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Clay
Fourteen-year-old Davie and his best friend, Geordie, are altar boys at their local Catholic Church. They’re full of mischief, but that all changes when Stephen Rose comes to town. Father O’Mahoney thinks it would be a good idea for Davie and Geordie to befriend him—maybe some of their good nature will rub off on this unhappy soul. But it’s Stephen who sees something special in Davie.
Stephen’s a gifted sculptor. One day as Davie looks on, Stephen brings a tiny figure to life. It’s a talent he has, the gift of creation—and he knows that Davie has this talent, too. Davie allows Stephen to convince him to help bring a life-size figure to life—and Clay is born. Clay is innocent, but Stephen has special plans for him.
What has Davie helped to unleash on the world?
From the Hardcover edition.
Stephen’s a gifted sculptor. One day as Davie looks on, Stephen brings a tiny figure to life. It’s a talent he has, the gift of creation—and he knows that Davie has this talent, too. Davie allows Stephen to convince him to help bring a life-size figure to life—and Clay is born. Clay is innocent, but Stephen has special plans for him.
What has Davie helped to unleash on the world?
From the Hardcover edition.
256 pages, Library Binding
First published November 3, 2005
43 people are currently reading
1068 people want to read
About the author
David Almond
122 books824 followersDavid Almond is a British children's writer who has penned several novels, each one to critical acclaim. He was born and raised in Felling and Newcastle in post-industrial North East England and educated at the University of East Anglia. When he was young, he found his love of writing when some short stories of his were published in a local magazine. He started out as an author of adult fiction before finding his niche writing literature for young adults.
His first children's novel, Skellig (1998), set in Newcastle, won the Whitbread Children's Novel of the Year Award and also the Carnegie Medal. His subsequent novels are: Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003) and Clay (2005). His first play aimed at adolescents, Wild Girl, Wild Boy, toured in 2001 and was published in 2002.
His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of 'the self'. He has been greatly influenced by the works of the English Romantic poet William Blake.
He is an author often suggested on National Curriculum reading lists in the United Kingdom and has attracted the attention of academics who specialise in the study of children's literature.
Almond currently lives with his family in Northumberland, England.
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2010).
His first children's novel, Skellig (1998), set in Newcastle, won the Whitbread Children's Novel of the Year Award and also the Carnegie Medal. His subsequent novels are: Kit's Wilderness (1999), Heaven Eyes (2000), Secret Heart (2001), The Fire Eaters (2003) and Clay (2005). His first play aimed at adolescents, Wild Girl, Wild Boy, toured in 2001 and was published in 2002.
His works are highly philosophical and thus appeal to children and adults alike. Recurring themes throughout include the complex relationships between apparent opposites (such as life and death, reality and fiction, past and future); forms of education; growing up and adapting to change; the nature of 'the self'. He has been greatly influenced by the works of the English Romantic poet William Blake.
He is an author often suggested on National Curriculum reading lists in the United Kingdom and has attracted the attention of academics who specialise in the study of children's literature.
Almond currently lives with his family in Northumberland, England.
Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2010).
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January 14, 2021
این دومین کتابی بود که از آلموند میخوندم. اولی «بابای پرندهی من» بود که رمان کودک بهحساب میاومد و کتاب بدی هم نبود. اما «گِل» یک سروگردن ازش بالاتر بود. زمین گذاشتن کتاب برام ممکن نبود. روایت جذاب، رَوون و بسیار جالبی داشت. شخصیتپردازیها فوقالعاده بود و آدم با تمام وجود حس میکرد که یک رمان نوجوان داره میخونه. تسلط آلموند به فضای زندگی نوجوانها واقعاً فوقالعادهست و همین آدم رو تحت تاثیر قرار میده. حرکت در مرز خیال و واقعیت طوری در این کتاب اتفاق میافته که خواننده رو میخکوب میکنه. خوندن این رمان برای من مثل یک کلاس آموزشی برای نوشتن رمان نوجوان بود.
ترجمه هم ترجمهی خوب و روانی بود.
ترجمه هم ترجمهی خوب و روانی بود.
September 20, 2022
ما از خاکیم و به خاک برمیگردیم اما مجسمه های گلی چطور ؟
دیوید آلموند از نویسنده های محبوب منه و این کتاب قطعا جزو دو کتاب محبوب من از اونه
پیشنهادش میکنم اگر آماده برای چیزی کاملا متفاوتید.
https://taaghche.com/book/5660
دیوید آلموند از نویسنده های محبوب منه و این کتاب قطعا جزو دو کتاب محبوب من از اونه
پیشنهادش میکنم اگر آماده برای چیزی کاملا متفاوتید.
https://taaghche.com/book/5660
October 1, 2012
The experience of reading Clay is like being in a dream. There are recognisable objects and familiar places, but everything is twisted round, suffused with the strange, the extraordinary, the downright miraculous.
David Almond is an award winning author and one of the finest writing for young adults today. Clay is recommended for children over 11, but it’s a novel that may be read and enjoyed (and marvelled at) as much by adults.
Davie and his best friend Geordie are just ordinary kids: altar boys, mediocre students, part of a gang full of mischief and rivalry. When Stephan Rose arrives, sent to live with his crazy Aunt Mary, because his father has died and his mother has gone mad, Father O’Mahoney asks that the boys befriend him. They resist, but Davie soon finds himself drawn to the strange new boy, fascinated as much with Stephan’s ability to create fantastic figures from clay as he is with Stephan’s taunting of Mouldy, the bully who’s vowed to ‘get’ Davie. Stephan has a gift, a real genius, for shaping figures that seem to live and breathe. He recognises something in Davie—some innocence, some goodness—that he can use, and begins to draw him into his plan. Together the boys create a monster from mud, a creature that not only lives but walks and obeys. Then something awful happens to Mouldy, and Davie must take action.
Almond captures all the energy and awkwardness of youth. A first kiss, sneaking cigarettes, goofing around in class, growing away from a best friend—all these scenes are woven into the darker story of Stephan and Davie’s creation. Underneath it all is a childlike egoism that makes these boys feel responsible for the bad things that happen: If we wish it and it happens, then it must have happened because of us.
In the tradition of Frankenstein, and more recently, Peter Carey’s My Life as a Fake, Clay is a novel about artistic creation. It’s also a comment on the potentially dangerous nature of what we create. What we make just might take on a life of its own, a life we can’t always control. As a teacher tells Davie, “Our passion to create goes hand and hand with our passion to destroy”. For Almond, artistic creation dwells in the territory of danger and madness, at the border of evil.
Davie hears the words of the monster in his head, which gives us another way of reading the story. The psychological runs alongside and blends with the supernatural. Davie writes it all down, every last crazy thing. He challenges the reader to think it’s just a story. A dream, maybe, that lingers when you wake. Maybe. Then again, maybe not.
