What do you think?
Rate this book
Many-Coloured Realm
Love, faith and the theory of relativity.
Many-Coloured Realm is a children's and YA fantasy in numerical literary style—a rigorous mathematical design underpins the text. The prologue is 1111 words, the book 111111 words and the blurb 111.
It's got 1 nice girl, 2 bad boys, 3 tortuous tasks and 4 strange ambassadors. After that, it's hard to keep count. Dozens of elves, hundreds of goblins and legions of demons all converge on the colourless goblin realm for the king's birthday party. Robby and Chris enter a world where time is relative—can they name the king and rescue Stephen before they’re all trapped? (Yes, this too is 111 words.)
Many-Coloured Realm is a children's and YA fantasy in numerical literary style—a rigorous mathematical design underpins the text. The prologue is 1111 words, the book 111111 words and the blurb 111.
It's got 1 nice girl, 2 bad boys, 3 tortuous tasks and 4 strange ambassadors. After that, it's hard to keep count. Dozens of elves, hundreds of goblins and legions of demons all converge on the colourless goblin realm for the king's birthday party. Robby and Chris enter a world where time is relative—can they name the king and rescue Stephen before they’re all trapped? (Yes, this too is 111 words.)
307 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Anne Hamilton
57 books184 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
For twenty years, I was the coordinator of an annual camp for children based around The Chronicles of Narnia. That experience shaped a lot of my thinking about how readers enjoy fantasy.
Like CS Lewis, my fantasy story Many-Coloured Realm began with a picture in my mind's eye: a boy without arms floating in a field of stars and faced with an impossible choice.
My non-fiction series beginning with God's Poetry can be traced back to the observation that Lewis comes from the Welsh word for lion. The discovery of name covenants led to the discovery of threshold covenants, as well as many other long-forgotten aspects of our Judeo-Christian heritage.
I love exploring words, mathematics and names. All of these combine in my books, whether they are fiction or non-fiction, or whether they're for adults or children, whether they're academic in tone or primarily devotional. I hope my readers always come away from my books with a renewed delight for the world around us and a child-like wonder for its awesome aspects.
For twenty years, I was the coordinator of an annual camp for children based around The Chronicles of Narnia. That experience shaped a lot of my thinking about how readers enjoy fantasy.
Like CS Lewis, my fantasy story Many-Coloured Realm began with a picture in my mind's eye: a boy without arms floating in a field of stars and faced with an impossible choice.
My non-fiction series beginning with God's Poetry can be traced back to the observation that Lewis comes from the Welsh word for lion. The discovery of name covenants led to the discovery of threshold covenants, as well as many other long-forgotten aspects of our Judeo-Christian heritage.
I love exploring words, mathematics and names. All of these combine in my books, whether they are fiction or non-fiction, or whether they're for adults or children, whether they're academic in tone or primarily devotional. I hope my readers always come away from my books with a renewed delight for the world around us and a child-like wonder for its awesome aspects.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 5, 2013
This is a difficult book for me to review as I don’t read a lot of fantasy. It is a complicated tale of goblins and elves, various realms and time zones. It is the story of children on a dangerous mission but I was never quite sure who was on whose side. It is a story that appears to end in a tear jerking tragedy but ultimate ends in hope.
The story is apparently written in a mathematical design, not that I would have noticed. Unfortunately I suspect I also missed many others elements that an experienced reader of fantasy would have picked up.
This is not a quick read and probably needs to be read by true lovers of fantasy who are able to pick up the underlying meanings where I only saw hints. This being the case I would recommend it for teenagers rather than children.
The story is apparently written in a mathematical design, not that I would have noticed. Unfortunately I suspect I also missed many others elements that an experienced reader of fantasy would have picked up.
This is not a quick read and probably needs to be read by true lovers of fantasy who are able to pick up the underlying meanings where I only saw hints. This being the case I would recommend it for teenagers rather than children.
January 19, 2012
Many-coloured Realm is a young-adults fantasy novel by Australian author Anne Hamilton. As with many fantasies, it follows the adventures of a human from our world who has passed into an alternate fantasy world.
