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Гаргите от Белокруша
— Какво става, Амелия? — попита той. — Лошо ли ти е? Казах ти да не преяждаш!
— Колко си груб и безчувствен! — избухна госпожа Гарг. — Аз се скъсвам да се грижа за теб, а когато не работя, всеки божи ден снасям по едно чисто ново яйце — освен, разбира се, в неделя и по официалните празници. Това прави двеста деветдесет и седем яйца годишно, а не ми се е излюпило нито едно гардже!
Олдъс Хъксли (1894-1963) е английски писател, романист и философ.
Най-известната му книга за възрастни е „Прекрасният нов свят”. „Гаргите от Белокруша” е единствената му книга за деца. Пише я за своята племенница Оливия, която често гостува на семейството му. Оригиналът изчезнал, когато къщата на семейство Хъксли изгаря при пожар. За щастие, екземпляр от историята е запазен от съседите и след смъртта на писателя е публикувана.
— Колко си груб и безчувствен! — избухна госпожа Гарг. — Аз се скъсвам да се грижа за теб, а когато не работя, всеки божи ден снасям по едно чисто ново яйце — освен, разбира се, в неделя и по официалните празници. Това прави двеста деветдесет и седем яйца годишно, а не ми се е излюпило нито едно гардже!
Олдъс Хъксли (1894-1963) е английски писател, романист и философ.
Най-известната му книга за възрастни е „Прекрасният нов свят”. „Гаргите от Белокруша” е единствената му книга за деца. Пише я за своята племенница Оливия, която често гостува на семейството му. Оригиналът изчезнал, когато къщата на семейство Хъксли изгаря при пожар. За щастие, екземпляр от историята е запазен от съседите и след смъртта на писателя е публикувана.
44 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1944
13 people are currently reading
995 people want to read
About the author
Aldous Huxley
946 books13.6k followersAldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and philosopher. His bibliography spans nearly 50 books, including non-fiction works, as well as essays, narratives, and poems.
Born into the prominent Huxley family, he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with a degree in English literature. Early in his career, he published short stories and poetry and edited the literary magazine Oxford Poetry, before going on to publish travel writing, satire, and screenplays. He spent the latter part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death. By the end of his life, Huxley was widely acknowledged as one of the foremost intellectuals of his time. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature nine times, and was elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962.
Huxley was a pacifist. He grew interested in philosophical mysticism, as well as universalism, addressing these subjects in his works such as The Perennial Philosophy (1945), which illustrates commonalities between Western and Eastern mysticism, and The Doors of Perception (1954), which interprets his own psychedelic experience with mescaline. In his most famous novel Brave New World (1932) and his final novel Island (1962), he presented his visions of dystopia and utopia, respectively.
Born into the prominent Huxley family, he graduated from Balliol College, Oxford, with a degree in English literature. Early in his career, he published short stories and poetry and edited the literary magazine Oxford Poetry, before going on to publish travel writing, satire, and screenplays. He spent the latter part of his life in the United States, living in Los Angeles from 1937 until his death. By the end of his life, Huxley was widely acknowledged as one of the foremost intellectuals of his time. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature nine times, and was elected Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature in 1962.
Huxley was a pacifist. He grew interested in philosophical mysticism, as well as universalism, addressing these subjects in his works such as The Perennial Philosophy (1945), which illustrates commonalities between Western and Eastern mysticism, and The Doors of Perception (1954), which interprets his own psychedelic experience with mescaline. In his most famous novel Brave New World (1932) and his final novel Island (1962), he presented his visions of dystopia and utopia, respectively.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
January 11, 2020
I didn't give this a full 5 stars because I cringe each time I read how Mr. Crow is a real sexist - treats his wife with disrespect (was this okay back in 1944?). Overall, this is an enjoyable read-aloud for children ages 5-10. Kids love how the punishment fits the crime for the sneaky snake!
May 24, 2016
The Crows have a nice nest in a cottonwood tree. They're trying to start a family, but their pesky downstairs neighbor just happens to be a rattlesnake with a hankering for freshly laid eggs. After a martini and a discussion with his wife, Mr. Crow visits wise Old Man Owl, whoo-whoo hatches a plan to solve their snake problem for good.
This seems to be a pretty well despised book. Hmm . . . I rather enjoyed it. The biggest bone of contention is the way Mr. Crow treats his wife. Yep - he is a real prick. He ridicules Mrs. Crow, and tells her to shut up. But, I'd say his behavior is fairly typical for a story written in 1944. (Gee, I can't wait til we make America great again like it was back then, eh?) Here's one possible explanation for his bad behavior. Look how tiny he is compared to his wife . . .
He's probably suffering from a severe Napoleon Complex. And look, he even carries a briefcase to make himself look important. (He works at a drug store, for crying out loud!)
I like Blackall's illustrations; they're packed with fun details that invite lingering. My favorite is the one of Rattlesnake resting up for his daily egghunt, a wristwatch strapped around his tail, one argyle sock on the floor, and his fangs in a jar by the bed. And look at the nifty wallpaper in the crow's nest . . .
Despite Mr. Crows dickery, there's a happy ending. Mrs. Crow gets exactly what she wants. And interestingly enough, Mr. Crow is no longer in the picture. I'm assuming he died from hypertension after realizing he'll never rise any higher than assistant manager down at the drugstore, OR, from suppressing his homosexual desires for Old Man Owl, a bird who can't be bothered with sexuality as he's too busy trying to determine how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
Not recommended for sensitive children or snake-lovers.
