Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn’t go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his niece, the Princess Saralinda. She was warm in every wind and weather, but he was always cold. His hands were as cold as his smile, and almost as cold as his heart. He wore gloves when he was asleep, and he wore gloves when he was awake, which made it difficult for him to pick up pins or coins or the kernels of nuts, or to tear the wings from nightingales.
So begins James Thurber’s sublimely revamped fairy tale, The 13 Clocks, in which a wicked Duke who imagines he has killed time, and the Duke’s beautiful niece, for whom time seems to have run out, both meet their match, courtesy of an enterprising and very handsome prince in disguise. Readers young and old will take pleasure in this tale of love forestalled but ultimately fulfilled, admiring its upstanding hero (”He yearned to find in a far land the princess of his dreams, singing as he went, and possibly slaying a dragon here and there”) and unapologetic villain (”We all have flaws,” the Duke said. “Mine is being wicked”), while wondering at the enigmatic Golux, the mysterious stranger whose unpredictable interventions speed the story to its necessarily happy end.
With the help of his magical protector, Golux, Prince Zorna performs impossible tasks to win the hand of Princess Saralina.
Amy_Neftzger
Posted December 11, 2011
If you love cleverly written fantasy books, it doesn't get much better than the 13 Clocks. The story takes you on a wild and yet slightly farcical ride as you follow the prince's efforts to win the hand of the princess from her wicked Uncle. Yes, this book has the classic elements of a fairy tale but it's also filled with imaginative interpretations of everyday things such as the Duke who killed time (an event which left blood on his sleeves). This is a children's book and a short read, but well worth the time.
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Posted May 15, 2010
The Thirteen Clocks is too long to be a short story, too short to be a novel but is a "just right" novella. It is in the company of "The Old Man and the Sea," "Of Mice and Men," and "Call of the Wild." This novella is a fable, fairy tail, and fantasy. James Thurber weaves a tale of the just and right prince Zorn prevailing over an evil Duke by performing seemingly impossible tasks. Saralinda is as her name suggests, is both beautiful and a princess and is also the key to this story. This is a fitting book for children and adults.
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Posted May 15, 2010
"The Thirteen Clocks" is a really fantastic book. I happened to read it in a Barnes & Noble store on a whim, and I couldn't get it out of my head. I had to buy my own copy. If you love literature and fantasy stories, you have to read this book. It's very unique--it seems like a story for children, with a princess and an evil duke, but I think it's really geared more towards adults. It's full of whimsical characters, like a spy named Whisper and an evil duke with "a voice like iron dropped on velvet." The language is perfectly crafted, and rhymes just when it has too. And of course the Golux, with his "indescribable" hat, who is full of surprises. He probably owns a copy of this book himself, and his only problem with the story is that he wishes that Princess Saralinda had a little more personality. Buy this book!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The 13 Clocks is a hard book to label; is it YA? A child's fairy tale? Something written for adults? I can honestly say yes to all these questions. It has just about every aspect of the typical fairy tale present: there is a damsel in distress, an evil duke, a prince who comes to the rescue, impossible tasks, magical creatures, curses and a happily ever after. The Princess Saralinda is something of a captive to her wicked 'uncle,' the Duke, who is actually not her uncle, but her kidnapper, and who plans to marry her on her 21st birthday. She has had many suitors over the years, but the Duke gives each an impossible task to complete for her hand, or he simply kills them for practically no reason. Along comes the prince, Zorn of Zorna, disguised as a traveling minstrel, who goes on an impossible quest set forth by the Duke. Accompanying Zorn is the Golux, who seems to be something of a wizard, but maybe not, and together they accomplish the task, but just barely. I'm giving nothing away here, as we all know how these fairy tales end, and this particular tale follows in the footsteps of every one before it.
Marc Simont's illustration are very simplistic, but they match the tone and feel of the story perfectly. I found them a fresh accompaniment to the story.
Don't take me the wrong way, I enjoyed reading The 13 Clocks. Thurber created a fun little story, but I'm just not 100% convinced that it deserves the amounts of praise that has been heaped on it.
Anonymous
Posted July 2, 2007
A book that blesses the good and punishes the wicked. A fantasy, but a book that all children should read.
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Overview
Once upon a time, in a gloomy castle on a lonely hill, where there were thirteen clocks that wouldn’t go, there lived a cold, aggressive Duke, and his niece, the Princess Saralinda. She was warm in every wind and weather, but he was always cold. His hands were as cold as his smile, and almost as cold as his heart. He wore gloves when he was asleep, and he wore gloves when he was awake, which made it difficult for him to pick up pins or coins or the kernels of nuts, or to tear ...