Clay offers no tidy answers and no redemption. The creative genius is loose; the will to shape and mould and breathe life into raw material is out there—and in us!—for good or for evil. This is a beautiful, enigmatic novel that questions and provokes, inspires and warns. Almond writes of this dark subject in spare, unadorned language flecked with sudden bursts of gorgeousness. Haunting in its intensity, Clay is destined to become a classic.
David Almond is an award winning author and one of the finest writing for young adults today. Clay is recommended for children over 11, but it’s a novel that may be read and enjoyed (and marvelled at) as much by adults.
Davie and his best friend Geordie are just ordinary kids: altar boys, mediocre students, part of a gang full of mischief and rivalry. When Stephan Rose arrives, sent to live with his crazy Aunt Mary, because his father has died and his mother has gone mad, Father O’Mahoney asks that the boys befriend him. They resist, but Davie soon finds himself drawn to the strange new boy, fascinated as much with Stephan’s ability to create fantastic figures from clay as he is with Stephan’s taunting of Mouldy, the bully who’s vowed to ‘get’ Davie. Stephan has a gift, a real genius, for shaping figures that seem to live and breathe. He recognises something in Davie—some innocence, some goodness—that he can use, and begins to draw him into his plan. Together the boys create a monster from mud, a creature that not only lives but walks and obeys. Then something awful happens to Mouldy, and Davie must take action.
Almond captures all the energy and awkwardness of youth. A first kiss, sneaking cigarettes, goofing around in class, growing away from a best friend—all these scenes are woven into the darker story of Stephan and Davie’s creation. Underneath it all is a childlike egoism that makes these boys feel responsible for the bad things that happen: If we wish it and it happens, then it must have happened because of us.
In the tradition of Frankenstein, and more recently, Peter Carey’s My Life as a Fake, Clay is a novel about artistic creation. It’s also a comment on the potentially dangerous nature of what we create. What we make just might take on a life of its own, a life we can’t always control. As a teacher tells Davie, “Our passion to create goes hand and hand with our passion to destroy”. For Almond, artistic creation dwells in the territory of danger and madness, at the border of evil.
Davie hears the words of the monster in his head, which gives us another way of reading the story. The psychological runs alongside and blends with the supernatural. Davie writes it all down, every last crazy thing. He challenges the reader to think it’s just a story. A dream, maybe, that lingers when you wake. Maybe. Then again, maybe not.
Clay offers no tidy answers and no redemption. The creative genius is loose; the will to shape and mould and breathe life into raw material is out there—and in us!—for good or for evil. This is a beautiful, enigmatic novel that questions and provokes, inspires and warns. Almond writes of this dark subject in spare, unadorned language flecked with sudden bursts of gorgeousness. Haunting in its intensity, Clay is destined to become a classic.
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January 20, 2016کتاب #گل، در فضایی قرون وسطایی می گذرد. اما نه اواسط قرون وسطا. بلکه اواخر آن. این را از اختلافات و جنگ های مذهبی بین دو محله داستان که یکی کاتولیکی است و دیگری پروتستانی، می توان فهمید. در این دوره رفورم و ضد رفورم و انشعاب بزرگ واقع شده است. محله ها در داستان، مثل کشورها در اروپای قرون وسطی، دچار اختلاف و جنگ هستند.
قهرمان داستان، یعنی دیوی، پسر محراب است. پسری که در مراسمات مذهبی به کشیش کمک می کند. در ابتدای داستان عنصر کلیسا و کشیش و اعتراف بسیار پر رنگ است. اما در پس حضور کلیسایی دیوی، نوعی بی اعتقادی در او دیده می شود. نوعی بی تفاوتی نسبت به گناه کردن. پسر گرچه هر هفته اعتراف می کند اما باز هم به گناهان خود ادامه می دهد. گویی اعتراف و گناه معنای واقعی خود را از دست داده اند. این بی تفاوتی، زمینه ای برای ورود استفان رز فراهم می کند، فردی که به اعتقاد من می تواند نماینده انسان مدرن باشد. استفان رز مانند دنیای مدرن از دل کلیسای مسیحی درامده است، از مدرسه کشیش پرور بنت. او بر ضد مذهب شوریده است. اگرچه به او انگ شیطانی بودن زده اند اما استفان به دنبال شیطان نیست. او به دنبال خدای جدیدی است؛ انسان خدا. داعیه زنده کردن و روح دادن به مجسمه های گلی استفان، همان داعیه ای است که انسان غربی در دوره رنسانس دارد. اساسا این فکر استفان که یک انسان می تواند چنین قدرتی داشته باشد که از گل موجودی زنده بسازد، فکری است که در دوره مدرن و در دوره روشنفکری در قرن هجدهم به سراغ انسان اروپایی می آید. انسان قرن هجدهمی، سرمست از غرور و با تکیه بر قدرت علمی خود، جایگاه خود را در مقامی می بیند که در طول تاریخ بی سابقه است؛ جایگاه خدایی.
در انتهای داستان استفان رز، صریحا درباره رفتن خدا صحبت می کند. او خدا را خالقی معرفی می کند که از دست انسان به ستوه آمده و بعد از خلق، او را ترک گفته است. گویی در این قسمت استفان از نظریه خدای ساعت ساز طرفداری می کند. خدایی که جهان را مانند یک ساعت خلق کرده و ادامه داستان خلقت و نظم آن، از طریق خود ساعت و بر اثر کنش و واکنش های مکانیکی پیچ های ساعت، عمل می کند.
جمله "خدا رفته است" استفان رز، آدم را یاد "خدا مرده است" نیچه می اندازد. او از قهرمان داستان یعنی دیوی می پرسد که تا به حال خدا را دیده است؟ و بعد از این اثبات ماده گرایانه که همه چیز را در محک تجربه و ماده ظاهری و فیزیکی درنظر گرفته است، خدا را به یک خالق اولیه تقلیل می دهد.
استفان در پس آنچه خلق کرده است، در پی قدرت است. او برای جان بخشیدن به هیولای خود از خون و گوشت خدا یا مسیح استفاده می کند اما این کار را برای گول زدن دیوی انجام می دهد تا دیوی هم طعم این قدرت را بچشد و بعد از آن وجود این سایه از مذهب دیگر اهمیتی ندارد.
هیولایی که دیوی و استفان رز ساخته اند، یادآور هیولای فرانکشتاین است. راستش روند ساخت هیولا مرا به شدت یاد کتاب فرانکشتاین می انداخت. به نوعی مضمون درونی هر دو داستان هم شبیه به یکدیگر است. فرانکشتاین سرشار از غرور و قدرت با تمسک به علم، انسان هیولایی می سازد که در پایان آدم کش می شود و بر خالق خود می شورد، شبیه شورش انسان مدرن. استفان و دیوی نیز هیولای فرانکشتاینی ساخته اند اما هیولای آنها ذهنی و بی اثر است چون خیالی بیش نیست. اگرچه دیوی آن را باور کرده است.
