The Cuckoo Tree

The Wolves Chronicles #6

by Joan Aiken

When Dido Twite sets foot back on English soil, more mischief awaits. As her friend Captain Hughes recovers from a carriage accident, Dido stays at the Dogkennel Cottages and meets the odd inhabitants of Tegleaze Manor: strange old Lady Tegleaze, her nephew, Tobit, and his wizened, witchy nurse, Sannie. Soon suspicious things happen. A priceless miniature is stolen. Tobit is framed and then kidnapped. A twin sister is found. And when Dido catches a glimpse of her rascally father in Petworth, she is sure she’s in the midst of another Hanoverian plot. Can she get to London to warn the king and save St. Paul's Cathedral from sliding into the Thames?

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Alternate History, Historical

297 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Joan Aiken was a much loved English writer who received the MBE for services to Children's Literature. She was known as a writer of wild fantasy, Gothic novels and short stories.

She was born in Rye, East Sussex, into a family of writers, including her father, Conrad Aiken (who won a Pulitzer Prize for his poetry), and her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge. She worked for the United Nations Information Office during the second world war, and then as an editor and freelance on Argosy magazine before she started writing full time, mainly children's books and thrillers. For her books she received the Guardian Award (1969) and the Edgar Allan Poe Award (1972).

Her most popular series, the "Wolves Chronicles" which began with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, was set in an elaborate alternate period of history in a Britain in which James II was never deposed in the Glorious Revolution,and so supporters of the House of Hanover continually plot to overthrow the Stuart Kings. These books also feature cockney urchin heroine Dido Twite and her adventures and travels all over the world.

Another series of children's books about Arabel and her raven Mortimer are illustrated by Quentin Blake, and have been shown on the BBC as Jackanory and drama series. Others including the much loved Necklace of Raindrops and award winning Kingdom Under the Sea are illustrated by Jan Pieńkowski.

Her many novels for adults include several that continue or complement novels by Jane Austen. These include Mansfield Revisited and Jane Fairfax.

Aiken was a lifelong fan of ghost stories. She set her adult supernatural novel The Haunting of Lamb House at Lamb House in Rye (now a National Trust property). This ghost story recounts in fictional form an alleged haunting experienced by two former residents of the house, Henry James and E. F. Benson, both of whom also wrote ghost stories. Aiken's father, Conrad Aiken, also authored a small number of notable ghost stories.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dido Twite returns to England in this fifth entry in Joan Aiken's Wolves Chronicles, a series of wonderful alternative-timeline fantasies. Determined to get to London to deliver some dispatches vital to the Admiralty, Dido instead finds herself stranded on the London Road north of Chichester with an injured companion. Here she must confront a variety of local mysteries and plots which, not surprisingly, are all part of a larger Hanoverian scheme.

With a sinister and racing-obsessed lady, a Caribbean witch, a local witch, a pair of twins separated at birth, a plot to extort money from a noble family, an assassination attempt involving rolling a cathedral off its foundations, and a group of patriotic rum-runners; Dido has more than enough to contend with in this hilarious melodrama. Aiken is in top form in this rollicking non-stop adventure, peopled with her usual cast of quirky characters, and full of those improbable and highly satisfying plot developments for which she is justly famous.

Sadly, this was the last title in Aiken's Wolves Chronicles that was illustrated, in this case by Susan Obrant.



Addendum: Because the reading order of this series is somewhat complicated, I have included this handy guide, which is organized by publication date, and which I recommend to prospective readers of the series, rather than the one offered here on Goodreads:

Reading Order for the Series:

1) The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

2) Black Hearts in Battersea

3) Nightbirds on Nantucket

4) The Whispering Mountain

5) The Cuckoo Tree

6) The Stolen Lake

7) Dido and Pa

8) Is Underground

9) Cold Shoulder Road

10) Dangerous Games

11) Midwinter Nightingale

12) The Witch of Clatteringshaws

A few notes:

-- Is Underground is the American name for the British original, Is . Similarly, Dangerous Games was originally published in Britain as Limbo Lodge .

