The Tightrope Walkers
Written by David Almond
Narrated by Richard Halverson
3.5/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
International award-winner David Almond draws on memories of his early years in Tyneside, England, for a moving coming-of-age novel, masterfully told.
A gentle visionary coming of age in the shadow of the shipyards of northern England, Dominic Hall is torn between extremes.
On the one hand, he craves the freedom he feels when he steals away with the eccentric girl artist next door, Holly Stroud-his first and abiding love-to balance above the earth on a makeshift tightrope. With Holly, Dom dreams of a life different in every way from his shipbuilder dad's, a life fashioned of words and images and story.
On the other hand, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to the brutal charms of Vincent McAlinden, a complex bully who brings out Dom's darker desires, awakening something wild and reckless and killing in his nature.
In a raw and beautifully crafted bildungsroman, David Almond reveals the rich inner world of a boy teetering on the edge of manhood, a boy so curious and alive and open to impulse that we fear for him and question his balance-and ultimately exult in his triumphs.
David Almond
David Almond is an experienced author who specializes in paranormal fiction. The recipient of a Hans Christian Andersen Award, a Carnegie Medal, and a Michael L. Printz Award, he currently resides in England.
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Reviews for The Tightrope Walkers
21 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A book full of nostalgia. Growing up on Tyneside in the sixties. Fiction or autobiography? A bit of both. Enjoyable but a bit like a sixth form English Literature exercise of which the central character would be proud.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dominic Hall is growing up in a pebbledashed home in northern England in the post-WWII years. His father, a caulker in the shipyards, is a tough but fair and loving man. After the war, England has changed and opportunity exists for Dominic, who is well-behaved, does well in school, and has a fluency as a wordsmith that gets him noticed. Dom and his best friend, Holly, are admitted to a good school that will prepare them to be the first in their families to attend university. After a circus visits, Holly and Dominic put up a tight-rope, and Dom's mother shows them how to balance and walk the wire. Holly paints and Dom writes poetry and both succeed admirably in school. But an animal part of Dom lies untended. The boy feels a pull toward the local delinquent, Vincent McAlinden, with whom he begins to thieve, kill small animals and create mayhem. Dom walks a tight-rope, both literally and metaphorically. In which world does he belong? Almond's writing is crisp and beautiful. From the slang of the shipyard to recitations in the poetry-bookshop, Almond shows through language the dichotomy that exists in Dom. The Tight-Rope Walker has clever symbolism and handles big ideas, but the plot moves slowly in places. Although I don't agree with Almond's conclusions about what it means to be human, I admire his literary finesse with the question. Dom's struggles to understand who he is and who he could become will ring true to many adolescents.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5"Bliddy" beautiful bildungsroman set in northern England during the 1950s and '60s. Lyrical, poetic story of a boy growing up in the working class family of a ship welder. There is a girl next-door, his best friend, and a half-crazy, half-wild boy the boy is drawn to. This is marketed as a story for young adults, but I cannot imagine it being read by any teens I know. It is a great read for adults, however.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dominic Hall is a boy, growing up, on the edges of a shipyard, on the northern coast of England. His father, toils in that shipyard and like many of the working class, of that era, ('60s) barely keeps his family afloat.Dominic makes friends with a smart and gifted girl, named Holly and they make an instant bond. She dreams of being a tightrope walker and is a stable presence for Dominic, giving him focus and hope. Unfortunately, he also is drawn to the local bad boy, Vincent McAlinden, who begins to take Dom, down a much darker path, leaving Holly farther and farther behind. This edgy triangle, is the heart of the tale.This coming of age story, really grew on me, as it went along and I was swept along with these young lives. Almond based some of this on his own childhood experiences and he really evokes a perfect sense of time and place.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5THE TIGHTROPE WALKERS by David Almond is the coming-of-age story of a boy torn between two very different friendships in the mid-20th century. While Holly represents artist freedom, Vincent reflects the wild, violent side of life. Based on the memories of the author growing up in northern England, this work of realistic fiction is told through very short chapters making it a quick read. The well-developed characters, use of local dialects, and authentic settings add to the appeal. Although technically a work of historical fiction, the story transcends time.From beauty and creativity to violence and death, Almond’s exploration of both the dark and light side of everyday life make this book special. The novel’s many metaphors and other literary elements make it an excellent book for young adult discussions. However because of the mature themes this book is not designed for children.Published by Candlewick Press in March 2015.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dominic Hall is a teen growing up in northern England. He is torn between his attraction to teen artist Holly Stroud who lives next door and bully Vincent McAlinden. The relationships are complex, and so are their lives as they move to a final resolution. I really still can’t decide if I enjoyed reading it or not.