This seems to be a pretty well despised book. Hmm . . . I rather enjoyed it. The biggest bone of contention is the way Mr. Crow treats his wife. Yep - he is a real prick. He ridicules Mrs. Crow, and tells her to shut up. But, I'd say his behavior is fairly typical for a story written in 1944. (Gee, I can't wait til we make America great again like it was back then, eh?) Here's one possible explanation for his bad behavior. Look how tiny he is compared to his wife . . .
He's probably suffering from a severe Napoleon Complex. And look, he even carries a briefcase to make himself look important. (He works at a drug store, for crying out loud!)
I like Blackall's illustrations; they're packed with fun details that invite lingering. My favorite is the one of Rattlesnake resting up for his daily egghunt, a wristwatch strapped around his tail, one argyle sock on the floor, and his fangs in a jar by the bed. And look at the nifty wallpaper in the crow's nest . . .
Despite Mr. Crows dickery, there's a happy ending. Mrs. Crow gets exactly what she wants. And interestingly enough, Mr. Crow is no longer in the picture. I'm assuming he died from hypertension after realizing he'll never rise any higher than assistant manager down at the drugstore, OR, from suppressing his homosexual desires for Old Man Owl, a bird who can't be bothered with sexuality as he's too busy trying to determine how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
Not recommended for sensitive children or snake-lovers.
April 10, 2013
This book was handed in as a donation for a book drive. I threw it away. No child should read shit like this, and here's why:
Mr. Crow is a dick who treats his wife like shit. He finds her in distress and asks her if she's forgotten not to eat too much, y'know, like a fucking child that's had too much ice cream. When she has a good idea, he tells her it's a bad idea, then goes to his buddy's house to see how he can use his wife's idea and claim it as his own, but not before telling her to shut up about it. Twice.
Here's a play-by-play of the mean, sexist nonsense that runs through the whole book:
Mrs. Crow lays an egg every day, then goes to the store (she doesn't have a job) while her husband, Mr. Crow, goes to work as an assistant manager at a drug store.
WHY THE WEIRD DETAIL ABOUT HIS JOB? Good question. It never comes up again.
Whenever Mrs. Crow gets back from the store, the egg is gone. Turns out a rattlesnake has been eating her eggs every day for the past year while she's out. She discovers him doing this one day, and is in tears when Mr. Crow comes home. The first thing he says when he sees his wife in tears is, "What's wrong, did you over-eat?"
WHY WOULD HE SAY THAT? Good question. If you think he sounds like a dick, you're right. Mr. Crow is a dick.
Mrs. Crow explains that the snake has literally eaten hundreds of her eggs, killing all of their babies and making all the effort of laying all those eggs worthless. "Kill the snake," she says. Mr. Crow's response: "You don't have good ideas." "Shut your beak."
WHY WOULD HE SAY THAT? Good question. If you're starting to think Mr. Crow is a wife-hating jackass, you're probably right.
Then he goes to talk to Mr. Owl, who comes up with a plan to replace the real eggs with fake eggs, thereby killing the snake.
WASN'T THAT MRS. CROW'S IDEA LIKE THREE PAGES AGO? Yes. Yes it was. Wtf is this guy's problem? He's a dick, remember?
So the male birds fly back to the nest to find Mrs. Crow in bed reading NEST magazine with pink curlers in her hair.
WHY THE WEIRD DETAIL ABOUT CURLERS AND MAGAZINES? Because that's what all women do before bedtime, duh.
She "screams" at them to go kill the snake, which they refuse to do.
WHY IS SHE SCREAMING? Because that's what all women do, duh.
They leave the fake eggs at home while Mrs. Crow goes to the store (because she still has no job). The snake eats the fake eggs and is incapacitated when Mrs. Crow gets home, at which point she gives him a very long lecture about eating other people's eggs before he dies. She has a jillion baby crows and inexplicably uses his corpse as a clothesline for all the clothes they don't wear.
So let's recap:
The only female character wears curlers to bed, reads magazines, screams at her husband, gives birth EVERY DAY, does the shopping and cries.
The male character has a job, comes up with a plan, tells the woman to shut up, accuses the woman of overeating, tells the woman she has bad ideas, and kills the bad guy.
Yikes.
Other reviewers have complained that this book is "gruesome" because of the way animals eat each other (and the clothesline incident, which is pretty macabre). Kids are awesome weirdos who you should talk to about death and dying. They can handle it. It's not like talking to them about murder and genocide; death is inevitable and shouldn't feel like a taboo topic.
Having said that, DO NOT use this book as a jumping off point. All they'll get from this atrocity is that a woman does the shopping and freaks-the-fuck-out when something legitimately goes wrong, but is made to feel ashamed by her emotions, and stupid for her good ideas by a man who has promised to do the opposite of all those things. THE END.
Mr. Crow is a dick who treats his wife like shit. He finds her in distress and asks her if she's forgotten not to eat too much, y'know, like a fucking child that's had too much ice cream. When she has a good idea, he tells her it's a bad idea, then goes to his buddy's house to see how he can use his wife's idea and claim it as his own, but not before telling her to shut up about it. Twice.
