Montmorency by Eleanor Updale

The Blurb On The Back:

Fleeing across a roof on a dark night in Victorian London, a thief crashes through a glass skylight to almost certain death. But an ambitious young doctor revives and reconstructs his shattered body, proudly showing off his handiwork at the Scientific Society where the city's intelligentsia meet.

It's there that the robber picks up the key to a new existence, and on his release from prison begins to lead a double life. He becomes both the respectable, wealthy Montmorency and his degenerate servant, Scarper - while the police are baffled by a wave of mysterious and seemingly unstopppable thefts ...

Yet Montmorency must be on his guard at every moment. The smallest mistake could reveal his secret and destroy both his lives.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

It’s a very unusual children’s book, but one that’s worth a look. I’d question whether the mature themes and dark subject matter would be appropriate for all children, but Updale is in control of her subject matter and writes with a witty touch.

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

The Blurb On The Back:

There is no descriptive Blurb on the Back, instead we get the following quotes:

“One of the master alchemists of modern American fiction.”
Sunday Times

“Prisoner of war, optometrist, time-traveller – these are the life roles of Billy Pilgrim, hero of this latter-day Pilgrim’s Progress, a miraculously moving, bitter and funny story of innocence faced with apocalypse, in the most original anti-war novel since Catch 22.

An extraordinary success. It is a book we need to read and re-read ... Funny, compassionate and wise.”
New York Times Book Review

“A work of keen literary artistry.”
Joseph Heller

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

One of the classics of 20th century literature, this is a must-read book that's thought-provoking, original and just incredibly well written.