Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Kindle
$6.99

Available instantly

Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial

Hardcover
$10.35

Paperback
$7.99

$7.99 with 11 percent savings

List Price: $8.99

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Monday, May 13 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 4 hrs 26 mins

Select delivery location

In Stock

$$7.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

$7.02

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Wednesday, May 15 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$7.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Sold by Martistore and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (112) from $1.35 + $3.98 shipping

Follow the author

Clare Vanderpool

+ Follow

More books from this author

Navigating Early Paperback – December 23, 2014

by Clare Vanderpool (Author)

4.6 840 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$7.99","priceAmount":7.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"h2tkltYkeymNxkFHxDUJF%2BwPRD%2FpdgcD%2FiIMBkhqOdh%2BKdyWJl8M%2BlwDolsVOAyYroLFhDIIVy7Lner8%2F3VfVO0gbJUUQITGbYPYn7vgqnJWBgwKtuxytvVCtbg%2FezY0oXXWjzZ2l%2Fb3EHPsVnNp9A%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$7.02","priceAmount":7.02,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"02","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"h2tkltYkeymNxkFHxDUJF%2BwPRD%2FpdgcDP4PHCdIHAZHXKnHdtEAbMMjhINeNX%2BNW9UGFMFXFsfVbGzTy%2FWX2Lz0oVpfykTRilIxj07OsmDaDOMyyG8Sc8H8XdqrgNQT%2Bgx%2FF3uFuziScmrHZGboC86SDU4wy4B1Ua5jiJZnYjHgfbxjjgI6IuE0oWUHeFNH1","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

“Just the sort of book that saves lives by igniting a passion for reading.” —James Patterson

“Reminiscent of Huckleberry Finn.” —The Wall Street Journal

A Michael L. Printz Honor Winner

From the author of Newbery Medal winner Moon Over Manifest comes the odyssey-like adventure of two boys’ incredible quest on the Appalachian Trail.

When Jack Baker’s father sends him from his home in Kansas to attend a boys’ boarding school in Maine, Jack doesn’t know what to expect. Certainly not Early Auden, the strangest of boys. Early keeps to himself, reads the number pi as a story, and refuses to accept truths others take for granted. Jack, feeling lonely and out of place, connects with Early, and the two become friends.

During a break from school, the boys set out for the Appalachian Trail on a quest for a great black bear. As Jack and Early travel deeper into the mountains, they meet peculiar and dangerous characters, and they make some shocking discoveries. But their adventure is only just beginning. Will Jack’s and Early’s friendship last the journey? Can the boys make it home alive?

An ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection
An ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book
A New York Times Editor’s Choice
A New York Times Bestseller
An Indie Pick
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Booklist Books for Youth Editors’ Choice Selection
A BookPage Best Children’s Book
A Texas Lone Star Reading List Selection
A Notable Children's Book in Language Arts Book
A Down East Magazine Best of Maine Book
A North Carolina Young Adult Book Award Master List Selection
An Iowa Children's Choice Award Finalist

Frequently bought together

$7.99

Get it as soon as Monday, May 13

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

Moon Over Manifest: (Newbery Medal Winner)

$8.12

Get it as soon as Monday, May 13

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

+

When You Reach Me: (Newbery Medal Winner) (Yearling Newbery)

$8.99

Get it as soon as Monday, May 13

In Stock

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Total price:

To see our price, add these items to your cart.

Try again!

Details

Added to Cart

Choose items to buy together.

Clare Vanderpool
1,385
Paperback
Teachers' pick
165 offers from $0.99
Rebecca Stead
5,523
Paperback
Teachers' pick
207 offers from $1.00
Erin Entrada Kelly
2,915
Paperback
Teachers' pick
136 offers from $1.85
Lauren Wolk
3,703
Paperback
132 offers from $1.36
Julie Mathison
141
Paperback
27 offers from $3.22
Thanhhà Lai
7,268
Paperback
Teachers' pick
225 offers from $1.30

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Just the sort of book that saves lives by igniting a passion for reading.”
–James Patterson

The Washington Post, January 1, 2013:
"Clare Vanderpool deftly rows this complex, inventive novel — her most recent since her Newbery-winning 'Moon Over Manifest' — to a tender, surprising and wholly satisfying ending."

