When I was discussing about favourite books with one of my bookish friends a few years back, my friend told me that Norton Juster’s ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ was one of her top-five alltime favourite books. I had never heard of the book or Norton Juster before and I wondered what this book was about. I couldn’t get the book then, but recently while I was looking for something else online, this book popped up and I thought it was time to get it. Here is what I think..
‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ is about a boy named Milo, who is not interested in anything – he finds that most of the things taught in school don’t seem to have any purpose and are not exciting and life is not exciting in general. One day when he comes back home, he discovers a big package in his room. He opens it and finds a tollbooth in it with instructions on how to fit it and use it. He fits it and then takes his small car – the toy version that children drive inside the house – and pays the toll and drives past the tollbooth as instructed. He suddenly discovers that he is no longer in his home but is out on the road and there are trees on both sides of the road. The journey takes him to strange lands, he makes friends with a dog called Tock, a bug called Humbug, enters a city called Dictionopolis and meets the king and his ministers, learns about the kingdom of wisdom, discovers that things are not what they used to be because the princesses Rhyme and Reason are no longer there and with the king’s blessings, Milo and his friends Tock and Humbug have many adventures and try to rescue the princesses. Whether they succeed in their mission forms the rest of the story.
I loved ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’. The story is interesting, the wordplay is wonderful, the commentary it offers on the human condition is very insightful, the characters are likeable and the ending is perfect. The book pays homage to the masters – to Lewis Carroll and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with its wordplay, especially in dialogues like this – “being lost is never a matter of not knowing where you are; it’s a matter of not knowing where you aren’t – and I don’t care at all about where I’m not”, to C.S.Lewis’ ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ by showing how opening the door of a closet (in this case how crossing a playful tollbooth) can lead you to a totally different and fascinating world, to George Gamov’s works with its references to the highest number (being three, according to the Hottentots, which is described in Gamov’s ‘One, Two, Three…Infinity’) and to the ladder of infinity and to Russell’s paradox which Milo uses to solve a problem and get ahead in his plan the rescue the princesses. There was even a passage which talked about asking the right question – “That may be true (that it is absurd), but it’s completely accurate, and as long as the answer is right, who cares if the question is wrong? If you want sense, you’ll have to make it yourself.” It made me wonder whether Douglas Adams got inspired by that sentence when he wrote that scene in ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ about the answer to life, the universe and everything.
Two of my favourite scenes in the story were the one in which the conductor conducts a symphony in the morning for the sun to rise and and the one in which the soundkeeper describes different kinds of sounds and how they are initially produced and then collected and categorized. I loved the character of the soundkeeper.
‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ is a story that can be read by children of all ages, whether one is eight or eighty. When I was halfway through the book, I thought that I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it as a child, but now after having finished it, I think that though I would have enjoyed the story and the wordplay as a child, I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate some of the above references and the depth of some of the insights as much. I think readers of different ages will enjoy the book in different ways.
The edition of the book I read had an introduction by Diana Wynne Jones which is quite interesting to read (she takes potshots at the way maths is taught at school which made me smile) and a note by the author at the end in which he talks about how he got to writing the book, which is quite fascinating.
I read this about Haruki Murakami somewhere – “Critics have variously likened him to Raymond Carver, Raymond Chandler, Arthur C. Clarke, Don DeLillo, Philip K. Dick, Bret Easton Ellis and Thomas Pynchon – a roster so ill assorted as to suggest Murakami is in fact an original.” I think we can say something similar about Norton Juster. He is unique and so is this book. I know now why my friend loved this book. It is sad that Juster didn’t write a sequel to it or another book set in the same universe.
I am pretty sure that I will read ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ again one of these days. I will leave you with some of my favourite passages from the book.
The Different Kinds of Sound
“She was generous to a fault and provided us with all the sound we could possibly use : for singing as we worked, for bubbling pots of stew; for the chop of an axe and the crash of a tree, for the creak of a hinge and the hoot of an owl, for the squish of a shoe in the mud and the friendly tapping of rain on the roof, and for the sweet music of pipes and the sharp snap of winter ice cracking on the ground.”
The Different Kinds of Silence
“Why, did you know that there are almost as many kinds of stillness as there are sounds? But, sadly enough, no one pays any attention to them these days. Have you ever heard the wonderful silence just before the dawn? Or the quiet and calm just as a storm ends? Or perhaps you know the silence when you haven’t the answer to a question you’ve been asked, or the hush of a country road at night, or the expectant pause in a roomful of people when someone is just about to speak, or, most beautiful of all, the moment after the door closes and you’re all alone in the whole house? Each one is different, you know, and all very beautiful, if you listen carefully.”
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare”
“Many years ago, on this very spot, there was a beautiful city of fine houses and inviting spaces, and no one who lived here was ever in a hurry. The streets were full of wonderful things to see and the people would often stop to look at them.”
“Didn’t they have anywhere to go?” asked Milo.
“To be sure,” continued Alec. “But, as you know, the most important reason for going from one place to another is to see what’s in between, and they took great pleasure in doing just that. Then one day someone discovered that if you walked as fast as possible and looked at nothing but your shoes, you would arrive at your destination much more quickly. Soon everyone was doing it. They all rushed down the avenues and hurried along the boulevards seeing nothing of the wonders and beauties of their city as they went.”
