Member Since:
Dec. 16, 2011
BARRY JACOBS
Smashwords book reviews by BARRY JACOBS
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The Travels of Tuckmouse
on March 11, 2012
(no rating)
Barry Jacobs See my smashwords for review
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The Travels of Tuckmouse
on March 12, 2012
Tobey Tuckmouse is a shopkeeper and postal agent at Bluebell Rise in the countryside,where he lives the quiet regulated and uneventful life of a country gentleman(mouse).That is,- until his brother in law Tewfik Templemouse is murdered, and unable to return the "Eye Of Horus"to the temple of Isis. The virtues of duty, honour,loyalty and care are elements of a gentleman-mouse,and Tobey succumbs to the entreaties of his sister. He will return the Eye to the temple.He sets off alone, until he discovers his nephew as a stowaway. Along the way the two of them are involved in many adventures, cosequently the storey never flags due to new twists in events; from kidnapping ,to rat gangs, attempted murder,royal intrigue, escapades in the desert, and a cobra that must be fed. These adventures occur against the backdrop of that peaceful comfortable world of "cosy parlours;" "snug beds;" --and choice of tea,--"Indian or China"? That era in which childrens storey-book heroes such as William or Biggles would feel at home. The storey is written in an easy flowing style in language which is simple clear and direct.It is also instructive, with many snippets of information; eg. "The Warrior"- the first iron clad battleship in the British Navy; or about sand vipers who hide in the desert sand to await their prey. More importantly it holds the readers attention without resorting to fanciful scenes, with frenzied activity or the curses presently in vogue. Problems are solved in a direct sensible and practical manner which will not leave young readers having nightmares for want of a satisfactory solution; or about snakes in the dark.Sober sensible Tobey finds a sensible answer.In fact in his way Tobey becomes a down-to- earth,unappreciated 007. The author has created for us a substratum world of small engaging creatures where mouse society flourishes with its postal-;railway-;curator-;political-, and so forth, mice. They parallel and mirror their human counterparts so that mouse life and animal events have an allegorical reflection on human behaviour. Farouk Pasha a political mouse and in opposition to the ruling mouse clan that guard the temple ,nevertheless tries to keep in with all sides as well as plotting with the rats. And Rasool,a bad rat who foreswears his active part in crime, and then becomes famouse as the banker who introduces the profitable "Miscellaneous Charges" in banking. This is a book which children and adults will both find exciting ,instructive and amusing. Each chapter is fresh and holds new developments which are bound to make you follow on to the next one to satisfy your curiosity. Barry Jacobs.