Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Scholastic (2006), Paperback, 384 pages
Description
Fantasy. Juvenile Fiction. Mystery. Science Fiction. HTML:On the first day, there was mystery. Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is, in fact, supposed to die an early death. But then his life is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Arthur is safe�but his world is not. Along with the key comes a plague brought by bizarre creatures from another realm. A stranger named Mister Monday, his avenging messengers with bloodstained wings, and an army of dog-faced Fetchers will stop at nothing to get the key back�even if it means destroying Arthur and everything around him. Desperate, Arthur ventures into a mysterious house� a house that only he can see. It is in this house that Arthur must unravel the secrets of the key�and discover his true fate. The first book of a spellbinding series by Garth Nix, the author of The Seventh Tower, Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member stephxsu
12-year-old asthmatic Arthur Penhaligon was supposed to die that Monday. That’s why the unfulfilled Will—created by the Architect, broken by insubordinates—managed to infiltrate the body of Mister Monday’s butler and convince his master to hand half of his clock-hand-shaped key to Arthur.
However, once Arthur accepts the key, he is mysteriously tied to it as the rightful heir to the Will. The key heals him and gives him powers, but throws him into a frightening strop with Mister Monday, who infiltrates the world as we know it with a deadly plague and scary dog-faced Nithlings. In order to save the human race and discover the answers to his many questions, Arthur enters a House that only he can see.
This brings him to another world, one whose main object is to keep records of everything that is happening in our universe. There, he befriends Suzy Blue and the Will, who is in the shape of a frog in this world. Monday and his cronies are determined to take the key back from Arthur, though, and so Arthur must endure many trying episodes on his journey to claim the other half of the key from Mister Monday.
MISTER MONDAY begins a series that looks to be extremely interesting. Fans of high fantasy or science fiction will appreciate this book.
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Mister Monday does so, believing that he will be able to quickly retrieve the key back after Arthur dies and thus fulfilling the Will.However, once Arthur accepts the key, he is mysteriously tied to it as the rightful heir to the Will. The key heals him and gives him powers, but throws him into a frightening strop with Mister Monday, who infiltrates the world as we know it with a deadly plague and scary dog-faced Nithlings. In order to save the human race and discover the answers to his many questions, Arthur enters a House that only he can see.
This brings him to another world, one whose main object is to keep records of everything that is happening in our universe. There, he befriends Suzy Blue and the Will, who is in the shape of a frog in this world. Monday and his cronies are determined to take the key back from Arthur, though, and so Arthur must endure many trying episodes on his journey to claim the other half of the key from Mister Monday.
MISTER MONDAY begins a series that looks to be extremely interesting. Fans of high fantasy or science fiction will appreciate this book.
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
Arthur is a boy in a new town facing his first day in a new school, but his what-to-worry-about priorities sort themselves quickly after Mister Monday pops in out of thin air and hands Arthur a minute hand-shaped key. Adventure and danger follow, and Arthur finds himself in The House, an
Think Harry Potter as an asthmatic muggle, plopped down into Spirited Away. So, yeah, pretty good.
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unthinkably huge and rambling place that stands outside of time and place and where all things are recorded and filed away.Think Harry Potter as an asthmatic muggle, plopped down into Spirited Away. So, yeah, pretty good.
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LibraryThing member Squishy133
‘Mister Monday’ is the first book in Garth Nix’s ‘Keys to the Kingdom’ series, which features seven books. All seven book are now available.
I found that ‘Mister Monday’ was a simple, but interesting read. The whole concept wasn’t exactly new (main character finds out that they are
I loved the way that the House (which is where most of the book is set) was sort of chaotic and you never knew where the characters were going to end up in it. There were some fantastic descriptions and this was one of my favourite parts of reading the novel. I just loved all the different ideas that had been thrown into the book. Nix made this chaos work perfectly, if that is at all possible.
I felt that sometimes during the action scenes the writing was a little bit confusing and I had to read over some things several times to understand what the exact details of, for example, one of the fight scenes were. They weren’t necessary details, but I prefer books that clearly explain what is happening during action scenes, and they are the type of scene that a lot of people tend to skim through very quickly without reading the smaller details because they are caught up in the space. What I’m trying to say is that emphasis needs to be put into simplicity during fast paced actions scenes or things can get a little hairy in terms of following what is going on. ‘Mister Monday’ presented a few problems in this respect for me, though it wasn’t a major book-killer by any standards.