Milo remembered the many times he’d done the very same thing; and, as hard as he tried, there were even things on his own street that he couldn’t remember.
“No one paid any attention to how things looked, and as they moved faster and faster everything grew uglier and dirtier, and as everything grew uglier and dirtier they moved faster and faster, and at last a very strange thing began to happen. Because nobody cared, the city slowly began to disappear. Day by day the buildings grew fainter and fainter, and the streets faded away, until at last it was entirely invisible. There was nothing to see at all.”
Have you read Norton Juster’s ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’? What do you think about it?
Awww, those passages were beautiful <3. I most particularly liked the second one.
I haven't read this book, but some of the things you mentioned in your review made me think of Maurice Maeterlinck's "The Blue Bird".
Glad to know that you liked the quotes, Marta. That passage on different kinds of silence is so beautiful, isn’t it?
Thanks for telling me about Maurice Maeterlinck’s ‘The Blue Bird’. It looks quite fascinating. I will add it to my ‘To be read’ list.
Great review, Vishy, this looks like quite an adventure. I like the passages you have quoted and had to smile at Humbug (a nod to Dickens perhaps?).
We don’t have time to sit and stare, that’s true and sad, but I think if we don’t make time our soul will disappear just like the cities and all we’ll have left would be a body running on autopilot. This reminds me of a quote by Charles Bukowski:
“This is very important — to take leisure time. Pace is the essence. Without stopping entirely and doing nothing at all for great periods, you’re gonna lose everything…just to do nothing at all, very, very important. And how many people do this in modern society? Very few. That’s why they’re all totally mad, frustrated, angry and hateful.”
Thanks Delia. Yes, ‘Humbug’ definitely looks like a nod to Dickens 🙂 Nice to know that you liked that passage and that title. I agree with you – we have to make time to stand and stare and enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the world. Thanks for sharing that quote by Charles Bukowski. It is very thought provoking.
I’ve never heard of this book or the author, but i absolutely loved those quotes! And I liked what you said about being suitable for all ages – it’s a clever author who can achieve that and I can see from the quotes and your comments that this one does…Thanks for another interesting review, Vishy – you always manage to pick books that are a little off the beaten track! 🙂
Glad to know that you liked the review and the quotes, FictionFan. I really loved the book and the characters in it.
Oh, I recognise that refrain immediately, one of my favourite poems by W.H.Davies, here is the rest of it:
Leisure
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
William Henry Davies
Glad to know that that Davies’ poem is one of your favourites, Claire. Thanks for sharing the complete poem. It is so beautiful and makes us think.
This is one of my favorite books ever! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I can’t wait to read it with David.
Wonderful to know that this is one of your favourite books, Lindsey. Hope you enjoy re-reading it with David. I will look forward to hearing both your thoughts. Happy reading!
I know I need to read this one day, it seems practically a classic and I wonder why I never came across it when I was younger. From what you’ve written about it definitely seems best read as an adult, even if it is for children. Though that’s something really appealing, that it’s long-lasting and there are different elements to enjoy as you get older.
I hope you get to read this book and like it, Charlie. It is really wonderful – the wordplay is beautiful, the story is fast-paced and the characters are adorable. I would love to hear your thoughts, if you get to read it.
I was so happy to see that you enjoyed this book. It seems that many people have missed it over the years. I didn’t know about it myself until I was studying children’s literature in my library classes. I read it then as an adult and enjoyed it very much.
I also really appreciated Marta’s reference to Maurice Maeterlinck’s ‘The Blue Bird’. That was a book that I became acquainted to some years not so far back…I had come across another reference to it and was curious to explore it. Definitely a gem! It feels very old fashioned in that it seems stylized to me. A rare treat.
There is such delight in reading children’s books as an adult. I think that many adult books forgot about having fun and so we revert to children’s books to see it though our adult eyes, and as former children!
Thanks Heidi! I really loved this book. It is a really less known gem and because Norton Juster hasn’t written many books, many readers don’t seem to have read it. But I am glad that I discovered it. Interesting to know that you also read it as an adult.
Nice to know that you liked that Maurice Maeterlinck reference. I would love to read ‘The Blue Bird’ some day.
I liked very much what you said about adult books forgetting to have fun and how we revert to children’s books to experience that. I totally agree with you 🙂
This sounds lovely as well. I like those children’s books best that have many layers, one that speaks to children and adults, and one that reveals it’s meaning later in life. It sounds like this is exactly a book like that.
I enjoyed the quotes as well. Especially the last.
I think you have described it perfectly, Caroline. This is definitely a book which has many layers and so it appeals to both children and adults. I hope you get to read it sometime. Happy reading!
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I’ve seen this book in the library so many times. Based on your review, I am gonna pick it up. Thanks for the great review 🙂
Hope you enjoy reading it, Nish. I will look forward to hearing your thoughts on it. Happy reading 🙂
[…] The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster – I have been trying to get this book for years after one of my friends highly recommended it. Finally got it and read it and loved it. I wish I had read it when I was a child – I would have loved it more. […]
I agree. This is the type of book I was sad when it ended, and I would’ve liked a sequel or another one in the same universe too.
A sequel would have been wonderful, isn’t it?