The Wall Street Journal, January 18, 2013:
"An emotionally believable and moving work of magical realism."

The Boston Globe, June 22, 2013:
"A beautifully written adventure."

The New York Times, January 13, 2013:
"The hallmark of 'Navigating Early' is abundant adventure...The friendship between Jackie and Early and the Morton Hill Academy episodes overall have the flavor of Wes Anderson's delightful summer camp movie, 'Moonrise Kingdom.'"

Starred Review, School Library Journal, March 2013:
“Readers will find themselves richly rewarded by this satisfying tale.”

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, November 19, 2012:
“This multilayered, intricately plotted story has a kaleidoscopic effect, blurring the lines between reality and imagination, coincidence and fate.”

Starred Review, Booklist, December 15, 2012:
“Newbery Medal-winning author Vanderpool’s sharp, honest narrative, sparkling with the stars of the night sky, pieces together an elaborate, layered plot with precision, weaving multiple threads into a careful, tidy conclusion perfectly suited for those, like Jack and Early, who want to believe.”

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2012:
““Returning to themes she explored so affectingly in Moon Over Manifest, Newbery Medalist Vanderpool delivers another winning picaresque about memories, personal journeys, interconnectedness—and the power of stories.”

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February 2013:
"This story of a poignant friendship of two heartbroken boys shifts quickly among genres...moving into territory more often claimed by high fantasy quests, heroic epics, wilderness adventures, and even mysteries. The incorporation of these familiar tropes give the book broad and fascinating appeal, and those that trust Early—and Vanderpool—to lead them through the treacherous woods will be pondering and debating the surreal experience for some time to come."

The Horn Book, March/April 2013:
"While the writing is as minutely observant as it was in the author’s Newbery-winning debut, Moon over Manifest, this book has a stronger trajectory, developed by the classic quest structure that emerges when Vanderpool sends the boys into the Maine wilderness."

About the Author

CLARE VANDERPOOL's debut novel, Moon Over Manifest, won the 2011 Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to children's literature. This second novel will continue to astound readers with Clare's incredible writing prowess.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The first time you see the ocean is supposed to be either exhilarating or terrifying. I wish I could say it was one of those for me. I just threw up, right there on the rocky shore.

We'd flown to Maine a few hours earlier on a military cargo plane. The big beast lurched and rattled the whole way while my father read over some manuals on naval preparedness and coastal fortification. I felt queasy before boarding the plane, was nauseous by the time we were over Missouri, and clutched the barf bag over most of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The captain--my father, that is, not the pilot--didn't say anything, but I knew he had to be thinking his son would never make it in the navy with such motion sickness. Besides, my green face wouldn't go well against a smart navy uniform. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, still not used to being around him.

I was nine when he left, and he'd been gone for four years in the European Theater. When I was younger, I thought that was a place where they showed movies. But from what he said, and more from what he didn't say, there was nothing make-believe about it.

Last spring, the war in Europe started winding down, and my mom and I were looking forward to my dad's homecoming. We'd have our own welcome-home parade, with streamers and cowbells and homemade ice cream. I could imagine my father in his crisp blue uniform, with all his medals for bravery pinned above his breast pocket. He would plant a kiss on my mom's cheek and he'd ruffle my hair like he always used to.

But when my father came back to Kansas, it wasn't for a parade. It was for a funeral. My mom's. It was a misty day in July. Mom would have liked that. She always said that for her frizzy hair, a steady drizzle was the next best thing to a permanent wave.

So, long story short, there was no ice cream. My mom wasn't there for him to kiss. I wasn't nine anymore, so he didn't ruffle my hair. And from the start, we seemed less like father and son and more like two strangers living in the same house.

I guess that shouldn't have been a surprise, though. When he'd left I was a kid reading superhero comic books on the living room floor, waiting for my mom to call me to wash up for supper. When he came back, I was a thirteen-year-old boy with no mom and a dad I barely knew. And I didn't believe in superheroes anymore.

Anyway, that was how I ended up in a cargo plane heading to Cape Fealty, Maine, and Morton Hill Academy. It was the nearest boys' boarding school to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where my father was stationed.