-- The Wolves of Willoughby Chase features two characters that recur, but the two young heroines do not.

-- The Stolen Lake is the point at which the chronology becomes somewhat complicated, as it is the sixth book, but chronicles events that occur in between Night Birds on Nantucket (#3) and The Cuckoo Tree (#5).

-- Is Underground (or Is ) and Cold Shoulder Road both feature Is Twite, cousin to the main heroine, Dido. They occur alongside the other books, and their position in the series is not chronologically relevant.

-- Dangerous Games ( Limbo Lodge ) is another title that backtracks in the chronology...

--Although not technically part of the series, Aiken's Midnight Is a Place does occur in the same alternative timeline, and is set in Blastburn, the same imaginary city that features in the other books.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay read I guess but not as riveting as some--I had to start it twice, and I put this book down for several weeks and read other things, which is never a good indication in my case. Owen's father, captain of the Thrush that took Dido home from New Bedford to London turns up again, this time wounded and ill. Reminiscent of the scene where Dido and Pen nurse Capt. Casket back to health, isn't it? But this time there's a mansion, two mysterious kids, a couple of witches and a whole handful of Hanoverians in the mix, not to mention "Gentlemen of the Road."

It could have been a cracking good read, and was for awhile, but the whole thing about the plot against the Coronation just got sillier and sillier. I found myself skimming the last 20 pages or so just to finish it. The ending was simply chopped off short.

I've heard that the rest of the Wolves Chronicles aren't quite as good as the first few. I gave up on The Stolen Lake and I see I'm not the only one. Shall I move on to Dido and Pa, or quit while I'm ahead? Answers on a postcard.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our young heroine, Dido Twite, has finally returned to England after years away in "furrin parts overseas" but instead of a calm steady progress from the south coast to London, her place of birth, we find her hurtling in a death-defying dash -- in the dark -- on a mission of the greatest urgency. When the carriage-and-pair she and her fellow passenger, Captain Owen Hughes, are travelling in is stranded in the middle of nowhere after an accident, she is precipitated into an adventure involving conspiracies, inheritances, smuggling, witchery and, of course, danger.

Naturally this is almost everything that one expects to find in one of Joan Aiken's Wolves Chronicles, but we also hope we'll encounter friendship, loyalty, bravery, honesty and resourcefulness, especially when we know that Dido is involved. She'll need all those virtues in this further instalment of the alternate history series in which the Hanoverian monarchs are the pretenders to the British throne rather than the Stuarts.

In addition, for Aiken fans there's the draw of knowing that much of this story is set in a corner of the world Joan knew very well -- part of the South Downs now in West Sussex, on the road running northeast from Chichester towards the historic town of Petworth. Not only can we feel the genuine sense of place that comes with a novel set in real locations but also the emotional connections the author may have had for here -- albeit with frequent dark shadows obscuring our view.

There are rather a lot of those dark shadows. What reason could anyone have for stopping urgent dispatches getting to London before the new king's coronation? Why do the Gentlemen whom Dido meets after the accident conceal their identities? Who are the sinister old biddies associated with the mysterious Tegleaze Manor? Who exactly are the two strange youngsters connected with this patch of Sussex countryside? Why are Miles Mystery's mannikins causing unease in Petworth, and why does Dido find the tunes played by a hidden oboist oddly familiar? And how is an elephant instrumental in helping thwart a dastardly plan to slide St Paul's Cathedral and its congregation into the Thames?

To say much more would be to reveal too much of the ins and outs of this involving fantasy. The story has a forward momentum which is scarcely held up by the usual cast of several dozen characters with which Aiken peoples the chronicles. Lovers of literature will appreciate turns of phrase such as this, plucked at random, of a teenager's "sad smile, like a wind-ripple over a field of long grass"; while those with a penchant for detail and references will also enjoy cryptic allusions to Russell Thorndyke's Dr Syn novels, the image of the coat of arms of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers and the coincidence of title and publication date of Charles Dickens' first novel, among many other examples.

