The 13 Clocks

The foreword in my copy of James Thurber's The 13 Clocks was written by the venerable Neil Gaiman, and describes it as "probably the best book in the world". He goes on to say that "it doesn't need an introduction. It doesn't need me." and this loving, devoted praise written in playful, honest jest set me up to love the book before it even started.

The 13 Clocks is wonderful, dreamy, adorable, and sometimes frightening. It's the shortest adventure I've ever gone on, over in the wink of an eye, but introduces more fantastical new ideas than I could usually find in 30 volumes. There's a prince, and a princess, and witches and creatures with riddles, described in jestful language that keeps you reading more. You can tell just how much fun Thurber was having writing it, and the feeling is infectious.

Marc Simont's accompanying illustrations are equally masterful, and the perfect match to the magical world in which the story takes place. There's a cute, innocent look to the characters that balances a graceful beauty that perfectly captures the childlike fantasy of Thurber's rhymes, shadowed by the darker curiosities of an adult world. 

Playful, witty, and endlessly creative, this story is pure delight and it's one I'd happily read again and again.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Simply put, Winifred Watson's Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a 1938 romcom. A lighthearted romp of a "modern" fairy tale, the main character storms her way through misadventures in a whirlwind way reminiscent of an Amelia Bedelia book, teetering between adolescent naivety and adult frivolity. The illustrations which intermittently appeared further pushed the feeling of it being a children's story with oddly comedic contrast to innocent line drawings with accompanying excerpts like "That's cocaine". Was this normal for the time? I've never seen it before, but if it was an intentional choice, it's hilarious and brilliant.

My copy included a preface by a woman whose mother loved the book for its ability to speak to the fantasies of a middle aged woman—and I can appreciate how that might be an exciting and appealing genre for a woman of that age and time. For me, it was a quick and enjoyable (though at times frustrating in the yelling-at-the-movie-screen kind of way) distraction that didn't require much thought. 

Though following Guinevere's adventures through a glitzy socialite's day was fun, what I appreciated most was the warmth with which female friendship was displayed. Delysia is so lovable and welcoming (while also beautiful), and that's such a rare thing to see in entertainment these days. That feeling of being accepted and appreciated as Miss Pettigrew was is what anyone wants, and that's the true Cinderella moment of this whole story. Finding a true friend can be the most rewarding thing a woman can ever experience.