The book contained a few historical events at one stage, and these were clearly explained for those who didn’t know what they were, but they also had a few deeper details that only those who knew about the historical detail would have picked up – for example, the Battle of Marathon (in the Persian war) is mentioned, and I had previously studied this in Ancient history, so it was interesting to have this written about especially since I knew what was going on.
Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the use of symbols. There was quite a lot of symbolism in the book, such as the days of the week being used and the idea of the seven sins being used (Having been told about the books previously from a friend I know these things crop up a lot more later in the series, though they aren’t all entirely straightforward or evident from the first book). And perhaps my favourite part of the book was the use of times and days of the week to name characters such as Dusk, Mister Monday, Dawn, Noon etc.
I liked the characters of the book, including Mister Monday though my favourite character would have to be dusk.
Overall, ‘Mister Monday’ was an interesting book though it was fairly easy to read. There were sufficient unanswered questions and a few minor cliffhangers at the end that do make me want to read the other books in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a lighter read with supernatural elements.
I found that ‘Mister Monday’ was a simple, but interesting read. The whole concept wasn’t exactly new (main character finds out that they are
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connected with some otherworldly place and must battle the evil people within said place, facing several personal challenges on the way), but I found that with the use of interesting characters and a very innovative and original premise this was a fairly good book.I loved the way that the House (which is where most of the book is set) was sort of chaotic and you never knew where the characters were going to end up in it. There were some fantastic descriptions and this was one of my favourite parts of reading the novel. I just loved all the different ideas that had been thrown into the book. Nix made this chaos work perfectly, if that is at all possible.
I felt that sometimes during the action scenes the writing was a little bit confusing and I had to read over some things several times to understand what the exact details of, for example, one of the fight scenes were. They weren’t necessary details, but I prefer books that clearly explain what is happening during action scenes, and they are the type of scene that a lot of people tend to skim through very quickly without reading the smaller details because they are caught up in the space. What I’m trying to say is that emphasis needs to be put into simplicity during fast paced actions scenes or things can get a little hairy in terms of following what is going on. ‘Mister Monday’ presented a few problems in this respect for me, though it wasn’t a major book-killer by any standards.
The book contained a few historical events at one stage, and these were clearly explained for those who didn’t know what they were, but they also had a few deeper details that only those who knew about the historical detail would have picked up – for example, the Battle of Marathon (in the Persian war) is mentioned, and I had previously studied this in Ancient history, so it was interesting to have this written about especially since I knew what was going on.
Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the use of symbols. There was quite a lot of symbolism in the book, such as the days of the week being used and the idea of the seven sins being used (Having been told about the books previously from a friend I know these things crop up a lot more later in the series, though they aren’t all entirely straightforward or evident from the first book). And perhaps my favourite part of the book was the use of times and days of the week to name characters such as Dusk, Mister Monday, Dawn, Noon etc.
I liked the characters of the book, including Mister Monday though my favourite character would have to be dusk.
Overall, ‘Mister Monday’ was an interesting book though it was fairly easy to read. There were sufficient unanswered questions and a few minor cliffhangers at the end that do make me want to read the other books in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a lighter read with supernatural elements.
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LibraryThing member sirfurboy
This is a series for younger readers that I have started after enjoying the Abhorsen trilogy. Once again Garth Nix is hugely imaginative. The mention of "Paper Wings" is the only point where this book reminded me of the other series, and in any case these Paper Wings are different things. I have
Like the Abhorsen series, the events of this book take place in two worlds - one being very like our world and one being a completely different and wholly original invention of the author. A nice touch is that the hero of the series is acutely asthmatic in our world - not some sporting super hero but an ordinary boy.
There is some great humour, some dark adventures and excirement on every page. After I had read these I persuaded my daughter to start the series, and she - at the age of 9 - raced through these and ended up writing a report for school on garth Nix as her favourite author.