At the heart of The Cuckoo Tree, as with many of Joan Aiken's novels, lies love. Dido Twite has been aching to get back home after voyaging around the world for a number of years on wild goose chases, her principal concern being to reconnect with people who showed her care and affection. Will it be her father, or someone else in her depleted family? Or will it be the young man who nursed her through an illness and who kindly gave her rides on his donkey?

All of a sudden she felt lonely -- almost choked with loneliness. Tobit's got Cris, she thought, and Cap'n Hughes has his boy Owen, but who've I got? Such thoughts were not sensible, she knew . . . But all the hospitality in the world is not the same has having someone of your own.

Does she get someone of her own, or will she forever be the cuckoo in the nest? Perusal of The Cuckoo Tree will point the way.

[Josephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being labeled "Wolves, #6" this was the fourth Aiken wrote; I think that discrepancy threw me when I came back to these books after having devoured them as a child. Not surprisingly, her writing style changed over the years, and it shows in these later Wolves books. (Or why there's still a debate about the order in which one should read C.S. Lewis's Narnia books: publication order or internal-chronology order.)

I don't like these later books quite as well as I do/did the first three, though I don't know if that's because I came to them as an adult (out of the intended audience age range) or because of the changes in authorial style.

The first three were fairly realistic. Well, realistic allowing for the fact that they're set in an alternate history, wherein the throne of Great Britain is occupied by, not the Hanoverians but the Jacobites; George is the pretender and James the King. The later Wolves books seem a bit more woo-woo than the earlier ones--more supernatural events and sub-plots.

Also, the first two sequels picked up with a secondary character from the previous book, Simon for Black Hearts of Battersea and Dido for Nightbirds on Nantucket. I'll admit that Dido was my favorite character: smart-alecky, smart and street-smart, tough as nails but ultimately honorable. Yet...I can't help wondering about some of the secondary characters in the later books: Dutiful Penitence, Chris and Tobit, your choice.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seemed to be kind of a rehash of earlier books in the series (Battersea, Nightbirds). It was ok, but nothing special. I would rate it higher if those other books didn't exist. The start of the book was largely realistic, so I nearly forgot how outlandish these books can get. I think I liked the second half more.

I didn't feel that the somewhat abstract pen-and-ink Susan Obrant illustrations served the book well. I believe the British edition was illustrated by Pat Marriott and the cover, at least, looks really good.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun read in this children's series. These books are very well-paced and once started it is difficult to put them down.

[Pamela Bronson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed rereading this book, which I had forgotten pretty thoroughly (oh the joys of a poor memory!). It tells of the further adventures of young Dido Twitter, newly returned to England but prevented by responsibilities from going in search of her dear friend Simon, to whom she writes, three times in one letter, "I doo hop yore stil alive." He was probably the first person who was ever kind to her.

As with all the Wolves Chronicles, we meet a number of lovely characters, some quite odd (my favorites are the blind shepherd Mr Firkin, his dog Toby, and of course the Wineberry Boys), and a number of havey-cavey scoundrels, most of them Hanoverians. The two main differences from real history in the alternative history of these books is that ravening wolves infest England, centuries after they were actually extirpated, and that a good Stuart king is still on the throne but evil Hanoverian rebels plot to kill him and install Bonnie Prince Georgie in his stead. This installment of the series lacks four-footed wolves but has plenty of the human variety.

We also meet two quite odd children about Dido's age. Dido finds herself needing to rescue them as well as the wounded naval captain she was traveling with when he sustained a further injury. And she must get an urgent dispatch to the Admiralty before the new king Dick Four's coronation!

The Cuckoo Tree of the title refers to a particular yew tree which serves as a meeting place. Dido sees it metaphorically. She's made a lot of friends in Sussex, as she did in Nantucket, but now once more she must leave them. Dido has always been a lonely child, unloved by her parents and sister. "I wonder if a cuckoo ever really did build a nest in it?" she wonders, but then remembers, "Cuckoos don't HAVE nests. All they have is other bird's nests."

In the last paragraph we learn (though she does not yet) that her dearest wish will soon come true.