After a bumpy landing, a military jeep drove us to the school. As we approached Morton Hill Academy, I read the words etched into the arched stone entryway. It was the Marine Corps' motto: Semper Fidelis--"Always Faithful."

We passed through and arrived at the dormitory. Arrangements had been made with Mr. Conrady, the headmaster, to get me enrolled at this late date in August, and for that I should have been grateful. But right then, the only thing I was grateful for was that I would soon be out of that jeep and standing on solid ground.

Headmaster Conrady greeted my father by his first name and shook my hand so firmly I winced. He led us on a sweeping tour of the campus. Morton Hill Academy was a prep school for boys established in 1870, but from the names of buildings and fields he mentioned, I thought it must have been a military school. He pointed out the two classroom buildings, Lexington Hall and Concord Hall. Lexington was the upper school, for ninth through twelfth grades, and Concord was for sixth, seventh, and eighth. He showed us the dormitories: Fort O'Brien for the high school boys, so named for the fort built near the site of the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War. Camp Keyes, for the younger boys, was where I would be stationed--I mean staying. Pershing Field and Flanders Field House, the former named for a general and the latter for a battlefield in World War I, were the athletic field and gymnasium, perched at the top of a hill overlooking the ocean.

The newest buildings were the Normandy Greenhouse and Dunkirk Commons, aka the mess hall. When Headmaster Conrady pointed out the white clapboard chapel, I wondered whether there might be at least one structure with a softer name, like Church of the Good Shepherd or Chapel of the Non-Weapon-Bearing Angels. No such luck. Armistice Chapel was a place of peace, but only if you signed the treaty and sat at attention.

The remaining building from the original 1870 campus--and the only structure that had escaped the onslaught of military names--was the boathouse, affectionately called the Nook.

When Headmaster Conrady prepared to leave us at the dormitory, he had a few words in private with my father. I gathered from the look on his face and the occasional glance at me that he was expressing his condolences for the loss of the captain's wife and offering words of assurance that the school would provide a healthy environment for his queasy son.

In a louder voice meant for me to hear, Headmaster Conrady said, "We'll take good care of him. He'll be a new man when you come back for the Fall Regatta."

I didn't know what the Fall Regatta was. It sounded like a dance, although at an all-boys school I didn't know who we'd be dancing with.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yearling; Reissue edition (December 23, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0307930653
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0307930651
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 790L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 6
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.14 x 0.83 x 7.64 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #116,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #165 in Children's 1900s American Historical Fiction
- #593 in Children's New Experiences Books
- #3,884 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 840 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Clare Vanderpool

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Clare Vanderpool is the author of Newbery Medal winner "Moon Over Manifest" and Printz Honor book "Navigating Early. She has lived in one zip code but has traveled through many others. As a kid she went on summer trips with her family in a Holiday Rambler travel trailer, touring every state in the continental U.S. On these trips Clare heeded her mother's advice to, "Look up!" and "Pay attention." Being a lifelong observer has provided much of the inspiration for voice, place, and characters in her books. She still lives in she same Kansas zip code with her husband and their four children. To learn more log onto www.clarevanderpool.com.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

840 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Heidi Grange

An amazing beautiful touching story.

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2013

Verified Purchase

I'm still thinking about this book and how it touched me in so many ways. Vanderpool seems to have gift for writing characters that I can really relate to even though my experiences are so different than those of her characters.

The main character, Jack, finds himself in a completely new environment without any family members to help him adjust to his new circumstances. The death of his mother and his father's seeming coldness have left Jack adrift with no idea where to turn for help. When he meets Early he isn't sure what to make of the boy who seems so sure of everything even when others disagree with him. He realizes very quickly that Early doesn't see the world the same way everyone else does and it confuses him, but at the same time it draws him in. When his father doesn't show up for a planned get together, Jack agrees to go with Early on a quest to find the Great Appalachian Bear. But what is Early really looking for? And can they find it before disaster strikes?