The world in which the protagonist, Robby, finds herself in has quite a unique feeling to it. There is a lot going on in this world, and in the early parts of the book it can feel a bit disorienting, but this fits in well with the disorientation that Robby is feeling. There is a great deal of backstory and history which is explained in the middle of the book. This backstory goes on for quite a while, but it never feels like an info-dump. In fact that was one of the very compelling parts of the book.
There are a great many characters in Many-Coloured Realm and it does take a little concentration to keep track of them all.
I found this story surprising. At first I thought it was going to be nothing more than a children's fairytale, but I continued to see deeper and deeper levels to it. The story explores all kinds of themes and ideas. There is also plenty of spiritual analogy, though it isn't as blantant as in the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis. There is also plenty of educational content on a variety of subjects.
I never really knew where things were leading in this story, it kept be guessing right up until the end.
I recommend this book to anyone who is young at heart.
The world in which the protagonist, Robby, finds herself in has quite a unique feeling to it. There is a lot going on in this world, and in the early parts of the book it can feel a bit disorienting, but this fits in well with the disorientation that Robby is feeling. There is a great deal of backstory and history which is explained in the middle of the book. This backstory goes on for quite a while, but it never feels like an info-dump. In fact that was one of the very compelling parts of the book.
There are a great many characters in Many-Coloured Realm and it does take a little concentration to keep track of them all.
I found this story surprising. At first I thought it was going to be nothing more than a children's fairytale, but I continued to see deeper and deeper levels to it. The story explores all kinds of themes and ideas. There is also plenty of spiritual analogy, though it isn't as blantant as in the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis. There is also plenty of educational content on a variety of subjects.
I never really knew where things were leading in this story, it kept be guessing right up until the end.
I recommend this book to anyone who is young at heart.
June 27, 2012
'Expect the unexpected,’ it says on the back cover. That is certainly true. You will find a plot with lots of twists and turns and a vast cast of characters including elves and goblins, a flying penguin and various other creatures. Add to that a time element as Robby and Chris seek to save Stephen, Chris’ brother, before time runs out and you are guaranteed to keep turning the pages.
The prologue plunges the reader right into action from a previous time before transporting the reader back to the present and Robby and the poetry project Robby, Neil and Stephen were meant to be working on. But then the police arrive because Stephen has gone missing.
Where could he be? And does his disappearance have anything to do with the argument between Stephen and Neil over the bezoar ring. That evening Robby hears someone call her name. ‘Robby stared at the dancing figure. It had wings.’
Robby tries to follow Neil after he tells her he comes from,’ the other side of yesterday.’ That’s when she finds herself, along with Stephen’s brother Chris, in a strange place filled with strange characters and the clock ticking to save Stephen who has a limited amount of air in the spherical immurement where he is imprisoned. Robby and Chris have an hour to find a way to save Stephen.
This is a book I suspect that having read it once, you will want to read again. It will appeal to thoughtful fantasy readers. I enjoyed it and I am not a great reader of fantasy.
The prologue plunges the reader right into action from a previous time before transporting the reader back to the present and Robby and the poetry project Robby, Neil and Stephen were meant to be working on. But then the police arrive because Stephen has gone missing.
Where could he be? And does his disappearance have anything to do with the argument between Stephen and Neil over the bezoar ring. That evening Robby hears someone call her name. ‘Robby stared at the dancing figure. It had wings.’
Robby tries to follow Neil after he tells her he comes from,’ the other side of yesterday.’ That’s when she finds herself, along with Stephen’s brother Chris, in a strange place filled with strange characters and the clock ticking to save Stephen who has a limited amount of air in the spherical immurement where he is imprisoned. Robby and Chris have an hour to find a way to save Stephen.
This is a book I suspect that having read it once, you will want to read again. It will appeal to thoughtful fantasy readers. I enjoyed it and I am not a great reader of fantasy.
September 27, 2012
I can remember reading certain books as a child and wishing I had an attic where I could sit and read snuggled in a blanket with the wind blowing outside. Many-Coloured Realm is such a book. I really, truly wanted to be in an attic room lit by filtered sunlight, or candles as I read it.
Well written with an intricate plot, Many Coloured Realm is not for the hasty reader or someone out for a simple straightforward read. Like the land itself, the plot has many facets, twists and turns, ups and downs—ups that are not always up and downs that are not always downs—before our heroes can complete their mission.