I was feeling bogged down by all the evil people and complicated problems in the middle of the book, but then I remembered, "It has a comedy structure. It's supposed to be at the lowest point in the middle."

Two of the evil people are witches, the first real supernatural elements to appear in the series. I'm glad their schemes were thwarted, but I feel a bit sorry for them.

A miniature painting of the Tower of Babel by Pieter Breughel is an important MacGuffin in the plot. I mentioned this to my best friend from school, who introduced me to Joan Aiken when we were in our early teens. She later became an art historian and has written a book on Pieter Breughel and one on his son Jan. She has just informed me that Breughel did indeed paint such a miniature (with a collaborator) but that it is lost. She was surprised that Joan Aiken knew about it!

The Cuckoo Tree was written fourth of the Wolves Chronicles (not counting the unconnected companion novel, The Whispering Mountain) and I think it's best to read it fourth, right after Nightbirds on Nantucket. Or maybe you'd like to wait a few weeks or months to allow time for Dido to sail back to England. I like it much better than the later interpolated books The Stolen Lake and Dangerous Games (aka Limbo Lodge) which I plan to skip on any future rereading.

[Daniela Kraml · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the best wolves books, as it's scary but not so bloody as some of the later books. Also it's sad, but equally hopefully, and it has the right amount of drama and wonder. I just love it!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to BE Dido Twite. What a she-ro she is. Everything Indiana Jones faced - rats, spiders, snakes, spies, treachery, magic - Dido does it better.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this at a thrift store and I'm a sucker for Edward Gorey so thought I would give it a whirl considering he did the cover illustration. It's part of a larger series, but this is the first installment I've read. Dido Twite is a recurring character, she's feisty, practical, unflappable, slightly sarcastic, all salt and little sweet but don't be deceived - she's a hardworker and loyal through and through. With a main character this likable, that's a good start. This should have been a fast-paced fantastical, magical ride: Dido's nursing her sick captain (their voyage is one of the previous installments in the series) and finds herself back on English soil with an urgent message to dispatch to London before the upcoming Coronation. The carriage is upturned, likely not by accident, on a deserted patch of road. The captain is further injured and the driver was drunk and useless to begin with. Dido unlatches a startled horse, calms him, and makes her way to the nearest town to drum up some help. She discovers a mansion, a lonely and immature boy about to come of age and his inheritance, his gambling-addict grandmother who always seems to bet on the wrong horse, a genteel butler, a Caribbean witch, a local witch, a long-lost twin sister posing as a tomboy, a plot to upend the Coronation and send St Paul's into the Thames on rollers, an estranged cousin named Mystery obsessed with puppets, beans that cause hallucinations and prey on fears, a band of merry gentleman who smuggle all manner of goods on their barge, a blind farmer, and of course the Cuckoo Tree where all these strange characters meet and the plots thicken or untangle depending on the day.
But instead it was... confusing, slow, too many half-formed characters fluttering in and out of scenes and pages. Every time you think you have grasped what's going on, Aiken throws in another two or three characters and subplots to muddy the waters. My primary complaint is that the overly exaggerated accents in the dialogue made it feel like I needed a translator at times, which definitely put a dent in the pacing of the action. Reviews indicate that Aiken's first couple books in the series are stronger. I may check them out at some point, but given the lackluster showing with this book I'm not in any rush.

[Priscilla King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dido Twite returns from her world tour in time to enjoy surely the loveliest autumn weather Sussex has ever had, but she's on a mission--she and Captain Hughes, who is very ill, have to deliver a dispatch warning of the activities of the Hanoverian opposition party, who are planning another coup. This time they've undermined St. Paul's Cathedral and plan to destroy it at the coronation ceremony.

When the coach in which they're riding breaks down, Dido and the Captain have to spend a few days in a quaint village, whose main landmark is the Cuckoo Tree, where they meet some very nice smugglers and a very dysfunctional family. The family at Tegleaze Manor used to be rich but are barely surviving under the mismanagement of a creepy nursemaid who dispenses hallucinogenic "Joobie nuts." They refer the Captain to the care of a creepy nurse who mis-medicates him so that he's not fit to travel. Dido discovers that the two nasty old women are part of the Hanoverian Party, along with her father, from whom she's able to get some clues to the current plot.

