The Christmas Pig, J.K. Rowling’s first children’s novel since Harry Potter I, is a feel-good book, full of surprises, which will delight adults and children alike, not only for the original story, but also for the imaginative scenery, characters and objects that interact with the main characters.
It tells the story of Jack and the love he feels for Dur Pig, a stuffed toy pig who has been with him since he was a toddler. After losing him on Christmas Eve, Jack will embark on a great adventure to save Dur Pig with the help of the Christmas Pig, a brand-new replacement for Dur Pig.
J.K. Rowling shows again, with this book, why she is considered one of the greatest storytellers of her time. She distinguishes herself again in world building, and younger and older readers will be surprised, chapter after chapter, by the original ideas that she introduces in this world that Jack and his friend visit. The world Rowling creates is not complex but it does not underestimate children: it is a world with clear logistics that the protagonists (主人翁) must follow, carefully crafted to serve the story and not its readers.
Those long time readers of J.K. Rowling’s works will find familiar passages and themes that they may want to connect to the Harry Potter books. It is hard to tell if those references are there on purpose, but there may be some satisfaction in thinking that Rowling must have noticed and enjoyed them privately while she was writing them.
Parents around the world may have a difficult time every night, once a chapter is finished and their children must go to sleep. The Christmas Pig will keep readers turning pages with a great and imaginative story, filled with cliffhangers at the end of most chapters that will leave kids asking for more. If some reviewers said that The Ickabog lacked Harry Potter’s magic, they can rest assured that The Christmas Pig has all the magic that J.K. Rowling can provide, and that’s more than enough.
12. Why is J.K. Rowling rated as one of the best storytellers of her time?
A.Her capacity in building characters. | B.Her ability to design complicated plots. |
C.Her tendency to write to children’s taste. | D.Her creativity in world building. |
13. What does the underlined word “cliffhangers” probably mean in Paragraph 5?
A.Imagination. | B.Suspense. | C.Magic. | D.Challenge. |
14. What can we infer from paragraph 4 and paragraph 5?
A.She intentionally included references to her previous works. |
B.Parents have difficulty falling asleep after finishing a chapter. |
C.Some reviewers found The Ickabog full of magic. |
D.The Christmas Pig is a good illustration of J.K. Rowling’s magic. |
15. What is the author’s attitude towards J.K. Rowling’s book “The Christmas Pig”?
A.Critical. | B.Objective. | C.Enthusiastic. | D.Indifferent. |