Time and direction lose any sense of reality in this strange world and as our heroes look for answers to the true nature of the war between elf and goblin and the true name of the Goblin King, known only as Majesty. The elves and goblins must combine forces to battle an enemy so merciless that only faith can defeat him. But the elves are stubborn and their leader bears a burden of shame and guilt that could jeopardise the whole mission.
There’s such a feel to this book that you wish a doorway would suddenly appear out of nowhere so you can join them in their quest. It’s all the good fantasy books you’ve ever read rolled into one and yet like nothing you’ve read before.
I'm feeling the need to enter the attic and read it again.
Well written with an intricate plot, Many Coloured Realm is not for the hasty reader or someone out for a simple straightforward read. Like the land itself, the plot has many facets, twists and turns, ups and downs—ups that are not always up and downs that are not always downs—before our heroes can complete their mission.
Time and direction lose any sense of reality in this strange world and as our heroes look for answers to the true nature of the war between elf and goblin and the true name of the Goblin King, known only as Majesty. The elves and goblins must combine forces to battle an enemy so merciless that only faith can defeat him. But the elves are stubborn and their leader bears a burden of shame and guilt that could jeopardise the whole mission.
There’s such a feel to this book that you wish a doorway would suddenly appear out of nowhere so you can join them in their quest. It’s all the good fantasy books you’ve ever read rolled into one and yet like nothing you’ve read before.
I'm feeling the need to enter the attic and read it again.
June 13, 2013
I feel as if my feet haven’t touched back into the real world yet. Many-Coloured Realm is like no other parable, fantasy, allegory or epic I’ve ever read before. What a stunning stand-off between the forces of good and evil! Those fantastic characters have still got a hold on my mind. Genius!
Robby and Chris have entered the shabby, colourless realm of the goblins to rescue Chris’ brother Stephen from a hopeless looking predicament. But how can they help when the king of the goblin realm is so deliberately vague about what their quest will involve? What is he trying to hide? Their journey to find out involves meetings with elves, sprites, sirens, a helpful muse and a forgetful phoenix. What they finally discover is mind-blowing.
As a fantasy author and homeschooling mother myself, plenty of fantasy has passed through our doors. Lewis, Tolkien, Rodda, Rowling, L’Engle and Colfer to name just a few. Many-Coloured Realm is second to none. A book that combines drama and science with nail-biting suspense is a book to be held onto. Add the whimsical and hilarious and you have a classic!
Robby and Chris have entered the shabby, colourless realm of the goblins to rescue Chris’ brother Stephen from a hopeless looking predicament. But how can they help when the king of the goblin realm is so deliberately vague about what their quest will involve? What is he trying to hide? Their journey to find out involves meetings with elves, sprites, sirens, a helpful muse and a forgetful phoenix. What they finally discover is mind-blowing.
As a fantasy author and homeschooling mother myself, plenty of fantasy has passed through our doors. Lewis, Tolkien, Rodda, Rowling, L’Engle and Colfer to name just a few. Many-Coloured Realm is second to none. A book that combines drama and science with nail-biting suspense is a book to be held onto. Add the whimsical and hilarious and you have a classic!
March 7, 2013
Four reviews from our CALEB reviewers:
Overall rating: Four and a half stars.
(1)
Delightful, zany, captivating and quirky are some descriptions that immediately leap to mind of this YA fantasy that has all the ingredients of a classic.
Robby and Chris are two ordinary children who enter the goblin realm to rescue Chris’ step brother, Stephen.
They are never endowed with magic powers; they never become super heroes; they always remain themselves but throughout the adventure they grow, learn and discover that it often hard to discern who is good and who is evil.
When what appears to be a tragic ending turns out quite differently, we have reassurance that things really can work for good even when we are unaware of it.
