Paul Biegel (1925–2006)

Though I love children’s fiction, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I had expected.

King Mansolain is at the end of his thousand-year reign of the Copper Mountains. His heart is slowing down, and his assistant Hare has sent for the Wonder Doctor. Now Wonder Doctor knows of a remedy that can cure King Mansolain’s heart but until he returns from the long journey to find the rare life-giving Golden Speedwell plant, Hare must ensure that the old king’s heart is kept strong with a healthy supply of stories. To this purpose, the doctor sends whatever animal he encounters on his way back to the king’s palace with the dictum of narrating him an interesting story.

Thus the narrative proceeds with a vast variety of the kingdom’s inhabitants, ranging from a mighty dragon to a teensy beetle, a ferocious lion to a sad donkey, and a whole array of other creatures. Each of these narrates a story to the king, while the loyal Hare hopes that the doctor will return in time with a cure.

This book was originally written in 1964 by Paul Biegel. It has been a children’s classic for many years. The English translation was first commissioned in 2008 by Biegel’s daughter to bring the Dutch classic to the English-speaking audience.

The book is similar to the Arabian Nights in a sense as there is a larger narrative and within it are several smaller stories. While I enjoyed the book greatly in the first 40% or so, it felt a little repetitive thereafter. Some of the stories leave a greater mark than the others. Maybe it would help to read this a story at a time rather than in a longer chunk.

The stories aren’t all light and ‘frolicky’ as one would expect from a children’s book. Some are quite dark and mysterious. So in a sense, the tales cater to a variety of moods. But if you are looking for happy endings, not all the stories provide that.

There are a few illustrations in the book, which add to the narration well. However, the primary chunk of the content is text-based.

Overall, it is an interesting book for slightly older children (say, 7 years and above) who are comfortable with chapter books and want to try out a classic.

3.5 stars from me.

My thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “The King of the Copper Mountains”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.




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