Manifold Manor

by Philip Gross, Chris Riddell (Illustrator)

A series of poems provide a tour of the ruins of an old estate haunted by ghosts and a joking bird

Paperback

First published September 1, 1989

Reviews

[Colin Cloutus · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is certainly written with much joy and energy, but exclamation marks and quirky turns of phrase don't equal Dickensian wit.
There are moments of interesting character portraiture, and the rather abstract nature of the final sequence of 'The Doors' and a couple of the bird poems are interesting, but the language was often bland and unprovoking. The endnote advises treating many of the poems as games or thought exercises — but I would deem this the standard process of poetry — telling the readers to do so without language bright yet obscure enough to encourage multiple readings looked like nothing more than an attempt to shave a sinking ship; though I appreciate the sentiment of training children to recognise and interpret poetry, but the extent to which this book would appeal to children is dubious.
The insistence on unorthodox structuring was irritating to read and while the illustrations were brilliant, they were at times out of place, and many of the poems they accompanied were lacklustre, staining their vibrant playfulness. The macabre sentiment was barely realised until the later poems, and many of the poems in the manor are on family members and the occasional object.

Disappointment.

[Carfig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ghost poetry? And some riddles by a Jackdaw, leading to my favorite poem, "What to Call a Jackdaw."
The best ones being, in my opinion, sneak thief, cheeky chappie, merry-andrew, and cock-o-the-castle. Love the Chris Riddell illustrations of the scraggle-wing bird.