I do not intend to ruin your enjoyment of this intricately layered book by giving away too many spoilers so I will merely give a couple of snippets from the walls of the goblin’s bedroom. “If covers told you all about books, then trolls and elves could be judged by their looks.” “It is not fair to treat individuals UNequally, but it is not fair to treat them equally either.” DS
(2)
This is a book that can be read on at least two levels. For young readers it is an exciting tale of warfare between goblins and elves where the reader is kept in suspense throughout many adventures before a happy ending. For older, but “young at heart” readers, it is a fantasy story with a twist. Goblins in most fairy stories are portrayed as mischievous, nasty creatures; elves, however, are depicted as ethereal, harmless creatures. This is certainly how the goblins and elves appear to the two young humans who find themselves in their magical realm. As the story unfolds, however, we begin to have doubts as we come across good goblins and downright nasty elves. The first short chapter of the book leaves us puzzled as it appears to have nothing to do with the story. The very important link comes at the end of the book when an important part of the puzzle fits into place. As with all good fairy stories, the happy ending comes with the reconciliation of the goblins and the elves and the return of the children to their homes, with parents no having noticed their absence due to the magical manipulation of time. For Harry Potter and Tolkien readers, young and old, this is another good book to read.
Bookseller’s Choice – reviewer CALEB Prize
(3)
I found this book a bit hard to get into. The first three chapters introduced so many characters and new scenes that nothing made sense. The rest of the book was enjoyable. I wonder whether young adults would have the perseverance to continue reading past the first chapter.
Bookseller’s Choice – reviewer CALEB Prize
(4)
This is definitely not a story for very young readers, as its plot can be at times challenging to follow. On the whole, a great fantasy for readers who love and adventure with a “moral” to the story. With so many characters introduced though, it would have been easier to follow if more time was given to them and their background.
Bookseller’s Choice – reviewer CALEB Prize
Overall rating: Four and a half stars.
(1)
Delightful, zany, captivating and quirky are some descriptions that immediately leap to mind of this YA fantasy that has all the ingredients of a classic.
Robby and Chris are two ordinary children who enter the goblin realm to rescue Chris’ step brother, Stephen.
They are never endowed with magic powers; they never become super heroes; they always remain themselves but throughout the adventure they grow, learn and discover that it often hard to discern who is good and who is evil.
When what appears to be a tragic ending turns out quite differently, we have reassurance that things really can work for good even when we are unaware of it.
I do not intend to ruin your enjoyment of this intricately layered book by giving away too many spoilers so I will merely give a couple of snippets from the walls of the goblin’s bedroom. “If covers told you all about books, then trolls and elves could be judged by their looks.” “It is not fair to treat individuals UNequally, but it is not fair to treat them equally either.” DS
(2)
This is a book that can be read on at least two levels. For young readers it is an exciting tale of warfare between goblins and elves where the reader is kept in suspense throughout many adventures before a happy ending. For older, but “young at heart” readers, it is a fantasy story with a twist. Goblins in most fairy stories are portrayed as mischievous, nasty creatures; elves, however, are depicted as ethereal, harmless creatures. This is certainly how the goblins and elves appear to the two young humans who find themselves in their magical realm. As the story unfolds, however, we begin to have doubts as we come across good goblins and downright nasty elves. The first short chapter of the book leaves us puzzled as it appears to have nothing to do with the story. The very important link comes at the end of the book when an important part of the puzzle fits into place. As with all good fairy stories, the happy ending comes with the reconciliation of the goblins and the elves and the return of the children to their homes, with parents no having noticed their absence due to the magical manipulation of time. For Harry Potter and Tolkien readers, young and old, this is another good book to read.
Bookseller’s Choice – reviewer CALEB Prize
(3)
I found this book a bit hard to get into. The first three chapters introduced so many characters and new scenes that nothing made sense. The rest of the book was enjoyable. I wonder whether young adults would have the perseverance to continue reading past the first chapter.
Bookseller’s Choice – reviewer CALEB Prize
(4)
This is definitely not a story for very young readers, as its plot can be at times challenging to follow. On the whole, a great fantasy for readers who love and adventure with a “moral” to the story. With so many characters introduced though, it would have been easier to follow if more time was given to them and their background.
Bookseller’s Choice – reviewer CALEB Prize
March 16, 2012
Many-Coloured Realm is a complex YA of depth and imagination. Its fantasy realm is entered through a quite ordinary portal in our world, which turns out to be a bit like a rabbit hole turned on its head.
Robby and Chris enter to rescue Stephen, a friend and brother, who is imprisoned in the Goblin King’s domain. The plight of the three young people is worsened by a threat of doom (the Shroud) announced against the king’s domain by the demon, Zzael. Racing against time, which is very different there, Robby and Chris must try to find some way to foil Zzael as well as rescue Stephen.
