Virginia Hamilton. The Mystery of Drear House. Greenwillow Books, 1987. 217pp
In concluding her series of stories about the Small family, Virginia Hamilton compliments the original plot perfectly in The Mystery of Drear House. The books dark secrets begin to slowly unveil and are brought to end with a surprising friendship.
The book is again set around the house of Dies Eddington Drear, in a current year. The surrounding property and underground tunnels on premises play major roles in defining the plot and motive for the characters bizarre actions.
The main character in the book was Thomas small; he is a young boy about 12 years old. He is shy and timid but is very mature for his age. He sees things for how they should be, and he often gives too much due to his kind-hearted nature. Thomas best friend is Pesty Darrow a girl his age who lives on the property that borders theirs. The Darrows are a feuding family and believe that there is gold buried on the Small’s land. They feel that it should belong to them and pull many risky stunts to try and find it. Mrs. Darrow is Pestys mother and the key to many secrets of the house and the tunnels that were once apart of the Underground Railroad. Due to her mental illness, she cannot speak and remember things clearly. Thomas’s father has known the location of the gold, and being the good man that he is, arranges for the Darrows to find it. He did this so they could live next to each other without feuding.
I believe Hamilton was trying to show that stubborn people with different ideas can over come one another’s differences. She shows how kindness and letting someone know that your care, and to be able to let the past go can bring even the worst of enemies together.
The book in itself was excellent; I thought it explained and answered many questions and brought the story to a sufficient close. I almost wish it wouldn’t have, the mysteries of the house were quite interesting especially with the relevance to the Underground Railroad and the true history behind it, which she incorporated into the plot.
...was outstanding. She gives great insight to the horrors and the suffering and allows the reader to be placed into the same place with a large understanding of the emotions that took place. The only thing to complain about is the prolonging amount of detail on the dates and statistics. It’s hard to follow and difficult for one to pay attention and that’s where it became mundane. I can definitely confirm that it was worth the purchase and the time spent into the read. I could honestly say that I’ve already recommended it to others, and I will continue to do so. The people I’d recommend it to though is people interested in the subject and overly eager to learn about new things as opposed to my buddies.
The book was very inspiring and I think it covered a lot of great information. Something that Joanne Crutchfield managed to do very well was paint vivid pictures with her words. Everything was so detailed and descriptive, I was really drawn in by that. The use of imagery made the topics more relatable in a sense. I also liked how the book touched on the topic of mental health. Mental health issues affect everyone however, in the black community those health issues go unnoticed or unattended to. The Author shared her story of depression and how she dealt with it. I thought that aspect of the memoir was great, I think that it was wonderful that she shed a light on mental health. On the other hand the book was a little difficult to follow with the way the chapters were set up. Other than that I thought the book was good and I really
The main character, Tom Tin, faces hardships and struggles many fourteen year olds do not have to face so early on. His father has mistakenly got himself into trouble and it is up to Tom to save his father and help make his family’s future bright again. Tom has good intentions throughout the novel, but he gets himself into trouble. He turns out to be an unlikely hero after pushing through his doubts and finally triumphing over his mistakes along his journey.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and believe it to be one of the best books I have ever read. It was extremely well written and challenging for me to understand at times. It conveys that dark side of human ambition very well, and it has given me much to think about.
My overall opinion of this book is good I really liked it and recommend it to anyone. It is a good book to read and it keep you interested throughout the whole book.
I liked this book only a little but not that much because it showed only a little bit about where she hid. I think the book needs more details about what she did in school because it only talked a little
Did you like the book? would you recommend this book to others? Why or why
As an orphan, he worked as clerk, a position that enabled him to master several business skills that he would later use to transform America’s finances in the midst of a brutal war. When his native island was devastated by a hurricane, Hamilton “penned his way out of absolute poverty” by capturing a profound description of the event that the local merchants fundraised for his schooling at the King’s College. In the Musical, the narrator wonders how an orphan who grew up in squalor could become a hero and a prominent scholar. This crucial question is answered by Hamilton himself when he tells his future wife “All I have’s my honor, a tolerance for pain…and my top-notch brain.” (III,
I liked that this book told the classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel from the witch’s point of view. I liked how the author gave insight into the witch’s past which helped to justify the witch’s actions.
Overall, this was a great book because I finished it in two days. It was filled with suspense, action, valuable themes, and it made me feel a wide variety of emotions. The book explored the value of family, the corruption of government, and the fundamental question of “Should one follow the order if it’s immoral to one?”
Evaluation: I thought the book was very exciting and suspenseful like her other books. The book had very good detail and an interesting plot. I liked the twist when Juan and the girl’s father came upon Glenn walking down the road. I also liked how the author described the action in great detail. It made me feel like I was right there seeing it all happen firsthand. I don’t think that the author could’ve made this book any better than she did already.
I really enjoyed this book. I have read it now 3 times and I think I get a different concept from it every time I read it. She was judged by what people saw on the outside rather than what was on the inside. I think that you actually have to get to know someone before you can judge them. I would highly recommend this book, but I think the older you are you will get more out of the book.
The setting for this novel was a constantly shifting one. Taking place during what seems to be the Late Industrial Revolution and the high of the British Empire, the era is portrayed amongst influential Englishmen, the value of the pound, the presence of steamers, railroads, ferries, and a European globe.
The book and the movie were both very good. The book took time to explain things like setting, people’s emotions, people’s traits, and important background information. There was no time for these explanations the movie. The book, however, had parts in the beginning where some readers could become flustered.
The setting is in a gothic manor, Lorraine castle in which a young duke has already died. This has already created a feeling of mystery and suspense and in contrast H.G. Wells is joined by an elderly couple who add suspense, "eight and twenty years you have lived, yet never seen the likes of this house", thus giving the impression that the house is old and decaying and also reflects the age of the couple.