Strengths: The characters in this book feel so real that at times my heart ached for the sorrows that they are struggling with. And every character is struggling with a sorrow of some kind, even Early. And yet the way the story that Early tells of Pi and his and Jack's own journey have many parallels as they search for a way to 'right their boats' so to speak. The themes of this book are powerful ones. The themes include the power of belief, persistence, and compassion, the consequences of actions and the struggle to deal with them. But the most powerful theme is the theme of being lost and needing time to find oneself again amidst the sorrows of life. The writing is beautiful and suits the story perfectly. The setting is presented strongly but doesn't overwhelm the story, providing just the right backdrop for Jack's and Early's journey.

Weaknesses: The only weakness that I saw here was that the story wasn't completely believable, a lot of strange things happen to the two boys. But the story is compelling enough that I could overlook this.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

T. Crawford

Great easy read-good story!

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2013

Verified Purchase

I really liked this book! Clare Vanderpool hit a grand slam with this offering. I hope she continues to write. She certainly has a way of gaining your attention and smoothly weaving a wonderful tale together. This originally got my attention by its name. It came up on the amazon website. I started reading reviews and realized it may have a lot of my interests at heart. The words "navigating, great bear, pirates, stars, and pi" caught my attention like a laser. I do have a family background of seafaring ( my father used to navigate by the stars) and the interest I have in astronomy puts the "great bear" in a spotlight. As an child I loved math and science so "pi" has a special significance to me. So when I started to read this and was told it was a child's book, I felt a little embarrassed to say I love it. But I do, so maybe I'm an old kid at heart. C. Vanderpool's story looks back into a the past with pi's ( a person) story of trying to find his way back from being lost. She frequently stitches the story back to the present and well.... I recommend highly reading it. I just don't want to say more. It was a pleasure to read and I would recommend young and old read it for yourself. One review talked of a small criticism being it was too much like her earlier work, " Moon Over Manifest". I'll let you know. I'm reading it now. So far, I love it. This woman has the gift of telling a tale that keeps you involved from start to finish with a very pleasant way of letting you escape from the everyday world we live in and travel back in time to fictional places and people. But some of it is based in reality. In fact, in the afterwards, she has a section that questions and answers what is real and what is not. In "Navigating Early", you get a feel for what it may have been like to live in a time of great war, the scars it leaves and the hopes it instills in us. In "Moon over Manifest" one senses the way it may have felt to live through a depression, the sense of wanting and the lack of modern convenience. I wish there were more I could say about it but I will just say try it for yourself. What do you think? Would "Navigating Early" make a great movie? Time may tell....

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

drinking tea with mittens on

it's probably me

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2020

Verified Purchase

it's probably me but while the plot was intriguing, i found myself really not investing in the characters. it seemed to me more attention was spent on plot line and detail and not so much on details that would enhance one's sense of empathy. but that said, it's well written and if you like adventure stories, this is a great adventure with some fine lessons thrown in. reading the book i realized that i have never been that drawn to adventure stories as much as to stories with human interest. still, i enjoyed the book enough to not only keep my own copy but to have one sent to a family with 3 kids locked down during the pandemic. these kids (6, 8, and 10) loved the book.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

Read this book

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2023

Verified Purchase

I loved this book, wonderfully written, a great story, I'm so glad I found it on Kindle. You will not be disappointed!!

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Hayra M.

MUITO PERFEITO!!

Reviewed in Brazil on May 21, 2021

Verified Purchase

Esse livro é tão lindo!! Meu Deus, eu nunca achei que fosse maravilhoso assim. Imaginava a capa preta, lisa. Como estava enganada!!!

2 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

Amazon Customer

One Star

Reviewed in India on April 8, 2017

Verified Purchase

Received a fake copy... I am returning it...

