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Beware of any book that is a self-proclaimed classic. Candlewick Press’ The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett is one such
example. The definition of pretentious is “making usually unjustified or excessive claims (as of value or standing)”
or “expressive of affected, unwarrented, or exaggerated importance, worth or stature.” Originally published in
Australia in 2004, The Silver Donkey is the story of two sisters, one brother, one runaway soldier, and one miniature silver
donkey.
When Marcelle and Therese “Coco” find a ‘dead man’ in the forest they are eager to brag to their brother,
Pascal, of their latest discovery--after all, it’s not something that any other child in the village could claim to
have done. But wanting to doublecheck the facts before they tell anyone and everyone because it would be embarrassing to tell
about a ‘dead’ man who was only asleep, the two go back to discover he is not dead...merely a blind man--a deserter
from the army--on his way back home. Still the girls are proud to have discovered him. Their brother has never seen a blind
man--let alone found a lost blind man in the forest. The three quickly become friends and their new ‘discovery’
turns out to be quite a storyteller. His stories are all fixated on donkeys. His obsession is seemingly founded on a small,
miniature silver donkey he keeps in his pocket and holds for comfort.
The book alternates between four stories the soldier tells his young listeners--the sisters and finally the brother--and between
the ‘present’ day action of the kids trying to find a way to help this blind man find a way across the channel
so he can go home. (The novel is set in World War I). The ‘lesson’ of the novel: war is ugly; war is horrific;
there is no glory in war.
The story in and of itself is not particularly a bad one. Yes, the writing tries a little too hard to be ‘old fashioned.’
And yes, the characters are a little one dimensional, but it wouldn’t be that bad a novel if it wasn’t trying
so hard--from its elaborate design, green with silver gilding, to its glossy pages, its shiny silver end pages, its fancy
fonts, its silver ribbon bookmark, it’s all much too much. (Not to mention its back cover promoting it as the next treasured
classic.)
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