Book #4 of 2016: Not Bad For A Bad Lad

[thistlechaser]

Not Bad For A Bad Lad by Michael Morpurgo
Rating: Disliked (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)



I was so wrong when I guessed what this book was about.

Based on the title and cover together, I thought it would be about a horse. Bad Lad sounded like a great horse name, and 'Not Bad for a Bad Lad' made me think it would be about a problem horse who turned out good in the end.

While there was a horse in the story, the book was a grandfather writing his life's story so his grandkid could know what he was like. *yawn*

Most of the book takes place when cars were new and radios were known as 'the wireless'. The main character got in serious trouble for stealing an orange, and after a string of other minor issues, had to go off to a reform school.

The only positive to this book was that it was so short. I guess, to a young kid, it could be an encouraging tale -- you can still go on and do good things with your life, even if you get into trouble. To adult me though, the story put me to sleep.

Google told me that Morpurgo was the author of animal stories for children, so I grabbed a small collection of his books. Checking the titles though, they all seem like this one: Stories about people, where animals get only a mention or aren't really all that important at all. Blah. I'll give him one more chance at some point before I give up and delete them all.

This is a poor start to 2016 book-wise! All 'dislikes' so far except one 'okay'. At least I'm sure the one I'm reading now will be a 'loved'!

Comments

[postingwhore.livejournal.com]

Wireless is still the posh way to say it, apparently :p

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ha, really? I haven't heard it used for 'radio' before!

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

It's an old-fashioned name for the radio. My grandparents used it.

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

War Horse is told from the horse's point of view. It was adapted into an incredibly successful National Theatre production and a film. It is a book for kids, though.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

'Told from the horse's point of view' was what I was hoping for from this book. Sadly, I don't think War Horse was in the collection I got, otherwise I'd check it out.