One person found this helpful

Froschkönigin

Ein ganz ungewöhnliches Buch

Reviewed in Germany on May 30, 2016

Verified Purchase

Nach dem plötzlichen Tod seiner Mutter wird John Baker, genannt Jack, von seinem Vater in ein Jungeninternat im fernen Maine geschickt. Der Junge aus Kansas versucht zwar, Freunde zu finden, richtig scheint er aber nicht zu seinen neuen Mitschülern zu passen. Aber da ist auch noch Early Auden, "der seltsamste aller Jungen". Early genießt an der Schule eine Art Narrenfreiheit: zum Unterricht erscheint er nur, wenn er will (was meistens nicht der Fall ist), und er lebt in einem separaten ehemaligen Geräteraum im Keller, den er sich zu einer Mischung aus Forschungslabor und Bootswerkstatt eingerichtet hat. Early liebt Zahlen und ist felsenfest davon überzeugt, dass alle seine Theorien richtig sind. Zum Beispiel die, dass sein älterer Bruder Fisher, eine Schullegende, noch am Leben ist. Gemeinsam machen sich Early und Jack per Ruderboot auf in die Wildnis der Appalachen, um Fisher und noch einiges mehr zu finden.
Viele YA-Romane haben Internate zum Schauplatz, und noch viele mehr handeln von Außenseitern. Es gibt aber so vieles in Clare Vanderpools Geschichte, was sie von anderen Büchern für die Zielgruppe "young adult" (was meistens auch immer heißt: für jeden jung gebliebenen Erwachsenen) unterscheidet.
Da ist zunächst einmal die zeitliche Einbettung. Der Roman spielt kurz vor Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs; Earlies Bruder ist an der Invasion in der Normandie beteiligt gewesen und, da man seine Identifikationsmarken gefunden hat, als gefallen gemeldet worden. Von den Kriegsereignissen erfährt der Leser ansonsten nicht viel, insofern hätte auch der Vietnam-Krieg oder Irak-Krieg den Hintergrund bilden können - es geht hier vor allem um den militärischen Hintergrund, der den einen Jungen seinen Bruder verlieren, den anderen Jungen (Jack) den Vater als emotional distanzierten Befehle-Erteiler erleben lässt. Die größere zeitliche Distanz zur Gegenwart erlaubt der Autorin aber auch einen Schreibstil, der bisweilen altmodisch anmutet und an Jugendbücher längst vergangener Tage erinnert. Auch die beiden Protagonisten sind anders, als es Dreizehnjährige heutzutage wohl sind: noch jungenhafter, noch nicht an Sex interessiert, an Autoritäten ausgerichtet und auch ein bisschen schwärmerisch. Vor diesem Hintergrund lässt sich ein Abenteuerroman schreiben, für den es in der heutigen Zeit vermutlich an Möglichkeiten fehlen würde. Hinzu kommen märchenhafte Züge, die mit der ganz und gar ungewöhnlichen Figur des Early Auden zu tun haben - der der eigentliche Protagonist dieser Geschichte ist, auch wenn sie aus Jack's Perpektive erzählt wird.
Early ist ein bisschen, oder mehr als ein bisschen, autistisch, aber nicht in dem Sinne, dass ihm der Kontakt zu seinen Mitmenschen unmöglich wäre. Im Gegenteil: dieser seltsamste aller Jungen ist nicht nur ein Zahlengenie, sondern auch eine empathische und verlässliche Seele und ein guter Freund. Zahlen sind für Early nicht nur mathematische Entitäten, sie haben ihrerseits eine Seele, einen Charakater, eine Farbe neben ihrer Form, ihr Vorkommen und ihre Anordnung erzählen für Early in seinem Kosmos eine Geschichte, und insbesondere tut das diese eigenartige, niemals endende, sich in der Anordnung ihrer endlosen Bestandteile nach dem Komma niemals wiederholende Zahl Pi. Early liest in den Nachkomma-Stellen wie eine Hellseherin in einer Glaskugel und erzählt seinem Freund im Stile eines uralten und universellen Märchens die Geschichte von Pi. In personifizierter Form ist Pi ein Junge, der sich auf eine Abenteuerreise begeben muss, um sich seinen Namen zu verdienen (Polaris, der Nordstern). Das Abenteuer, das Early und Jack zu bestehen haben, folgt in allen Zügen dieser Geschichte.

Man muss sich schon auf den ungewöhnlichen Erzählstil, der diesem Buch zugrundeliegt, einstellen, vielleicht auch Märchen und Überlieferungen mögen, um Freude an diesem Roman zu haben. Was man allerdings nicht braucht, ist eine Affinität zu Zahlen und zur Mathematik. Im Gegenteil, die Personifizierung einer mathematischen Einheit ist wohl eher etwas für Menschen, die sich im Mathe-Unterricht gewünscht haben, sie würden etwas, aber auch nur irgendetwas, anfangen können mit dem, was da vorne an der Tafel vor sich ging.