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read all this series now, and avidly too. No greater recommendation I can make than as soon as I put down one of these books, I started the next one and when I was done, I would like to have done it all over again.Like the Abhorsen series, the events of this book take place in two worlds - one being very like our world and one being a completely different and wholly original invention of the author. A nice touch is that the hero of the series is acutely asthmatic in our world - not some sporting super hero but an ordinary boy.
There is some great humour, some dark adventures and excirement on every page. After I had read these I persuaded my daughter to start the series, and she - at the age of 9 - raced through these and ended up writing a report for school on garth Nix as her favourite author.
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LibraryThing member chinquapin
Arthur Penhaligon nearly dies from an asthma attack on a run at his new school, but while he is gasping out his last breaths, he is given a key, the minute hand of a very special clock, and suddenly everything changes. His asthma retreats, he starts being followed around by strange, dangerous
This was a compelling and, well, bizarre story. Arthur enters this mansion of a house that he can only see after he has the key, and he soon discovers that his quest is to gain the hour hand key to go with his minute hand one and defeat Mister Monday who has allowed the House to become corrupt. He goes along with the quest in order to find a cure for the plague that is sweeping his world. He meets many unusual characters and has some mind-twisting adventures, but it all comes together in a fascinating plot. One of the elements of the story that I really liked was the way that Arthur never knew who to really trust. I'll be moving on to the next in the series, Grim Tuesday ,soon.
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creatures wearing bowler hats, and a deadly sleeping plague starts sweeping across his town. Arthur soon finds himself in a different world where a man named Mister Monday will stop at nothing to get the key back. This was a compelling and, well, bizarre story. Arthur enters this mansion of a house that he can only see after he has the key, and he soon discovers that his quest is to gain the hour hand key to go with his minute hand one and defeat Mister Monday who has allowed the House to become corrupt. He goes along with the quest in order to find a cure for the plague that is sweeping his world. He meets many unusual characters and has some mind-twisting adventures, but it all comes together in a fascinating plot. One of the elements of the story that I really liked was the way that Arthur never knew who to really trust. I'll be moving on to the next in the series, Grim Tuesday ,soon.
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LibraryThing member knielsen83
Listened to this in the car and it was pretty good. I gave it four stars instead of five because it didn't really capture my interest all the time and it seemed to drag on a little bit at times. Overall, it seems like a great start to a new series and leaves a great cliffhanger.. guess I'll have to
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start listening to the second book tomorrow. Show Less
LibraryThing member rfewell
A "regular" teenager at my library has been bugging me about this series for a long time. I finally got it on tape and listened to it in the car. It was pretty good. I think kids who need something after reading Harry Potter or other fantasy books will really enjoy it.
LibraryThing member cranbrook
Arthur Penhaligon's school year is not off to a good start. On his first day, he suffers an asthma attack while running cross country and dreams that a mysterious figure hands him a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. However, when he wakes up, he still has the key. That's when strange
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things begin to happen. Mister Monday dispatches terrifying, dog-faced Fetchers to retrieve it, a bizarre sleeping illness sweeps the city, and only Arthur can see the weird new house that appears in his neighborhood. The seventh grader knows it all has something to do with the key, one of seven elusive fragments of the Will to which he has become heir apparent, and a mysterious atlas. When he ventures inside the house, he meets more strange characters than he could have imagined, none of whom are what they seem. And, of course, he must battle Monday, who will do anything to get the key back. Show Less
LibraryThing member Crewman_Number_6
My first introduction to Garth Nix was his Abhorsen series. It was so engrossing that I couldn't wait to read more from him. I was really disappointed in this series. It just didn't engage me, and I found myself putting the book down and not picking it up again for days. I tried to give it a fair
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shot and picked up the second book, but this too fell flat and I abandoned the rest of the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member phoebesmum
The first in a series of seven books. I didn't bother to read the other six. Stock YA fantasy.
LibraryThing member wealhtheowwylfing
Arthur has such terrible asthma that his main ambition in life is just getting a next breath, so when a magical key is pressed into his hand and he becomes imbued with extraordinary powers, he's more than a bit nonplussed. There's little time to ponder, however, and Arthur quickly learns how to use
This is a really fantastic fantasy book. There are some sincerely creepy and scary parts, and I was actively afraid for Arthur. The magic system is intricate and interesting, with a lovely Victorian flair to it. And Arthur himself is a wonderful, engaging main character, who immediately felt to me both realistic and likable.
