A psychological masterpiece illuminating the often terrifying dynamics of the minds of children in a way that I think Lord of the Flies is meant to. But I couldn't read past the first few pages of that one. THIS one grabbed me and kept me hooked right to the bitter inevitable end. Edmund Hooper is 11 years old; he and his father live alone in a big dark house where he feels quite content and settled, until his father hires a housekeeper for the summer. Mrs. Helen Kingshaw is a young widow with a son Edmund's age who is intended to be his companion. Despite the adults' misguided hopes, these two boys are NOT meant for each other. Edmund does not want anything to change--he doesn't mind the lack of a woman in the house, nor does he miss having a friend. "I don't want anything to be done about it, nobody must come here" he often thinks to himself. For his part, Charles Kingshaw is no happier with his new circumstances. He does not want to make himself congenial to Mr. Hooper or to Edmund; he is frightened of many things, not the least of which is revealing his fears to anyone. He had been comfortable at school, though, and simply wishes to be left alone to amuse himself until he can go back there. But he can see that it is no good; his mother and Mr. Hooper blindly insist that the boys are certain to get along and benefit from each other's company. They are the dimmest, most selfish and insensitive of adults. And Edmund is wickedly, cruelly tuned in to Charles's weaknesses. The only option for Charles is to leave when the opportunity presents itself. AND THEN....nope, you'll have to read it for yourself. ( )

Not comfortable with the topic of bullying. ( )

What a really beautifully written book.
But oh, how bleak and depressing and unfortunately, how shocking and true.
Although a young adult book, and indeed a book that really should be read by every boy in their early teens, it is also a story that we only 'get' when viewing from the perspective that life experience and adulthood can allow. ( )

'he could not have imagined the charm it afforded him, having Kingshaw here, thinking of things to do to him',, November 16, 2014

This review is from: I'm the King of the Castle (Kindle Edition)
An absolutely riveting, heart-rending read, that I got through in one afternoon. Totally gets into the mind of young children - the pleasure for the bully and the inescapable torment for the victim - mocked if he is seen to cry, disbelieved by his elders...

When 11 year old Charles Kingshaw and his widowed mother go to live and keep house for wealthy Mr Hooper and his similarly aged son, it seems (to the adults) an ideal arrangement. But young Edmund Hooper's relentless mental bullying of this boy he sees as an intruder is brilliantly depicted.
I started this thinking it was well written but couldn't quite see how it justified being a GCSE text - but as I got further into it, this became very evident. Fantastic read. ( )

I was fortunate to find this old penguin paperback, first published in 1970, at a used bookshop today. Susan Hill's Simon Serrrailler detective series has been very popular, but other than "Woman in Black" it is difficult to find her previous books in North America. When I checked Amazon, I found that Penguin is doing a re-issue of this book in 2010 with an introduction written by Esther Freud.

The book is a classic in England and has provoked much debate. Written in 1969, it is a dark tale of the torments and cruelty of children and you will be reminded of The Lord of the Flies. It has been used as a set book in schools on the GCE . In her afterward to this 1981 publication the author comments:
"It is a novel about cruelty and the power of evil, which can possess even a young child: about a victim and a tormentor. But most of all it is about isolation and the lack of love".
I found the book disturbing and painful but it is a brilliant portrait of the terrors of childhood, the story of a tomentor and his victim. ( )