Here's a play-by-play of the mean, sexist nonsense that runs through the whole book:
Mrs. Crow lays an egg every day, then goes to the store (she doesn't have a job) while her husband, Mr. Crow, goes to work as an assistant manager at a drug store.
WHY THE WEIRD DETAIL ABOUT HIS JOB? Good question. It never comes up again.
Whenever Mrs. Crow gets back from the store, the egg is gone. Turns out a rattlesnake has been eating her eggs every day for the past year while she's out. She discovers him doing this one day, and is in tears when Mr. Crow comes home. The first thing he says when he sees his wife in tears is, "What's wrong, did you over-eat?"
WHY WOULD HE SAY THAT? Good question. If you think he sounds like a dick, you're right. Mr. Crow is a dick.
Mrs. Crow explains that the snake has literally eaten hundreds of her eggs, killing all of their babies and making all the effort of laying all those eggs worthless. "Kill the snake," she says. Mr. Crow's response: "You don't have good ideas." "Shut your beak."
WHY WOULD HE SAY THAT? Good question. If you're starting to think Mr. Crow is a wife-hating jackass, you're probably right.
Then he goes to talk to Mr. Owl, who comes up with a plan to replace the real eggs with fake eggs, thereby killing the snake.
WASN'T THAT MRS. CROW'S IDEA LIKE THREE PAGES AGO? Yes. Yes it was. Wtf is this guy's problem? He's a dick, remember?
So the male birds fly back to the nest to find Mrs. Crow in bed reading NEST magazine with pink curlers in her hair.
WHY THE WEIRD DETAIL ABOUT CURLERS AND MAGAZINES? Because that's what all women do before bedtime, duh.
She "screams" at them to go kill the snake, which they refuse to do.
WHY IS SHE SCREAMING? Because that's what all women do, duh.
They leave the fake eggs at home while Mrs. Crow goes to the store (because she still has no job). The snake eats the fake eggs and is incapacitated when Mrs. Crow gets home, at which point she gives him a very long lecture about eating other people's eggs before he dies. She has a jillion baby crows and inexplicably uses his corpse as a clothesline for all the clothes they don't wear.
So let's recap:
The only female character wears curlers to bed, reads magazines, screams at her husband, gives birth EVERY DAY, does the shopping and cries.
The male character has a job, comes up with a plan, tells the woman to shut up, accuses the woman of overeating, tells the woman she has bad ideas, and kills the bad guy.
Yikes.
Other reviewers have complained that this book is "gruesome" because of the way animals eat each other (and the clothesline incident, which is pretty macabre). Kids are awesome weirdos who you should talk to about death and dying. They can handle it. It's not like talking to them about murder and genocide; death is inevitable and shouldn't feel like a taboo topic.
Having said that, DO NOT use this book as a jumping off point. All they'll get from this atrocity is that a woman does the shopping and freaks-the-fuck-out when something legitimately goes wrong, but is made to feel ashamed by her emotions, and stupid for her good ideas by a man who has promised to do the opposite of all those things. THE END.
August 15, 2011
This edition had the least appealing-to-me illustrations, so naturally it was the one my library possessed. I can't say they didn't suit the story, though, only that I did not enjoy them. I found them vaguely disturbing, so in that sense they went perfectly! I'm glad Huxley mostly confined himself adult literature.
The background plot here includes the mother crow's eggs being eaten day after day by a snake, which is nature for you but may be a little upsetting for sensitive children. The relationship between the crow couple, on the other hand, was nasty in a completely human bad-marriage sense and seemed to lack affection or respect. So we get both the depressingness of nature red in tooth and claw, and the depressingness of screwed up human meanness. Way to be efficient with the negativity, Aldie!
The background plot here includes the mother crow's eggs being eaten day after day by a snake, which is nature for you but may be a little upsetting for sensitive children. The relationship between the crow couple, on the other hand, was nasty in a completely human bad-marriage sense and seemed to lack affection or respect. So we get both the depressingness of nature red in tooth and claw, and the depressingness of screwed up human meanness. Way to be efficient with the negativity, Aldie!
November 28, 2022
Ilustratiile sunt simpatice, dar limbajul folosit, nu prea.
March 16, 2019
Depois de ler o Admirável mundo novo e o Regresso ao Admirável mundo novo fui procurar todos os livros do AH. Fiquei surpresa com um livro infantil e entusiasmada por o ler. Adorei as ilustrações, são belíssimas, no entanto o conteúdo da história deixa muito a duvidar. Sei que é uma história infantil, mas não pude evitar e reparar em pormenores como machismo, discriminação e juízos pré-concebidos. Não acho que seja uma leitura adequada para crianças, mas tendo em conta a época em que foi escrito é "normal". Gostei de ter sido uma história que foi salva por um casal amigo, já que a casa de AH ardeu e destruiu a suposta única cópia. E gostei também de ter sabido que se trata de uma história que AH contou à sua sobrinha, que passava muito tempo com ele e a sua mulher 😊
April 3, 2014
A única história para crianças escrita por Aldous Huxley.
OS DOIS CORVOS
Para os filhos e para os pais.
OS DOIS CORVOS
Para os filhos e para os pais.