The Goblin King, Artemys the flying penguin, charming Lady Peddy (the Muse of Tautology), and the unpredictable Queen of Sprites and her consort, are among the unforgettable ensemble cast. There are marvels such as a ship drawn by swans, tons of hobs (hobgoblins), myriads of elves, well-crafted surprises, and awful, lovely, or unique realms-within-realms. The themes are important ones, treated thoroughly without any preaching: reality versus appearances, and sacrifice for the sake of others.
The book hooked then enthralled me. Anne Hamilton trusts her readers, sustains a lovely sense of mystery, and is wonderfully clever. Her characters are unique persons. She has a gift for description and made the fantasy elements her very own. She explores important ideas in a way that YA and adults can enjoy, e.g., ‘the Laws of Free Will.’ Her dialogue is studded with jewels, like, “‘What is the world coming to when simple courage begins to be called magic!’”
The book offers a range of fantasy delights: hideous water warlocks, swans who belong to a labor union, and an incredible vehicle—a sentient coach by the name of ‘Sold.’ It is amusing and tender. Serious topics aren’t avoided and violence isn’t indulged in.
Many-Coloured Realm is a gem, more than a ‘wonderland’ and yet worthy of that name.
Robby and Chris enter to rescue Stephen, a friend and brother, who is imprisoned in the Goblin King’s domain. The plight of the three young people is worsened by a threat of doom (the Shroud) announced against the king’s domain by the demon, Zzael. Racing against time, which is very different there, Robby and Chris must try to find some way to foil Zzael as well as rescue Stephen.
The Goblin King, Artemys the flying penguin, charming Lady Peddy (the Muse of Tautology), and the unpredictable Queen of Sprites and her consort, are among the unforgettable ensemble cast. There are marvels such as a ship drawn by swans, tons of hobs (hobgoblins), myriads of elves, well-crafted surprises, and awful, lovely, or unique realms-within-realms. The themes are important ones, treated thoroughly without any preaching: reality versus appearances, and sacrifice for the sake of others.
The book hooked then enthralled me. Anne Hamilton trusts her readers, sustains a lovely sense of mystery, and is wonderfully clever. Her characters are unique persons. She has a gift for description and made the fantasy elements her very own. She explores important ideas in a way that YA and adults can enjoy, e.g., ‘the Laws of Free Will.’ Her dialogue is studded with jewels, like, “‘What is the world coming to when simple courage begins to be called magic!’”
The book offers a range of fantasy delights: hideous water warlocks, swans who belong to a labor union, and an incredible vehicle—a sentient coach by the name of ‘Sold.’ It is amusing and tender. Serious topics aren’t avoided and violence isn’t indulged in.
Many-Coloured Realm is a gem, more than a ‘wonderland’ and yet worthy of that name.
January 12, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this book. At the first half I wasn't so engrossed and it wasn't page-turning, but as I progressed through and got closer to the end I got more and more interested. The characters were complex and real, their struggles - though, not something I would experience - were very relatable and I felt for them. I'd really recommend this book. Four and a half stars.
January 30, 2025
High literary fantasy; truly weird but strangely compelling.
For a while I wondered if Hamilton’s main character, Robby, was a contemporary reincarnation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice who had stepped out of Wonderland, tumbled Through the Looking Glass, stumbled through C.S. Lewis’s Wardrobe, missed the road to Narnia by falling down (or rather up) a chimney to join a ragtag bunch of experts and weirdos on a journey to Jules Verne’s Centre of the Earth only to take his detour Off on a Comet via a series of surreal landscapes (and characters) that rival Salvador Dali’s creations … but by that time it was too late to expect any kind of logical reason for Robby’s adventure so I simply had to keep reading to the end if only to find out what, or if, there was a point and purpose to her fantastical trek.
There was.
And it’s positive.
I’ve no doubt lovers of this style of high brow scientific mathematical literary fantasy will be delighted together with anyone, (young or old) who wants to take a psychedelic trip WITHOUT taking drugs.
I received this book as a gift from a friend and, while it’s not really my cup of tea (hence my three-star rating) I completely understand why others deem it worthy of five stars.
