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John Bellairs was a one-of-a-kind
writer, andThe Pedant and the Shuffly is a
one-of-a-kind book. John Bellairs was a truly erudite man,
able to make wicked fun of meaningless erudition, and his
unique wit romps through every page of this book, whether you
understand Latin, logic, linguistics, logorrhea or not. To
read it is to realize what a loss his death was -- not simply
to fantasy, or to children's literature, but to the English
language, and to the art of storytelling, which he served so
well in the short time he had. I'm truly grateful to have any
of John Bellairs's books back in print. Especially this one.
-- Peter S. Beagle
Child or adult, who would not
thrill to the cockeyed poesy of that image? Kids who love
wonderful, weird, and wacky stories will snicker happily over
Snodrog's misadventures. Adults who adore James Thurber at his
best, who have whispered Edward Gorey quotes to other adults
In The Know, will welcome this superb reprint from the
Mythopoeic Press. Read it to yourself, or better yet, read it
aloud. It's entrancing.
--Sherwood Smith
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