Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Publisher Unknown (1969)
Description
When eleven-year-old Eddie Dickens's ill parents become "a bit crinkly round the edges," he is taken by his great-uncle and great-aunt, Mad Uncle Jack and Mad Aunt Maude, and embarks on adventures that involve strolling actors, St. Horrid's Home for Grateful Orphans, and a carnival float shaped like a giant cow.
User reviews
LibraryThing member jcsoblonde
This book is HILARIOUS!!! I was first introduced by the audio version (which is a classic by the way, just amazingly read) you will love Mad Uncle Jack and totally DIE for Malcolm (or is it Sally?)
LibraryThing member library-lisa
A hilarious journey from start to finish! Poor Eddie Dickins just can't seem to catch a break, but luckily for him he is smart enough to fix almost any situation he encounters. With charactes you are not soon to forget like, Mad Uncle Jack, Even Madder Aunt Maude, and a stuffed stoat (or is it a
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ferrett... that's ok no one else can remember either), you will definately be asking for the next two books. Also, for all those who are devistated about the End of the Series of Unfortunate Events... this is a must read! Show Less
LibraryThing member cranbrook
When Eddie's parents are struck down by a strange disease that turns them a rather peculiar shade of yellow, it is decided that he should go and stay with Mad Uncle Jack and Even-Madder Aunt Maud at Awful End. This is the start of a series hilarious adventures set in the 19th century. The other
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books are Terrible Times and Dreadful Acts Show Less
LibraryThing member cranbrook
When Eddie's parents are struck down by a strange disease that turns them a rather peculiar shade of yellow, it is decided that he should go and stay with Mad Uncle Jack and Even-Madder Aunt Maud at Awful End. This is the start of a series hilarious adventures set in the 19th century. The other
Show More
books are Terrible Times and Dreadful Acts. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheoClarke
Very much in the mould of Lemony Snicket, a boy goes to live with odd relatives when his parents fall ill and finds taht he is much more effective and pragmatic than hios eccentric relatives. The book is funny and entertaining but it is too derivative to realise its potential.
LibraryThing member Leann_Thompson
This book is about Edmund Dickens and his "mad" relatives. When Eddie's parents fall ill with a strange disease, he is sent to live with his Mad Uncle Jack and Mad Aunt Maud. The story line is completely ridiculous with a lot of humor throughout. I didn't find the illustrations in it all that
This is the first book of a trilogy, I am not inclined to read the remaining two books.
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interesting. I'm not too sure many elementary school age children would want to read it as I found the story line drags a bit. This is the first book of a trilogy, I am not inclined to read the remaining two books.
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LibraryThing member jessicariddoch
P5 Both
main character is male.
This is one of those strange books set in the past where everything is just a little strange.
The main character eddie is sent to live with his mad aunt and uncle while his parents are ill with a disease that leave them crinkly arround the edges. He finds out that his
I've read better but this is good
main character is male.
This is one of those strange books set in the past where everything is just a little strange.
The main character eddie is sent to live with his mad aunt and uncle while his parents are ill with a disease that leave them crinkly arround the edges. He finds out that his
Show More
aunt and uncle are indeed mad, making it a strange journey. But before it goes all horribly wrong desaster strikes and his parents get better.I've read better but this is good
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LibraryThing member maybedog
My nine year old gave this four stars but I think that was mostly be abuse she insisted I read all the voices it in a British accent. Since my British accent is so bad as to not be recognizable, I think she just enjoyed laughing at me and my silly voice.
I think this book tried too hard to be like
Everything in the story was ridiculous to the utmost. In Lemony Snicket's books there are good people who try to help but are just ineffectual. There are evil people and there are non-brainy people and many of these are strange. But they very rarely are completely ridiculous. Here the characters are all inane and absurd and nothing makes any sense.
Some of the author's asides to the audience are funny and some are trying too hard. Many are confusing and if you didn't even already know the subject, difficult to know which stories were based on truth and which were complete fabrication.
So I'm going to give this three stars since apparently my kid enjoyed it. We'll see how much if she still wants me to read her the sequel next time we talk about it.
I think this book tried too hard to be like
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A Series of unfortunate Events. It was silly with weird characters but they mostly were all weird in the same way. There were some funny plays on words but they went right over my daughter's head. I think middle readers are the target of the story but there were gobs of words that age group would not be expected to know. I really felt that she really didn't know what was going on half the time. Everything in the story was ridiculous to the utmost. In Lemony Snicket's books there are good people who try to help but are just ineffectual. There are evil people and there are non-brainy people and many of these are strange. But they very rarely are completely ridiculous. Here the characters are all inane and absurd and nothing makes any sense.
Some of the author's asides to the audience are funny and some are trying too hard. Many are confusing and if you didn't even already know the subject, difficult to know which stories were based on truth and which were complete fabrication.
So I'm going to give this three stars since apparently my kid enjoyed it. We'll see how much if she still wants me to read her the sequel next time we talk about it.
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LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Light, humorous fare in the British vein. Found it rather draggy myself.
LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
If you enjoy the adventure, or rather the mis-adventures, of the Baudelaire children in the Lemony Snickett series then you will enjoy Eddie Dickens and his strange world.
