The Phantom Tollbooth

Phantom Tollbooth written by Norton Juster in 1961, is one of my favorite books ever. I may have read it long long ago, once upon a time, when I was a child, (I seem to have a vague, very vague, memory of such a thing in a databank somewhere...) BUT, if i did, I really do not remember, but I did read it as an adult.

I had a friend who kept telling me, "Lisa, you will really like this book." I would simply think of the title, "Phantom Tollbooth" and wonder why it was she wanted me to read a book about a phantom. I had enough to read and write and do, than take the time to read a children's book anyhow.

She kept asking me if I had read it yet, and I 'd say "No." She's say, "Lisa, YOU really need to read this book!" She never really told me much about the book itself, she would only ask me if I read it yet and tell me that I needed to.

"Weird."

One day I came upon a copy of the book at the local library. I decided toread it, mostly to appease my friend of course. I was intrigued that she thought so highly of this book and se and I connected on so many levels that if she wanted me to read it, I would give it a try. It was a little bit like one of those "Sam I am who does not eat green eggs and ham experiences, for I now know why she told me to read it and I have to say, I love it!

I really love this book. It is so much fun to see what the author does with words and their meanings. It's a sort of fairytale adventure of a boy named Milo who while bored one day, (obviously bored with having to be IN SCHOOL all day) finds a mysterious package in his room. He opens it to find out that it is the entrance to a magical world, the Kingdom of Wisdom and it's here that a wonderfully entertaining punfilled and metaphorical adventure begins...

Like all fairytale adventures, Milo, our hero, begins a quest to rescue a princess, but in this case it's actually two princesses, (Rhyme and Reason) who have been banished from the land due to some argument about numbers and letters. They are held hostage at the Castle in the Air and in their absence the whole kingdom has been plagued with discord and disharmony. So Milo, as the hero, rescues them by using wisdom. He his traveling companions have to overcome the various obstacles in their way, but they do and they happily return the princesses to their home. The kingdom is restored to peace and harmony, once more because, now rhyme and reason have returned.

This is perhaps one of those many books that adults think are written only for children.
This is probably because it is fairytale-like, or outlandish and imaginative, even a little whimsical and as such considered "silly" by many. I believe that many "adults" do not appreciate such things unless they are adulterated, they think that they are "just for kids."

This book is obviously very wisely written and it makes me laugh every time I think of some of the things in this story not to mention how incredible words really are! Someday I hope to reread this book and take the adventure with Milo once again... but there are so many books and so little time...

This book is but a glimpse into the wonders of words which I believe to be God's wisdom at work, making himself and his wisdom known unto the simple, childlike hearts that seek to please him and know his ways. It's marketed for children, and rightly so, for it is a very creative and imaginative tale about a faraway imaginary land, a hero and his adventures with a dog, but it's really a classic, a book that has universal appeal.

The Phantom Tollbooth has been compared to Alice in Wonderland stories, or to Baum's Wizard of Oz, and it is easy to see the similarities, but Disney never made a movie on this book. I am glad I read this book. I tend I think it is really for the more advanced readers, who like Norton Juster who wrote the tale, can grasp the metaphors and meanings of words.


If you do not want to take a journey with Milo by reading the book, click here and read some ad some excerpts, just to get a flavor for the book. The illustrations are wild.


QUOTES:

"Everyone loved the princesses because of their great beauty, their gentle ways, and their ability to settle all controversies fairly and reasonably … It was said by everyone that Rhyme and Reason settle all problems." (Chapter 6)

"But it's not just learning things that's important. It's learning what to do with what you learn and learning why you learn things at all that matters." (Chapter 18)