It was in late July of the year 1461 that the sun rose one morning red and fiery as if ushering in midsummer's hottest day. His rays fell upon the old city of Krakow and the roads leading up to it, along which rolled and rocked a very caravan of peasants' wagons.
In the summer of 2011, I read and reviewed Eric P. Kelly's The Trumpeter of Krakow. I remember really enjoying it though I found it plot-driven instead of character driven. Because I had good memories of reading it, I thought I would reread it for Hope Is the Word's Newbery Through the Decades. Unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I did the first time.
I'm not sure if this was because I wasn't in the right mood for this one. Or if it was because since I knew how it ended there just wasn't enough to keep me reading.
The first time I read it: action, mystery, suspense, what will happen next?!
The second time I read it: this is boring, so boring, when will I get to the good part?
I was surprised by my own reaction this time since in my review, I wrote "There is never a dull moment in The Trumpeter of Krakow" and "The novel is exciting."
© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
2 comments:
Isn't it funny how we come to books at various times in our lives and see them so differently?
I had that experience with a book called Motherless Daughters, about the particular grief of girls who lose their moms at a young age.
The first time I read it (in one sitting, sitting in the bathroom from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am), such a chord was struck. The author wrote about experiences I'd had but had never spoken to anyone about.
Last year, I reread it and instead of a lightening bolt, my response was "meh. Not so helpful." :)
I will FOREVER be thankful to The Trumpeter of Krakow for the quote fairly early in the book, "God is in the waiting." ~ Carol in Oregon
So maybe I didn't miss anything. . . ?
Off to read your original review!
Post a Comment