For a while I wondered if Hamilton’s main character, Robby, was a contemporary reincarnation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice who had stepped out of Wonderland, tumbled Through the Looking Glass, stumbled through C.S. Lewis’s Wardrobe, missed the road to Narnia by falling down (or rather up) a chimney to join a ragtag bunch of experts and weirdos on a journey to Jules Verne’s Centre of the Earth only to take his detour Off on a Comet via a series of surreal landscapes (and characters) that rival Salvador Dali’s creations … but by that time it was too late to expect any kind of logical reason for Robby’s adventure so I simply had to keep reading to the end if only to find out what, or if, there was a point and purpose to her fantastical trek.
There was.
And it’s positive.
I’ve no doubt lovers of this style of high brow scientific mathematical literary fantasy will be delighted together with anyone, (young or old) who wants to take a psychedelic trip WITHOUT taking drugs.
I received this book as a gift from a friend and, while it’s not really my cup of tea (hence my three-star rating) I completely understand why others deem it worthy of five stars.
June 4, 2012
Robertina, or Robby, is in a quandary. Her group school project with partners Neil and Stephen is due and neither boy is stepping up to help. Stephen is a bully and Neil is just plain weird. Robby's fears that Stephen will harm their odd third partner are put aside when Stephen disappears. In her quest to discover what happened to him, Robby stumbles into a confusing and fantastic realm. Neil isn't a human boy after all, but part of this bizarre place, and Stephen followed him there only to be trapped in an "immurement". Tossed into the reality-bending land of the Goblins along with Stephen's step-brother Chris, they become entangled in a centuries- old conflict between elves and Goblins and are forced to grow more involved in order to free the trapped Stephen. Is the Goblin King being helpful or causing trouble? Can they trust anyone? Why can the penguin Artemys fly--and talk? Can they save Stephen, even if he doesn't deserve it, and go home? Will they want to leave?
Anne has crafted a fantastic and engaging adventure! She mixes a delightful concoction of fantasy, physics, mythology, and philosophy. The detail of the story was just amazing, with humorous and clever layers upon layers. I felt the natural affection the characters formed for one another through trials of confusing politics and deadly peril.
I really wanted to share this story with my kids, but for an 8-year-old and an impatient 11-year-old, it wasn’t simple-spoken enough even when I read aloud. This is really a Young Adult novel. The publisher has classified it as childrens’ fiction for some reason, but it is really more age-appropriate for young adults. The words were complex and too rich for younger readers to easily comprehend. I do know a 10-year-old with a college reading level for whom this might be perfect, though! I’ll put in a comment when I’ve gotten it to her. Her mom is always looking for reading-level-appropriate material that isn’t too adult.
As an adult who enjoys young adult and even children's fiction, this book was wholly enjoyable. It exercised my brain while I enjoyed it too. It really was so well-packed that I could read it a few more times and still discover new things. Maybe I will if my friend's little girl will ever let me have it back once she's gotten her hands on it.
Anne has crafted a fantastic and engaging adventure! She mixes a delightful concoction of fantasy, physics, mythology, and philosophy. The detail of the story was just amazing, with humorous and clever layers upon layers. I felt the natural affection the characters formed for one another through trials of confusing politics and deadly peril.
I really wanted to share this story with my kids, but for an 8-year-old and an impatient 11-year-old, it wasn’t simple-spoken enough even when I read aloud. This is really a Young Adult novel. The publisher has classified it as childrens’ fiction for some reason, but it is really more age-appropriate for young adults. The words were complex and too rich for younger readers to easily comprehend. I do know a 10-year-old with a college reading level for whom this might be perfect, though! I’ll put in a comment when I’ve gotten it to her. Her mom is always looking for reading-level-appropriate material that isn’t too adult.
As an adult who enjoys young adult and even children's fiction, this book was wholly enjoyable. It exercised my brain while I enjoyed it too. It really was so well-packed that I could read it a few more times and still discover new things. Maybe I will if my friend's little girl will ever let me have it back once she's gotten her hands on it.
January 23, 2013
I’m not so sure I can describe what this book is about as well as I can describe what it is like. Picture the tipsy-turvy world of Alice in Wonderland where practical rules do not apply, through in a quest to save the world and some Christian allegory a la The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and/or The Dawn Treader, add elves and goblins, heroes and heroines and you might have gotten at least part of what this book is about.