استفان رز، بر دیوی اثر می گذارد اگرچه دیوی او را شیطان می داند. تمام نتیجه ای که دیوی از تمام ماجرای خود با استفان می گیرد، رسیدن به شک و پوچی است. دیوی در پایان در اعترافات خود برای کشیش، شک خود را بیان می کند. شکی آشنا برای انسان های این زمانه. شکی که نتیجه دنیای مدرن و گسست تاریخی مدرنیته است. شکی که انسان را تا پرتگاه پوچ گرایی و نیست انگاری می کشاند. شکی عمیق و ریشه دار.
قهرمان داستان، یعنی دیوی، پسر محراب است. پسری که در مراسمات مذهبی به کشیش کمک می کند. در ابتدای داستان عنصر کلیسا و کشیش و اعتراف بسیار پر رنگ است. اما در پس حضور کلیسایی دیوی، نوعی بی اعتقادی در او دیده می شود. نوعی بی تفاوتی نسبت به گناه کردن. پسر گرچه هر هفته اعتراف می کند اما باز هم به گناهان خود ادامه می دهد. گویی اعتراف و گناه معنای واقعی خود را از دست داده اند. این بی تفاوتی، زمینه ای برای ورود استفان رز فراهم می کند، فردی که به اعتقاد من می تواند نماینده انسان مدرن باشد. استفان رز مانند دنیای مدرن از دل کلیسای مسیحی درامده است، از مدرسه کشیش پرور بنت. او بر ضد مذهب شوریده است. اگرچه به او انگ شیطانی بودن زده اند اما استفان به دنبال شیطان نیست. او به دنبال خدای جدیدی است؛ انسان خدا. داعیه زنده کردن و روح دادن به مجسمه های گلی استفان، همان داعیه ای است که انسان غربی در دوره رنسانس دارد. اساسا این فکر استفان که یک انسان می تواند چنین قدرتی داشته باشد که از گل موجودی زنده بسازد، فکری است که در دوره مدرن و در دوره روشنفکری در قرن هجدهم به سراغ انسان اروپایی می آید. انسان قرن هجدهمی، سرمست از غرور و با تکیه بر قدرت علمی خود، جایگاه خود را در مقامی می بیند که در طول تاریخ بی سابقه است؛ جایگاه خدایی.
در انتهای داستان استفان رز، صریحا درباره رفتن خدا صحبت می کند. او خدا را خالقی معرفی می کند که از دست انسان به ستوه آمده و بعد از خلق، او را ترک گفته است. گویی در این قسمت استفان از نظریه خدای ساعت ساز طرفداری می کند. خدایی که جهان را مانند یک ساعت خلق کرده و ادامه داستان خلقت و نظم آن، از طریق خود ساعت و بر اثر کنش و واکنش های مکانیکی پیچ های ساعت، عمل می کند.
جمله "خدا رفته است" استفان رز، آدم را یاد "خدا مرده است" نیچه می اندازد. او از قهرمان داستان یعنی دیوی می پرسد که تا به حال خدا را دیده است؟ و بعد از این اثبات ماده گرایانه که همه چیز را در محک تجربه و ماده ظاهری و فیزیکی درنظر گرفته است، خدا را به یک خالق اولیه تقلیل می دهد.
استفان در پس آنچه خلق کرده است، در پی قدرت است. او برای جان بخشیدن به هیولای خود از خون و گوشت خدا یا مسیح استفاده می کند اما این کار را برای گول زدن دیوی انجام می دهد تا دیوی هم طعم این قدرت را بچشد و بعد از آن وجود این سایه از مذهب دیگر اهمیتی ندارد.
هیولایی که دیوی و استفان رز ساخته اند، یادآور هیولای فرانکشتاین است. راستش روند ساخت هیولا مرا به شدت یاد کتاب فرانکشتاین می انداخت. به نوعی مضمون درونی هر دو داستان هم شبیه به یکدیگر است. فرانکشتاین سرشار از غرور و قدرت با تمسک به علم، انسان هیولایی می سازد که در پایان آدم کش می شود و بر خالق خود می شورد، شبیه شورش انسان مدرن. استفان و دیوی نیز هیولای فرانکشتاینی ساخته اند اما هیولای آنها ذهنی و بی اثر است چون خیالی بیش نیست. اگرچه دیوی آن را باور کرده است.
استفان رز، بر دیوی اثر می گذارد اگرچه دیوی او را شیطان می داند. تمام نتیجه ای که دیوی از تمام ماجرای خود با استفان می گیرد، رسیدن به شک و پوچی است. دیوی در پایان در اعترافات خود برای کشیش، شک خود را بیان می کند. شکی آشنا برای انسان های این زمانه. شکی که نتیجه دنیای مدرن و گسست تاریخی مدرنیته است. شکی که انسان را تا پرتگاه پوچ گرایی و نیست انگاری می کشاند. شکی عمیق و ریشه دار.
August 7, 2024
_اهمیتی نمیدهم که چیزهایی بی معنی هم درآن قصه باشند .یاد گرفته ام که چیزهای بی معنی میتوانند از تمام چیزها حقیقی تر باشند!
یکم برام غیرمنطقی بود 🚶 اما با این حال جالب ترین قسمتش برای من اونجاییه که دیوی نسبت به همه چیز دچار شک و تردید میشه و یه جاهایی نمیدونه کجای داستان واقعیه یا خیالیه👀
۱۴۰۳/۵/۱۷
یکم برام غیرمنطقی بود 🚶 اما با این حال جالب ترین قسمتش برای من اونجاییه که دیوی نسبت به همه چیز دچار شک و تردید میشه و یه جاهایی نمیدونه کجای داستان واقعیه یا خیالیه👀
۱۴۰۳/۵/۱۷
September 3, 2011
Here's the first thing I have to say about this book: I got through most of it. No, not even got through it...I rather enjoyed the first 3/4ths of the novel. But something about it just didn't do it for me. I'm usually the first person to see a book through, but as soon as another book came along...well, goodbye CLAY. Maybe it was because it was outdated, or that the characters were from 1980 Ireland/Britain. It was creepy and every time I put it down, I felt like I'd just been dreaming. Not in a good way but in a sort of icky way. Geordie is an un-helpful supporting character; Davie is sweet but makes too many bad decisions (I can only take so much catharsis as a reader), and Antagonist Whose Name I've Already Forgotten is weird. I really don't understand how he pushes the plot other than the fact that he has this magical ability given to him by god. So maybe he's the ONLY plot-pusher.
Here's what this book needs:
Some good side story. And no, Davie's one conversation with sort-of-girlfriend doesn't count.
More plot, action, etc. OR more realistic dialogue. Please.
But here, for equality's sake, are the pluses:
Nice charecters
Cool ideas.
So I wouldn't read it, despite the awesome cover.
Here's what this book needs:
Some good side story. And no, Davie's one conversation with sort-of-girlfriend doesn't count.
More plot, action, etc. OR more realistic dialogue. Please.
But here, for equality's sake, are the pluses:
Nice charecters
Cool ideas.
