Official Review: Beryl and the Monsters

[Amheiser]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Beryl and the Monsters" by Neil Roy McFarlane.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Beryl and the Monsters, by Neil Roy McFarlane, is an allegorical tale alluding to the fall of man. The story begins in a small clearing in a woods where two of the story’s characters, Albert and Beryl, are trying to keep a fire going to keep from being “in the dark” and in doing so, keep the monsters away. The monsters can’t stand the light. They are plotting to steal the fire so they can get to Albert and Beryl. Beryl thinks the monsters are going to eat them. Another character, John, is helping Albert and Beryl by giving them knowledge to keep them safe.

In the beginning of the story, Albert and Beryl are living contentedly in the woods until Beryl rescues Pol who is tangled in the brambles. She feels sorry for Pol and feels a responsibility to help the creature. Pol is a special monster that can stand the light. He works for the monsters. He tries to trick Albert to get him to go out into the dark forest so the monsters can steal Albert’s fire. Pol tempts Albert with all the “treasures” he can find if he goes into the forest. He tries to create disharmony between Beryl and Albert by instigating quarrels. Beryl is satisfied with life in the woods and doesn’t think Albert needs to go into the woods for treasures.

This story is mainly about how the different characters interact and where they end up because of the way they interact with the other characters and with their environment. You’ll have to read the story to find out how Albert and Beryl and John fare with the monsters.

The dialogue in this story is very well-written and keeps things flowing at a fast pace. Only a little editing is needed in a couple of places because of missing words. The plot is a familiar one, but the characters make it a unique and interesting story.

I would recommend this book to schools for teachers to use as a writing example to learn how to subtly relay a message one would like to present to a reader. This story would be one that could be used as an example of allegorical writing. There are a lot of moral issues presented in a subtle way that show a person what can happen if you let yourself be corrupted. I’m still a little confused by some of the meanings of this story. Some of the allegories are fairly obvious, but some of them could be a little clearer.

I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because the writing is good, and the dialogue is well-written, but I think some of the meanings could be a little more clear. Maybe I should be able to figure it out, but if I can’t figure it out, then maybe someone else will have difficulty figuring it out as well. All in all, it is a cute short story that is an easy and entertaining read. It makes one think about life and temptations and consequences of reactions to those temptations.

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Beryl and the Monsters
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-- 26 Jul 2015, 12:04 --

I should have mentioned in the review that this book is McFarlane's first attempt at an adult novel. He has written some children's stories which I thought were very imaginative and well-written and I think that this book is also very imaginative and well-written, but for an older audience, like teenage and older.The story is short, but there is a lot of meaning behind the story line that it would take an older person, with more life experience, to be able to think about and figure out. A child might enjoy the story, but I don't think would understand the full meaning.

[bookowlie]

Nice, insightful review. It's always frustrating when the meaning of certain things in a book isn't clear. The artwork on the cover is outstanding.

[Amheiser]

I think that this book would be a good book for a discussion group. It's a short read, it's very well-written, and it held my attention so it would be easy for people to read. There is a lot of meaning in the story so I think it would be interesting to see how other people interpreted it. I've been thinking about it more since I read it and I think I have figured it out so it would be interesting to talk with somebody about it. I agree that the artwork on the cover is very good.

[gali]

Lovely review and it sounds like a cute book.

[Amheiser]

Thank you for the positive comments on this review. I enjoyed the book and think that it would be a good book to read with older elementary age children. I think the story would create a lot of opportunities for dialogue between children and their parents discussing the meaning of the story and what they can learn from it.