August 18, 2022
British novelist Aldous Huxley is nearly synonymous with Brave New World, a book often categorized as young-adult fare, but nothing he wrote is like The Crows of Pearblossom. A Christmas gift written for his niece Olivia in 1944, this small book is an original fable that nonetheless feels familiar (isn't that the way of fables?), and has been illustrated by two two-time Caldecott Medal winners: Barbara Cooney in 1967, and Sophie Blackall in 2011. The story is a doting, very personal piece of art, even weaving young Olivia's house into the narrative, and is a valuable book for devotees of Aldous Huxley's work and for the author's descendants, to whom it is a uniquely meaningful heirloom.
Years of trying to start a family with her husband have borne no fruit for Mrs. Crow. Hundreds of her eggs have disappeared from their nest high in a tree, but she can't figure out why until she returns early from her errands one day to catch a Rattlesnake gulping down her newest egg. The reptile slithers off in self-satisfied serenity, and Mrs. Crow is enraged. Mr. Crow should head right down and kill that snake, she declares when her husband comes home from work. Not thrilled by the idea, Mr. Crow instead flies off to consult Old Man Owl, the most astute problem solver in the neighborhood. After hearing Mr. Crow's tale of heartache, Old Man Owl devises a plan that may prevent the Rattlesnake from inflicting any more violence on the Crow family.
How are a couple of birds to react when stalked by a predator? Mr. Crow could take his frantic wife's suggestion and meet the Rattlesnake in combat, but that wouldn't likely end well for our winged protagonist. The Rattlesnake has swallowed close to three hundred eggs lain by Mrs. Crow, eggs that could have hatched into beloved children for the couple to raise in the peace of rural Pearblossom, and serious action must be taken to prevent the thefts from continuing. Whether one is capable of standing up to a powerful foe on one's own or the aid of a capable ally is required, it's essential to fight back, for that is the only way to bring victimization to an end. With the help of Old Man Owl, Mr. and Mrs. Crow stand up to their tormentor in memorable fashion, and the story lives on eternally in The Crows of Pearblossom.
Sophie Blackall's artwork in the 2011 edition is technically vastly superior to Barbara Cooney's from 1967. The illustrations are fantastically detailed, expressions on the characters' faces are easier to interpret, and there's more emotion in the scenes she elected to draw than the ones Barbara Cooney did. Yet I can't definitively say Sophie Blackall's version is preferable. The low-key colors and minimalism of Barbara Cooney's illustrations fit the style of the story better, and the realistically neutral facial expressions, especially on Mr. and Mrs. Crow, are appealing. As beautifully as Sophie Blackall brings the narrative to life, Barbara Cooney may have been more in sync with Aldous Huxley's vision of the story, but both editions are nice and I'm glad I read them. It's doubtful The Crows of Pearblossom is ever going to be one of Aldous Huxley's more famous endeavors, but its subtle themes and highly effective humor will never grow old. Here's to you, Mr. Huxley, as well as your two Caldecott Medal-winning illustrators.
Years of trying to start a family with her husband have borne no fruit for Mrs. Crow. Hundreds of her eggs have disappeared from their nest high in a tree, but she can't figure out why until she returns early from her errands one day to catch a Rattlesnake gulping down her newest egg. The reptile slithers off in self-satisfied serenity, and Mrs. Crow is enraged. Mr. Crow should head right down and kill that snake, she declares when her husband comes home from work. Not thrilled by the idea, Mr. Crow instead flies off to consult Old Man Owl, the most astute problem solver in the neighborhood. After hearing Mr. Crow's tale of heartache, Old Man Owl devises a plan that may prevent the Rattlesnake from inflicting any more violence on the Crow family.
How are a couple of birds to react when stalked by a predator? Mr. Crow could take his frantic wife's suggestion and meet the Rattlesnake in combat, but that wouldn't likely end well for our winged protagonist. The Rattlesnake has swallowed close to three hundred eggs lain by Mrs. Crow, eggs that could have hatched into beloved children for the couple to raise in the peace of rural Pearblossom, and serious action must be taken to prevent the thefts from continuing. Whether one is capable of standing up to a powerful foe on one's own or the aid of a capable ally is required, it's essential to fight back, for that is the only way to bring victimization to an end. With the help of Old Man Owl, Mr. and Mrs. Crow stand up to their tormentor in memorable fashion, and the story lives on eternally in The Crows of Pearblossom.
Sophie Blackall's artwork in the 2011 edition is technically vastly superior to Barbara Cooney's from 1967. The illustrations are fantastically detailed, expressions on the characters' faces are easier to interpret, and there's more emotion in the scenes she elected to draw than the ones Barbara Cooney did. Yet I can't definitively say Sophie Blackall's version is preferable. The low-key colors and minimalism of Barbara Cooney's illustrations fit the style of the story better, and the realistically neutral facial expressions, especially on Mr. and Mrs. Crow, are appealing. As beautifully as Sophie Blackall brings the narrative to life, Barbara Cooney may have been more in sync with Aldous Huxley's vision of the story, but both editions are nice and I'm glad I read them. It's doubtful The Crows of Pearblossom is ever going to be one of Aldous Huxley's more famous endeavors, but its subtle themes and highly effective humor will never grow old. Here's to you, Mr. Huxley, as well as your two Caldecott Medal-winning illustrators.