So I wouldn't read it, despite the awesome cover.
March 28, 2017
The horror of this story did not affect me the first time I read it. Stephen is evil, no two ways about it. Davie is naive and ready to be manipulated by God or the Devil. But what about something in-between? What about someone who is just a lonely boy whose father is dead and mother is in a mental hospital? Wait. He lies? He manipulates? He hypnotizes? He was kicked out of a seminary?
What's going on??
From first read
Freaktastically wonderful! Was Clay alive, or did Stephen Rose hypnotize Davie?
I really want to teach this with Han Nolan's When We Were Saints. Somebody's head would explode.
What's going on??
From first read
Freaktastically wonderful! Was Clay alive, or did Stephen Rose hypnotize Davie?
I really want to teach this with Han Nolan's When We Were Saints. Somebody's head would explode.
April 13, 2011
David Almond is constantly surprising me. I knew immediately that this would be like the golem story, but I continued on, expecting something more than that, and I was not disappointed. I swallowed the entire thing in one afternoon and my brother will testify when I tell you that there were moments when I would just set it down and squeal in delight at Almond's genius. His themes of faith, servitude, and friendship are incredibly pervasive within the surreal plot and almost childish narration. There are points that I could easily parallel with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and even James Whale's 1935 film, Bride of Frankenstien-- you may say I'm wrong, but I definitely get an undeniable impression of homosexual subtext in many of Almond's books, and the scene in which the narrator and Stephen Rose create Clay together is reminiscent of the creation of life by two men in Whale's Bride of Frankenstein. I am sort of going a bit off track here with analysation and all, but I really can't help myself with a work like this that Almond has created. I would recommend it to many, though some ignorant Christians would probably take offense to much of it. It definitely takes an open and discretionary mind while reading, but don't let that stop you from taking a bite: David Almond has created something great with this book, and I would even go as far as to say that it's my favourite of his at this point.
July 20, 2019
من اصلا ارتباط برقرار نمیکنم با دیوید آلموند انگار، نه این کتاب رو درک میکردم نه وحشی رو.
معلوم نیست داستان ترسناکه یا چی و کلا چی میخواد بگه. یه بچهای میاد، موجود هراسناکی از گِل میسازن که میتونه آدما رو بکشه حتا و بعد بچههه غیب میشه و معلوم نیست چی شده و راوی هم برمیگرده سر زندگیش. خیلی حالت نبرد خیر و شر داشت و مسیحی بود که من درکش نمیکردم راستش.
معلوم نیست داستان ترسناکه یا چی و کلا چی میخواد بگه. یه بچهای میاد، موجود هراسناکی از گِل میسازن که میتونه آدما رو بکشه حتا و بعد بچههه غیب میشه و معلوم نیست چی شده و راوی هم برمیگرده سر زندگیش. خیلی حالت نبرد خیر و شر داشت و مسیحی بود که من درکش نمیکردم راستش.
May 2, 2021
اولین رمانی بود که از دیوید آلموند میخوندم و خیلی عجیب بود.. یه رمان نوجوانانه که توش مرز خیال و واقعیت معلوم نبود و هنوز هم گیجم دربارهاش.. قلم بسیار خوبی داره و سبک خاص خودش
February 22, 2018
Keista knyga. Prasideda lengvai nuo padykusių vaikinų patarnaujančių bažnyčioje, rūkančių tėvų cigaretes ir besipešančių su bendraamžiais, bet kuo toliau, tuo labiau gilyn į mišką. Vienas herojus sujaukia vaikino mintis ir visa likusi istorija plaukia lyg per sapną. Knygoje nemažai mistinių elementų, pamąstymų apie gėrį ir blogį, plėšymosi tarp sveiko proto ir beprotybės. Net nežinau, sunku kažkaip ją vertinti, tikriausiai reikia patiems perskaityti ir nuspręsti gera ji ar ne.
January 10, 2019
A YA book with some dark overtones. I liked the writing---easy to read-- but didn't like where the story went in the second half of the book --a bit haunting and foreboding and I was questioning just who the target audience was.
September 13, 2021
گِل واقعا جذاب بود.
شخصیتپردازیها بسیار قوی و داستان با فصلهای کوتاه خیلی خوب تونسته بود هیجان رو بین فصلها پخش کنه. داستان پر از نمادهای پنهان و نهان بود و دیالوگها به شدت مفهومی.
خیلی خیلی دوسش داشتم و فکر کنم کتابی نیست که با یکبار خوندن رهاش کنم
شخصیتپردازیها بسیار قوی و داستان با فصلهای کوتاه خیلی خوب تونسته بود هیجان رو بین فصلها پخش کنه. داستان پر از نمادهای پنهان و نهان بود و دیالوگها به شدت مفهومی.
خیلی خیلی دوسش داشتم و فکر کنم کتابی نیست که با یکبار خوندن رهاش کنم
June 9, 2021
با ذوق تجربهی «اسکلیگ» از همین نویسنده رفتم سراغ این کتاب... اما اثر خاصی روم نگذاشت. پشت کمی زلم زیمبو یه داستان اندکی غریب معمولی رو پنهان کرده بود.
December 1, 2021
Sono partito entusiasta, perchè mi ricordavo di Skellig.
Su questo ho avuto qualche perlessità: pur scritto bene non ho avuto quell'aggancio che mi aspettavo. Tant'è che adesso che vorrei scrivere qualcosa su quello che ho letto non mi viene da dire niente.
Forse solo due parole sui personaggi, che se dovessi dire mi ricordano un mondo bidimensionale, e non è un complimento.
Su questo ho avuto qualche perlessità: pur scritto bene non ho avuto quell'aggancio che mi aspettavo. Tant'è che adesso che vorrei scrivere qualcosa su quello che ho letto non mi viene da dire niente.
Forse solo due parole sui personaggi, che se dovessi dire mi ricordano un mondo bidimensionale, e non è un complimento.
October 3, 2014
Cal Nesvig
Book Review: Clay – By David Almond
David Almond’s book Clay, tells an unusual story about a quiet, young boy named Davie, who was forced to reach beyond his comfort zone. Davie and his best friend Geordie are forced to befriend a strange new kid in town named Stephen; as requested by Father O’Mahoney. The two boys are already mischeveous enough—drinking wine from the local church and getting into fights, but Stephen takes this a step further. The two boys discover that Stephen has a supernatural power and can bring sculptures to life. He uses these sculptures and this power for pure evil. Davie becomes obsessed with power, and uses it for his own personal benefit. Clearly, this shows how Davie transitions from being a quiet, young boy, into a wicked, evil person. Power and responsibility are two big traits that should not be bestowed on such young children. Personally, I thought Clay was an interesting story with a new concept I had not yet found in any book’s plotline. It was extremely suspenseful and kept my attention, eading the whole way through.
