The Eye of Childhood

Oxford Bookworms Collection

by John Escott (Editor), Jennifer Bassett (Editor), H.G. Widdowson (Series Adviser)

What does it feel like to be a child? Learning how to negotiate with the unpredictable adult world, learning how to pick a path through life's traps and hazards, learning when the time has come to put away childish things. The writers of these short stories show us the world as seen from the far side of the child-adult divide, a gap that is sometimes small, and sometimes an unbridgeable chasm.

This collection contains stories by John Updike, Graham Greene, William Boyd, Susan Hill, D. H. Lawrence, Saki, Penelope Lively, Bernard MacLaverty, Frank Tuohy, and Morley Callaghan.

Genres: Short Stories

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 2000

About the author

John Escott started by writing children's books and comic scripts, but now writes and adapts books for students of all ages. He especially enjoys writing crime and mystery thrillers, and is a member of the British Crime Writers Association.

With Oxford University Press John has published London for the Oxford Bookworms Factfile series; Agatha Christie, Woman of Mystery, Star Reporter, Girl on a Motorbike, The Fly and Other Horror Stories, and The Scarlet Letter for the Oxford Bookworms Library series; The Magician, Time for a Robbery, Star for a day, Tomorrow's Girl, and The Man with Three NAMEs for the Hotshot Puzzles series; and A Pretty Face for the Dominoes series.

Reviews

[Piotr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was able to finish the book because it consists of separate stories - were it a novel I would have quit reading. The title is misleading, it should read something like The Memories of Unhappy Childhood. There is not a single story with positive message. In six of ten stories a child or a significant person dies, so the whole collection has really dark undertone. The story I liked best is Secrets by B. MacLaverty.

[Rebecca Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Not a Native Speaker Here)

I liked 5 or 6 out of the ten stories of this collection, but as an anthology created for students I think that most of them are alright, but I don´t agree with the selection of Should Wizard Hit Mommy by Updike, especially as the first Short Story, the ending is just not straightforward and the story not very interesting.

My favorite story was Secrets, by Bernard MacLaverty, followed closely by The Rocking-Horse Winner, By D.H.Lawrence.
I also enjoyed The Open Window, by Saki, a lot.
The End of the Party, By Graham Greene, was both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good stories, most of them gloomy, but very interesting.

[Lara Etcheverry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obvio algunas historias me gustaron más que otras, entre mis preferidas “should wizard hit mommy” y “the rocking horse winner”, pero igualmente conecte mucho con el libro ya que siento estar dejando atrás my childhood con un poco de pesar y a la vez reviviéndola a través de mi sobrino hermoso.
Que tesoro frágil la niñez

[Tomek · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was even unable to finish this book. I’ve read first, second and a half of the third story. Misleading title, boring/sad stories, nothing I’d expected at all…

[Vitaliy Lehkyy · Rating 2 out of 5]

In five out of 10 stories that I managed to finish there’s a dead body, usually that of a child.

[Namiko]

includes:

Should Wizard Hit Mommy? John Updike
The End of The Party Graham Greene
Killing Lizards William Boyd
Friends of Miss Reece Susan Hill
The Rocking-Horse Winner D.H. Lawrence
The Open Window Saki
Next Term, We'll Mash You Penelope Lively
Secrets Bernard MacLaverty
The Licence Frank Touhy
The Runaway Morley Callaghan

I've already read "The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D.H. Lawrence and "The Open Window" by Saki in simplified versions, so I followed and enjoyed these stories. It is too hard for me to follow some of the other stories, especially the endings I was not sure. However, I liked "Friends of Miss Reece," and "Secrets."

[Soni Cano · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOOD

[Gisela Pontalti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every story, one of the best books I've read.