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the key while being chased through his school by dog-faced men in suits. All too soon Arthur is lost in a magical realm where no one and nothing is as it seems. Through it all, Arthur never loses sight of his consideration and empathy.This is a really fantastic fantasy book. There are some sincerely creepy and scary parts, and I was actively afraid for Arthur. The magic system is intricate and interesting, with a lovely Victorian flair to it. And Arthur himself is a wonderful, engaging main character, who immediately felt to me both realistic and likable.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Arthur Penhaligon is just a normal kid, until the day he has an asthma attack during a school run, and two mysterious men pop out to give him a key and a book. Then Arthur starts seeing a huge house that's never been there before, and dog-like men that want his key start chasing him. But he doesn't
I wanted to reread the Keys to the Kingdom series so that I can remember the story before I read Superior Saturday and Lord Sunday now that the series is complete. Having listened to the audiobook read by Allan Corduner the first time, it was interesting comparing what stood out to me the first time versus my experience reading now. I remembered Arthur as a reluctant hero, and while that's still true, his character is much stronger than I remembered in doing what he has to do and making decisions about his life. The setting seems to be our world just a little in the future, after a pandemic of some sort, in which Arthur's birth parents died. Now twelve, he's asthmatic and should have died before the Will with a mind of its own chose him as the Rightful Heir. The House and the world created by the Architect out of Nothing make for an inventive fantasy world, and I found I'd forgotten a lot of the clever details like "washing between the ears," and that there was more symbolism than I noticed the first time through. I look forward to revisiting the rest of the series, but I remembered the audiobooks so fondly that I may go back to that format for the rest.
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even know what the key is for, or what he's supposed to do.I wanted to reread the Keys to the Kingdom series so that I can remember the story before I read Superior Saturday and Lord Sunday now that the series is complete. Having listened to the audiobook read by Allan Corduner the first time, it was interesting comparing what stood out to me the first time versus my experience reading now. I remembered Arthur as a reluctant hero, and while that's still true, his character is much stronger than I remembered in doing what he has to do and making decisions about his life. The setting seems to be our world just a little in the future, after a pandemic of some sort, in which Arthur's birth parents died. Now twelve, he's asthmatic and should have died before the Will with a mind of its own chose him as the Rightful Heir. The House and the world created by the Architect out of Nothing make for an inventive fantasy world, and I found I'd forgotten a lot of the clever details like "washing between the ears," and that there was more symbolism than I noticed the first time through. I look forward to revisiting the rest of the series, but I remembered the audiobooks so fondly that I may go back to that format for the rest.
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LibraryThing member desislc
This is the type of book where the beginning is so confusing that once you finish reading it you have to reread the first few chapters to see what exactly happened there (and even then you're not sure!). The overarching mystery of these books make the series highly addicting.
LibraryThing member FrogPrincessuk
I think this is a very strong start to a series of books. Nix again proves he is an inventive story teller. I was hooked from the start.
This should appeal to Rowling, Pullman etc. fans.
This should appeal to Rowling, Pullman etc. fans.
LibraryThing member jessb_bookgirl
A gripping, thrilling story, I loved every word of Mister Monday. I urgently recommend it to all those people who have finished Harry Potter and are looking for their next fantasy read - choose Garth Nix. The Keys to the kingdom series is perfect for younger high school age children, and his other
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work, the Abhorsen series would suit older high schoolers. I'm 24 and I love his work - I'm desperate to find out what happens to Arthur and his friends! Show Less
LibraryThing member Yoshikawa
Mister Monday is a very life-like book that will have you turning page after page.