Davie transitions from a quiet boy to a ruthless killer, fueled by greed and responsibility that he should not possess. Stephen and his abnormal talent to control sculptures are catalysts for Davie’s transition. During the story, we find that Davie’s childhood was not going to well. Stephen was thought to be crazy, even by Davie and Gordie. “Stephen came back, wiping his knife blade on a handful of grass. We were trembling. We were speechless. We started back away.” (p.48) There is a certain subtlty about Davie that makes the reader think that he wants to leave it all behind at some point and have a normal life, but can’t seem to bring himself to this level. The reader will also find Davie extremely religious. “I trembled. I crossed myself. I clouded my eyes.” says Davie, “I prayed, Deliver us from evil, Look after us.” (p.51) He looks to God for help in times of need, but never seems to find what he is looking for. Perhaps this is because Davie doesn’t know what he needs or is looking for when summoning Divine assistance.
In conclusion, the book Clay was a fantastic story and a good read for people of all ages. It possessed appropriate word choices and grammar usage, as well as told a story with a concept not likely found in many books or movies today. In the book, Davie is rejected by many persons, and feeling this rejection wholeheartedly, he goes from being a speechless young boy to an evil criminal. This transition was well presented and quite believable to the reader. Gordie becomes scared and seems to deviate from the friendship with Davie as time progresses. The plotline was filled with suspense building excitement. The character development was outstanding as well organized. As a reader, you learn to care about Davie and Gordie and their safety while intently turning page after page to uncover a story like no other.
Book Review: Clay – By David Almond
David Almond’s book Clay, tells an unusual story about a quiet, young boy named Davie, who was forced to reach beyond his comfort zone. Davie and his best friend Geordie are forced to befriend a strange new kid in town named Stephen; as requested by Father O’Mahoney. The two boys are already mischeveous enough—drinking wine from the local church and getting into fights, but Stephen takes this a step further. The two boys discover that Stephen has a supernatural power and can bring sculptures to life. He uses these sculptures and this power for pure evil. Davie becomes obsessed with power, and uses it for his own personal benefit. Clearly, this shows how Davie transitions from being a quiet, young boy, into a wicked, evil person. Power and responsibility are two big traits that should not be bestowed on such young children. Personally, I thought Clay was an interesting story with a new concept I had not yet found in any book’s plotline. It was extremely suspenseful and kept my attention, eading the whole way through.
Davie transitions from a quiet boy to a ruthless killer, fueled by greed and responsibility that he should not possess. Stephen and his abnormal talent to control sculptures are catalysts for Davie’s transition. During the story, we find that Davie’s childhood was not going to well. Stephen was thought to be crazy, even by Davie and Gordie. “Stephen came back, wiping his knife blade on a handful of grass. We were trembling. We were speechless. We started back away.” (p.48) There is a certain subtlty about Davie that makes the reader think that he wants to leave it all behind at some point and have a normal life, but can’t seem to bring himself to this level. The reader will also find Davie extremely religious. “I trembled. I crossed myself. I clouded my eyes.” says Davie, “I prayed, Deliver us from evil, Look after us.” (p.51) He looks to God for help in times of need, but never seems to find what he is looking for. Perhaps this is because Davie doesn’t know what he needs or is looking for when summoning Divine assistance.
In conclusion, the book Clay was a fantastic story and a good read for people of all ages. It possessed appropriate word choices and grammar usage, as well as told a story with a concept not likely found in many books or movies today. In the book, Davie is rejected by many persons, and feeling this rejection wholeheartedly, he goes from being a speechless young boy to an evil criminal. This transition was well presented and quite believable to the reader. Gordie becomes scared and seems to deviate from the friendship with Davie as time progresses. The plotline was filled with suspense building excitement. The character development was outstanding as well organized. As a reader, you learn to care about Davie and Gordie and their safety while intently turning page after page to uncover a story like no other.
October 25, 2011
What to say about CLAY? I think Brent said it best: Frankenstein meets Demian, meets The Outsiders, with a twist of the old Golem story. David and his best friend Geordie have it pretty good...they steal scramental wine from the church and cigarettes from their dads. They run the neighborhood, looking out for Mouldy, the school bully. They lead a typical life, until Stephen Rose comes to town.
Stephen comes to live with his Crazy Aunt Mary; his father is dead, and his mother is hospitalized in a mental hospital. Stephen was recently kicked out of seminary school. He seems to need friends, and you couldn't ask for better friends than Geordie and Davie.
But things start getting strange, and Stephen comes between the friends as he entices Davie to join him, modeling clay into -- a person. Stephen seems to have the power of creating life from inanimate clay. While this horrifies Davie, it inspires Stephen to more and more daring feats.
Disturbing, thought-provoking. Original...In this slim book, we're challenged to re-examine our beliefs as Davir is challenged.
A spooky tale for the week before Hallowe'en...Good and evil exist together and we wonder who will be redeemed.
Stephen comes to live with his Crazy Aunt Mary; his father is dead, and his mother is hospitalized in a mental hospital. Stephen was recently kicked out of seminary school. He seems to need friends, and you couldn't ask for better friends than Geordie and Davie.
But things start getting strange, and Stephen comes between the friends as he entices Davie to join him, modeling clay into -- a person. Stephen seems to have the power of creating life from inanimate clay. While this horrifies Davie, it inspires Stephen to more and more daring feats.
Disturbing, thought-provoking. Original...In this slim book, we're challenged to re-examine our beliefs as Davir is challenged.
A spooky tale for the week before Hallowe'en...Good and evil exist together and we wonder who will be redeemed.
December 23, 2023
کتاب خیلی عجیبی بود.
جالبه که بنظرم بیمعنی میآد که یه پسر سیزده ساله بتونه این کارها رو انجام بده و اتفاقات کتاب رو باور نمیکنم ولی ذهنم درگیرشه.
آخرین جملهی کتاب رو هم خیلی دوست داشتم. شاید اصلا دلیل اینکه هنوز درگیرشم و مدتیه که دارم ریویو و نقد میخونم بخاطر جملاتی باشه که کتاب رو باهاشون تموم کرد.
جالبه که بنظرم بیمعنی میآد که یه پسر سیزده ساله بتونه این کارها رو انجام بده و اتفاقات کتاب رو باور نمیکنم ولی ذهنم درگیرشه.
آخرین جملهی کتاب رو هم خیلی دوست داشتم. شاید اصلا دلیل اینکه هنوز درگیرشم و مدتیه که دارم ریویو و نقد میخونم بخاطر جملاتی باشه که کتاب رو باهاشون تموم کرد.
