Old Barn Books On The Wall Finding Happiness in the Strangest of Places.

by Anne Fine

On The Wall Finding Happiness in the Strangest of Places ABISBOOK Old Barn Books.

240 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2024

About the author

Though readers often find themselves inadvertently laughing aloud as they read Anne Fine's novels, as she herself admits, "a lot of my work, even for fairly young readers, raises serious social issues. Growing up is a long and confusing business. I try to show that the battle through the chaos is worthwhile and can, at times, be seen as very funny." In 1994, this unique combination of humour and realism inspired the hit movie MRS. DOUBTFIRE, based on Anne's novel MADAME DOUBTFIRE and starring the late comedic genius Robin Williams.

Anne is best known in her home country, England, as a writer principally for children, but over the years she has also written eight novels for adult readers. Seven of these she describes as black - or sour - comedies, and the first, THE KILLJOY, simply as "dead black". These novels have proved great favourites with reading groups, causing readers to squirm with mingled horror and delight as she peels away the layers in all too familiar family relationships, exposing the tangled threads and conflicts beneath. (It's perhaps not surprising that Anne has openly expressed astonishment at the fact that murder in the domestic setting is not even more common.)

Anne has written more than sixty books for children and young people. Amongst numerous other awards, she is twice winner of both the Carnegie Medal, Britain's most prestigious children's book award, and the Whitbread Award. Twice chosen as Children's Author of the Year in the British Book Awards, Anne Fine was also the first novelist to be honoured as Children's Laureate in the United Kingdom. In 2003, Anne became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE. Her work has been translated into forty five languages.

Anne Fine lives in the north of England and has two grown up daughters.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed Anne Fine's writing over many years. I've read them to kids as well as enjoyed them at my own level. I'd say that On The Wall was a departure from her usual style. It felt like a child's version of 'Leonard and Hungry Paul' by Rónán Hessian, which incidentally is a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone. On The Wall engaged me but why did I feel unconvinced? Possibly because I wasn't sure which kids would get into it. It's aimed at 10 to 11 year olds as the story is about a group of Year 7s in their first year at secondary school. It's also about their teachers. The main focus is on Finley who appears not to worry about anything in life . He rolls with the waves and exudes calm. The teachers are puzzled by his ability to spread the calm. It's an easy read particularly as the book is a series of tiny chapters which helps with reading I think. But a younger reader might find the philosophical nature of the narrative a bit of a puzzle as the concepts are deceptively sophisticated. Equally older readers would probably find its presentation and simplicity a bit young for them. It feels as if it's happening in a parallel world. For example when the teachers are in the staff room there are very few of them. It's certainly not the world of 21st century academies. And yet there's a quite a focus on tests and exams and one kid who gets mainly Bs in his results is regarded as adequate. I got to the end of the book feeling as if it was less a story and more an 'issue' book. I have no problem with the central message which I interpreted as being more tolerant, valuing calm and quiet, finding the hero, or heroine, inside yourselves I just wasn't sure which readers would engage with it. I also found the amount of US vocabulary irritating. Chequers instead of drafts, stroller instead of pushchair, home room instead of form room. Presumably it's to save money so that a US edition doesn't need to be printed. Apologies to US readers but publishers do seem of the view that US readers are unable to comprehend UK terms which is a bit weird as I'm sure they can as we can follow US terms.

[Donna McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book and read it in an afternoon. It’s slow and gentle but moves at a pace. Like its main character, Finley, it is a little wonder of calm, happiness and Zen, a story about being centred and happy with who you are. There are no tricks and shocks to this story, only the perplexed reactions of a teacher who might be slightly jaded. at the end I wondered in slight horror if he might be leaving teaching - I hope not because all schools need people like Mr Goodhew.

The parallel stories of a child who is anxious and another who seems to possess steady unflinching self assurance are gently intertwined as they move from term to term through a whole school year. I was slightly baffled by the use of ‘home room’ in what seemed to be a British secondary school and as someone who works in a school it does irritate me when little details like that are not quite right. Also some slightly irksome stereotypes (North Asian sounding kid who is great at Maths, a south Asian kid who’s parents want her to be a pharmacist) but maybe this was intended to be inclusive rather than stereotyping.

Good for fans of ‘the Final Year’.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glorious exploration of a quiet zen like child who has an influence on those around him - a really great and calming read.

[Georgia Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a lovely book that focuses on starting schools and moving up into the world alone or with friends.