The Lampfish of Twill by Janet Taylor Lisle

by Janet Taylor Lisle

From Publishers WeeklyMarked by the same surreal quality found in Lisle's Afternoon of the Elves , this enchanting tale is set in an imaginary coastal town repeatedly deluged by terrible storms. The hero, Eric, is a boy who seeks a lampfish--a rare, elusive creature whose bones provide fishhooks for residents of the village. During the course of the book, an ancient, half-crazed seaman named Cantrip teaches Eric to view both the lampfish and the world in a new light by leading the boy on an incredible journey to a land beneath the ocean where time and motion are nonexistent. As in the author's previous works, the theme that truth lies in the eye of the beholder is poetically conveyed throughout. Halperin's atmospheric, multi-paneled illustrations amplify the novel's eerie tone and match the eloquence of the text. Readers who fancy such classics as A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will treasure this story as it tickles the imagination and challenges preconceived notions about reality and illusion. Ages 10-up.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.From School Library JournalGrade 4-8-- Along the coastline of Twill, life is precarious. Murderous currents, deadly whirlpools, and violent storms so endanger the lives of its fisher folk that the standard greeting is "Congratulations"--for having survived another day. "Weeps" or wakes for drowned friends are common. Celebrations, like those after the netting of a giant lampfish, whose bones make fishhooks and whose meat feeds an entire village, are few and riotous. The story focuses on two inhabitants of this imagined but recognizable landscape. Orphaned Eric lives with his unsentimental Aunt Opal, lavishing love meant for his drowned parents on Gully, a sea gull he rescued from the waves and raised from infancy. Eric's obsessive attempts to net a lampfish single-handed are thwarted by the mysterious, half-mad Ezekiel Cantrip, the only known survivor of a descent into a whirlpool. Zeke draws Eric into another world, one made actual in the context of the fantasy. Eric is forever changed by his encounter with an ambiguous, charismatic man who may be a "wily trickster" or a "wise traveler and friend." Lisle tackles issues similar to those Natalie Babbitt chooses in Tuck Everlasting (Farrar, 1985), issues of freedom and control, as characters confront the dark forces of nature and death. The sensitive black-and-white pictures, reminiscent of Victorian illustration, beautifully complement a thoughtful exploration of the cycle of life.- Margaret A. Chang, Buxton School, Williamstown, MACopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Childrens

Library Binding

First published September 1, 1991

About the author

Janet Taylor Lisle was born in Englewood, New Jersey, and grew up in Farmington, Connecticut, spending summers on the Rhode Island coast.The eldest child and only daughter of an advertising executive and an architect, she attended local schools and at fifteen entered The Ethel Walker School, a girl’s boarding school in Simsbury, Connecticut.

After graduation from Smith College, she joined VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). She lived and worked for the next several years in Atlanta, Georgia, organizing food-buying cooperatives in the city’s public housing projects, and teaching in an early-childcare center. She later enrolled in journalism courses at Georgia State University. This was the beginning of a reporting career that extended over the next ten years.

With the birth of her daughter, Lisle turned from journalism to writing projects she could accomplish at home. In 1984, The Dancing Cats of Appesap, her first novel for children, was published by Bradbury Press (Macmillan.) Subsequently, she has published sixteen other novels. Her fourth novel, Afternoon of the Elves (Orchard Books) won a 1990 Newbery Honor award and was adapted as a play by the Seattle Children’s Theater in 1993. It continues to be performed throughout the U.S. Theater productions of the story have also been mounted in Australia and The Netherlands.

Lisle’s novels for children have received Italy’s Premio Andersen Award, Holland’s Zilveren Griffel, and Notable and Best Book distinction from the American Library Association, among other honors. She lives with her husband, Richard Lisle, on the Rhode Island coast, the scene for Black Duck(2006), The Crying Rocks (2003) and The Art of Keeping Cool, which won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction in 2001.

Reviews

[Tayler Morrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually unknowingly read another one of Lisle’s books before: The Afternoon of the Elves, and to be honest, liked that one better. This book follows young Eric, an orphan being raised by his aunt in the perilous fishing community of Twill. Twill is settled on harsh cliffs near rough waters. Fishing is all they know, and it is a dangerous game on their shores–they are used to lives being lost constantly. However, the lampfish brings them hope. These legendary fish are huge and provide a ton of meat as well as bones and oil for deeply needed supplies. However, they are rare and extremely tricky to hunt and catch. After meeting weird, mystical old Mr. Cantrip, he begins to change his mind on fishing lampfish after he learns the truth about them.

I am unsure on how I feel about this book. I think the writing could’ve been better. The ending was a bit anti-climatic, as was the climax itself. It just kind of fizzled out with no real resolution. It was also confusing at times. But, I did like the culture that Lisle created for the village of Twill. It would definitely be an interesting read for a junior high class to do together!

[JoAnne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda boring to be honest. Nothing was offensive though, just hard to get through as it's mostly uninteresting. It does have some nice drawings and almost tells an interesting myth with going to another world where shipwrecked sailors have gone. Plus maybe the lesson of a slow and safe life vs. the dangerous yet rewarding one.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those childhood books that has stayed with me for almost 30 years. I can't say I remember loving it but it was slow and strange which is my favorite type of story and I never forgot it. Rereading it it is still slow and strange and I'm glad I got to experience Twill, the lampfish and especially Sir Gullstone the seagull again.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magical, but ultimately unsatisfying, as only one life was improved.

[Wendi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mysterious and melancholy, it meanders around and never really seems to mean anything.

[Matthew Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in high school in '92 - '93 and have never forgotten it.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The boy lives on a remote island where half of the year is full of bad weather. The people of the island spend their time fishing during the better seasons of the year to be able to have food year round. There are mystery lampfish that everyone tries to catch. There is a whirlpool off the coast that is dangerous.
The boy meets a man who has traveled through the whirlpool and back again. The story tells about how the man friends the boy and eventually takes him on a trip into the whirlpool to visit another mystery land.

It is not realistic fiction. The characters travel similarly to how they travel in, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe."

[Amy Mair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous, old-school middle grade magical realism along the lines of The Fledgling and Tuck Everlasting. Totally unexpected and sweetly haunting. Would have been one of my faves as a kid for sure. I think I'll read it to my kids.

[Signature · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book multiple times as a youngster. Though the story haunted my mind I could never remember the title. I am comfortably in my mid thirties now and a stranger has placed the title in my lap. I read it once again. What special experiences to have, 30 years apart.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a juvenile, and it leaves several questions unanswered, but still pretty good.