July 14, 2018
Clay
*A Novel By David Almond*
It's my first David Almond novel and I won't hesitate to say I thoroughly enjoyed the dark and light tones of the story, a story blended into reality effortlessly. True to it's title the book revolves around a small town full of simpletons. Stephen Rose, a kid who can bring clay objects to life with an incredible talent engages with Davie and the latter's life shifts suddenly as he witnesses the strong forces of nature and impossible phenomenons that beak the laws of life and death. What really distinguished the book is it's simple but engaging storyline, it's quick to read nature and overall gradual shifting from lighter to darker tones. The primary characters in the story are Davie, Georgie, Stephen Rose, Father Priest, Crazy Marrie and clay creatures bright to life. Dialogues and conversations are filled with 'Nowts' and 'Aye's' and 'Live'. The character of Cray Mary is one of it's kind, though she doesn't appear much in the story. Also, Davie is our protagonist, a teenager who tries to cope up with his teenage life but gets dragged into more trouble. Georgie is a great supporting character who always guides Davie and tries to stand by his side. The real troublemaker is Mouldy, a bully and a thug, but he's sorted out later in the book. One of my favorite characters in the book is the Art teacher (Prat or something) who, in his classes, tells about some profound philosophical thoughts which relate to the story at some point or another. He's a adorable, patient and a compassionate person who really sets a lighter tone to the story. To tell the truth, I wouldn't classify this book as YA nor will I classify it as an adult book. Anybody with a liking for some Strange Thing's like interest should immediately pick this book up. There's some profanity here and there, a little bit of graphical violence it what you need t look out for is the evil thoughts and sins committed by Stephen Rose and his dark thoughts. I wouldn't call him an antagonist as he plays the role of an anti-hero. There are a whole lot of twists in the plot now and then. The location the story was set in is depicted in a very rich manner as the author has successfully attempted to blend the story into reality as much as possible. I'm almost sure that these countryside suburban locations are inspired from real life and they do have fancy names. THe story is fast-paced, has deep psychological insight, highlights religion and belief in God, witnesses supernatural and impossible to believe phenomenons and throughly engages the readers with its fast paced first person narration style. A dark book with immense potential. Nice Reading!
*A Novel By David Almond*
It's my first David Almond novel and I won't hesitate to say I thoroughly enjoyed the dark and light tones of the story, a story blended into reality effortlessly. True to it's title the book revolves around a small town full of simpletons. Stephen Rose, a kid who can bring clay objects to life with an incredible talent engages with Davie and the latter's life shifts suddenly as he witnesses the strong forces of nature and impossible phenomenons that beak the laws of life and death. What really distinguished the book is it's simple but engaging storyline, it's quick to read nature and overall gradual shifting from lighter to darker tones. The primary characters in the story are Davie, Georgie, Stephen Rose, Father Priest, Crazy Marrie and clay creatures bright to life. Dialogues and conversations are filled with 'Nowts' and 'Aye's' and 'Live'. The character of Cray Mary is one of it's kind, though she doesn't appear much in the story. Also, Davie is our protagonist, a teenager who tries to cope up with his teenage life but gets dragged into more trouble. Georgie is a great supporting character who always guides Davie and tries to stand by his side. The real troublemaker is Mouldy, a bully and a thug, but he's sorted out later in the book. One of my favorite characters in the book is the Art teacher (Prat or something) who, in his classes, tells about some profound philosophical thoughts which relate to the story at some point or another. He's a adorable, patient and a compassionate person who really sets a lighter tone to the story. To tell the truth, I wouldn't classify this book as YA nor will I classify it as an adult book. Anybody with a liking for some Strange Thing's like interest should immediately pick this book up. There's some profanity here and there, a little bit of graphical violence it what you need t look out for is the evil thoughts and sins committed by Stephen Rose and his dark thoughts. I wouldn't call him an antagonist as he plays the role of an anti-hero. There are a whole lot of twists in the plot now and then. The location the story was set in is depicted in a very rich manner as the author has successfully attempted to blend the story into reality as much as possible. I'm almost sure that these countryside suburban locations are inspired from real life and they do have fancy names. THe story is fast-paced, has deep psychological insight, highlights religion and belief in God, witnesses supernatural and impossible to believe phenomenons and throughly engages the readers with its fast paced first person narration style. A dark book with immense potential. Nice Reading!
May 23, 2018
Another unsettling and thought-provoking book by David Almond. Myself and my son are working our way through his books and although Kit's Wilderness is still my favourite, this one must come pretty close. Davie and Geordie are two young teens whose main problems involve the local bully 'Mouldy'. When a strange new boy called Stephen Rose moves in with his Aunt, a lady known around town as 'Crazy Mary', the two boys are urged to befriend him and help him get over his traumatic past. As altar boys, Geordie and Davie are looked upon as 'good boys'. Geordie is unnerved by Stephen, who takes an instant like to Davie, and there is soon a rift between the two old friends. Stephen has a way of making Davie do what he wants him to do, and has a unique way of solving the Mouldy problem. Stephen is able to bring clay to life with his hands, and Davie, though frightened of the new boy, is also entranced and under his spell, and joins him in making a monster of a man they call Clay. Like many of Almond's books, the novel covers so many universal themes, that you cannot help but relate to it. The characters are superb and just march right off the page and into your mind. This particular novel examines themes such as the meaning of life, death, God and religion in such a simple, childlike way, that you almost miss it. With echoes of Frankenstein, this is an eerie and unsettling read which I will think about for some time!
October 29, 2025
"Era muy hermoso; pensé en cómo había sido mientras caminaba junto a mí, cuando nos mirábamos en el reflejo de un escaparate en la noche y nos vimos parados juntos; había sido tan poderoso, tan lleno de vida."
☆ 4.5 / 5 ☆
AMO los libros de colección castillo, amo esta historia y amo amo a los gays
je AIME les livres du collecion castillo, j'aime cette histoire et j'aime les gays
☆ 4.5 / 5 ☆
AMO los libros de colección castillo, amo esta historia y amo amo a los gays
je AIME les livres du collecion castillo, j'aime cette histoire et j'aime les gays
April 12, 2019
The book was good but i just didnt understand a lot of what was going on but overall it was decent. I like how the author made the characters all do actions in the way they did.
August 19, 2021
Está bien raro y medio creepy, me gustó :3
April 20, 2022
Interesting, fascinating and curious book. I actually don't know how to describe it. I can only say one thing that I loved it. Just a quick read.
April 3, 2017
I read this book because it was required for class. However, I am still not quite sure what to think about it. Reading the book made me feel somewhat uncomfortable because of some of the content. I was confused for most of the novel, but by the end it reminded me of Frankenstein. I think that this book would be too mature for most young adults, because it is dark and has a lot of violence. There is some mockery of the Catholic religion, and that made me feel uncomfortable. I would not recommend this book to anyone close to me because I think there are much better things people could be reading.
I would not teach this in my classroom. However, if I had to I would connect it to Frankenstein somehow. I do not see how you could teach this book without making a reference to God, and how Stephen and Frankenstein are somewhat taking over the role of God by creating a living being.
Warnings:
Drugs: Smoking and drinking
Sex: Not explicitly, but there are some sensual scenes
R&R: Lying, Hypocrisy, Sacrilegious components, bringing inanimate objects to life
Violence: fighting and murder
Language: Yes.
