There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. From the author of "His Dark Materials" a great diversion from ordinary crime drama. To give just one example - Matthews says that one of the infamous Jack the Ripper letters was signed "Spring-Heeled Jack" and that most experts agree the letter was in fact written by the killer. When I Wear My Mask (Encouraging Children to Protect The Elderly & Prevent Virus Sp... 3 PACK Amazing Animal Puzzle Stickers 1,2 & 3. Spring-Heeled Jack: The name evoked awe from both criminals and upstanding citizens alike. I'm a longtime Spring Heeled Jack enthusiast and I've read most of what's been written about him in fact and fiction over the past 30 years. As they make their way through the treacherous streets of London danger lurks, for hiding in the shadows is Mack the Knife, the most villainous of villains. His unwillingness to make artificial separations between traditional folklore and popular culture allows Spring-Heeled Jack to come vigorously to life.”, John Matthews has made a lifetime study of the legends of King Arthur, the Celtic traditions, and more recently, the history of pirates. Please try again. Some thought he was the devil, but he was actually the original superhero?leaping over the buildings of Victorian England with the help of springs in the heels of his shoes. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. My 10 year old loved reading this, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2017, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2018, Bought as a gift, good condition when received. Oh! The story is simple, three orphans trying to escape from their dodgy wardens and get on a ship to America. Magic. “Probably no one in the world but John Matthews could have written this book. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Imagine a book about the Manson Family in which the author argues that there are clear and important connections between Charles Manson and Charles Darwin, Charlie Brown, and the Emperor Charlemagne. Pictures are a lovely addition, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2019, Worth the read. Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2017, Interesting book, writing style a little bland, Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2016. About Spring-Heeled Jack Spring-Heeled Jack: The name evoked awe from both criminals and upstanding citizens alike. They just totally changed Jack's personality! How does a Chinese family prepare for Chinese New Year? Some thought he was the devil, but he was actually the original superhero--leaping over the buildings of Victorian England with the help of springs in the heels of his shoes. Spring-Heeled Jack is worth a look. Spring-Heeled Jack, a paranormal / supernatural creature I had never heard about, or who could be one big, elaborate prank copied time and again – which one is it? Comic book-style illustrations are interspersed throughout. Spring-Heeled Jack (first published in the U.S.A. in 1991) by Whitbread Award-winning author Philip Pullman and illustrated by David Mostyn, tracks the Victorian hero's attempts to save three hapless orphans from the Alderman Cawn-Plaster Memorial orphanage who were travelling alone on the streets of London. Vibrant characterisation. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. I like that some parts of the dialogue are done in comic form, and that there are little funny illustrations on a lot of the pages. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. :), Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2002. I recommend pullman's other novels if you are looking for a good plot and interesting characters! Up on the roof: It's a bird! The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack is a steampunk novel by British writer Mark Hodder, the first novel in the Burton & Swinburne series; it won the 2010 Philip K. Dick Award. He traces Spring-Heeled Jack’s origins to earlier mythical beings from folklore, such as fairy creatures and land spirits, and explores the theory that Jack is an alien marooned on Earth whose leaping prowess is attributed to his home planet having far stronger gravity than ours. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. Some thought he was the devil, but he was actually the original superhero—leaping over the buildings of Victorian England with the help of springs in the heels of his shoes. Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2001, The book was interesting only because of the interesting way that Pullman combines cartoon strips and story plot into one work. You read everything about the cultural anatomy of the legend, its cultural functions and its cultural dynamism. Previous page of related Sponsored Products. Besides you come to know why Spring-Heeled Jack's myth vanished with the rise of Dracula, Sherlock Holmes or Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and of course Jack the Ripper. I thought that was a great idea, and well-executed. But will Jack’s powers be enough to save the orphans? You get suspense, intrigue, real bad guys and good guys and gals who refuse to compromise on their values. PHILIP PULLMAN is one of the most acclaimed and best-selling writers at work today. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, Children's European Historical Fiction (Books), Children's Comics & Graphic Novels (Books), © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Please try again. Please try your request again later. This is not the Spring-Heeled Jack that jumped really high and spat blue flames in England. When I Wear My Mask is a fun and simple book designed to explain Health issues to children in a non-threatening way. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. Anyone named Jack is shoehorned into the story, be they real or fictional, and with complete disregard for historical accuracy. By clicking Sign Up, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Buy 4 PACK Have fun learning multiplication and division with stickers and scratching. John Matthews' new book is a good introduction for those who haven't read Karl Bell's scholarly anthology "The Legend of Spring Heeled Jack" (which I strongly recommend) while we all wait for Mike Dash's much-anticipated and much-delayed work on this subject. Unable to add item to List. He is the author of more than 100 books, including. He is best known for the His Dark Materials trilogy: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass, which has been named one of the top 100 novels of all… More about Philip Pullman, “Hilarious, neatly plotted, and thoroughly appealing.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred “The author and illustrator obviously had great fun with this funny, action-packed send-up, and so will readers.”—School Library Journal, Starred, Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from Penguin Random House, Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network. The plot wasnt all that great. I feel like this character could easily become part of a series, and I hope that Pullman will consider writing more adventures for Spring-Heeled Jack. How frustrating! Please try again. Editor's Picks: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Emily and the Strangers Volume 3: Road to Nowhere Tour, The Wondrous Journals of Dr. Wendell Wellington Wiggins, Click here for Philip Pullman’s printable Author Bio, Discover Book Picks from the CEO of Penguin Random House US. The book focused a lot on the origins of the creature, and on newspaper reports of that time, which I found difficult to focus on. Unable to add item to List. As they make their way through the treacherous streets of London danger lurks, for hiding in the shadows is Mack the Knife, the most villainous of villains. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. The story begins as three young innocents escape their orphanage one dark and stormy night. Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2002. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. It's not a long book at all, but that seems like it would be perfect for young readers. I couldn't even get through it. One, our hero Jack Dacre, afterwards to become the notorious Spring- Heeled Jack; the other, a common sailor, Ned Chump, a man who is destined to play a not unimportant part in this history, even if the part he had already played did not entitle him to mention in our columns. | Middle Grade (8-12) These human-like figures were described as pale; it was believed that they stalked and preyed on lone pedestrians. For the 2020 holiday season, returnable items shipped between October 1 and December 31 can be returned until January 31, 2021. There was a problem loading your book clubs. I had heard of Spring-Heeled Jack before, but I wanted to know more than what a quick Internet search could provide. Please try again later. There's a problem loading this menu right now. | 180 Minutes Excellent story-telling.