

Cargando... The Westing Game (1978)por Ellen Raskin
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A seemingly random group of 16 people are gathered for the reading of the will of Sam Westing. Instead, they are all given a challenge to find Westing's murderer. They are grouped into teams of two, and each team is given an envelope full of clues. A cute book, lots of twists and turns (too many maybe). I like the premise, but I'm really not the target audience for this book - really a children's book. This was just as silly and just as enjoyable as I remembered. I was not QUITE as bothered as I was when I was 14 by the unrealistic suggestion that a high school track athlete would skip school the day before a big meet to sprint around town, rather than rest his legs. I'm not big into mysteries, but this one's a Newbery winner and came recommended by a friend. I found it fun despite the genre and would recommend it for middle-grade children. There is a puzzle within the mystery, which they can solve as they read. There are also some great characters that are used to address how readily we dismiss the intellect and value of those with disabilities as well as how we stereotype Afro-Americans and immigrants. Be advised that it was published in the late 70s and there are a couple of instances where terminology is used which one wouldn't expect to hear today. As an example, the word "retarded" is used to refer both to mental disability and Down's Syndrome (which is called Mongoloidism in the book). As shocking and insulting as that seems now, at the time it was considered the proper terminology, and the author's intent was obviously to confront stereotypes and biases. The three star rating is more a reflection of my personal tastes than the quality of the book. For those who enjoy this genre more, I expect 4 stars would be closer to the mark. I rate for myself though. :) I re-read The Westing Game to confirm my fourth-grade memory that it is in fact the greatest murder mystery ever written. It didn't quite live up to my expectations of suspense this time, but it is a pretty good puzzle.
The book seems to suggest that the real American inheritance is transformation, and that American transformation is a mercurial thing. Ultimately, although the story is an exciting who-done-it, the emphasis on the ‘who’ is what keeps readers coming back. The characters make the story interesting, and they make the reader think, and that is exactly what a powerful book should do. If Raskin's crazy ingenuity has threatened to run away with her on previous occasions, here the complicated game is always perfectly meshed with character and story. Confoundingly clever, and very funny. Pertenece a las series del editorContenida enTiene la adaptaciónTiene un estudioTiene como guía de estudio aTiene como guía de enseñanza a
The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance. No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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![]() GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)813.54 — Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999Clasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio:![]()
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update:
found a copy and it held up -- no wonder i loved this book as a kid: strong girl character, interesting mystery, commentary on all sorts of issues, like ableism, sexism (including mail-order brides and good girl syndrome), racism, classism, but none touched upon with too heavy a hand.
the one comment i would make, without giving anything away, is one part of the mystery is so completely obvious, at least to most americans, that it's hard to believe the characters wouldn't find it obvious, as well. but, no, we go almost 200 pages before someone "suddenly" puts 2 and 2 together and aha! duh. luckily, that's not all there is to the mystery, which keeps giving until the very end.
awesome. (