LibraryThing member edspicer
Sabriel, Lirael, and the Abhorsen may be the fantasy series I appreciate most. How can you not love books that feature sword wielding middle school librarians? So it was with a sense of fear that I picked up Mister Monday, fear that Nix would not deliver with this series. Not to worry! Arthur, who
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suffers from deadly allergy attacks, is forced to participate in a run at his new horrible school. Just before he passes out, two very strange creatures hand him a key. Is it a dream? When he wakes, he still clutches the key and very strange things begin to happen. Worlds pop up in places where they should not be. Dog faced men flutter about his window. Best (or worst) of all, Arthur discovers he is the lawful heir of this key, whose powers he doesn’t yet understand, and Mr. Monday is willing to kill to get this key back. This book is perfect for both younger and older students. Show Less
LibraryThing member virginiahomeschooler
This first book in the Keys to the Kingdom series is a good solid fantasy read. I didn't find it truly exceptional in any way, but it was entertaining enough to keep me turning the pages.
LibraryThing member mzonderm
I wish I could give a summary! This book, hyped to be the first in the "next Harry Potter" was so confusing that I can't figure out what was happening or why it was supposed to be important. Ok, that's a slight exaggeration. I managed to figure out what was happening, more or less. But this is
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definitely not the next Harry Potter. The main character, a young asthmatic with greatness thrust upon him is not fleshed out very well, nor do we see much growth in him from the beginning of the book until the end. His supposed motivation for jumping through all the hoops that Nix puts him through is to find a cure for the plague that's sweeping his hometown, but it really seems like he's just going through the motions because he has to. Perhaps his motivations become clearer in the next 6 books, or perhaps we see some growth in the character, but I'm not sure I care enough to go through 6 more books. Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
This series is not as wonderful as the Abhorsen books are, and this is the weakest of the volumes (at least up through "Friday"). Still, Mr. Nix continues to show his ability to create fantasy that isn't a clone of something already written, and which is quite enjoyable.
LibraryThing member translibrarian
Part 1 of the Keys to the Kingdom series
LibraryThing member jillieb
Arthur Penhaligon gets roped into helping save another world that is somehow incorporated in with the world he knows. Somehow he has to try and defeat the 7 'masters' of the house who hold the keys to the kingdom...
I loved all of these books so far. I am waiting for the last one to come out and for
The books so far have been action packed and made me want to keep on reading until I had finished.
I loved all of these books so far. I am waiting for the last one to come out and for
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us to purchase the Saturday one.The books so far have been action packed and made me want to keep on reading until I had finished.
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LibraryThing member Anduril85
I loved this book, it was a pretty short read for me but still good none the less, Arthur is a very good role model for a young reader to look up to. He's honest, brave and virtuous he never abuses his power and uses it only for good, if you haven't read this already then I definitely advise you to
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pick it up right away, it's truly one of best series I have come across. Show Less
LibraryThing member francescadefreitas
Reading this book for the first time was like stepping onto some of my childhood favourites and experiencing them again for the first time. Arthur is incapacitated by an asthma attack when two odd men appear, thrust a metal object into his had and then vanish. Soon, he is being hunted by creatures
This was wonderful. The world of the house is constructed from familiar images in entirely original shapes. I had that same feeling of awe I experienced when I read Momo, or Archer's Goon for the first time. I expect that this series will be a rich additional to my mythology.
I would recommend this to younger readers who enjoy a challenge, there are some sophisticated words. The main characters are young (Arthur is just starting grade 7) and easy to relate to.
I realy look forward to meeting the Morrow Days!
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that few others can even see. When his hunters cause a deadly plague, and the area is quarantined, Arthur must venture into the mysterious House to determine what he's been given and who wants it.This was wonderful. The world of the house is constructed from familiar images in entirely original shapes. I had that same feeling of awe I experienced when I read Momo, or Archer's Goon for the first time. I expect that this series will be a rich additional to my mythology.
I would recommend this to younger readers who enjoy a challenge, there are some sophisticated words. The main characters are young (Arthur is just starting grade 7) and easy to relate to.
I realy look forward to meeting the Morrow Days!
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LibraryThing member missmath144
A precicious youth who loves fantasy and lots of action would like this book. I get bored of skirmish after skirmish, so I soon lost interest in this book (somewhere on the 4th disk). Could be that it's just not a good book to listen to while driving, too many little details and dozens of
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characters to straighten out. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Aurealis Award (Winner — 2003)
CBCA Book of the Year (Honour Book — Older Readers — 2004)
Original publication date
2003-07-01
Physical description
384 p.
ISBN
0439856264 / 9780439856263