself opening it up and reading bits aloud to an empty room, just because it sounds so good. Some of the phrases from the book entered my family's vocabulary..."from your guggle to your zatch"..."a blob of gulp."The illustrations by Marc Simont (one of my favorite illustrators) match the story perfectly and have stuck with me my entire life. The picture of the prince and princess riding off together...now that's romance.

Not at all. Boring and not worth the money, although I love Thurber and have several of his books. Even some old First editions. I read the description here that it may be "the best book ever written" or something like that, and I say Nah. Save your money.

If you love reading fairy tales, then you will want to purchase a copy of "The 13 Clocks". James Thurber's fantasy is one you will also want to share with your children or grandchildren. Containing all the elements of a classic fairy tale - from "...Once upon a time ..." to the princess in distress and her wicked captor, the Duke - the writing elevates this book to classic status. Imaginary creatures, a heroic prince disguised as a commoner and humorous situations all add to "The 13 Clocks" appeal.Like Stephen King's "The Eyes of the Dragon" and William Goldman's "The Princess Bride", this book is more than a fairy tale - it is an extraordinary piece of literature. Thurber's use of rhymes within conversations, the alliteration, and the convoluted conversations of the Golux, reminiscent of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" routine, is masterful. "The 13 Clocks" is a wonderful book and one that I will definitely be recommending to friends.

I'm not sure what all the hype is about.I read this within an hour.It's a fairytale.The prince rescues the princess with a lot of help.Didnt think there was anything new or original unfortunately.Filled with a lot of nonsense words your kid wont understand. So if you're reading it to kids be prepared to be interrupted every couple of sentences and having to explain what the words mean.e.g. varlet, zatch.Unfortunately I've read plenty of sci-fu and fantasy, so nothing original.If you're looking for something funny for adults Piers Anthony, Robert Rankin and a few others, might add them if I remember.A great book to try would be Prince Prigio and Prince Ricardo.

A lovely story, we are glad we found it. A shame that the planned film was abandoned .

I Have a 12 yr relative with reading age of 16-17 and this book was recommended. Unfortunately I found it rather young for her and passed onto a colleague for her 8yr old daughter who seemed to love it

Wish I'd discovered this in my own childhood, it's fantastic. It's got a great story, lovely wordplay, and the Golux is such a fun character. James Thurber is a genius. His adult novels and columns are all funny and well worth a read too.

I love this book because we always had a copy of it in my house when I was a child - I couldn't take it with me when I left because it didn't belong to me (it was my parents) and I always missed it. It was read aloud to me by my mother at first, and then I'd read and re-read. Good to have found it again.