Book #25 – Gypsy Rizka by Lloyd Alexander
Obtained and read mainly to get a bead on whether Alexander has any more good "girl" books. I have an overage of nieces for whom the Chronicles of Prydain are going to be too boy-adventure centric. I suppose, Gypsy Rizka is a decently girly book. There’s an engagement, a wedding and (I kid you not) kittens. Giving credit where it’s due, Rizka is a smart resourceful young lady. But this book… It’s the kind of book where the majority of adults are idiots and the young protagonist outsmarts them at every turn. And for some reason, that just bugs me. Maybe it’s because it’s too easy for my adult eyes. More and more, I’ve come to appreciate complexity in plot. Or, if not complexity, at least rigorousness. A child outwitting a buffon is simple, and that would probably appeal to a young niece more than it does to me.
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No word from editor. I was going to go for a run, but I’ve decided that a migraine would be more fun.
Simple Tricks & Nonsense 