Like the whole series this is pure nonsense, with an alternative history and apparently alternative physics and biology as well. It works for entertainment because it's fun--a sort of parody of Victorian Melodrama, with period-appropriate equivalents for contemporary concerns (drugs and Commies). I was charmed by the landscapes, intrigued by the dialects, amused by the plot, enough that I wanted to read the rest of the series.

[Vee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was actually the first one I read from this series, back when I was about 9 years old. I absolutely loved it and I loved its sequel, Dido and Pa. This books is what sparked my interest in the whole series and I'm so happy to get the chance to read it now in the correct order! I wanted to know if, after reading about all of Dido's other adventures, whether my opinion on this novel would be different or not ... so here is my review: 

Once again, we are in for a wacky adventure. Every time Dido had a remark or thought about something, I couldn't help but laugh - she is just that funny and sarcastic of a character. There's quite a bit of witchy magic going on in this novel, which was super fun to read about. This novel was a bit darker than Dido's time on Nantucket, but I really liked that because it gave it a bit more depth. Of course, depth doesn't mean that this novel was more serious; if anything, the story was even wackier than any before it! We have the presence of an elephant again, which was something that I just didn't understand, and didn't like as much, but overall, this story was just as fun to read as every other one in the series. After rereading this book, I think it is still one of my favorite novels in this series! Now, time for the next one!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having loved the first three books in this series when I was a child many decades ago, I finally read this 4th book for the first time. It’s actually the 4th in publication order, but Aiken later wrote two other books that chronologically fit between the 3rd book (“Nightbirds in Nantucket”) and this one. Before reading this one, I read those other two – “The Stolen Lake” and “Dangerous Games” – and the first thing that struck me in this one was the storytelling had much more of the delightful spark of the first three in the series than did “The Stolen Lake” and “Dangerous Games.”

It’s yet another lively adventure with a memorable array of menacing villains, good-hearted folks, and powerful people who are completely idiotic in their rigid social notions. There is a dangerous plot against the new king about to celebrate his coronation from the dastardly Hanoverians, which the irrepressible Dido Twite and her new friends must try to thwart. Best of all, Dido is in prime form with her fierce loyalties, exasperation in the face of thick-headed adults, and her entertainingly idiosyncratic colloquialisms. Indeed, one of Aiken’s real strengths as a storyteller is building characters through dialog, each with a distinctive voice.

And the conclusion is wonderfully satisfying.

[Elena Santangelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, as I did 2 earlier ones in this series. It's a great adventure book with lots of imagination (witches, fantastic plots, an elephant walking around England, and maybe a ghost). Are some of the situations so outlandish that you know they can't happen? Yes, but they're fun, so you don't care. The characters are all unique--even the animal characters have personalities.

I've liked Dido Twite from the first--filled with common sense and an interesting way of speaking. And she has a way of finding allies from every walk of life and they all contribute toward the solution. She doesn't try to be a superhero on her own, which is refreshing.

This book ties up some of the loose ends from earlier books, so I'd recommend reading at least Black Hearts at Battersea first. But the Aiken novels I've read stood fairly well on their own, so not absolutely necessary.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strangely enough, my least favourite reread of the series so far, despite all the things I should have loved - creepy witchcraft and a spidery old woman, maybe the funnest Hanoverian plot, the most loveable smugglers, surprise! animals and Aswell. I think it just felt a bit convoluted, and the pacing didn’t feel quite right. But then the last few pages are some of the loveliest Aiken has written - mostly Simon and Dido, but also: “and we'll look after poor old women, so they don't get a grudge against everybody and take to witchcraft” which is probably too generous of a line to give to that character, but got me all the same.

