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| "...making fun of meaningless erudition...." |
| John Bellairs was a one-of-a-kind writer. [He] was a truly erudite man, able to make wicked fun of meaningless erudition, and his unique wit romps through every page of this book, whether you understand Latin, logic, linguistics, logorrhea or not. To read [his books] is to realize what a loss his death was--not simply to fantasy, or to children's literature, but to the English language, and to the art of storytelling, which he served so well in the short time he had. |
| Peter S. Beagle, author |
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| "...stand the test of time...." |
| The Blue Figurine books by John Bellairs are wonderful, and I only wish I could find the next John Bellairs one day soon. They stand the test of time, are fun to read, honest, emotionally involving and shivery enough to appeal to the 10-year-old in all of us. My mother, now 75, who's particular about what she reads, got hooked 15 years ago or so when, while visiting my parents, I happened to be reading the galleys (Toby Sherry, John’s editor, had asked me to read them when we worked together at Dial). My mother still asks me to get her the new books. My daughter, who's 10 and is also very particular about what she reads, loves the books in just the same way. And who can resist the Edward Gorey covers and frontispieces? |
| Paula Wiseman, Editorial Director, Silver Whistle Books |
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| "...very kind and giving of his time." |
| I did not know John Bellairs very well but he used to come to the local schools around Haverhill where he lived and talk to the children about books. I taught in a neighboring town and once had lunch with him at a local Friendly's Restaurant to talk about children's books, as I was writing one at the time and wanted to hear his views on the subject. This was in the early eighties, I believe. During this meeting I mentioned the similarities between M.R. James story "O Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad" and a scene in The Face in the Frost, specifically the empty garment in the wizard's cellar that takes on a life of its own! He said yes, there was a connection and that I was the only person who had ever I was the only one who had smoked it (detected the connection between the two stories). He was very kind and giving of his time. |
| Jean Anderson |
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| "...a focus on the more basic fears?" |
| This weekend, I stumbled across a used copy of The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs. I'm pretty sure I'd read it before; I must have read every book of his when I was younger.
I've tried reading a few adult horror stories, and, despite being !notoriously jumpy and easily startled such that I avoid horror movies, I rarely get creeped out by novels. Maybe it's that good children's authors focus on the more basic fears? I know that in any book store that you see me in, you can track me from the sci fi and fantasy sections over to the kid's books and then on to general browsing.
It may be the memory of fear. I still get creeped out by most of Bellairs' stuff. I remember reading them and being so terrified that I was afraid to go to bed at night, and as I see the farmiliar words and drawings I'm instantly 11 years old again and sitting in my dad's big armchair with a mug of hot chocolate. |
| Kelly H. Watts |
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| "...fine sense of the odd and...humorous." |
| I always get a thrill-rush out of the juvenile horror fiction by John Bellairs. Good plots, not too overbearingly juvie, excellently written, fine sense of the odd and of the humorous. Read 'em when you're sleepy (in about an hour and a half) and you'll get the effect. I still get chills out of Bellairs' The Dark Secret of Weatherend. |
| Kenneth Hite |
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