This is the first in a trilogy about a boy and his strange parents and stranger relatives. His parents are suffering from a
On his way to their home, Awful End, he puts up with his Mad Aunt Maud and her stuffed stoat named Malcolm or Sally, his uncle, a Mr. Pumblesnook, St. Horrid's Home for Grateful Orphans and The Empress of All China. Strange people and stranger happenings.
This is the first in a trilogy about a boy and his strange parents and stranger relatives. His parents are suffering from a
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strange disease and are undergoing a cure. Feeling that it would be better for Eddie to stay elsewhere, they call on his aunt and uncle; Mad Aunt Maud and Mad Uncle Jack. And mad they are, as in crazy.On his way to their home, Awful End, he puts up with his Mad Aunt Maud and her stuffed stoat named Malcolm or Sally, his uncle, a Mr. Pumblesnook, St. Horrid's Home for Grateful Orphans and The Empress of All China. Strange people and stranger happenings.
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LibraryThing member DLMorrese
Some of my favorite books have been those ostensibly written for children. This charming little story reminds me of some of my favorites. The prose style is reminiscent of A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh...) and the characters remind me of those by Roald Dahl (James and the Giant Peach / Matilda /
The story is set in a fictional and sillier-than-real Victorian England where twelve-year-old Eddie Dickens, a little gentleman, is being sent off to live with his Mad Great Uncle Jack and even Madder Great Aunt Maud so that he will not catch the terrible disease his parents have contracted, which makes them yellow and crinkly around the edges, and although this is a very long sentence and possibly difficult to grasp all at once, it should also give you some idea of the flavor of this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. And that’s all I think I’ll say about the book because it’s short, so the review should be as well.
I’d like to thank my Twitter friend Rowan for recommending this. I enjoyed it and I, too, recommend it.
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...) with a little Charles Dickens thrown into the names and the settings. If you think I mean that as high praise, you’re right.The story is set in a fictional and sillier-than-real Victorian England where twelve-year-old Eddie Dickens, a little gentleman, is being sent off to live with his Mad Great Uncle Jack and even Madder Great Aunt Maud so that he will not catch the terrible disease his parents have contracted, which makes them yellow and crinkly around the edges, and although this is a very long sentence and possibly difficult to grasp all at once, it should also give you some idea of the flavor of this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. And that’s all I think I’ll say about the book because it’s short, so the review should be as well.
I’d like to thank my Twitter friend Rowan for recommending this. I enjoyed it and I, too, recommend it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member DLMorrese
Some of my favorite books have been those ostensibly written for children. This charming little story reminds me of some of my favorites. The prose style is reminiscent of A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh...) and the characters remind me of those by Roald Dahl (James and the Giant Peach / Matilda /
The story is set in a fictional and sillier-than-real Victorian England where twelve-year-old Eddie Dickens, a little gentleman, is being sent off to live with his Mad Great Uncle Jack and even Madder Great Aunt Maud so that he will not catch the terrible disease his parents have contracted, which makes them yellow and crinkly around the edges, and although this is a very long sentence and possibly difficult to grasp all at once, it should also give you some idea of the flavor of this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. And that’s all I think I’ll say about the book because it’s short, so the review should be as well.
I’d like to thank my Twitter friend Rowan for recommending this. I enjoyed it and I, too, recommend it.
Show More
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...) with a little Charles Dickens thrown into the names and the settings. If you think I mean that as high praise, you’re right.The story is set in a fictional and sillier-than-real Victorian England where twelve-year-old Eddie Dickens, a little gentleman, is being sent off to live with his Mad Great Uncle Jack and even Madder Great Aunt Maud so that he will not catch the terrible disease his parents have contracted, which makes them yellow and crinkly around the edges, and although this is a very long sentence and possibly difficult to grasp all at once, it should also give you some idea of the flavor of this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. And that’s all I think I’ll say about the book because it’s short, so the review should be as well.
I’d like to thank my Twitter friend Rowan for recommending this. I enjoyed it and I, too, recommend it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mamzel
humorous, Dickens' England
LibraryThing member tshrope
Zany is the word that kept leaping to mind as I read this book! The story begins with Eddie Dickens, a young boy in England circa 1860 who must leave his parents due to their unnamed but awful disease (that makes them turn yellow, and go crinkly around the edges) and go to live with his Great Mad
What I loved about this story was the way in which it was told. Ardaugh tells it in a manner which makes the reader feel he is listening to a story made up on the spot, all of the details spontaneous and unexpected, making it all the more hilarious.
Ripping good fun!
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Uncle Jack and Great Mad Aunt Maud. Although the trip is only 12 miles to his Aunt and Uncle's house called Awful End it is 12 miles filled with mad-cap adventure.What I loved about this story was the way in which it was told. Ardaugh tells it in a manner which makes the reader feel he is listening to a story made up on the spot, all of the details spontaneous and unexpected, making it all the more hilarious.
Ripping good fun!
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Subjects
Awards
IBBY Honour Book (2006)
Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (Winner — 2003)
Original publication date
2000