[Bells Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nostalgia read - I did read this when young though when I started it I didn’t remember it. Dido Twite saves the day again. The British isle faces a conspiracy to kill the prince on his coronation day and Dido must get word out to prevent it from happening. She has quite the adventure and does meet up w/the father of Owen Hughes (from “The Whispering Mountain) and eventually Owen - something I didn’t understand would happen after reading “The Whispering Mountain”. She also manages to bring another brother and sister pair back together and eventually meet up with Simon again.

[Roz DeKett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joan Aiken: what a writer. I'd read some of her books as a (youngish) teenager and when I was jammed on a trained recently, reading pages of a book over somebody's shoulder, I thought - Aiken. A quick google of the character's names as revealed in those over-the-shoulder pages told me it was The Cuckoo Tree. I bought it. Fantastic novel, wry humour, tough girl protagonist, magic and drama--what more could you want?

[Megan Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book. It was confusing to me, and I didn't understand what was going on. Once I gave up, I discovered it's an "alternate history" book, exploring a world where the Stuart Kings were not ousted by William of Orange.
So, yeah. I don't know the history of the English Kings enough to understand how that would change life as it is for the English. Also, this book is just weird and wonky and not my vibe.
Sorry, Cuckoo Tree.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taking her injured Captain Hughes back to London, Dido Twite falls in with smugglers who help her save King Richard IV from a Hanoverian plot to roll St. Paul's Cathedral into the Thames during his coronation, and foils another plot to swindle Tobin and Cris Tegleaze out of their heritage.
I would not have read this as a child -- there's so much dialect -- but I really enjoyed it as an adult. Very typical plot-heavy Aiken -- of course there's kidnapping, but also witches.

[Littlerhymes]

Dido and Captain Hughes are finally back in England but almost immediately their journey to London is beset by misadventure. Their carriage overturns and Dido seeks help at a forbidding manor. Solid entry in the series has all the things I now expect: absurdist treasonous conspiracies, hidden twins, medicinal alcohol, animals eating human food, and so on. ALSO includes a Bruegel painting of the Tower of Babel! And a merry band of smugglers!

[Juan Sanmiguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dido has made it to England but an accident happens to Captain Hughes on the trip to London. The find refuge near Teagleaze Manor. Strange things are happening. Dido and her new friends uncover a plot to kill the incoming king during his coronation. Can they stop this plot? Dido is making plans, protecting her friends, and stopping plots.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine installment with all of the Aiken trademarks. The first time I've read it, so maybe I enjoyed it less than if it had been revisiting something from childhood. The language continues to delight.

[Nick Montes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a pity that this giant of a storyteller has passed. I'm not big on fairy tales and children's stories but this was both entertaining and a marvel. It is a cobwebbed reflection of the world children live in and their view of the adults who plan their fate. I genuinely enjoyed this read.

[Kristy Christensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my type of book with witches and spells, etc. but it did have a plot and an ending so if you are into that sort of plot, you may like it.

[Elizabeth Brush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dido and Simon reunited, my ship before I even know how to ship....

[Massanutten Regional Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher, Central patron, June 2018, 5 stars:

A delightful book. I have enjoyed watching Aiken characters evolve. I also appreciate her skill with language.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still enjoying the adventures of Dido Twite. It was fun that her old pa was in this one with yet another Hanovarian plot. And now there is the promise of Simon as well in book 7!

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite entertaining, but the frequent use of dialect made it hard to read.

[Pollymoore3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an awful front cover. It doesn't do justice to Dido Twite's rollicking adventures at all. So weirdly rollicking at times, I wonder if Miss Aiken had been at the Joobie nuts herself....

[We Are All Mad Here · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Dido Twite first popped up in Black Hearts in Battersea I found her a little annoying, maybe I was meant to and maybe not, but by the time I was halfway through Nightbirds on Nantucket I loved her. I still love her, and even the overload of dialect/cant doesn’t bother me (at least not until the new King gets involved, my God I didn't know what he was saying half the time. As is the case with many politicians it might not have mattered anyway).

To have a chance at liking these books as much as I do you have to forget about suspending any disbelief, especially in the case of The Cuckoo Tree. It's just not possible. Instead you will need the ability to keep your disbelief intact while realizing that you don't have to believe everything you read in order to enjoy it.