October 30, 2019
The Crows of Pearblossom, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Mrs. Crow's eggs always seem to disappear from her nest when she is out doing the afternoon shopping, and neither she nor Mr. Crow know why. The mystery is solved when she unexpectedly gets home early one day and discovers that the rattlesnake living at the base of the Crows' tree has been swallowing her potential offspring. Mrs. Crow informs Mr. Crow as soon as he gets home from work (at a drugstore), and he sets off (after a few snide remarks to his wife) to consult his friend Old Man Owl on how to proceed. The two avian friends hatch a plot involving some fake clay eggs, and one dead snake.
Originally written in 1944 as a Christmas gift for his niece Olivia - it was first published in 1967, with artwork by Barbara Cooney, and then reprinted in this new 2011 edition with illustrations by Sophie Blackall - The Crows of Pearblossom is the only children's story that British novelist Aldous Huxley ever wrote. All in all, I think that's probably for the best. The story is a fairly standard exploration of the theme of cleverness triumphing over brute strength - the birds manage to outwit and kill the snake, instead of becoming his prey - but the interactions between Mr. and Mrs. Crow make it feel unpleasantly out-of-step with current values. Gender roles have moved on a bit from the 1940s, of course, but it isn't so much that - I read plenty of vintage books for both girls and boys that I find charming, despite the more traditional views on the differences between the sexes that they often contain - but the outright nastiness displayed by Mr. Crow toward his wife, that would make me hesitate to recommend it to today's young children. Asking a woman if she's upset because she's over-eaten seems cruel - the implication, I suppose, is that women are prone to hysteria, and are more governed by their bodies than men - while telling her multiple times to shut up is both disrespectful and rude. In short: whatever charm this story has - and its charm is greatly enhanced by Caldecott Medalist Sophier Blackall's gorgeous watercolor artwork - is more than balanced by its unpleasantness. I'm honestly not sure why it was reprinted...
Mrs. Crow's eggs always seem to disappear from her nest when she is out doing the afternoon shopping, and neither she nor Mr. Crow know why. The mystery is solved when she unexpectedly gets home early one day and discovers that the rattlesnake living at the base of the Crows' tree has been swallowing her potential offspring. Mrs. Crow informs Mr. Crow as soon as he gets home from work (at a drugstore), and he sets off (after a few snide remarks to his wife) to consult his friend Old Man Owl on how to proceed. The two avian friends hatch a plot involving some fake clay eggs, and one dead snake.
Originally written in 1944 as a Christmas gift for his niece Olivia - it was first published in 1967, with artwork by Barbara Cooney, and then reprinted in this new 2011 edition with illustrations by Sophie Blackall - The Crows of Pearblossom is the only children's story that British novelist Aldous Huxley ever wrote. All in all, I think that's probably for the best. The story is a fairly standard exploration of the theme of cleverness triumphing over brute strength - the birds manage to outwit and kill the snake, instead of becoming his prey - but the interactions between Mr. and Mrs. Crow make it feel unpleasantly out-of-step with current values. Gender roles have moved on a bit from the 1940s, of course, but it isn't so much that - I read plenty of vintage books for both girls and boys that I find charming, despite the more traditional views on the differences between the sexes that they often contain - but the outright nastiness displayed by Mr. Crow toward his wife, that would make me hesitate to recommend it to today's young children. Asking a woman if she's upset because she's over-eaten seems cruel - the implication, I suppose, is that women are prone to hysteria, and are more governed by their bodies than men - while telling her multiple times to shut up is both disrespectful and rude. In short: whatever charm this story has - and its charm is greatly enhanced by Caldecott Medalist Sophier Blackall's gorgeous watercolor artwork - is more than balanced by its unpleasantness. I'm honestly not sure why it was reprinted...
November 8, 2019
Какви уютни птичи домове! Какви подходящи за очите ми цветове денем и нощем в и около село Белокруша!
Не разбирам от детски илюстрации, но ми харесаха много. Не разбирам от детски истории, но имам някои резерви.
Освен „резервите“, изобщо ми стана тъжно – колко сложни и нееднозначни са човешките/животинските отношения (вкл. прехрана). Много буквално възприех всичко май и чак за хранителната верига си помислих.:) Главно в животинския свят и аналогията с човешкия.
„- Какво правиш, чудовище такова! – развика се тя.
- Закусвам – отговори смокът с пълна уста.“
И за цената на оцеляването/напредъка, за степента на наказанията, за фините аспекти на отношенията (грубостта уж без насилие). А децата сигурно биха се забавлявали. И Олдъс и Оливия са се забавлявали, а аз направих от мухата слон от едно „Затваряй си човката“ (да, пренесох го към човеците и там това е много повече от думи). Но разнообразието в книгите е хубаво нещо и си представям и обсъждане на книжката с дете.
Втори път я „прочетох“, за да постоя още в къщичките и междукъщията.
Не разбирам от детски илюстрации, но ми харесаха много. Не разбирам от детски истории, но имам някои резерви.
Освен „резервите“, изобщо ми стана тъжно – колко сложни и нееднозначни са човешките/животинските отношения (вкл. прехрана). Много буквално възприех всичко май и чак за хранителната верига си помислих.:) Главно в животинския свят и аналогията с човешкия.
„- Какво правиш, чудовище такова! – развика се тя.
