The Phantom Tollbooth

The Phantom Tollbooth is a fable in every chapter, clever wit in every paragraph, and careful thought in every sentence. It is both a treatise on critical thinking and a tender story of a young boy’s adventure. It is just as much an epic struggle between Wisdom and Ignorance as it is a playful comedy. Its excellence is a testament to the fruits of curious wonder and deep wisdom.

Long version: jdaymude.github.io/review/book-the-phantom-tollbooth/

Juster's famous novel is described in the introduction as being about the value of education - I certainly agree with that but I think it is also something a little more specific and personal to Juster; how to view the world. For example the chapters on not looking at one's environment and noise pollution are not really about what one learns in school.

I was recommended the book after I mentioned why I liked Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - wit, puns, word-play. There is much of that to be found here but not a hint of the moral ambiguity that appears in the later Snicket books.

A fun book, though largely preaching to the converted in my case.