The Many-Coloured Realm is a book that would have made me feel really smart as a child, like reading Alice in Wonderland or Madeleine L’Engle’s books. Smart because as a kid you are just along for the ride wanting to see where the story goes and how it’s going to get there. I would have liked that the normal rules don’t apply and that anything can happen. Like jumping into a chalk-picture drawing in Mary Poppins. As an adult, I felt a little lost and confused wishing the story was a bit more rooted. I think that says more about me than the book though. I plan to let my daughter read it and see what she thinks. ;) Maybe I’ll post a review from her after she’s read it.
Theology: Allegory on the Pharisees, Gentiles, and the Messiah
This is a story where everything isn’t as it seems. There’s a lot of allegory in here. I spotted some Pharisees (can’t tell you who because I don’t want to ruin it for you) and a lot of Gentiles (the ones that recognized the Messiah for who He is). Satan is surely Zzael (easy to spot). And God as the Creator is mighty and wonderful. Nothing overtly Christian unless you already know the story.
Rating: G
Great book for kids who like imaginative worlds.
Social issues: Bullying, bigotry
There are some bullies in the book—both on the individual level and on the racial level (bigotry). There is an unfortunate boy who no one likes (at first) because he smells so foul. A predominant theme in the book is that you can’t judge someone by the way they look, i.e. actions speak louder than words.
My favorite part of the book? The flying penguin, Artemys.
The Many-Coloured Realm is a book that would have made me feel really smart as a child, like reading Alice in Wonderland or Madeleine L’Engle’s books. Smart because as a kid you are just along for the ride wanting to see where the story goes and how it’s going to get there. I would have liked that the normal rules don’t apply and that anything can happen. Like jumping into a chalk-picture drawing in Mary Poppins. As an adult, I felt a little lost and confused wishing the story was a bit more rooted. I think that says more about me than the book though. I plan to let my daughter read it and see what she thinks. ;) Maybe I’ll post a review from her after she’s read it.
Theology: Allegory on the Pharisees, Gentiles, and the Messiah
This is a story where everything isn’t as it seems. There’s a lot of allegory in here. I spotted some Pharisees (can’t tell you who because I don’t want to ruin it for you) and a lot of Gentiles (the ones that recognized the Messiah for who He is). Satan is surely Zzael (easy to spot). And God as the Creator is mighty and wonderful. Nothing overtly Christian unless you already know the story.
Rating: G
Great book for kids who like imaginative worlds.
Social issues: Bullying, bigotry
There are some bullies in the book—both on the individual level and on the racial level (bigotry). There is an unfortunate boy who no one likes (at first) because he smells so foul. A predominant theme in the book is that you can’t judge someone by the way they look, i.e. actions speak louder than words.
My favorite part of the book? The flying penguin, Artemys.
December 16, 2015
Two and a half stars, sometimes I liked this book and at other times I threw it to the floor in disgust. It is as strange as my dreams, stranger. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I been younger when I first read it. One of the things that bugged me most was the names, it did eventually explain why most of the goblins had names like "By" "To" "And" but it still drove me crazy and I had to read too many sentences over...It is definitely a very unique book, with a ton of interesting concepts, but the confusing ness, or dream likeness just drove me a bit mad. I understand it all now, but the book only explained stuff after they had made me throw down the book. Often it was page turning and then suddenly it would come to a grinding halt and I would want to get up and do something else. I wanted to like this book, and it is rather cool, but the Alice in wonderland style is just not me.
February 10, 2022
Absolutely love Anne's imagination, but had some trouble following the story. Unless I missed something early on, I couldn't see the significance of the title until near the end. Even then it didn't mean a lot to me. The ending was satisfactory though.
Read
September 3, 2024Not so fussed, very complex world building and story line.
September 13, 2016
This book was different and cool in it's own fantastic way. I saw it at the library and in my mind I'm saying wow this could be awesome and it was.
I love the play with gravity in this book and there are flying penguins in this book okay so yeah I LOVE this book.
I love the play with gravity in this book and there are flying penguins in this book okay so yeah I LOVE this book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews