Continuing on in my comfort reading binge, I slipped into juvenile fiction to re-read this John Bellairs book. I loved his books when I was younger -- from the Edward Gorey covers to the creepy mysteries therein I always preferred the Johnny Dixon/Professor Childermass books to the Lewis/Rose Rita/Mrs. Zimmerman books, so how psyched was I to find that one of the books I grabbed last weekend just happened to be the very first Johnny Dixon book??*The Curse of the Blue Figurine tells the story of Johnny, who has just moved to Dunston, Massachusetts to live with his grandparents while his father is fighting in the Korean War. His mother had died a year before. Johnny is a timid, bookish kid, who has a hard time making friends, but becomes close to his neighbor – an older history professor, Professor Childermass. One day, in order avoid the local bully, he slips into the church. There he finds a mysterious statue, which is connected to an evil former priest, which leads to him being haunted, and enchanted, and has to be rescued. Basically, mystery ensues! This is the general gist of these books – either Johnny or the Professor (or later, Johnny’s friend Fergie) find some mysterious evil item, which has usually been cursed by a wannabe sorceror, or wizard or evil inventor, and one of them gets into trouble, and the others get them out, using magic, or the true cross or what have you. A little formulaic, perhaps, but wicked** creepy, and fun to read.Plus, I just figured out that the books are set in Haverhill, Mass., which is right near where I grew up, and where one of my dearest friends lives today. I even worked there one summer! “Dunston” is named after Hannah Dunston who was a (real-life) colonial woman from Haverhill who was kidnapped by the local Native American tribe, but escaped, with a number of scalps in tow (very bloodthirsty tale!). I wish I’d realized it when I was younger, but then, it might just have scared the ever-living daylights out of me, to think that all that evil was so close by! Still, it was cool to realize that I knew some of the landmarks he wrote about – I almost died when he talked about their trip to New Hampshire and to Polly’s Pancake Parlor – one of Jon and my favorite restaurants in the world. So, so, so fun!*It strikes me, all of a sudden that there may also be a third series about a kid named Anthony, who has a friend who is an elderly librarian. I will have to investigate this, and let you all know.**Shut up. I am from Boston, and I say wicked as a modifier. Deal. Plus, it’s particularly appropriate when discussing a series set in Haverhill, Ma!
The first of the Johnny Dixon books is now available on Amazon as an ebook! The only reason to own a paper version is if you can find one with the original Gorey artwork, and I'm sure one day I'll get one. In the mean time, it was nice to reread it. This is actually one of the creepier Bellairs books, and I remember that I don't own an original Gorey copy because when I read my friend Jacob's in elementary school, it badly frightened me. I own originals of all of the other Bellairs books, though.It was interesting reading this on the iPad because the fictional Duston Heights in the book is actually Haverhill Massachusetts, so I could go back and forth between the book and the map, finding the exact street Johnny is walking down. Because I've walked through Haverhill several times, I even have pictures of some of the places in the book, like the Merrimack river off of Water street.
Do You like book The Curse Of The Blue Figurine (2004)?
i haven't read any of his non-kiddie stuff. do you have a recommendation? i was TOTALLY into Native Americans when i was a lad. my white guilt came on super-early, lol.
—Miriam
John Bellairs was one of my favorite authors when I was a kid and in the past few years I've been on a mission to buy his books with the original Edward Gorey covers and art. Hard to understand why the publishers would do away with the superior Gorey art, but they did. I've found a few of the books with the original art at library sales and such and this is one of them (not the cover in the picture--why is Goodreads anti-Gorey, too?), the first of the Johnny Dixon mysteries. It was a fun read and still holds up so many years later, but now its spookiness is like comfort food for my brain.
—Jenny
What ages would I recommend it too? – Six and up. Length? – Most of a day’s read.Characters? – Memorable, several characters.Setting? – Real world, 1951.Written approximately? – 1983.Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? No.Short storyline: Johnny Dixon is in a new place and fighting new battles. When he discovers help from an unseen force, he trusts them, even though they tell him to keep a secret.Notes for the reader: In many ways, it feels oulineish, like you waiting for something to happen. Can't explain why it doesn't feel complete or believable.
—April Brown