- Закусвам – отговори смокът с пълна уста.“
И за цената на оцеляването/напредъка, за степента на наказанията, за фините аспекти на отношенията (грубостта уж без насилие). А децата сигурно биха се забавлявали. И Олдъс и Оливия са се забавлявали, а аз направих от мухата слон от едно „Затваряй си човката“ (да, пренесох го към човеците и там това е много повече от думи). Но разнообразието в книгите е хубаво нещо и си представям и обсъждане на книжката с дете.
Втори път я „прочетох“, за да постоя още в къщичките и междукъщията.
April 1, 2012
The version I read was from the year 1967 and I cherish the story, in no small part to my father's reading of it and the voices he gave the characters. I still remember how we would sing the snake's song,
"I cannot fly, I have no wings; I cannot run, I have no legs; But I can creep where the black bird sings, and eat her speckled eggs, ha, ha; And eat her speckled eggs."
Because of the popularity of the book, every other review will include facts like, "the only children's book written by Aldous Huxley,"..."originally written for his niece," and there will be comments about the portrayal of female characters and overall violence and morbidity in the story, and I don't disagree with those points. I would put forward that each work is a member of the period of time in which it came from, and perhaps it could be understood from that point of view. At a minimum, it brings up a huge degree of conversation with children about how times change.
December 23, 2018
Прекрасна нова книга от автора на „Прекрасният нов свят”, „Гаргите от Белокруша“ е поредното изненадващо и артистично поднесено заглавие в поредицата „Детски шедьоври от велики писатели” на изд. „Лист”. Единствената запазена детска приказка на Олдъс Хъксли излиза за първи път на български език, илюстрирана от Ина Христова и в поетичен превод от Зорница Христова. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле": https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
April 11, 2019
British novelist Aldous Huxley is nearly synonymous with Brave New World, a book often categorized as young-adult fare, but nothing he wrote is like The Crows of Pearblossom. A Christmas gift written for his niece Olivia in 1944, this small book is an original fable that nonetheless feels familiar (isn't that the way of fables?), and has been illustrated by two two-time Caldecott Medal winners: Barbara Cooney in 1967, and Sophie Blackall in 2011. The story is a doting, very personal piece of art, even weaving young Olivia's house into the narrative, and is a valuable book for devotees of Aldous Huxley's work and for the author's descendants, to whom it is a uniquely meaningful heirloom.
Years of trying to start a family with her husband have borne no fruit for Mrs. Crow. Hundreds of her eggs have disappeared from their nest high in a tree, but she can't figure out why until she returns early from her errands one day to catch a Rattlesnake gulping down her newest egg. The reptile slithers off in self-satisfied serenity, and Mrs. Crow is enraged. Mr. Crow should head right down and kill that snake, she declares when her husband comes home from work. Not thrilled by the idea, Mr. Crow instead flies off to consult Old Man Owl, the most astute problem solver in the neighborhood. After hearing Mr. Crow's tale of heartache, Old Man Owl devises a plan that may prevent the Rattlesnake from inflicting any more violence on the Crow family.
How are a couple of birds to react when stalked by a predator? Mr. Crow could take his frantic wife's suggestion and meet the Rattlesnake in combat, but that wouldn't likely end well for our winged protagonist. The Rattlesnake has swallowed close to three hundred eggs lain by Mrs. Crow, eggs that could have hatched into beloved children for the couple to raise in the peace of rural Pearblossom, and serious action must be taken to prevent the thefts from continuing. Whether one is capable of standing up to a powerful foe on one's own or the aid of a capable ally is required, it's essential to fight back, for that is the only way to bring victimization to an end. With the help of Old Man Owl, Mr. and Mrs. Crow stand up to their tormentor in memorable fashion, and the story lives on eternally in The Crows of Pearblossom.
Sophie Blackall's artwork in the 2011 edition is technically vastly superior to Barbara Cooney's from 1967. The illustrations are fantastically detailed, expressions on the characters' faces are easier to interpret, and there's more emotion in the scenes she elected to draw than the ones Barbara Cooney did. Yet I can't definitively say Sophie Blackall's version is preferable. The low-key colors and minimalism of Barbara Cooney's illustrations fit the style of the story better, and the realistically neutral facial expressions, especially on Mr. and Mrs. Crow, are appealing. As beautifully as Sophie Blackall brings the narrative to life, Barbara Cooney may have been more in sync with Aldous Huxley's vision of the story, but both editions are nice and I'm glad I read them. It's doubtful The Crows of Pearblossom is ever going to be one of Aldous Huxley's more famous endeavors, but its subtle themes and highly effective humor will never grow old. Here's to you, Mr. Huxley, as well as your two Caldecott Medal-winning illustrators.
Years of trying to start a family with her husband have borne no fruit for Mrs. Crow. Hundreds of her eggs have disappeared from their nest high in a tree, but she can't figure out why until she returns early from her errands one day to catch a Rattlesnake gulping down her newest egg. The reptile slithers off in self-satisfied serenity, and Mrs. Crow is enraged. Mr. Crow should head right down and kill that snake, she declares when her husband comes home from work. Not thrilled by the idea, Mr. Crow instead flies off to consult Old Man Owl, the most astute problem solver in the neighborhood. After hearing Mr. Crow's tale of heartache, Old Man Owl devises a plan that may prevent the Rattlesnake from inflicting any more violence on the Crow family.