Translate review to English

Sol

Pi

Reviewed in Spain on November 1, 2015

Verified Purchase

Para Early los decimales de Pi son algo más que números, tienen colores y cuentan una historia ligada a la realidad. Por desgracia, en un punto de esa historia, Pi se pierde, al igual que su equivalente real. Jack y Early siguen su pista a través de la senda de los Apalaches. En su aventura se enfrentaran a la lluvia, a las corrientes del río, a los piratas, a serpientes venenosas, a un oso gigante y hallarán a una anciana aferrada a la vida gracias a la esperanza.
Clare Vanderpool sabe narrar sus historias y leerla es un placer de lo más entretenido.

Translate review to English

ageofextremes

2作目も期待にたがわず

Reviewed in Japan on February 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

処女作の『Moon Over Manifest』がデビュー作にしてニューベリー賞を受賞したクレア・ヴァンダープールの2作目、2013年の作品です。

ときは1945年頃。　主人公（のひとり）、ジャック・ベイカーは母と二人、故郷のカンザスで、軍人である父親が戦場から戻ってくるのを待っていました。　しかし、父は「凱旋」ではなく、「母の死」によって帰郷することになってしまったのでした。　母の死後、13歳になったジャックは、父親によって、東部メイン州にあるモートン・ヒル・アカデミーという寄宿学校に入れられます。　ここでジャックはかなり変わった同級生（that strangest of boys）、アーリー・オーデンと出会うのでした。　本作はジャックとアーリーふたりを主人公とする物語です。

母親の死や居住環境・生活環境の変化の中で、ジャックはアーリーに強く惹かれるようになります。　色々な意味で風変わりなアーリーをとりわけ特異たらしめていたのは、（数学の）「パイ」に関するオブセッションでした。　本作では、ジャックやアーリーの話が展開される一方、作中作という形で（擬人化された）「パイ」の物語が平行して語られます。

秋の休暇中のこと。　心待ちにしていた父親の訪問が突然キャンセルになってしまったジャックは、アーリーと一緒に川をボートで遡る旅にでます。　旅の途中、ジャックとアーリーが遭遇する現実の出来事は、いつの間にか、同時並行で語られていた「パイ」の物語と混じり合いはじめます。　ジャックとアーリーは旅を通じて友情を固め、互いをより信頼しあうようになり、学校の石碑にあるモットー「Semper Fidelis」を噛みしめます。　そして小説の終盤、主人公のふたりに訪れるカタルシスは、同時に、読者である我々のカタルシスともなり物語は幕を閉じます。

小説全体のストーリー進行は、ある意味前作（『Moon Over Manifest』）と似ています。　かなり大雑把にいえば、若い主人公が自己の人生において何かを喪失した後、様々な経験を経て、より充実した人生を生きる、といったものです。　また、小説構造もある意味前作と似ています。『Moon Over Manifest』では主人公であるAbileneが生きる現実（現在）とMiss Sadieが語る過去とが絡み合っていくという構造になっています。　他方、本作では、ジャックとアーリーというふたりの主人公が生きる現実と、アーリーのオブセッションの対象である「パイ」を擬人化した空想的なストーリーが同時並行で進みながら、いつしか、空想的な「パイ」の物語がジャックとアーリーの現実と絡みあい・重なり合っていく、という構造になっています。　前作の「現在と過去」に相当するのが本作の「現実と空想」です。

では、同じようなストーリー進行や小説構造だからといって、つまらないか、と問われれば、全くそんなことはありません。最初の方でこそ、途中途中に挿入される「パイ」の物語に戸惑いましたが、著者のマジックによって、現実と空想が絶妙にブレンドされていく後半以降、それこそ川をスムーズにボートで下るように一気に最終ページまで運ばれていきました。　もちろん、魅力的なキャラクター造形も見逃せません。　さらには前作同様、タイトルにも著者のたくらみが隠されています。

お勧めです。

3 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

See more reviews

Return this item for free

Return this item for free

Follow the author

Image Unavailable