Click-Clack The Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman, 2014
The magic trick:
Subverting storytelling roles in a surprising way
Clever clever as always, Gaiman starts you going one way and then pulls the rug out. In this case, you think it’s the adult telling the young boy a scary story. But maybe it’s the other way around. And that’s quite a trick on Gaiman’s part.
The selection:
We walked out of the warm and cosy kitchen into the hallway of the big house, where it was chilly and draughty and dark. I flicked the light-switch, but nothing happened.
“The bulb’s gone,” the boy said. “That always happens.”
Our eyes adjusted to the shadows. The moon was almost full, and blue-white moonlight shone in through the high windows on the staircase, down into the hall. “We’ll be all right,” I said.
“Yes,” said the boy, soberly. “I am very glad you’re here.” He seemed less precocious now. His hand found mine, and he held on to my fingers comfortably, trustingly, as if he’d known me all his life. I felt responsible and adult.
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Read this with my 9th graders, I was into it, them, not so much. 14/15 year olds hate everything though.
On Thu, Oct 21, 2021 at 8:27 PM Short Story Magic Tricks wrote:
> bcw56 posted: ” Click-Clack The Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman, 2014 The magic > trick: Subverting storytelling roles in a surprising way Clever clever as > always, Gaiman starts you going one way and then pulls the rug out. In this > case, you think it’s the adult telling ” >
Carl!