How are a couple of birds to react when stalked by a predator? Mr. Crow could take his frantic wife's suggestion and meet the Rattlesnake in combat, but that wouldn't likely end well for our winged protagonist. The Rattlesnake has swallowed close to three hundred eggs lain by Mrs. Crow, eggs that could have hatched into beloved children for the couple to raise in the peace of rural Pearblossom, and serious action must be taken to prevent the thefts from continuing. Whether one is capable of standing up to a powerful foe on one's own or the aid of a capable ally is required, it's essential to fight back, for that is the only way to bring victimization to an end. With the help of Old Man Owl, Mr. and Mrs. Crow stand up to their tormentor in memorable fashion, and the story lives on eternally in The Crows of Pearblossom.
Sophie Blackall's artwork in the 2011 edition is technically vastly superior to Barbara Cooney's from 1967. The illustrations are fantastically detailed, expressions on the characters' faces are easier to interpret, and there's more emotion in the scenes she elected to draw than the ones Barbara Cooney did. Yet I can't definitively say Sophie Blackall's version is preferable. The low-key colors and minimalism of Barbara Cooney's illustrations fit the style of the story better, and the realistically neutral facial expressions, especially on Mr. and Mrs. Crow, are appealing. As beautifully as Sophie Blackall brings the narrative to life, Barbara Cooney may have been more in sync with Aldous Huxley's vision of the story, but both editions are nice and I'm glad I read them. It's doubtful The Crows of Pearblossom is ever going to be one of Aldous Huxley's more famous endeavors, but its subtle themes and highly effective humor will never grow old. Here's to you, Mr. Huxley, as well as your two Caldecott Medal-winning illustrators.
May 22, 2011
There are lots of inventive details here--I liked how the birds baked the eggs in the chimney and how the snake tied itself not just into knots but into a running bowline and a clove hitch. I love the illustrations, too--the curlers on Mrs Crow's head and the big black shiny eyes for the crows.
But the almost 70-year old (!) text has some offhand misogyny I can't quite get comfortable with. (Mr Crow to Mrs Crow: "You haven't been overeating again, have you?" "Your ideas are seldom good, I may add. That's why I shall go and talk with my friend Owl." "Amelia, you talk too much. Keep your beak shut and get out of your nest.")
It's a nice piece of literary history, but I would recommend this to adults and not to families.
But the almost 70-year old (!) text has some offhand misogyny I can't quite get comfortable with. (Mr Crow to Mrs Crow: "You haven't been overeating again, have you?" "Your ideas are seldom good, I may add. That's why I shall go and talk with my friend Owl." "Amelia, you talk too much. Keep your beak shut and get out of your nest.")
It's a nice piece of literary history, but I would recommend this to adults and not to families.
March 12, 2021
Aldous Huxley, better known for more serious works, did write one story for children and this is it. Specifically, he wrote it for his niece who lived in Pearblossom, a desert town here in California. The story was almost lost forever when a fire destroyed Huxley’s home and most of his original manuscripts. But his niece’s family had kept a copy of the Pearblossom tale, eventually getting it published in 1967.
Two crows live in a cottonwood tree in the town of Pearblossom. There are many pear farms in this area and when they start to blossom…well, that’s how the town got its name. Anyway, the two crows are decent avian citizens with Papa Crow flying off during the day to work as an assistant manager in the local drugstore. Mama Crow likes to lay eggs and then prefers shopping in the afternoon. However, none of her eggs have ever made it to hatching because they simply disappear! The crows just can’t figure it out until Mama flies back early one day to discover a big rattlesnake swallowing her latest egg.
This rattlesnake also lives in the same tree apartment as the crows, but the snake lives downstairs. He prefers to sleep-in and then take advantage of Mama Crow’s daily absences to partake of his egg meals. Papa Crow gets fed up and decides to visit Old Man Owl for advice. Can they put together a plan to stop the dastardly snake?
Huxley came up with this story while out walking the desert with his little niece and it is written in the way an adult would tell a bedtime story to a child. The illustrations are by Sophie Blackall with brightly coloured pages and a whimsical flair. I enjoyed the story and it is a good one to have for an evening read between parent and child.
Book Season = Spring (speckled eggs)
Two crows live in a cottonwood tree in the town of Pearblossom. There are many pear farms in this area and when they start to blossom…well, that’s how the town got its name. Anyway, the two crows are decent avian citizens with Papa Crow flying off during the day to work as an assistant manager in the local drugstore. Mama Crow likes to lay eggs and then prefers shopping in the afternoon. However, none of her eggs have ever made it to hatching because they simply disappear! The crows just can’t figure it out until Mama flies back early one day to discover a big rattlesnake swallowing her latest egg.
This rattlesnake also lives in the same tree apartment as the crows, but the snake lives downstairs. He prefers to sleep-in and then take advantage of Mama Crow’s daily absences to partake of his egg meals. Papa Crow gets fed up and decides to visit Old Man Owl for advice. Can they put together a plan to stop the dastardly snake?
Huxley came up with this story while out walking the desert with his little niece and it is written in the way an adult would tell a bedtime story to a child. The illustrations are by Sophie Blackall with brightly coloured pages and a whimsical flair. I enjoyed the story and it is a good one to have for an evening read between parent and child.
Book Season = Spring (speckled eggs)
August 29, 2024
Una curiosidad muy diferente del resto de la obra de Huxley. El cuento en si es bastante clasicote (Y machista) pero puede ser una buena lectura para niños. Las ilustraciones de esta edición me parecen muy buenas.