I would not teach this in my classroom. However, if I had to I would connect it to Frankenstein somehow. I do not see how you could teach this book without making a reference to God, and how Stephen and Frankenstein are somewhat taking over the role of God by creating a living being.
Warnings:
Drugs: Smoking and drinking
Sex: Not explicitly, but there are some sensual scenes
R&R: Lying, Hypocrisy, Sacrilegious components, bringing inanimate objects to life
Violence: fighting and murder
Language: Yes.
January 10, 2022
I read this book in preparation to teach to a Y7 class (11-12 year olds). Whilst the writing was good and there was nothing glaringly wrong with the characters (in fact, Y7s would probably find the characters relatable and engaging), I think I became a little confused with the message of this book.
Essentially, I think Clay takes a lot of inspiration from Frankenstein. It's about the creation of a "human" through "unnatural" means, and the responsibility required once this creature has been created. The story mirrors Frankenstein's ideas of committing crimes against humanity (i.e. breaking natural laws, such as birth), nature vs nurture, evil vs good, you name it. Davie is caught in between these two worlds, with an unknown power he is capable of to bring life to inanimate objects, one he doesn't discover until meeting Stephen Rose.
As this is, it's a faithful representation of Frankenstein that is accessible to kids. But... there was just something that made me wonder whether the message is only that.
Davie begins in the "normal" world. He adheres loosely to Catholic ideals and morals, he has a love-interest in his year, and he although he isn't perfect, he is, ultimately, a very ordinary boy. Then, out of the blue, Stephen Rose makes friends with Davie. He makes Davie stray from the path of the ordinary, stepping into a world of "evil", "straying" from God and lies and deceit.
Again, OK. Fine. A simple representation, if not a little black and white.
Then, out of the blue, Stephen kisses Davie on the cheek. It's random, and the characters all make fun of Davie about it, and Davie doesn't deny it happened. This event also occurs when Stephen has witnessed Davie kiss Maria. He also says, "Don't bother with the lass," moments before, because he wants Davie to hang out with him instead and learn about his powers.
It felt... out of place. And it really put a damper on the story for me, because progressively Davie pulls away from his life - his family, friends, Maria, and eventually God - as he starts only hanging out with Stephen. It's difficult to explain, and I won't say Almond intended this at all, but it's almost as though, lumped in with the rest of "evil" is homosexuality. Why does Stephen behave romantically towards Davie right after Davie is romantic with Maria? It creates a weird contrast between those two relationships immediately, and tied in with everything else, it comes across as "being gay is on the evil side". I don't know if that's a message I would want to teach my Y7s. I don't even know if I'm just over-thinking it, or whether me being older means that I notice things such as this, whereas an 11 year old would not. I really don't know, but it's a small thing that happened in the book without explanation or reason, and it... stuck with me. I suppose I worry that, if a child is considering their sexuality, small things like this may not impact others, but may be overthought and mean something greater to them?
Then again, I'm not sure if anyone else thought this, too. I only really noticed this because it was so heavily contrasted with Davie's wonderful romantic evening with Maria. Nothing else in the story is developed from this, so it wasn't exactly relevant to the plot, other than Stephen perhaps trying to alienate Davie? Still, this isn't a great message. I really didn't understand that part, and it gave me a sour taste for the rest of the book.
Overall... I don't know. I've given it a two, but perhaps I'll make it a 3 if my Y7s love it. The "monster" is this book is a great character; he's endearing and a perfect representation of "don't judge a book by it's over". This book does a good job of contrasting the monstrous but kind monster with the human but evil Stephen, but I'm not sure all of the complex, morally grey concepts of Shelley's Frankenstein have been effectively translated into Clay. Whether you read this in class, or to your own children, or yourself, is up to your own discretion. I don't want someone to not read a book, as someone has worked hard to write this, so I would say to read it, only so you can develop your own opinion and perhaps maybe you will understand the messages of this book better than I did.
Essentially, I think Clay takes a lot of inspiration from Frankenstein. It's about the creation of a "human" through "unnatural" means, and the responsibility required once this creature has been created. The story mirrors Frankenstein's ideas of committing crimes against humanity (i.e. breaking natural laws, such as birth), nature vs nurture, evil vs good, you name it. Davie is caught in between these two worlds, with an unknown power he is capable of to bring life to inanimate objects, one he doesn't discover until meeting Stephen Rose.
As this is, it's a faithful representation of Frankenstein that is accessible to kids. But... there was just something that made me wonder whether the message is only that.
Davie begins in the "normal" world. He adheres loosely to Catholic ideals and morals, he has a love-interest in his year, and he although he isn't perfect, he is, ultimately, a very ordinary boy. Then, out of the blue, Stephen Rose makes friends with Davie. He makes Davie stray from the path of the ordinary, stepping into a world of "evil", "straying" from God and lies and deceit.
Again, OK. Fine. A simple representation, if not a little black and white.
Then, out of the blue, Stephen kisses Davie on the cheek. It's random, and the characters all make fun of Davie about it, and Davie doesn't deny it happened. This event also occurs when Stephen has witnessed Davie kiss Maria. He also says, "Don't bother with the lass," moments before, because he wants Davie to hang out with him instead and learn about his powers.
It felt... out of place. And it really put a damper on the story for me, because progressively Davie pulls away from his life - his family, friends, Maria, and eventually God - as he starts only hanging out with Stephen. It's difficult to explain, and I won't say Almond intended this at all, but it's almost as though, lumped in with the rest of "evil" is homosexuality. Why does Stephen behave romantically towards Davie right after Davie is romantic with Maria? It creates a weird contrast between those two relationships immediately, and tied in with everything else, it comes across as "being gay is on the evil side". I don't know if that's a message I would want to teach my Y7s. I don't even know if I'm just over-thinking it, or whether me being older means that I notice things such as this, whereas an 11 year old would not. I really don't know, but it's a small thing that happened in the book without explanation or reason, and it... stuck with me. I suppose I worry that, if a child is considering their sexuality, small things like this may not impact others, but may be overthought and mean something greater to them?
Then again, I'm not sure if anyone else thought this, too. I only really noticed this because it was so heavily contrasted with Davie's wonderful romantic evening with Maria. Nothing else in the story is developed from this, so it wasn't exactly relevant to the plot, other than Stephen perhaps trying to alienate Davie? Still, this isn't a great message. I really didn't understand that part, and it gave me a sour taste for the rest of the book.
Overall... I don't know. I've given it a two, but perhaps I'll make it a 3 if my Y7s love it. The "monster" is this book is a great character; he's endearing and a perfect representation of "don't judge a book by it's over". This book does a good job of contrasting the monstrous but kind monster with the human but evil Stephen, but I'm not sure all of the complex, morally grey concepts of Shelley's Frankenstein have been effectively translated into Clay. Whether you read this in class, or to your own children, or yourself, is up to your own discretion. I don't want someone to not read a book, as someone has worked hard to write this, so I would say to read it, only so you can develop your own opinion and perhaps maybe you will understand the messages of this book better than I did.
