An odd little book, and I can't quite determine if I liked it or not. It begins well, and I initially liked the writing, but the longer the book goes on, the more a sense of disillusionment manifests itself.

This is a tale of both fancy and creepiness, yes, but the erotic dreams the boy has as a pre-teen and the relationship he has as a teen were just disturbing. Is this a European convention? If the characters were older, the tone and story would still be mind-bending. Why insist on dealing with youths? The last chapters seem like something out of a Twilight Zone episode, and in this context that's not a compliment.

audiobook note: Jim Dale is amazingly talented, and I can't help but jump in line for anything he records. However, the Scottish brogue given to the title character (and therefore used prodigiously throughout the book) was not wholly effective.