May 10, 2017
This isn't a book for children unless they're old enough to recognize the humor in the seemingly atrocious character of Mr. Crow. This story was written almost 100 years ago by one of our greatest dystopian storytellers. I'd have been disappointed if it were a tale of fluff. There is a lot to be analyzed and discussed within this text, including gender roles and relationships, however, consider that this story was written as a Christmas gift to Huxley's niece. It was published posthumously and was not written specifically to be published. It was written in a time when women were treated like silly creatures to be owned (even more so than today's society). Perhaps this was nothing more than a tongue and cheek story meant to bring laughs with the nasty characters and the silliness of Crows living in a tree but shopping in a grocery store? The absurdity of the oblivious husband unaware his wife's eggs have been missing for a year? Or perhaps it is a tale favoring wisdom over violence? This is not a story full of role models for your children to emulate, but it is a story that will open up a discussion.
September 19, 2019
Other reviewers have rated this low for being sexist, and while I can see their points (especially on the part where he asks if she's over-eating, that was a little shocking to me), I don't think it's that deep. To me it felt more like a bickering old couple and made me laugh at some points. I thought it was quirky and funny and not as dumbed-down as other children's books. I enjoyed the story and illustrations, and I think I would have really liked it as a kid, too, had I read it then.
May 21, 2022
The villain in the story is a snake and he gets his comeuppance so that's good. I always love Barbara Cooney's illustrations & the story is original.
August 2, 2024
I want to give 4 stars for the illustration, but the story is so infused with sexism and disrespect for the wife, even for the time it was written. Too bad!
August 1, 2017
I have an imaginary shelf of children's books written by adult authors: Oscar Wilde; James Thurber; Ian Fleming; Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Edward Steichen; Andy Warhol; Gertrude Stein; Toni Morrison; Langston Hughes; Eudora Welty; James Joyce - even Leo Tolstoy. Here is Aldous Huxley's contribution, a delightfully scary story of Mr. and Mrs. Crow and a hungry, egg-stealing snake. The edition I love is illustrated by Barbara Cooney (Miss Rumphius), but Sophie Blackall has done a more recent version of the story. A shiveringly good read for any child.
May 8, 2021
Mr. Huxley wrote this charming tale in 1944 as a Christmas gift for his five-year-old niece. I loved the imaginative scenario of Mr. Crow and owl devising a way to save Mrs. Crow's eggs from the rattler that lived at the bottom of their tree. The text is charmingly illustrated in two-tone shades of gray and green. Familiarity with the local setting and history references heightens the enjoyment of the story, but aren't necessary to appreciate the storyline and inventiveness of the characters.
February 24, 2023
Huxley escribió este cuento para Olivia su sobrina (hija de una hermana de su esposa Marie), es el único cuento para niños que escribió, el original (que había regresado a manos de Huxley para que este lo ilustrara) se perdió en un incendio en Hollywood que consumió su casa. Por suerte unos vecinos tenían una copia (seguramente la tenían por que sus nombres aparecen en el cuento), así fué como este libro pudo ser.
November 5, 2018
Най-чудесните илюстрации на Ина Христова красят една не толкова впечатляваща история. Умили ме, че господин и госпожа Гарг се казват Ейбрахам и Амелия. Подразни ме, че господин Гарг се държи със съпругата си, докато тя е в голяма житейска криза, сякаш е абсолютна патка, а не неговата най-специална гарга. 4 звезди заради рисунките.
August 25, 2016
hınzırca ve eğlenceli öyküsüne rağmen elimdeki baskısının resimleri hayli sevimsiz. yine de oğlum da ben de kitabı çok sevdik
September 13, 2018
После двамата приятели отлетяха обратно в дома на Бухльо и седнаха да вечерят. Докато измият чиниите и изслушат вечерния концерт по радиото, бешe станало десет и луната светеше ярко над планините.
November 3, 2018
Така му се пада на г-н Смок...
September 3, 2025
No us podeu imaginar la cara que se’m va quedar quan vaig obrir el llibre al Kindle pensant que era una novel·la adulta de tres-centes pàgines i em vaig trobar amb un conte infantil de dues pàgines i mitja.
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January 21, 2025Nas recomendações de leitura PNL para os meus meninos do terceiro ano. Usar a cobra como um estendal, onde pendura as fraldas dos corvos pequeninos é sádico, mas enfim.
August 3, 2011
It always fascinates me to hear about a literary or artistic treasure from the past being rediscovered. It also takes me out of my comfort zone to realize that authors known for particular works wrote other lesser known pieces for children, as is the case in this tale about a rattlesnake who gets his comeuppance. When Mrs. Crow catches the snake red-handed as he is swallowing another one of her eggs, she calls on her husband to solve the problem. He, in turn, turns to his friend, Old Man Owl, who does, indeed, solve the problem. The Chinese ink and watercolor illustrations are wonderful, showing the "eggs" as they move through the snake's digestive system, and the story shows ingenious problem-solving, but the attitude of Mr. Crow toward his wife bothered me more than a little, which made me take off points for this one. Misogynistic attitudes, I would hope, are not to be tolerated, and his comments about her eating too much while she grieved the loss of the eggs and telling her to "Keep your beak shut and get out of your nest" were too much for me to stomach. Children learn from what they read and see, and that sort of attitude from a husband to his wife infuriates me.
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