December 29, 2009
David Almond's 2006 novel, Clay, is, like many other books by this author, a tale of boyhood in northeastern England. It's the story of a young Catholic altar boy whose priest encourages him to befriend Stephen Rose, the strange new boy in town, who was thrown out of the seminary for mysterious reasons. As Davie, the story's protagonist, spends more and more time with the newcomer, he finds that the boy possesses strange and dangerous powers, powers that enable him to create life from ordinary clay, powers which he might intend to use for ill rather than for good.
There are definite supernatural elements in this book, but they are religious elements more than the stuff of ghost stories. As a Catholic myself, I found myself sympathizing greatly with Davie and the religious aspects of his life, and I thought the depiction of 1960s Catholicism was very well done and certainly not inaccurate or overwrought, as is sometimes the case when trying to make religion appealing to secular readers.
Stephen Rose is the creepiest of creepers, and I absolutely loved the way David Almond used his character to explore the dark side of early adolescence. I also really appreciated the way Almond used Stephen and Davie's clay creation as a kind of metaphor for the loss of innocence. Davie is coming into his own now - spending time with girls, spending less time with his best friend, Geordie, questioning his Catholic beliefs and trying to make them his own - and the clay man represents those things that are secret for an adolescent, the things they feel they cannot say out loud - not in the confessional, not in the street, not at the dinner table, not even alone in a bedroom.
David Almond's writing is gorgeous, and the mood in this book and in his more recent novel, Raven Summer, is very stark and introspective and so true to early adolescence and the thoughts inside the minds of 6th graders everywhere. As disturbing as this book was, I enjoyed every minute of it, and I'm about to go running to my library's shelves for more of his writing.
Also, in terms of read-alikes, I found myself comparing Clay to Justine Larbalestier's Liar, for the hints toward the supernatural, and for both books' ability to lead the reader to question the truth. I also compared it to Araby, a short story from James Joyce's Dubliners, which is another story of a young Catholic boy's struggle to maintain his faith in the face of worldly temptations.
There are definite supernatural elements in this book, but they are religious elements more than the stuff of ghost stories. As a Catholic myself, I found myself sympathizing greatly with Davie and the religious aspects of his life, and I thought the depiction of 1960s Catholicism was very well done and certainly not inaccurate or overwrought, as is sometimes the case when trying to make religion appealing to secular readers.
Stephen Rose is the creepiest of creepers, and I absolutely loved the way David Almond used his character to explore the dark side of early adolescence. I also really appreciated the way Almond used Stephen and Davie's clay creation as a kind of metaphor for the loss of innocence. Davie is coming into his own now - spending time with girls, spending less time with his best friend, Geordie, questioning his Catholic beliefs and trying to make them his own - and the clay man represents those things that are secret for an adolescent, the things they feel they cannot say out loud - not in the confessional, not in the street, not at the dinner table, not even alone in a bedroom.
David Almond's writing is gorgeous, and the mood in this book and in his more recent novel, Raven Summer, is very stark and introspective and so true to early adolescence and the thoughts inside the minds of 6th graders everywhere. As disturbing as this book was, I enjoyed every minute of it, and I'm about to go running to my library's shelves for more of his writing.
Also, in terms of read-alikes, I found myself comparing Clay to Justine Larbalestier's Liar, for the hints toward the supernatural, and for both books' ability to lead the reader to question the truth. I also compared it to Araby, a short story from James Joyce's Dubliners, which is another story of a young Catholic boy's struggle to maintain his faith in the face of worldly temptations.
May 4, 2013
I think that when I read this book again, I will likely give it four stars - maybe five. For now, I'm going to have to stick with ? because when I got to the end of this book, I felt almost like I was someone's gollum: bland, dry, and flat. SPOILER ALERT (kind of): I think it had a lot to do with the fact that halfway through the story, I thought I knew what was going to happen, then found out toward the end that I had been completely deceived. And what's worse, the guy who deceives you gets away. Perhaps that's part of the genius of the book. Honestly, I don't know how to rate this book, so I'm reserving judgment until I get a second read.
UPDATE: recently re-read this book and have to give it five stars for its genius. It still has me wondering a bit, but this time around I felt quite compelled by the story. I have not read much YA lit, but of all I have read, David Almond is the best, and this is the best of his I have read. In fact, I think my second read of this book (and my brother a little bit) has inspired me to pick up Frankenstein and finally read that.
UPDATE: recently re-read this book and have to give it five stars for its genius. It still has me wondering a bit, but this time around I felt quite compelled by the story. I have not read much YA lit, but of all I have read, David Almond is the best, and this is the best of his I have read. In fact, I think my second read of this book (and my brother a little bit) has inspired me to pick up Frankenstein and finally read that.
November 7, 2007
Thirteen year-old Davie is an altar boy in a small town in the north county of England. He worries about avoiding a bully nicknamed Mouldy with his best friend Georgie and is eager to get a date with the very attractive . His life is relatively normal until a new boy named Stephen Rose moves into Crazy Mary’s house. Together they will create a man from clay and the consequences are more severe than Davie could have ever bargained for. But what truly motivates Stephen and why has he become such an influence on Davie’s life?
Almond’s style is very engaging and the use of slang in the dialogue added to the story once I got used to it. I was hoping to see more of the golem/monster, but the suspenseful build to the story’s strange and touching climax was enjoyable. Really the story is about Davie and the choices he ultimately must make. Stephen and the monster add a creepy element making this coming of age story unique and original.
Almond’s style is very engaging and the use of slang in the dialogue added to the story once I got used to it. I was hoping to see more of the golem/monster, but the suspenseful build to the story’s strange and touching climax was enjoyable. Really the story is about Davie and the choices he ultimately must make. Stephen and the monster add a creepy element making this coming of age story unique and original.
March 18, 2017
This book was interesting to say the least. I read Clay because it was a required book for my class, but in a way I am glad I did. It was weird and uncomfortable but I found myself reflecting on the actions and conversations of characters in the book. I was intrigued by all of the different possibilities and I tried to come up with a solution for what happened between Davie and Stephen and their clay creation. I would hand this book to a high school student.
Clay would be a thought provoking book to teach. Students could pick out the different themes that they found and discuss as a class what this book is trying to say or teach. For example we could discuss whether or not humans or their creations are monsters. We could also discuss how some people abuse their relationships so that they can get gain either by a sick pleasure or some other form.
Warnings:
Drugs - Yes
Sex - No
R&R - Hypnotism, witchcraft, creating life
Language - Yes
Violence - Yes
Clay would be a thought provoking book to teach. Students could pick out the different themes that they found and discuss as a class what this book is trying to say or teach. For example we could discuss whether or not humans or their creations are monsters. We could also discuss how some people abuse their relationships so that they can get gain either by a sick pleasure or some other form.
Warnings:
Drugs - Yes
Sex - No
R&R - Hypnotism, witchcraft, creating life
Language - Yes
Violence - Yes
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